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    Old Harbor Distilling Co

    4.6 (11 reviews)
    InexpensiveDistilleries
    Closed 8:00 pm - 11:30 PM

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    Love this gin
    Lesley M.

    I got my first taste of Old Harbor gin at a yelp event several months ago, where one of the owners (who used to be with Hess Brewing) was on hand passing out samples and mixing up delicious cocktails with their fantastic San Miguel southwestern gin. I've been thinking about that gin ever since. I talked to him and he told me that they give tours on Friday and Saturday at the distillery; he gave me one of his cards. I wanted to come and take that tour! It just took so long to get out there. I finally made it, and wow was I happy I did. Yes, it's in East Village, there are homeless people outside the building. Whatever. We live in San Diego, you should be used to it by now, take a guy with you like I did :-). They make fantastic use of the space here. We came at night, so the inside of the distillery was not as warm as it could have been, thank goodness. Ricky was our guide, and he was awesome. He was very personable and friendly. He gave everyone time to ask questions which was great, even though I'm sure he's done this hundreds of times he still had a great attitude. The tour of the distillery was really interesting. Old Harbor gets their sugar for their rum from Columbia. They also use black strap molasses. They do a slow fermentation, about two weeks, using yeast from Hess Brewing. Ricky explained that rather than use turbo yeast like a lot of places use now, they do theirs more true to the original style of the colonists. They "fly by seat of our pants a little bit" in terms of temperature. The building tends to hold the heat pretty well all day and helps to kill the yeast for better flavors. There's also a separate room for the guys who make the bitters. Right now they're running one still, but the plan is to eventually add a second still and they're already set up for it. Ricky showed us the scale for proofing and explained how it works with the proprietary software they use. They get their water from Coffee & Tea Collective, they also use their coffee for the coffee liqueur they make. It's nice to see local businesses working together. Next year they will be able to sell bottles on site. I'm looking forward to that as they have this special gin they serve for the tour that's not available retail, but I was told in January I may be able to purchase it there. This is definitely a fun tour to do downtown before heading out to dinner or whatever. Stop by and say hi, you may even find a new spirit you can't live without.

    Awards
    Walter M.

    "Whiskey is what beer wants to be when it grows up" San Diego's 1 and only downtown distillery. It's located deep in East Village currently where most of San Diego's downtown homeless population congregate so it's not in the safest neighborhood. Park as close as you can to the door on the East side of the building (gated door unlabeled, corner of 17th & K). Once you see the nautical knots, ropes and posters in the hallway you'll know your in the right place. Stroll down the hallway and into their front tasting area. For the appointment only tours held at 5 and 6 on Friday & Saturday you will get a history of the brand, a tasting and tour of the facility. Owners Mike Skubic (former founder of Hess Brewing) and Richard Warner run the 2 man show. This is a pretty cool operation, vastly more complex than brewing beer. It's also much harder to open a distillery and much more difficult to produce a quality product. We've all brewed our own beer or known someone who has, it's been ok, not good, not great, but ok. So now that we're all brewmasters lets move on into opening our own breweries and then our own distilleries? Wait a minute, you mean that's not the logical progression for a beer drinker? No and it's another reason why they are the 1st downtown and one of the only distilleries in the county. Mike and Richard are 2 of the nicest and most knowledgeable guys you'll meet and having been to most of the breweries in San Diego, the level of attention these guys and other distillers nearby are giving to their guests is far and above anything you'll get at any brewery. Aging my own whiskey has given me a greater appreciation to distilling and being connected to the craft cocktail industry has really opened my eyes to match my vast foodie lifestyle. I kind of already knew the basic distillation process, but really was impressed with the details and nuances an operation like this has. I had no idea that they partnered with so many local business owners for their water (coffee & Tea Collective), storage, filtration, vendors, sourcing. It's a pretty large facility at 7,500 sq feet, retrofitted for distilling, still very industrial inside. Some of the machinery they use is highly accurate and scientific. They use a handbuilt still from Germany (seems like all the good one's are from Germany) Long Live the Belafonte. And a steam machine that is built for eventual expansion. Local operating systems handles the machinery. Don't want to give away too much from the tour I'll move to the spirits. I actually felt pretty special to know that San Diego's original name was San Miguel, probably because I'm Filipino and that's the name of our National Beer. They've named their gin San Miguel which uses local herbs/botanicals and really pushes the palate. The most craft gin I've had tasting cilantro, then cucumber, then juniper & sage with a gentle lime finish. It's stronger than most and pairs well in a Negroni or a tonic using tonic ice cubes. This is not the gin you stole from your parents cabinet and swore it off forever. The spice alone is standalone good and you get some extra kick from the higher percentage. The Navy Strength name and rum are as San Diego as it comes and is right in line with the nautical vision. Crème Brule hints with a thick mouth feel. Its Demerera sugar notes remind me of a proper old fashioned (message me for my perfected recipe) has a real earth and grass tone that blow other sugars away. The black strap molasses gives a buttery baking spice hint. Their pure cane sugar is from Colombia, but you can really taste every part and ingredients. Great with tiki drinks like a zombie. Their R&D Bitters (aromatic, sarsaparilla, and cherry apple bitters) are gaining ground among the growing contingent of Craft cocktail enthusiasts and bartenders in San Diego With super small batch offerings coming and laws changing in 2016 they eventually be able to sell direct from their warehouse. I highly recommend coming down here and seeing the future for yourself.

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    3 years ago

    Fantastic ambiance , bartenders are great, drinks are awesome. Definitely a cool place to come with friends or a date!!

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    Ask the Community - Old Harbor Distilling Co

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    Review Highlights - Old Harbor Distilling Co

    Owners Mike Skubic (former founder of Hess Brewing) and Richard Warner run the 2 man show.

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    Liberty Call Distilling

    Liberty Call Distilling

    4.4(190 reviews)
    0.6 miBarrio Logan
    $$

    For some reason, I thought the steak special was on Thursday, but nope--it's actually Tuesday…read more Still ordered the steak because, honestly, why not treat myself? It's $25 at regular price with no Old Fashioned (sad face), but holy cow was it deeeeeelicious! Get the peppercorn sauce. TRUST ME. That sauce deserves its own Instagram account. Seriously, bottle that stuff and call me--I'll buy it by the gallon. Omgeeeee yummmm. My friend's plate? Yeah... a whole different story. The birria was so dry, and no consomé on the side? Rude. Definitely wouldn't recommend or order it again. Also, shoutout to the lone ranger working the restaurant/bar. This guy was taking orders, mixing drinks. When he forgot our drink refills, I was like, "Dude, you've got enough on your plate." Poor guy was straight-up doing the most. Someone give him a raise. Parking was good for a weekday and ambiance was really chill. I'd definitely come again. Come check them out! You can thank me laters!

    I ordered the Quinoa Salad with Birria and balanced the sorta healthy salad with a side of onion…read morerings. Both were Delicious. A friend at the table ordered the Zombie Cocktail from Sin Ship Spirits. It was 19.5% ABV but tasted delicious. Dangerous!!! Glad I wasn't drinking lunch that day... I would not have survived. Service was excellent and our food came out super fast. The indoor/outdoor layout made the place feel airy. There were tons of different seating options from bar seats, to booths, counters to stand at. Street parking wasn't too bad either. In addition to the great alcohol drinks, they had a self serve soda machine and a few other nonalcoholic options.

    Photos
    Liberty Call Distilling
    Liberty Call Distilling - Spiced Rum being bottled

    Spiced Rum being bottled

    Liberty Call Distilling - Our Head Distiller giving a tour

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    Our Head Distiller giving a tour

    619 Spirits North Park - NA Prickly Pear Hibiscus Mule

    619 Spirits North Park

    4.2(390 reviews)
    3.1 miNorth Park
    $$
    Locally sourced ingredients
    Locally owned & operated

    I been wanting to come here for the longest! Finally made it here, and a time was sure had!!…read more The menu is super confusing but we just said mommies without children on a time crunch before they get off school! Lol. $38 mimosa tower with 3 bottles. Count us sold! The Brussel sprouts were crispy and not overly sauced, def a bar food to order and pick on while drinking!

    We were looking for a quick bite to eat before going to grab drinks and decided to stop into 619…read moreSpirits North Park. It wasn't too busy so we were able to walk in and seat ourselves. - PARKING - North Park is always tough with finding a parking spot but we just circled around until we got one walkable distance away. - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - We were greeted promptly after sitting down and since we were waiting on friends to join, we delayed ordering but the staff was very attentive the moment they came in. After ordering we got our food pretty soon after. It's dimly lit inside but you can still see one another across the tables. They also have sports playing on the TVs. - FOOD - Honey Brussels Sprouts: Pretty crispy but it was slightly overly honey-ed for me. Some clumps had way too much honey and I felt like I was just getting a spoonful of sweetness. Wings: Standard chicken wings, but the Lemon Pepper Seasoning was way too heavy, so it was pretty salty for some bites. Fried Chicken Sandwich: Loved the tater tots - super crispy just like I like them! The chicken sandwich was just OK for me - the chicken itself was a little dry, but the seasonings were good. - OVERALL - Just an OK spot for bites and drinks. I don't know if I'd come back but if everywhere else was too busy, I wouldn't mind stopping in.

    Photos
    619 Spirits North Park - Outside front patio

    Outside front patio

    619 Spirits North Park - Entrance

    Entrance

    619 Spirits North Park - Vodka cocktail flight. Mac and cheese photo bombing

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    Vodka cocktail flight. Mac and cheese photo bombing

    ReBru Spirits

    ReBru Spirits

    4.6(41 reviews)
    0.4 miBarrio Logan

    I am glad I took the opportunity to return because my first visit was hit and miss, but this time…read morearound it was all a hits. I noticed that they downsized the menu with a focus on quality of ingredients and execution. That being said, I had the one protein plate with smoked brisket, kale salad, and their "chente Bean." The meal also came with two Hawaiian rolls and sauces. For my dessert, I had the limoncello cake. I crunched on the kale salad first and it was excellent. The salad provided great texture from the candied cinnamon pecans and garlic butter croutons. The combination of the Romain plus the kale was very smart, and the lemon parsley vinaigrette was terrific. I was very impressed on the quality of the dressing. It had a great balance of acidity and a touch of sweetness. The smoked brisket was terrific. I failed to have on my first visit because I had the turkey, but wow this brisket was great. The brisket came with a nice smoke ring with a good mild smoke flavor throughout the eating process. It was very tender and presented at the perfect temp too. I love that medium to medium rare temp. The brisket was delicious. The beans were tasty, the rolls were soft and warm, and the sauces were tasty. I thought the beans were whole beans, but these re-fried beans worked nicely. Oh yes, the limoncello cake was amazing. There was no holding back on the limoncello in the creation of this cake. Great dessert. Service was provided by Karlie who was super nice. She had an adorable personality and was quite helpful. Don't tell anyone but she showed me the Top Secret Speakeasy, but you did not hear it from me. However, it was very cool indeed.

    Attending a mixer function hosted by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce…read more It was okay. I did try their whisky! First time for me. I learn from other people that the fermentation process can last couple years and not gone bad. Personally I can't say much of their products being it's my first time tasting it. I want to try it, cuz the night was freezing and I need some alcohol to get me warmer. Lol The parking was a b****. Luckily when I arrived there were two spots left!!! Hehhehehe I didn't try their food. Or was the food stands theirs?! No clue.

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    ReBru Spirits
    ReBru Spirits
    ReBru Spirits

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    Seven Caves Spirits - All the booze!

    Seven Caves Spirits

    4.9(39 reviews)
    12.8 mi
    $$

    My first time at Seven Caves was December 2024. We went to celebrate our friend's birthday…read more Seven Caves is located directly next door to Embolden Brewing Company. The signage is small so keep an eye out. The owner, Jeff, is a riot! We did a tasting that was curated by him and our love for libations. He makes all of his spirits himself. His distillery started with gin which is why I'd never been because I don't like gin for any reason. I would love to say that I remember the different cocktails that he whipped up for us but we drank a lot and that was months ago. LOL. I can say everything was outstanding! My favourite was this fluffy daiquiri ice (Baskin Robbin's ice cream I love) flavoured cocktail that was indescribable but so stinking delicious. When our tasting was done we all lined up to purchase bottles. I bought a bottle of rum which was my favourite libation of the evening. I've been told the maple syrup and the pancake mix he sells is a must to buy so definitely go check it out. Looking forward to our next tasting, Jeff!

    Yay! Had a great time here for a private tasting with some friends…read more Good way to try so new and explore a bit. Would definitely recommend making an appointment in advance and come ready to socialize and learn.

    Photos
    Seven Caves Spirits - Sealed bottle spilt on the drive home

    Sealed bottle spilt on the drive home

    Seven Caves Spirits - A mini cocktail using rum during a group tasting called "Don't Call Me"

    A mini cocktail using rum during a group tasting called "Don't Call Me"

    Seven Caves Spirits - A mini cocktail using gin, mead, and amaro during a group tasting

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    A mini cocktail using gin, mead, and amaro during a group tasting

    San Diego Distillery - Mini flight, before full pour.

    San Diego Distillery

    4.6(56 reviews)
    10.6 mi
    $$

    I've been stopping by this tasting room for a while now, and after so many consistently good…read morevisits, I figured it was finally time to write a review. Every time I've come in, the atmosphere has been relaxed, the pours have been great, and the conversation has always been enjoyable -- to the point that I've ended up bringing home quite a few bottles over the years. The bartender has always been friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely happy to talk through their offerings without making things feel rushed or overly formal. On one visit I ended up trying a whiskey made from beer -- something I'd never come across before -- and it ended up being one of my more memorable pours I've had there. That kind of discovery is exactly what keeps me coming back, and it speaks to the range they carry beyond the usual whiskey offerings and rye-focused selections. I can only speak to my own experience, but this has easily become one of my favorite local tasting rooms.

    We had a very disappointing visit this past Saturday. We were really looking forward to going and…read moregetting an introduction to their products and having the chance to sample some different options side by side. Unfortunately the guy working the tasting room wasn't really interested in us or the products but made us feel more like we were intruding on his afternoon. He offered no insights into the various products and instead focused on his problems with his wife and his outside interests. We went specifically to taste ryes and he insisted that they don't make a high rye even though when we got home we found a listing for their Cali Gold High Rye. He is doing a disservice to the distillery by continuing to work there. The place could be cosy and inviting with a different server.

    Photos
    San Diego Distillery - Flight

    Flight

    San Diego Distillery
    San Diego Distillery - Select released bourbon

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    Select released bourbon

    Mike Curphy Distillery

    Mike Curphy Distillery

    4.9(10 reviews)
    10.6 mi

    Went here last night for a tasting because my sister had a Groupon…read more This place is an actual distillery and the whiskey is made here. The tasting room is tiny. There were four of us and we were at max capacity. Mike the owner is really nice. He explained all of the whiskey and bourbon and how it was made. He also makes moonshine. When I say this stuff is strong!! Please believe!!! 3 tastings and we were lit! This was something new and I enjoyed it. Mike is a cool dude. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the place reeked of smoke when we walked in. That was off putting. But all in all it was a good time.

    What a experience and hidden little gem. Mike Curphy's is located in a industrial complex and he…read morehas a little cozy spot for tastings and purchases. Mike Curphy has been distilling alcohol for 5 decades. His product and stories shows that. Mike allows three tastings of any of his selection with the purchase of a bottle. Each selection has a story behind it and Mike brings the bottle to life. I tried many of his spirits but often find myself leaving with a bottle of his sipping cream. Similar to Bailey's, or even more so, Jamaican rum cream. Very versatile cream you can sip on the rocks, in coffee, or how Mike suggests, over vanilla bean ice cream. Great service and selection will keep bringing me back for more stories and a sip or two of his finest.

    Photos
    Mike Curphy Distillery - Mike Curphy Hand Sanitizer

    Mike Curphy Hand Sanitizer

    Mike Curphy Distillery
    Mike Curphy Distillery

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    Old Harbor Distilling Co - distilleries - Updated May 2026

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