Junipero Gin, the San Francisco-based award-winning brand that is celebrated as America’s first craft gin, announced today that it is hosting the first-ever San Francisco Martini Week. Junipero Gin is partnering with San Francisco Magazine to introduce a week-long celebration from August 1-6, 2022, as a tribute to where both the martini and Junipero Gin were born.
San Francisco Martini Week will not only shine a light on a great classic cocktail but it will also work to raise funds for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence®, a San Francisco-born non-profit and cutting-edge Order of queer and trans nuns devoted to community service and activism. Restaurants and bars across the city will invite consumers to try creative martini variations with Junipero Gin’s bold unfiltered expression while raising donations for every glass raised.
Without a doubt, martinis have been instrumental to cocktail culture worldwide, but the history of the martini is shrouded in mystery. While there are many theories about the birth of the martini, the reigning one points to the town of Martinez, CA, in the mid-1800s Gold Rush. A gold miner looking to celebrate his good fortune walked into a saloon and ordered a glass of champagne. Upon discovering that they were out of champagne, the bartender created “something special” for the miner. That “something” consisted of two parts gin, one part vermouth and a dash of orange bitters poured over crushed ice and garnished with an olive. Thus, “The Martinez Special” was born, and as its popularity spread it became known as the martini, a drink that is seen as a symbol of sophistication and boldness that has defined cocktail culture around the globe.
As the Original San Francisco Craft Gin with roots in the Bay Area, Junipero Gin honors its strong connection to the history of the martini. Junipero’s bold flavor enhances all the different martini variations, inviting you to take creative license when ordering the martini that you enjoy best. There is no one or right way to order a martini – whether you like it dry or dirty, shaken or stirred, or with an olive and/or a twist – the art of ordering a martini is something that is uniquely individual, much like the eccentric community of San Francisco. With San Francisco Martini Week, Junipero hopes to educate consumers on the martini and encourage everyone to discover which martini variation they like best.
“We cannot think of a better way to celebrate a cocktail with such rich history than by creating the first ever Martini Week with our San Francisco born Junipero Gin.” said Brian Radics, CMO of Hotaling & Co. “We are proud to celebrate this classic cocktail while raising funds for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence®. This week brings together our value of Living Life Unfiltered with raising a martini to the Sisters, a great group that also boldly break with convention as they devote themselves to local activism and outreach to those on the fringe. We hope you will celebrate with us!”
During San Francisco Martini Week, Junipero Gin hopes to inspire consumers to get creative. With a bit of inspiration and a gin famous for challenging the norms, residents and visitors in San Francisco are encouraged to order a tried-and-true martini or mix it up to find the martini variation that they like best. In the spirit of giving, Junipero Gin will donate $10,000 to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence®, whose dedication to human rights, diversity, and spiritual enlightenment has been essential to shaping the San Francisco we know and love. Additionally, $2 from every signature Junipero martini sold during Martini Week at participating bars and restaurants will be donated to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence® to support the their grant program that funds progressive, grassroots organizations and projects that serve marginalized communities and promote wellness, joy, tolerance, and diversity in the Bay Area; community development and funding to important LGTBQ+ projects and movements including the Pink Triangle Memorial, The People’s March, and Help Our Friends Outside (HOFO); and the Sisters’ Ministry of Joy, a program in which the Sisters interact with the community in a joyous and loving way, from feeding those who live outside to hosting an annual Easter In The Park Celebration to picking up trash in the streets. Martini lovers can also donate to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence® directly.
Participating bars and restaurants include 15 Romolo, Bar Agricole, Bar Iris, Blondies, For The Record, High Horse, Kona Street Market, Pacific Cocktail Haven, Rye, Sushi Sato, Wilder and Wildhawk.
