Hophead Hop Vodka

Hophead Hop Vodka emerged from Anchor Distilling's creative experimentation in San Francisco. President David King, surrounded by the intense aroma of hops from the adjacent Anchor Brewing facility, envisioned incorporating hops into a spirit. Head distiller Bruce Joseph and brewmaster Mark Carpenter collaborated to develop the product using Anchor's small copper pot stills and two hop varieties. Initial attempts at simply soaking hops in neutral spirit produced excessive bitterness, so the team opted for redistillation to remove unwanted sulfur compounds while preserving the aromatic character. The result is a spirit that defies traditional vodka classification, tasting more like gin without juniper—floral, grassy, with subtle red apple notes and only faint sweetness. Launched around 2013 after 20 years of Anchor's focus on beer, Hophead represents the distillery's commitment to innovative, unconventional products that challenge category conventions.

Made using Anchor's small copper pot stills with two hop varieties added to neutral spirit and redistilled to remove bitterness and sulfur compounds while preserving aromatic intensity. The distillation process concentrates the crisp, floral character of hops without the typical beer-like malt sweetness or excessive bitterness. Water source and specific filtration details not disclosed; production emphasizes copper pot still craftsmanship.