Swirling a glass of pinot noir against a backdrop of lush Sonoma vineyards … the California dream, right? Sure, wine is pretty damn fabulous, but sometimes, perhaps, you’d rather be sipping on fine spirits. Turns out, you can do that in wine country. According to the Sonoma County Economic Development Board, Sonoma County has experienced a surge of new craft distilleries within the past several years — reaching 13 by 2015. Not all of them are open to the public, but here are a few to whet your whistle.
Spirit Works Distillery
If you’re into cocktail joints, you’ve likely noticed Spirit Works’ sloe gin on the backbar. A highly aromatic red liqueur made with gin and sloe (blackthorn) berries, this traditional U.K. spirit is distilled by owners Timo and Ashby Marshall, who opened the distillery in 2013. Located at the Barlow outdoor market in Sebastopol, Spirit Works offers distillery tours to educate patrons on how the spirits are produced, from grain to glass. Back in the tasting room, sample their vodka, gin, whiskey and sloe gin — most of which begin with California-grown, organic red winter wheat. Interesting fact: Spirit Works is run by mostly women. “It is important for women in the spirits industry to remain visible so that any woman interested in entering it knows there is a place for her,” says head distiller Lauren Patz.
Fred and Amy Groth got into the spirits business in 2008, after falling for limoncello while traveling in Italy. Back in the U.S., the couple relocated to California and began making their very own, award-winning limoncello di Sonoma, which balances ripe lemon characters and refreshing acidity. Prohibition Spirits also produces three types of gin, both unaged and aged brandies distilled from local fruit, Italian-style liqueurs like figcello and nocino, and other spirits. Their new tasting room at Cornerstone Sonoma has the rustic-glam factor common to wine country these days: charcoal-gray walls and chandeliers juxtaposed with bright metal barstools in an industrial space. In addition to being a tasting room and retail shop, the airy space is an entrance to Sunset Test Gardens, where you can wander the maze-like trail of fresh herbs, flowers and abstract art fixtures.
