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Wine Country Distillery Festival Returns Bigger
Than Ever
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“A great festival supporting our regional craft distillers and artisan community, we love it!,” says Jenni from Charbay Distillery. “It’s awesome getting to taste new spirits from our neighboring distilleries while mingling with industry and customers alike. Where else can you taste all these stellar local spirits in one spot?”
Lindsay Musco founded the Wine Country Distillery Festival in 2019 to highlight local and regional distillers who’ve established Northern California as a destination for great spirits in much the same way winemakers put Sonoma County on the wine map many decades ago. The inaugural event featured over 30 craft vendors, including 20 distilleries, and is sure to grow in its third year.
“We have over 15 distilleries and counting in Sonoma County,” says Musco, who founded Poppy & Vine to showcase local hospitality brands. “As someone who was born and raised in Sonoma County, I was excited to present craft distillers not only from Sonoma but from Humboldt, Mendocino, Marin and other counties as well.”
ust when you didn’t think the Sonoma County food and beverage scene could get any better, along comes a thriving craft distilling community. Each year sees more distillers
opening their doors, not only in Sonoma but throughout Northern California. This August, the 3rd Annual Wine Country Distillery Festival will celebrate all things spirits with an open-air format beginning at noon on August 13 at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts East Lawn. The festival promises a great day of tasting California spirits, sampling local food and listening to music in the heart of Sonoma County.
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The Saturday, August 13, festival provides the foundation for a great Sonoma County weekend. Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of all that Sonoma has to offer, from hiking in the parks to chilling by the pool at Flamingo Resort, one of two partners offering festival lodging packages this year. The Flamingo is a fabulous fully reimagined mid-century retro hotel with 170 guest rooms.
Set in a series of Spanish Mission Revival buildings, The Sandman has also partnered with the Distillery Festival to create a weekend worth remembering. The Sandman, voted a “Top 5 Roadside Motel” in 2021 by USA Today, has nailed that retro vibe for a brilliant getaway. Transportation to and from the Festival is a snap from either of the two partner properties.
The 3rd Annual Wine Country Distillery Festival will also feature a variety of other ticket packages this year. Les Dames d’Escoffier VIP tickets, available in limited numbers, provide premium shade seating, exclusive cocktail demonstrations featuring Flora Luna Apothecary and Haus Aperitifs, a Coretec Frosty microfiber cooling towel, and food pairings from A Savvy Kitchen, in addition to access to tastings, music and more.
“We are so excited to have The Wine Country Distillery Festival back this year!” Jorgensen says. “It is our favorite event by far. We love the camaraderie between our fellow distilleries and feel it’s the perfect way to showcase the spirits being created in wine country.”
General Admission ticket holders will have the opportunity to sample craft-distilled spirits, enjoy small and BIG bites, and check out the music and other vendors. Designated Driver tickets will cost just $15 for non-alcoholic beverages, bites, entertainment and access to other vendors.
Sonoma County has long been known for exceptional wineries set in one of America’s most beautiful places, an environment that includes redwood forests, rolling hills and ocean beaches. Not surprisingly, this gorgeous region has given rise to many other artisans, including a robust roster of craft distillers. On August 13, the 3rd Annual Wine Country Distillery Festival will continue the tradition of celebrating Northern California’s bounty, talent and each other. Visit the Festival website to learn about tickets and packages.
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Every distiller has a unique story to tell. Sonoma Distilling Co. is one of several producers who create small-batch whiskey using old-school stills. Prohibition Pops concocts frozen treats from natural ingredients with a smidgeon of real alcohol. Most of the featured distilleries, like Humboldt Distillery, implement all organic ingredients. The intimate festival is a great place to speak with distillers about their products and methods.
“While the bulk of our vendors are traditional independent distillers,” Musco says, “We will also have low-ABV beverages like G’s Ginger Beer, as well as non-alcoholic kombucha and non-alcoholic beer available, in addition to other beverages. We are also creating a ‘Designated Driver’ ticket for the event.”
Having moved from a winter to a summer event, the Distillery Festival has expanded to include a variety of offerings that showcase the Sonoma hospitality industry. Culinary vendors will offer Small Bites from Woodlands Charcuterie, The Flamingo’s Lazeaway Club and Volo Chocolate as part of the ticket. Ticket holders will also choose one BIG Bite from diverse food trucks that include Austin Southern Smoke BBQ and Buns-Only, a Mexican fusion take on the hot dog. Other BIG Bite food trucks will be added nearer to the event.
“We’ve also partnered with The Lost Church to provide music from The Sean Carscadden Trio and other musicians,” says Musco. “There’ll be music on the Lost Church Stage for the entirety of the Festival.”
The 3rd Annual Wine Country Distillery Festival will benefit the Robert Ferguson Observatory, an important educational resource located in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Past beneficiaries have included Sonoma Family Meal and Social Advocates for Youth. The RFO is maintained by amateur and professional astronomers and provides youth and adult programs about science and astronomy. Festival attendees are encouraged to visit the RFO booth for some Solar Observing.
The popularity of craft distilleries continues to grow at an impressive rate, especially in Northern California. In Napa, the Coppola Family opened Great Women Spirits, creating spirits like Ada Lovelace Gin and Dorothy Arzner Rye Whiskey that reflect the essence of their honorees.
“We are so fortunate to be doing something we love in such a special place as Sonoma County,” says Jason Jorgensen, co-founder with Krystle Jorgensen of Alley 6 Distillery. “The love of all things 'craft' is strong here and we feel right at home. Between harvesting fruit from the local orchards for our brandies, foraged mushrooms for our bitters, and wild botanicals for our grape-based gins, our craft spirits are unique in their own right.”
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