Tour and Taste at Sonoma County Distillery
Road Trips Foodies who find themselves in northern California wine country — but who prefer distilled spirits — now have an alternative tipple.
Founded in 2010 as the Golden State’s first whiskey-only distillery, the Sonoma County Distilling Company, 5625 State Farm Drive, Unit 18, Rohnert Park, California, is now open to the public for tastings and sales.
The distillery claims a “grain to glass” philosophy. From the milling, mashing, and fermentation of grains, to direct-fired copper alembic pot distillation, to American oak barrel aging, bottling, and labeling, every level of production is handled in house. The goal is to create a new legacy, one that is steeped in traditional values but fueled by modern taste.
Sonoma County Distilling Company is open for tastings and sales from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday. Tours are by appointment at 2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tours are $20 per person, and include a tasting of six whiskeys and a souvenir logo Glencairn whiskey glass.
If rye is your favorite, you might want to know that the distillery’s Straight Rye Whiskey Cask Strength took home a gold medal and the Best of Class – Whiskey award from the American Craft Spirits Association’s annual convention and award ceremony in February 2017. The ACSA is a nonprofit trade association representing the U.S. craft spirits industry.
(Photo courtesy of Sonoma County Distilling Company)
