In August 2017, Sapporo Holdings Ltd. acquired Anchor Brewing Co. The purchase separated the San Francisco-based beer company from its sister, Anchor Distilling Company, which was not included in the sale but nonetheless required a rebranding away from the “Anchor” moniker.

As of January 31, 2018, the spirits company assumed the name Hotaling & Co. (pronounced “ho-de-ling”), a reference to one of its small batch whiskeys, which was named after San Francisco legend A.P. Hotaling, who came west during the Gold Rush and established himself as a reputable spirits merchant.