Stjärna Aquavit
Lynnwood, Washington, United States
- ABV
- 40%
- Base spirit
- Unknown
- Color
- Unknown
- Style
- Unaged Aquavit
Stjärna Aquavit is an unaged aquavit produced by Temple Distilling Company in Lynnwood, Washington. Temple first made a short run of the spirit in 2018 as an experimental project inspired partly by the similarities between aquavit and gin and partly by head distiller A.J. Temple’s Swedish family background. The aquavit returned to production in 2022 using the same recipe, with adjustments to the production process intended to give the spirit greater depth of flavor.
The name Stjärna means “star”” in Swedish, referring to star anise, the principal botanical in the recipe. Caraway seed and grains of paradise provide earthier spice notes, while orange peel contributes a citrus element. Temple describes the spirit as made in the taffel style: it is bottled clear and unaged, with no post-distillation botanical infusion, so its botanical character is derived from the distillation itself. Stjärna is bottled at 40% ABV.
In 2022, Stjärna received a Double Gold medal in the Specialty category of Sip Magazine’s Best of the Northwest Spirits Awards. Temple later used the aquavit as the basis for a separate limited seasonal expression, Stjärna “Jul” Aged Aquavit, matured in a former Woodcut gin cask and finished with additional holiday spices.
About the producer
Temple Distilling Company
Lynnwood, Washington, United States
Temple Distilling Company grew from a project developed by A.J. and Jamie Temple, Pacific Northwest natives and high-school sweethearts who began researching the idea of opening a distillery in 2013. The company was established in 2014, and its stills went into operation the following year. In 2015 Temple also opened its distillery and tasting room in Lynnwood, Washington, with the official grand opening held on October 31. The business remains family owned and operated by A.J. and Jamie.
Gin was the distillery’s original focus. Founder and head distiller A.J. Temple approached spirit production from a culinary perspective, developing botanical recipes through small experimental distillations before scaling them to the main still. Temple uses a custom bain-marie-style pot still, whose indirect heating provides gentle, even heat and allows fresh citrus peel and other botanicals to be macerated directly in the still.
Over time, the range expanded beyond Chapter One and Woodcut gins to include liqueurs, aquavit and, more recently, whiskey. Aquavit has a personal connection to A.J.’s Swedish ancestry: the first short run of Stjärna Aquavit appeared in 2018 and later returned as part of the regular range. Stjärna subsequently became the basis for the limited Stjärna “Jul” Aged Aquavit. Temple continues to distill its spirits on site and holds an active federal distilled-spirits permit under the Temple Distilling name.
