Our Founders
Head distiller AJ Temple and his wife Jamie are Pacific Northwest natives, high school sweethearts, and have a passion for all things delicious.
Excited by the boom of craft spirits but aghast at the lack of 'proper' old-world London Dry gin on the West Coast, this became Temple Distilling's main obsession for the last 10 years. The next decade? We're putting our award-winning gin production skills into some really awesome whiskey. Stay tuned!
So, Why Gin? AJ began his passion for flavor around the age of 5 when he opened his first cookbook. That love translated into the spirits world later on, and he is still mastering culinary endeavors at home when not making gin. Gin is a chef's spirit, it's all about the botanicals (ingredients) and how they are utilized. Whiskey is more like baking- limited to grains, yeast, and time. Good thing we like baking too!
Why the literary theme? Besides the juxtaposition of the genres of spirits and writing and the “flavors” each author lends to their work, the Temples love reading. AJ has written one book on gin and frequently writes in his spare time. Reading can sadly be a dying pastime in the age of smartphones and on-demand TV and it is amazing how re-centered you can become with some quality time reading a good book. A top shelf martini also aids quite nicely in this picture.
We use a custom bain-marie style pot still - the double boiler heating method that is used to temper eggs and rich sauces - it lends a soft and even heat to the botanicals allowing us to use fresh citrus peel and macerate botanicals in the still kettle, giving you the best mouthfeel and oil integration possible. There is nothing like a delicious gin that lingers on your palate. This is serious business, one that has resulted in multiple Wine Enthusiast Top 100 awards, nominations for best craft gin producer, and fierce loyalty from our customers and local mixologists.
Much like a good book, once you meet our characters and dive in, you won’t want to put it down.
