This is one of those places that I almost /don't/ want to tell people about just because I love it so much, and I want to keep it as my own little hideout. But I'm moving, so unfortunately I have to say goodbye to my favorite spot for now, and I'm going to let you monsters have at it. I loved Drift when they were just drinks. I love the decor, I love the staff, I love the owners, Lesli and Ryan. We bonded over being from the Midwest. You know what everyone in my family got for Christmas last year? A bottle from Drift. I have a sweatshirt, a hat, a t-shirt. I think you can tell that I'm a big fan. But then? Lesli became a pit master. You know what that means? Barbecue. I mean, really freakin' good BBQ. In San Clemente. With great alcohol. And, they even have live music on the weekends. I've lived here since I was 10. San Clemente has a lot of great cuisine options and I would never deny that. You genuinely cannot argue with the Mexican food here. But really good BBQ? That's what I've been waiting 15 years for. Go. If the line seems long, just wait. They're quick and efficient and know what they're doing. They're doing take-out for Covid, order it. I promise you, it is so worth it. Not only are you supporting a local business, but you're also satisfying that craving you've had for really good, smokey, authentic barbecue. You know it, I know it, that just isn't abundant in San Clemente. They also have beer now. Yes, even on tap. You have absolutely no reason to NOT go. You're welcome. read more

Absolutely had the BEST service from Maddie . Great food, drinks & service. Definitely the BEST restaurant I've been. read more

Drift Distillery - Street Tacos - Distilleries Near Me - San Clemente, California

Love this place, good people and great food. Rachel is the best bartender, she deserves a big tip or a raise.

I stopped here on my way back dropping of my wife in LA. I did their tour and taster; great stuff I am very excited to know that everything is great. The food truck was good. The distillery was very different, had some tasty pours; I am more on the dry side so this place was great for me. read more

Came here for the second time with my partner in crime. This visit we had a chance to enjoy not only the wonderful adult beverages, but the food as well! As always the service (by Tiffany) and adult atmosphere was outstanding. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this adult parlor of decadence to all! P.s. still don't know where my 2 year old is! read more

Correction/update: after a while, I stopped being able to see the good in this vodka. The odd agave-adjacent sweetness made itself known in every drink I tried mixing it with. The last straw was when I detected it in a dirty martini, a drink for which this unique vodka is particularly ill-suited. Sadly, I ended up dumping this vodka down the drain, something I would normally *never* do. I'd be open to trying some of their other products. Their whisky looks appealing and I'm always up for a good gin, but for now I have to judge this on what I've already tried. read more

Unlike that one oblivious girl that left a negative review about not being allowed to take in her infant... to a friggin DISTILLERY - a place actually enforcing a no kids rule is an absolute plus for those of us seeking a distillery or brewery without having to hear screeching rugrats! Sorry, get a babysitter. Drinks are STRONG and flavorful. We got a couple of the "painkiller" cocktails. Tasty tasty! Country music is what is played here and it fits the vibe. We ordered a brisket plate and it was super super tender. Not only that, but our food came out fairly quickly as it was somewhat busy the day we came here. Overall, I'd make the trip up here again:) read more

Delicious meats in every form offered! Nice place, nice staff :) Favorites are the arugula salad with brisket add avo and the Cuban sandwich. read more

Best Chicken sandwich I have ever eaten brisket sandwich and loaded Mac and cheese were so yummy

LOVE IT! Great drinks, big cubes and clean liquor! The tacos had layers of fabulous flavor and the ambiance was relaxing as well. Highly recommend you treat yourself to this gem. Check out the cool leather covered menus as well. All extra touches are appreciated! read more

I have never had a bad meal-yummy ribs, trim-tip or pulled pork-side dishes are just perfect compliment. I have always enjoyed the ambiance-the wooden and metal walls are from the barns in Kansas-not to mention the very nice people who work here. There is a sense of family when you walk in..Bill who works in the distillery portion was kind enough to explain how it all works. It's science and DEEEELICIOUS-and he was so humble and loves what he does. Thank you DRIFT-all my out of time guests get to experience this culinary down-home deliciousness. read more

Got an invite for a Folds of Honor event that included samples of their spirits, wine, beer and their BBQ. Very nice to see the support for this veteran non-profit. Overall great experience and nice staff. read more

We were headed to Artifex Brewing (across the street) but decided to stop in at Drift first. I've never been to a distillery before and was prepared to 'do shots' but instead found a very interesting list of cocktails using their products and a decent food menu too. Wound up buying a bottle of their whisky on the way out. This place is definitely worth a visit!!! read more

Came here for dinner and a cocktail and was pleasantly surprised. The drinks were good and the BBQ delicious. We ordered the pulled pork sandwich, the brisket sandwich, and the pork ribs with slaw and cornbread. The meat was outstanding and the BBQ sauce(regular) was very good. If I had to pick my favorite it would be the pulled pork and slaw. Skip the cornbread. Can't wait to try the other items on the menu next time. read more

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Madison is amazing! We love this place. The old fashion and leaving early Shirley was amazing!! Can't wait to come back. read more

Drift Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great cocktails , food and service ! Knowledgeable staff bartender Rachel friendly and attentive !

New to San Clemente and found this little gem. Awesome service, delicious food and just so darned cool!

Yum! The food is incredible, the drinks are even better! Can't wait to go back again!

Midwest friendly in our sleepy beach town.. great drinks, great food and great service!

Just came by Drift Sunday To give their bloody Mary's a try and they were awesome. Rib tacos coming up. read more

Drift Distillery - Bloody Mary - Distilleries Near Me - San Clemente, California

Cool quaint place. Don't be deterred by the members only sign. It's a one time sign up. Nice, crafted and refreshing! read more

Drift Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - San Clemente, California

Nice place tucked in the industrial park area in San Clemente east of the I-5. Plenty of outdoor seating with heaters. Dog friendly. Indoor seating as well. Great cocktails mixed with their own distilled spirits. Good food and appetizers made in their own kitchen, no random food trucks. Grab a bottle of their own whiskey, gin, vodka, rum and maybe more. read more

This place is amazing! The owners couldn't be more friendly and genuine. The place is small quaint and cozy with nice patio located in business park. The vodka and rum cocktail are the best and prices are great. The kitchen is opening soon for the foodie people but not looking forward to it. I like the atmosphere now being small and immediate . Focus on what they know best vodka, gin, whiskey and Rum.. I guess we will see what happens but wish them the best either way. Definitely check it out read more

Pulled pork was to die for and the to go drinks during quarantine are fire! Gotta love the sides too, but eat them quick or plan on heating them up as the cheesy stuff tends to cool down quickly. read more

I don't usually expect good food at a distillery, but you'll find great drinks, as well as surprisingly good food here.

Great atmosphere and even better cocktails! Bartenders were friendly and knowledgeable! read more

Great drinks & food! Covid-19 friendly; staff were masked. Options for outdoor seating.

Awesome cocktails, great ambiance and one amazing barbecue chicken quesadilla! Definitely going back.

I absolutely love this place! Owners Ryan and Leslie make you feel at home. The cocktails are well crafted. The spirits are great to drink straight up and are delicious in mixed drinks. The food is delicious... I love the tots and ribs. I highly recommend it. read more

What a gem! I've always wanted to know how vodka and wiskey are made, and Lesli was great at answering all our questions. She gave us a little tour, we took some pictures, had a sample, then bought a bottle of vodka and some t-shirts. Their tasting room was gorgeous, it had a very rustic look that is so warm and inviting. If you're looking for some great spirits served up by some wonderful people, go visit Lesli and Ryan at their new distillery, you won't be disappointed. read more

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I have to be honest, I usually never write reviews on yelp because I believe that word of mouth is the most honest and best review, especially in the town of San Clemente. But as a small business owner myself, I felt I needed to. We have lived in SC for close to 25 years, and found out about Drift Distillery through word of mouth. We visited this distillery, shortly after they opened, because of the positive reviews from local friends and family. Drift (which we learned is the very first distillery around these parts) is this very cool, laid back place, where the owners-who are locals themselves- greet you with warmth and friendliness, not to mention always offer a menu with a variety of amazing cocktails offered to try with their Vodka, Wheat Whiskey, Gin and Rum (Plus, they are currently adding on a new restaurant hopefully opening soon) Ryan, the owner, took the time to take us to the back, giving us a tour of the beautiful distillery itself, explaining the history of how the family farm supplies the wheat, and explained in detail the science behind exactly how each bottle of Vodka, Gin, and Whiskey are made. I highly recommend coming in to try their stuff, it's a great place to enjoy a drink in good company and nice atmosphere. When I read the negative review, the one below with two-stars, I have to wonder what the intent really is, especially reading that multiple bottles were purchased on a few different occasions. I understand that a negative review can be helpful to others when making decisions about where to go, but when Drift receives nothing but excellent reviews and then someone jumps on with a review that lacks any kind of constructive criticism, just throwing sarcasm and insults around, it seems that the intent is to simply hurt a local business here in San Clemente, or an outlet for personal frustration. I take offense to this kind of criticism, especially because I am a local small business owner myself here in San Clemente, and find it difficult to stand by and watch this. What is the purpose? But then, after researching this person's past Yelp reviews, it all made sense: Dear Sir, when you are giving one-star reviews to places like Marie Callender's, "holy smokes, what a joke of a business" and Round Table Pizza ,"Not great by any standards" and claiming (once again based on other reviews) food poisoning, or, lastly, Shorecliffs Golf Course "This place won't survive", well, I think it's time to maybe keep a personal journal for yourself, rather than sharing your thoughts and feelings to the public and hurting local businesses. Drift is amazing, and it's incredible that we actually have something like this in San Clemente, this town has come a long way. By the way, yes, there are amazing breweries near by too, I highly recommend them, but I like to stick to Vodka and Whiskey when I am watching my weight, it's a win-win without the bloat. As far as "giving some encouragement and honest feedback" .... Dear Sir, as soon as you become an expert in distilling your own Spirits, and running a successful business through your own blood, sweat, and tears, which, by the way, is helping so many around you put food on their tables, well, then please, I look forward to your honest and insightful feedback. Just be cool man. read more

Great drinks and food. Nice patio option outside and friendly staff. Easy parking and access. A little pricey relative to the pours for the well drinks but not a deal breaker. Will definitely return. read more

I really really wanted to like this place - correction, I like the place, just the product is terrible and incredibly overpriced. To show I am not basing this on one visit, I have Batch #1, Bottle #64 of the un-aged whiskey - this is just moonshine, flavor is not great, but it's moonshine so it can only go so far. I bought this to be "part of the beginning" of this place since I waited and waited for them to open. I also have 2 other bottles from batch #1 that I gave as gifts to a few local buds. I also have a bottle of Batch #3 of the Gin and a bottle of batch #1 of the Vodka. Each of these bottles is $35+ which would be fine if they were any good. The whole idea behind a craft product is that it offers something limited, unique and more importantly, WELL EXECUTED. Each of these bottles is just terrible. In fact the gin is so terrible I ended up pouring it down the drain after only drinking 3 ounces (sampled it with other gin enthusiast friends to make sure I wasn't crazy). Such a bummer - I am a big fan of all kinds of gins, but this was just so off the mark. Flavors were out of balance, profile of flavors was just not thought through and the "cleanness" of the flavors was off, meaning a real synthetic characteristic to it. Also, if they are going to charge these prices, the product better deliver, which is currently does not. What's to like? Well, It's a local distillery which is very cool. It's also becoming a fairly cool location to hangout (still a business park, but at least they are building out the patio and a kitchen is on it's way). It has real potential, but they need to get someone more expert to run the recipes on their spirits. The best part? Two great breweries near by to go get that taste out of your mouth. If you stop by, give them some encouragement and honest feedback to up their game. read more

Stopped by because I heard they were making hand sanitizer and walked out with a new favorite spot. The service was amazing, but the food and drinks were just as good if not better. I had their brisket sandwich with their Whiskey BBQ sauce and a side of their cheesy potatoes. Food was amazing!! I tried some of their whiskey and couldn't leave without a bottle to go. Definitely making my way back asap. read more

What a great place to go! The staff gives a great tour & provides lots of information! Ryan and Leslie are great bartenders and make KILLER cocktails. They are very knowledgeable. Definitely need to attend if you are traveling into town. read more

Greats Owners! Great Drinks and KC BBQ! Great environment! Definitely go check it out!

Best BBQ in town!!! Pulled pork & baby backs are out of this world & I've never had better loaded tots in my life. YUM

Great locally owned distillery with super nice owners and amazing drinks! Highly recommend! Great parking and indoor/outdoor seating! Casual, fun vibe close to breweries. read more

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Fantastic BBQ. Sides are great too. Definitely a gem in this area. They're doing take out right now so get down there and get some ribs.

Finally stopped by on Saturday... best Vodka I have ever tasted and been thinking about it since! Also had a excellent Old Fashion... and a delicious BBQ Brisket Quesadilla... I have recommended it to two friends already and can't wait to go back! read more