Spirits of San Francisco: Inside Hotaling & Co with Kevin Aslan
Have you tried or heard of Old Potrero Rye? What about Junipero Gin? Surely you've heard of Hirsch American Whiskey, right? If not, Kevin Aslan, head distiller for Hotaling & Co. in San Francisco, is here to re-introduce these under-the-radar giants of American craft whiskey.
Old Potrero, when it first arrived in 1996 (distilled in 1993) was the first fully pot distilled whiskey in America since Prohibition. Add to that, it was 100% malted rye, no exogenous enzymes and no other grains. The brainchild of Fritz Maytag and Bruce Joseph, Old Potrero gave rise to a new generation of craft whiskey and continues to be a sensational product - if you can find it.
Hirsch likely needs no introduction, though I will say Hotaling has turned it on its head. Rather than trying to recreate "The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste" as Chuck Cowdery has called it, Bruce and now Kevin are using Hirsch as their more experimental line, debuting bourbons, ryes, and American Single Malts. The release I tried - Departure - was 6 years 9 months and had all the ASM and funky barnyard you could want.
When a distillery that grew out of a brewery (Anchor) has 30+ years in craft whiskey, there's a lot to talk about. We cover the history, the products, the thoughts, and the transitions, with an eye to the future of this venerable brand.
Thank you to Kevin for entering the whiskey ring!
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Hotaling & Co.