Know the difference between Cognac & Brandy? By the very simplest of definitions, Cognac is Brandy…read more Though, to be a Cognac, a Brandy has to be produced only in an authorized region of France & it has to be produced in accordance with specific rules & regulations. For more, check out the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognac Beyond the literal definitions of Cognac & Brandy, there's also the likely perception that Cognacs are superior to Brandies. Just go down the liquor aisle of any major supermarket. The Cognacs stocked on the shelves are probably higher quality (& more expensive) than the Brandies. & maybe, to a certain extent, Cognacs do tend to be better than Brandies. But that most definitely is not the case with Germain-Robin Brandies. It's not surprising, really. G-R has its roots in Cognac. Instead of France, however, they're in Northern California. This is key. Rather than be bound by Old World dogma, following all those rules & regulations on how to make Cognac, G-R does what we crazy Californians have done all along. Defy convention. Experiment. Innovate. All with incredible effect. G-R Brandies have beaten much pricier Cognacs in blind tastings. I've been a huge fan of G-R's story, philosophy & Brandy for well over a decade now. So when I got the email invite for a tour of their distillery along with some old & rare tastings, I did not hesitate. 1 cheerful phone call later & my place on the tour/ tastings was reserved. The distillery is not easy to find. GPS Nav will only take you so far. You have to keep going down Bel Arbres Dr., past the sign that says private road & look for the driveway on the right. After the short driveway, there's a large gravel parking lot. The building housing the distillery, a squat steel structure, isn't much to look at. It's what's inside that counts. Through the entrance, it's immediately evident that G-R's got some major wood. French Oak barrels fill an expansive, open, high ceiling room, stacked floor to ceiling & wall to wall. Our small tour group congregated near the center of the barrel room until the tour started. Our tour guide, Ansley Coale, is 1 of the guys who got this whole thing started. We started in a side room with the still. There, we got a detailed rundown on the distillation process. After, back where we gathered earlier, the old & rare tastings got underway. & by old & rare, I mean carefully selected/ blended Brandies aged up to 30 years. Everything I tasted was absolutely exquisite. My personal favorite, the GR/30, is the single best spirit, any spirit, I've ever tasted. Amazing. Mind-blowing. While I didn't pony up the $$$$ to get a bottle of GR/30 that day, I reconsider that decision almost every day. It's that good. I'm thinking I need to get it sooner or later. Thank you Ansley Coale & all the folks at Germain-Robin for a great tour of your distillery & some of the finest tastings of my entire life. I've been a huge fan for a long time. Getting to visit the wellspring from which all your astounding elixirs flow was truly special for me.

Dog friendly and a true treat! The staff here are awesome and it is a wonderful spot for anyone…read moretruly serious and appreciative of an outstanding collection of diverse spirits. It was a memorable tasting experience and we respect their art of creating superior treats!!!

Found this burgeoning distillery by a chance search on Yelp on our way up north and once we saw…read moremention of a whiskey, we had to stop and give it a try. The owner was incredibly kind and hospitable allowing hubby and I to sample several established products and a few that were still in the works! It was clear that he and his wife enjoy experimenting with new spirits and flavors and we enjoyed sampling their efforts! We tried a few brandy-based liqueurs (apple, pomegranate, rootbeer), a gin, and a whiskey. The pomegranate brandy was like sipping a tart spiced apple cider and was pretty darn good! I could imagine it over ice or ice cream, or to spike a fall punch or hot toddy. The whiskey was produced using white oak staves that he chars and adds to steel tanks. It wasnt bad, but some additional time or tweaking might soften the bitter woodiness that overtook my palate. I did enjoy the gin in progress... it was herbaceous and subtle, not the kick-you-in-the-teeth juniper flavor that most mainstream gins have. This one was floral, grassy, and delicate and I can see it laying a nice foundation for many different cocktails. At the end of our tasting, our offer of payment was politely declined as our host explained that he just likes sharing his labors with others. I encourage others to visit this business and perhaps find a spirit that calls to you, and I wish its owners luck and success as they continue to develop and refine their products.

Wonderful and idiosyncratic tasting in a warehouse. Small batch and unique spirits served with…read morestories and humor. We had a great time tasting and talking with the owner. I highly recommend a visit.

We are total suckers for locally made items. In the case of Tamar, we found their Low Gap 3 year…read morestraight Bourbon Whiskey at the local Costco and decided to give it a try. Wow it was simply fantastic. Hints of vanilla and caramel on the nose and palate with a nice smooth finish. Given its price point, I regret not picking up a case. This is a excellent all around Bourbon and is ready to go neat with nothing else. THis is the second excellent distiller in the area and while wine and pot grab the headlines in Norcal the craft spirit movement is really noteworthy as well

Mendocino Spirits - marvelous products courtesy of Tamar Distillery. You might call ahead to be…read moresure someone is there before driving over. Crispin Cain is European trained and he knows his business well. High quality.

I must have driven by this winery a hundred times always meaning to stop and never doing it. Sunday…read moreI was traveling back from Glen County and decided it was time knowing I needed birthday presents and the chance to chat with a new friend. The property and building is immaculate, like an Erin Hanson original painting. While pristine, the staff makes you feel welcome the second you arrive. Their knowledge and passion for the product is evident all the way up to the head wine craftsman Anton, growing is local legend. The wines are all fabulous, the one pictured might be my favorite. I highly recommend you check these folks out, you won't regret it.

Nicole did a great job taking care of our group of 8. She even thought to ask us if we wanted her…read moreto take a picture! We sat on the front porch because it was a nice day but the rooms upstairs would have been a great choice too. It was a lovely relaxing visit. We bought a case because the prices were too good not to! Overall a wonderful experience. A must stop if you're on 101 in Hopland!

Great little tasting room just off the downtown area in Healdsburg! We were greeted by Alec, who…read morehosted us--and he was fantastic. He walked us through the different whiskeys, gin, bourbon, bitters, and brandy they make there, and even gave us a tour of the fermentation process. We visited for my dad's birthday, and they had a "Happy Birthday" sign set up, which made the whole experience feel extra special. The pours were generous and the price was super reasonable. It made for a really memorable birthday. We'll definitely be back!

We came in on a Thursday around 4:15. Our server - Alex- was very friendly and explained everything…read moreto us. He was very friendly even though we came in late. We tried the tasting flight and enjoyed all we tried. The tasting room is small and kinda dark but was welcoming and we enjoyed our tasting.

11/2025 - Super cute distillery with STRONG drinks. A cute tiny place but trendy and fun…read more They have a few tables on the inside and several picnic benches on the outside. They sell their drinks in a can if you'd like to take some home.. I didn't try it, but I think their canned drink was a lemon drop. Looks like they have daily specials.

My boyfriend and I went for a walk after lunch a Noyos down the road when we saw this place. We…read moredecided to give it a shot and share a tasting. It was an incredible deal! $12 got you ~8 distilled spirits, plus we got to try their two canned cocktails (lemon drop and sea breeze). We ended up playing some free pinball and ordering one of their cocktails. Before we left, we decided to purchase one of the bottles of distilled spirits and it waived the tasting fee. The woman serving us was so friendly and had a lot of knowledge about what they were pouring and their use of candy cap mushrooms in two of the alcohols. It's also pet friendly!

We stopped in coming back to SF from Mendocino. We wanted a drink. But when we found out Libby's…read morewas back Tuesday-Thursday we had to get a snack. So we ordered the mini nachos. So fresh and delicious we were brought back to all those wonderful meals at Libby's old location. The mini nachos was a good sized bar snack for two people. My wife got a ginger Lemmon drop with their house made vodka. Their vodka is smooth and well crafted. They even have to go bottles. The service at the bar is fast friendly and very capable to make just about anything you throw at them. The place itself is very cool with a big open floor and great view out of the huge back window.

The Boonville Distillery is an absolute must-visit! They shockingly weren't busy on a Saturday…read moreevening, and our party of 6 got seated right away. The interior was cozy but stylish, with a cool antler chandelier, fireplace, and retro soda fridge. They had a small menu of mocktails, in addition to the extensive drink menu, so I ordered a N/A Mint Julep - super tasty and refreshing! My friends' cocktails were all fantastic, as well. We also ordered some starters to share - the Goat Cheese & Garlic (so good, love the local goat cheese), Brussel Spouts (nice and crispy), and the Stone Fruit Summer Salad (fresh and tasty). Half of the menu was seasonal and didn't match what we'd seen online. I decided on the Seared Tuna and Brisket with Mac & Cheese to share with my friend. The Seared Tuna was incredible - perfectly cooked, not overpowered by the other flavors in the dish. I could truly eat this every day! The Brisket was pretty good, but the decadent Mac & Cheese stole the show for me. I would've loved to try the Brisket Mac & Cheese we'd seen online! The rest of my friends all loved their food as well. Service was friendly but not the quickest. Overall, fantastic for dinner!

Key highlights - Really friendly and knowledgeable bartender, casual and fun space to hang out with…read morefree board games, fantastic gins. Will be back next time we are in the area!

Gotta go there every time we're in Healdsburg. Great selection and the mixologist (gal) was…read moreimpressive. Actually adjusted our drink after straw test. Impressive attention to detail.