62 South Bay Accent FROM TOP: COURTESY OF OLD WORLD SPIRITS; COURTESY OF ESSENTIAL SPIRITS ALEMBIC DISTILLERY The CEO of a Palo Alto software company, Kuchan finds time to play host on Friday evenings at tastings and tours at his Belmont location to a growing number of fans, but soon he’s expanding south to Morgan Hill. Earlier this fall he closed escrow on a 17-acre vineyard on the Wine Trail, next to Sycamore Creek Vineyards and Winery, where he plans to build a large distillery and tasting room. OLD WORLD SPIRITS, 121 Industrial Road, #3-4, Belmont, is open for tastings and tours on Fridays starting at 5:30 p.m.; groups of four or more must have reservations. Visit oldworldspirits. com for a detailed list of where to purchase its spirits. VENUS SPIRITS SANTA CRUZ Stepping into Venus Spirits is like stepping into an oak barrel— the aroma of fermentation hits visitors as they take in the tasting room’s charred American Oak decor. That’s exactly the sensory experience Sean Venus was going for when he envisioned the new room, which offers an open view of the distillery. In past times, frequent knocks on the door of his steel warehouse in Santa Cruz made it as clear as Venus’ Gin Blend No. 1 that he needed a venue for his growing list of fans to sample his creations. Early local and state laws complicated the opening a tasting room. But in time those issues were resolved, and hundreds of weekend visitors are now able to sample not only gin and agave spirits (similar to tequila), but also aquavit, a Scandinavian spirit, and three different popular whiskies: bourbon, rye and single malt. Venus’ fascination with fermentation started at an early age. A high school science teacher introduced him to beer making, sparking his interest in fermentation science. He attended college at the University of Oregon, getting a job as an assistant brewer in a brewery. That launched his brewing career, which included a stint with Gordon Biersch. Along the way, the scholar developed a taste for fine whiskey, and that led him to the idea of starting a craft distillery. Venus shipped Gin No. 1 in July 2014, followed by the agave spirits; finally he graduated to producing his favorite whiskies. Venus made a conscious decision to use all certified organic ingredients in his spirits to support organic and sustainable farming in the local area. Using organic ingredients probably does not make as much difference in the resulting taste or quality, but it was an important value to him. He says the alembic still he uses and attention to detail makes more of a difference on flavor. “A lot of care goes into what we produce. We double distill all of our spirits. It gives a much more flavorful spirit, to start off with, so there’s a lot more character in our whiskies than you find in traditional American whiskies,” he says. For gins he uses fresh California botanicals, and the still “allows for really strong aromatics, so you have a bold character on the palate, and then these beautiful aromas on the nose.” VENUS SPIRITS, 427 Swift St., Suite A, Santa Cruz, is open Fridays and Saturdays, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Cocktail hours on Fridays are from 5 to 7. Visit venusspirits. com for a complete list of where to purchase. RUSTY NUTCRACKER COCKTAIL FROM OLD WORLD SPIRITS DAVE CLASSICK AND DAVE CLASSICK, JR. OF ESSENTIAL SPIRITS ALEMBIC DISTILLERY
South Bay Accent - DecJan 2016
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