San Juan Island Distillery
We are three business partners: Rich Anderson and Suzy and Hawk Pingree. We all work together to make wonderful small batch ciders and spirits here on San Juan Island. We make 14 different gins (really!), several delicious liqueurs and flavored brandies, and our premium award-winning apple brandy, which won gold and best in class from the American Craft Spirits Association, as well as best in class from the American Distilling Institute in 2014.
We hope that you will join us for a tasting at the Distillery and Ciderworks, it’s a lot of fun and actually educational. We have a beautiful all-copper Adrian still that we are usually running during tastings. We are just under a mile from Roche Harbor Resort.
Author: Caroline Porsiel
Caroline Porsiel is a master distiller and liqueurist based in East Ellijay, Georgia. She founded House of Applejay, a fine spirits and liqueur distillery, in 2022 with her mother, Sabine, crafting award-winning products like Applejay from Ellijay, Mt. Frozen Knob Vodka, and Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. The distillery won a 2024 Best of Georgia Award and a 2025 Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. As a founding member of the AMBRU Campaign, launched in 2020, Porsiel advocates for the global recognition of American Brandy and Rum. She continues to drive innovation in the craft spirits industry from her active distillery in the heart of Georgia’s apple country.
