At Gray Whale Gin, we believe a lovingly handcrafted spirit can bring people together — both for good times and for good in the world.
It’s a simple notion that we cooked up on a camping trip to Big Sur. We were humbled by California’s stunning beauty; we felt lucky to be on that rocky coast, surrounded by ancient trees and the endless blue of the Pacific Ocean.
Looking out past McWay Falls at the turquoise sea, we spotted a Gray Whale and its calf on their own road trip up north. It’s a trip Gray Whales have made for more than 30 million years, long before we stood up on two legs.
Now, we celebrate their 12,000 mile journey with a beautiful gin made of botanicals foraged along their migratory path. From Temecula limes, to juniper from Big Sur — as well as a few stops in between — Gray Whale Gin honors the awe-inspiring, natural beauty of the Pacific coastline.
That’s why every bottle of Gray Whale Gin supports Oceana, which helps to protect and restore the world’s oceans.
It’s our hope that Gray Whales will continue to make this epic journey for another 30 million years.
Our Founders
Marsh and Jan Mokhtari met in a bar in Chicago 20 years ago. It might sound trite, but hey, they make gin together, so now it seems kismet. Marsh is a food & adventure show host on the Food Network, National Geographic and the Travel Channel. Jan is an award-winning creative director and filmmaker, creating campaigns and content for some of the world’s largest brands.
In 2016, they combined their superpowers and founded Golden State Distillery, a distillery that celebrates California and supports the Golden State through nature and wildlife conservation.
Our ultra clean, six-times distilled, gluten-free spirit provides the perfect blank canvas to allow our wonderful Californian botanicals to truly shine. This is where we start our distillation process.
After the base spirit is set, we prepare the botanicals for distillation. First, our sun-dried botanicals are weighed, inspected and poured directly into the pot still. Then, we place the fresh zested citrus and fir-tree needles into a vapor extraction basket. Wonderfully fragrant, the botanical basket is carefully secured inside the copper pot still helmet, directly above the base spirit.
The final and most important step is the botanical distillation. During distillation, the alcohol vapors rise up to the extraction basket and delicately heat the fresh citrus and fir, releasing all their wonderful flavors. These rich vapors continue across the lyne-arm and are cooled and condensed. Gray Whale Gin then rests for 48 hours until we bottle it.
CALIFORNIAN BOTANICALS
Our botanicals are foraged along the migratory path of the California Gray Whale – from Temecula in the South, to Mendocino in the North.
Our California Juniper comes from the rocky Big Sur coastline. Juniper is super-packed with antioxidants, praised as a natural detoxifier for centuries. Juniper berries handpicked from the Golden State are the heart of our superbly smooth gin.
Sustainably foraged from the forests of Sonoma Valley, we harvest from living fir trees and de-needle each one by hand. The fir imparts a cool pine, coastal quality to our gin’s flavor profile – a breath of Northern California.
Mint is one of the oldest culinary herbs known to man, celebrated for its remarkable medicinal properties. California mint’s native habitat is along freshwater stream banks, so refreshing flavor flows in every glass of our gin. Breathe in the aroma and your mind is instantly calmed, transported to an oceanic overlook.
ALMONDS Central Valley
Wonderfully refreshing, bright, yet balanced citrus notes kick off our gin’s journey, allowing the other botanicals to shine. The limes used to perfect Gray Whale Gin are sustainably grown and harvested in the Temecula Valley and lovingly hand-zested for each batch.
Our Kombu Seaweed is wild harvested from kelp beds on the Mendocino Coast. Abundant in flavor and rich in mineral content, Kombu is unlike any other sea vegetable, earning it the title “The King of Seaweeds.” Kombu Seaweed adds an earthy umami flavor profile that grounds our gin and imbues a spray of the Pacific Ocean to every sip.
California makes more almonds than anywhere else in the world. Each season, our almonds are harvested from Capay Valley. The almond trees bloom with white flowers in the spring and the almond seed is ready to be harvested in August. These almonds give our gin a delicate mouthfeel and a creamy finish.
COCKTAILS
The exceptionally balanced, botanical-forward makeup of Gray Whale Gin makes it innately sippable and, of course, mixable.
Tasting
ONE OF A KIND
An unmatched, singular profile delivering balanced and bold botanicals.
Citrus aromas, juniper and a subtle hint of cool coastal fir trees blend with fresh mint and the umami flavors of kombu sea kelp. Rounded out by a beautiful, lasting, creamy almond finish.
AN ORIGINAL MEDLEY INSPIRED BY THE COAST VERSATILITY
A sippable and mixable gin for all purposes.
At Gray Whale Gin, we believe in a world where even the small choices we make each day can leave the planet in a better place than we found it. We believe in GIN FOR GOOD.
Every bottle of Gray Whale Gin is made with the environment in mind – inside the bottle and out.
We hand-forage and sustainably source our botanicals from local farmers. Our bottles are thoughtfully designed with organic paint. When the Gin is finished, we upcycle some bottles into 100% soy wax candles and give all proceeds to ocean conservation.
