01 Jul San Francisco Magazine – Best of 2016

Best of the North Bay 2016

It’s not all about wine. It’s also about mineral pools, fresh-shucked oysters, strawberry pie, and, OK, fine, wine.

Distillery: Spirit Works Distillery
6790 McKinley St. (near Laguna Park Way), Sebastopol, 707-634-4793
Husband-and-wife team Ashby and Timo Marshall mill, mash, ferment, and bottle all of their craft booze onsite. The guided tour ($20) culminates in the tasting room, where an observation window affords a bird’s-eye view of the grain-to-glass process. But the real draw here is the tasting bar, where guests can sample experimental spirits like whiskey-barrel-aged gin, tobacco-and-butterscotch-tinged organic white oak wheat whiskey, and rye whiskey with white peppercorn notes ($20 for a one-hour tour with tasting; tastings from $5).

Read the whole list of Best of San Francisco 2016 Winners here