We've loved Hangar 1 Vodkas for years... but amazingly, we'd never been out to the distillery & tasting room at the old Alameda Naval Base until a couple of weeks ago when we were invited to attend an event called Exprescion (put on, of course, by Scion)*.
The space is amazing with stunning vistas of the Bay and city. So, C decided we had to go back there, armed with his camera case and during the day, which happened this past Sunday. I can't say that I didn't have a bit of an interest in it myself - I mean, what I wouldn't give to get my hands on one of those spaces to turn into my own personal loft-playground. But, I digress.
At the tasting room, they charge the bargain-basement price of $10 for the opportunity to try a ridiculous number of hand-crafted spirits, plus you get to take home a cordial glass. In addition, you get the fabulous company of the tasting-room manager and his staff. C & I shared one tasting (I was driving) and sampled the following:
- Aqua Perfecta Eaux de Vie in Pear, Kirsch & Raspberry ($36 each) - Phenomenal purity of flavors. Kirsch was particularly special, I thought; it's an uncommon flavor in these parts, and utterly a part of Jorg Rupf's heritage.
- Aqua Perfecta Zinfandel Grappa ($36) - I'm not a big Grappa fan, though C really enjoyed the clean flavors here.
- St. George Single Malt Whiskey ($45) - I loved this, and we had to have a bottle - the decanter that usually holds Knob Creek is getting a new visitor. It's packed full of complexity - they use 3 types of used casks for aging - port, bourbon & new french oak.
- Hangar 1 Vodkas in Straight, Mandarin Blossom, Kefir Lime, Buddha's Hand & Fraser Raspberry ($30-$36) - Truth be told, I have been coveting the Raspberry since Sam first told me about it - then she went and gave it an award - obviously, we bought a bottle of this, too. Of course, the true test was the Straight, which is truly the purest expression of vodka I've ever tasted outside of Russia.
- Liqueurs in Pear & Raspberry ($20). These are like drinking the sweet, juicy essence of fruit in each sip... there is a whisper of tartness in the raspberry that I found irresistable. We bought a bottle.
So, if you've kept track, by this time, we had shared a solid 5oz (at least - they are generous here) of 80-proof liquor, plus the lighter liqueurs.
And both of us decided right then and there that having St. George Spirits in our backyard makes us mightly lucky people indeed.
*For any music people out there... we went to see Mixmaster Mike. He rocked. And I felt soooo freaking old. Aside from being one of the only people with a wristband, the man himself looked old. Sigh.
2601 Monarch St.
(at the Old Naval Station)
510.769.1601
