St. George Spirits
Type | Private |
---|---|
Founded | Jorg Rupf, (January 4, 1982) |
Headquarters | Alameda, California, USA |
Key people | Jorg Rupf, Lance Winters, Dave Smith |
Products | Vodka, Gin, Absinthe, Liqueur, Whiskey, Brandy |
Website | St. George Spirits |
St. George Spirits is an artisanal distillery located in Alameda, California that produces a range of alcoholic beverages under the direction of Master Distiller Lance Winters.[1][2] They are known for producing vodka, absinthe, whiskey, gin, brandy, liqueurs, and a range of exotic spirits.
History[]
St. George Spirits was founded in 1982 by Jorg Rupf, a pioneer in what has become the craft distilling movement.[3] Founded as an eau de vie distillery, St. George Spirits has steadily expanded their portfolio to include about a dozen spirits.[4]
In 1996, Jorg Rupf hired Lance Winters, a brewer and former nuclear scientist. One year later, Jorg and Lance began distilling and aging their single malt whiskey, which was first released in 2000. In 2004, St. George Spirits moved into its current location, a 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m2) airplane hangar on the former Alameda naval air station.[4]
In December 2007, the company produced the first commercially available American Absinthe, St. George Absinthe Verte, since the lifting of the 1912 ban on making the spirit.[5] Since then, St. George has continued to experiment with a number of spirits. Some of them, such as California Agricole Rum, have entered regular production while other "flights of fancy" like their oyster, Dungeness crab, kombu seaweed, and Christmas tree spirits have remained experiments.[6]
In 2010, Jorg Rupf retired from his 28-year career as master distiller of St. George Spirits. That same year, St. George sold their popular Hangar One Vodka line to Proximo Spirits so that they could focus their attention on new projects, including: gin, liqueurs, malt whisky, agricole rum, and Breaking & Entering Whiskies. In 2015 they released a new line of three vodkas, and in 2016 they brought out Bruto Americano, a California Amaro.[7]
In 2013, began distributing St. George Spirits in the UK.[8] By 2018, St. George Spirits products were distributed in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, China, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bermuda, and Panama among others.
Products[]
Current Spirits
Gins
- Terroir Gin (45% ABV)
- Botanivore Gin (45% ABV)
- Dry Rye Gin (45% ABV)
- Dry Rye Reposado Gin (49.5% ABV)
Whiskeys
- St. George Single Malt Whiskey (43% ABV)
- Breaking & Entering (B&E) American Whiskey (43% ABV)
- Baller Single Malt Whiskey (47% ABV)
Vodkas
- St. George All Purpose Vodka (40% ABV)
- St. George California Citrus Vodka (40% ABV)
- St. George Green Chile Vodka (40% ABV)
Other liqueurs
- Absinthe Verte (60% ABV)
- Fruit Brandies; Pear, Raspberry, (Both 40% ABV) and Reserve Apple (43% ABV)
- Fruit Liqueurs; Raspberry and Spiced Pear (Both 20% ABV)
- NOLA Coffee Liqueur (25% ABV)
- Bruto Americano (Italian Style Amaro, 24% ABV)
- St George California Shochu (Japanese Style Whiskey, 40% ABV)
- Agua Perfecta Basil Eau De Vie (40% ABV)
Discontinued spirits
- Hangar One Vodka, now made solely by Proximo Spirits since 2014
- Agua Azul Agave Spirits
- Other experimental spirits known as "Flights of Fancy"
References[]
- ^ Heather Bourbeau (Oct 26, 2008). "Spirited Away".
- ^ "Interview: distiller Lance Winters (St. George Spirits)". 1 April 2011.
- ^ "Timeline". St. George Spirits. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Spirits". St. George Spirits. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ Wells, Pete (5 December 2007). "A Liquor of Legend Makes a Comeback" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Flights of Fancy". St. George Spirits. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ Pape, Allie (1 May 2014). "Hangar One and St. George Spirits are Part Ways". Eater SF. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ "St George Spirits on Maverick Drinks". Retrieved 2016-07-22.
External links[]
- Distilleries in California
- Companies established in 1982
- Whiskies of the United States
- Absinthe
- American vodkas
- Rums
- American rums
- Rums of the Pacific Rim
- Companies based in Alameda, California
- Food and drink in the San Francisco Bay Area
- 1982 establishments in California
- Drink company stubs