Wine Country is about a lot more than wine. As a new generation of local spirits producers hones its talents in distilling, they’re finding inspiration for their gins, vodkas, whiskeys in a plethora of local ingredients. Finding an eager audience in those who appreciate good food...
Over the past few months, Sonoma’s quirkiest town has been quietly amassing street cred for its new food scene. Thanks to the Barlow—a newish complex of tin foundry-style buildings—local restaurateurs, distillers, and brewmasters have a new set of store fronts where they can house their...
There's calmness at Spirit Works Distillery now, after regular hours, as we have an opportunity to see the inner workings of the larger than usual craft distilling space. It's after the hustle and bustle of the day, running with gyrating machinery and dancing hoses across...
Local Gin, Sloe Gin & Whiskey You've not had a sloe gin quite like this one before: fresh, tart and not at all cloying or medicinal as many sloe gins can be. Husband/wife dynamo Timo and Ashby Marshall and their staff ensure a warm welcome at their shiny Spirit Works...
In just 18 months, The Barlow, an upscale food and wine playground in the heart of Sebastopol, has become home to 38 artists, food purveyors, winemakers, distillers and brewers -- and a destination for locals and tourists alike. A mix of renovated warehouses and new, farm-style...
New distilleries, smart bottle shops, micro-batch bitters, and more. Here are seven reasons to raise a glass to the Bay Area’s booming spirits scene. 6. Sebastopol is producing honest-to-goodness sloe gin. In Timo Marshall’s native England, steeping wild sloe berries in alcohol is a centuries-old tradition. “When...
In today’s culture, telling people you are a distillery owner is still the rarest answer at the party. While craft distilleries are starting to increase in number, mainstream America is still a bit in awe of the profession. Thankfully, anomalous jobs have never bothered Timo...
We love kicking off cocktail hour with a good dirty martini as much as the next gal. But sometimes you gotta switch things up a little, say, with one of these drinks. SLOE 75 The Sloe 75, a take on the French 75, swaps regular gin for fruity sloe gin. Get the...
Over the past year, our intrepid spirits writer, Lou Bustamante, tasted through hundreds of newly launched products to recommend a selection for the pages of W&S. Here we’ve organized them by category for easy gifting ideas. Botanicals 14. Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin 15. Fords Gin 16. No. 209 Barrel Reserve Gin 17....
Napa and Sonoma bring to mind rolling hills and valleys covered in vines and tasting rooms and restaurants where wine flows freely. But there’s more to the New World’s first landmark wine country than wine. Craft, or essentially small batch, distilleries are cropping up throughout...