Distillery No. 209 Is One of a Kind

Distillery No. 209 sits on edge of San Francisco, just a baseball throw away from AT&T Park, home of the SF Giants. Pier 50 is on the industrial side of things, so you won’t find crab vendors or sea gulls swooping on pedestrians. I entered the distillery and was welcomed by Wendi, their Marketing and Brand Manager, along with Abby the distillery poodle. Wendi and Abby were kind enough to walk me around their magic factory and explain the history of No. 209 Distillery.

No. 209 is actually the distillery number it was given when it was founded back in 1882, by master distiller William Scheffler. It was and still is part of the Edge Hill Estate located in St. Helena, which also produces amazing wine. The distillery building was shut down shortly after it was erected due to Prohibition, but not before winning several awards for their handcrafted spirits. In 1999 Leslie Rudd took over the project and during the building’s restoration discovered lettering on the building that read “Registered Distillery No. 209.” Hence the name.

After learning that the distillery was founded in Napa, I was somewhat shocked because now Napa County turns a blind eye to DSPs (Distilled Spirits Permit) for fear of competition with the wine industry. C’mon folks, there’s plenty of room on the shelf for everybody.

So a little bit about me…I have visited numerous gin distilleries for MicroShiner and as a mixologist tasted hundreds of gins. Not to mention running a restaurant spirits program. So I like to think that I have seen and tasted it all when it comes to gin. But when Wendi brought me into the herb, spice, and botanical room at Distiller 209, I was blown away. Seeing the herbs is one thing, but being able to smell and taste them and explore each flavor and texture was truly inspirational. Wendi took me to school. From learning about what size of cardamom pods are more flavorful (it’s the smaller ones you want) to which spice brings out bitterness, I was pumped to get such a hands-on, put-this-herb-in-your-mouth tour. I walked in feeling I had a good grasp on gin botanicals and left feeling like I just received my master’s degree.

After learning about the various base spirits and their process for crafting gin, it finally came down to my favorite part... the magical dance between spirit and palette. Now I know every distillery has to do something to stand out from the next guy, whether that’s the bottling used, or the base spirit being grain or brandy, or perhaps the spirit is cut with that special water that was sourced from that one place that nobody has been. We get it. You’re different. But honestly... No. 209 might be changing the game.

At this point, we have all heard of barrel aged gin, usually just the standard Charred-White-American-Oak. Now consider French Oak barrels. And to take it farther… imagine French Oak barrels that once held wine! Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and even Cabernet Sauvignon! Since No. 209 is affiliated with a wine label (remember, Edge Hill), they do have easy access to these barrels. Yes some may say it’s cheating, but if you have to cheat to get to this degree of singularity … well, I welcome whatever they might have up their sleeves. Their lineup consists of several different spirits and a variety of gins. First is their standard flagship 209 Gin and of course Vodka. Followed by their Barrel Reserve line. Starting with their Sauvignon Blanc Barrel Aged Gin which has notes similar to a Lillet or Dry Vermouth. Then the Chardonnay Barrel Aged Gin. Tons of notes similar to big oaky, creamy chardonnay. I could almost taste the malolactic fermentation. Finally I was able to taste the Cabernet Barrel Aged Gin. This was most impressive. The first thing that I noticed was the tannic notes, followed by big fruit. Forget your bourbon whiskey (just for a night at least) and drink the Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Reserve Gin with a few cubes. Perfect for sipping!

I was sad to leave, especially without a bottle, but happy to finally see the place I have heard so much about. I’m looking forward to visiting their Estate in Napa soon.

Brian Cary is a sky slash skin diver, image maker, former porn industry worker, muy thai heavy bag, and wannabe mixologist based in Healdsburg, CA. He moonlights as Master of Spirits Media at MicroShiner. 

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Cocktails, Yes. Craft Spirits, Not So Much.

Much like its island cousins offshore, Southern California has the perfect climate for enjoying cocktails. Wine rules the state further north, and while Napa Valley chardonnay can certainly be found on every menu, there is just something about the SoCal lifestyle that lends itself to the mixologist’s art.

Unfortunately, while a well made drink is easy to come by, finding one made with local, or even craft, spirits is a lot more difficult. A recent foray into LA and the Coachella Valley turned up lots of great places to enjoy a cocktail, but few that catered to craft tendencies.

First stop was the lounge at Melvyn’s, a Palm Springs classic. Once the haunt of such desert legends as Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope, Melvyn’s is still the place to be for anyone wanting the ultimate martini bar experience. Just don’t expect it to include craft spirits.

With the Purple Room closed for renovations, the Amigo Room at the Ace Hotel played pinch hitter. Part of a worldwide collection of reimagined accommodations, the Ace in Palm Springs caters to the hip Coachella and LA Basin crowds that descend on the desert each winter season. In the Amigo is found an amalgamation of dank tavern and 70’s discoteque, but not much in the way of local spirits. A request for something made in California yielded Hanger 1 on one occasion and “how about Texas?” i.e. Tito’s the next, both of which were certainly craft at one point, somewhere in their distant past. Still, plenty of craft beer, the vibe and local musical talent made for a worthwhile stop, especially considering the swim club and late night menu at the salvaged roadside diner next door.

The highlight of the trip, however, was a visit to the Lincoln, a new project along Venice Beach designed by Matt Winter and executed by Cameron Dodge-White. Extremely well done, with attention to every detail, this is a bar that blurs the line between upscale and dive in a way that would seem impossible to do if wasn’t already a reality. Anchored solidly in Dodge-White’s Midwestern roots, the guiding tenet at the Lincoln is a place to go to have a real drink. No food (other than the complimentary hot dogs), no nonsense, just a highly curated selection of beer, wine, and spirits.

But even here the micro-distiller presence was lacking, and local spirits completely non-existent. The question of California spirits was answered by a lengthy dissertation on the inadequacy of native Golden State production. Journeyman Spirits’ Last Feather Rye, a nod to Dodge-White’s home state of Michigan, was the only craft label behind the bar, but a couple fingers of that over ice, along with the sublime atmosphere and exceptional service, helped make this fact much easier to swallow.

That’s not to say that craft is completely unheard of in Southern California, only that it is diluted and therefore slower to get noticed. A small producer is easily lost in the vastness of greater Los Angeles, and getting on the shelf in neighborhood bars challenging at best. The future of craft in SoCal, for the near term, probably looks more like a larger regional producer such as Our / Los Angeles, or in niche bars and restaurants that focus specifically on offering craft.

Which is exactly the recipe for success at Eureka! in Indian Wells. An established SoCal chain that is spreading its reach into other craft conscious locales as Austin, Boise, and Boulder, the spirits menu at Eureka! was a veritable who’s who of craft elite. Offerings included such reputable whiskey producers as Corsair, Westland, and Balcones alongside cocktail friendly spirits like Ascendant Spirits American Star vodka and Anchor Distilling Junipero Gin. Tasty gastropub fare and a trendy yet relaxed ambiance appealed to tourist and desert dwelling local alike.

The exciting thing in all of this is the massive potential for growth. With an ample market and plenty of industrial space just waiting to be repurposed, it’s only a matter of time before craft begins to really take off in Southern California. And with that comes the opportunity to explore a multitude of unique spirits, inspiring locations, and personal expressions. The incomparable essence of craft mixed with that quintessential SoCal style.

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