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South Bay Accent - DecJan 2016

VENUS MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO USE ALL CERTIFIED ORGANIC INGREDIENTS IN HIS SPIRITS TO SUPPORT ORGANIC AND 56 South Bay Accent COURTESY OF HALF MOON BAY DISTILLERY; OPPOSITE: COURTESY OF VENUS SPIRITS; PREVIOUS SPREAD: SHUTTERSTOCK SUSTAINABLE FARMING IN THE LOCAL AREA. Pouring out of shiny copper stills on the Peninsula and spilling over the hill along the coast are a welter of delightful and sophisticated small-batch drinkables that form the base of palate-pleasing craft cocktails. Using regional and often organic ingredients, they serve up tastes and textures more compelling and stimulating than their mass-produced counterparts lining supermarket shelves. A surge in public interest in small-batch, authentic-flavor spirits coincides with the Craft Distillers Act of 2015, which went into effect in January 2016. That recent law allows smaller distilleries to invite the public into tasting rooms to sample before they buy, a familiar experience for winery visitors. Stocking up for holiday gatherings just got a lot more entertaining. When you take a pilgrimage to local craft distilleries, you get not only get to take a tour of the distillery and gain insights into the process, you have the opportunity to buy from the source and come away with unique libations. While two decades ago there were only a handful of distilleries in the entire western United States, today there are more than 100 in California alone. Essential Spirits Alembic Distillery in Mountain View paved the way locally in 1996, with Old World Spirits of Belmont not far behind. A few years ago Santa Cruz’s Venus Spirits and Half Moon Bay Distillery joined the party. Master distillers at each company are artfully producing complex and delicious spirits like gin, whiskey, vodka, agave spirits, fruit brandies known as eau de vies (“water of life”), and even lesser-known (but no less delicious) spirits like bierschnaps, made from distilled beer. These are not spirits to be thrown to the back of the throat like a shot; they are meant to be swirled inside the mouth, then sipped and savored. Distilling is an ancient practice that dates back at least 5,000 years. The scientific basis—“It’s basic physics,” according to Essential’s Master Distiller Dave Cassick Sr.—appeals to many of Silicon Valley’s denizens, cutting across all age and gender lines. Millennials and women have joined what used to be an “old boys’ club,” intrigued by the process and the enjoyment of experiencing premium quality spirits. “Each of those demographics looks for authenticity,” says Davorin Kuchen of Old World Spirits. “Millennials particularly are looking for that authenticity. They ask a lot more questions, like where does this stuff come from and who makes it. They also want me to show them the process.’” Kuchen and Cassick say it is indeed a complex biochemical science, but to them it’s also a passionate art form, born out of centuries-old European practices, and very much related to continental culinary arts. Cassick is a former quality and process engineer for Hewlett Packard. He likens craft distilling to a skillful chef ’s diversions from standard recipes. “You can’t approach it in a cookie cutter fashion; you really have to have the heart and soul of a distiller.” Distillers also have to have a lot of passion for what they’re doing, because it’s not an easy business; small-batch distilling comes with an array of complicated regulations, tax encumbrances and distribution hurdles. “If you’re looking for a fast way to make a million dollars, this is definitely not it,” Ulli Bisono of Half Moon Bay Distillery jokes. “It is a lifestyle, really, and to a certain degree, a bit of an obsession.” That passion shines through when talking to these dedicated master distillers—maybe even more so when sampling their spirits. Three of the distilleries near the South Bay open their doors on Friday nights and invite visitors to taste flights of spirits, and in some cases partake of a house-made cocktail. Two offer flights and tours on Saturdays and Sundays as well. We talked to these masters, and sampled their wares, to find out the secrets behind what drives them to create their inspirational libations. In the cocktail recipe sidebar you can view a few of their inviting holiday concoctions. HALF MOON BAY DISTILLERY


South Bay Accent - DecJan 2016
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