St. George. Proudly independent. Proudly American. If the last nationalistic thing you did for your country was singing the national anthem at a Giants game, duuuude. It's time to wake up and smell the juniper in bottle form at St. George Spirits. A $20 bill buys you a 1.5 hour snapshot of the distillery's history, its processes, product tasting and most of all, KNOWLEDGE of what goes into your glass. With California's bountiful agricultural land, the geniuses at St. George took what was nature's best and just made it better for you. We had a gregarious presenter who enthusiastically gave the tour and peppered the experience with her vast understanding of the matter. She even fielded and answered every single question, no matter how technical (that know it all who was asking about boiling point, etc, COME ON!) with panache and grace. This makes the scientist nerd in me very happy but in the end, my main purpose is to get drunk. I mean, TASTE the exquisite offerings at St. George. California law let us sample six 1/4 oz. pours of their spirits. I had the St. George Green Chile vodka, California Citrus vodka, Terrior and Botanivore Gins, Raspberry liquer and Absinthe. Each one is unique in its own way and lets you mix creative cocktails. Bf bought a small bottle of their raspberry liquer as soon as he heard it was a great topping for cheesecake, I on the other hand, am far from being a drinker at home so I didn't purchase a bottle. I did spy 4505 Chicharron bags for purchase at the gift shop so guess who brought bags of that? ;) To Jorg Rupf, thank you for being the visionary that you are. All the alkies salute you. read more

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EVER WONDER WHERE "EUPHORIA IN A BOTTLE" WAS BORN? As an alcohol connoisseur (A.K.A true alcoholic), it's only fitting to find out how this magic potion is created. St. George Spirits is tucked away in the old military bases in Alameda. An "Emotional Support This Way" sign http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/-bM8eFfjQ3mNcC9VBr-nwA?select=SUQKp76oHek_eiEKLxIn9A will lead you into a gothic-skull-vamp themed warehouse with copper pot stills in the back. The front room displays all their delicious distilled spirits and the Tasting Room is where the "magic" happens; well for me at least. I'm a Grey Goose and Hendrick's girl but after the tastings, I think I'm now a St. George/Hangar One convert. Everything was incredibly smooth with NO strong astringent aftertaste. Locally and organically sourced ingredients are used which makes me feel better about having that extra bottle, erm...I mean shot. For $15, I enjoyed the following pours which sent me to a very happy place: 1. Pear Eau De Vie: *Carefully listens to Inebriation Professor* 2. Botanivore Gin: *Shakes head in fascination* 3. Terrior Gin: *Face flushes* 4. Dry Rye Gin: *Silly grin* 5. Straight Vodka: *Buzzin'* 6. Buddha's Hand: *Giggles* 7. Firelit Coffee Liqueur (4x the caffeine of coffee): *Starts talking LOUDER* 8. St. George Single Malt Liquor: ( @ _ @ ) 9. Breaking & Entering Bourbon: "IS HE (Professor) CUTE?" Uh-oh stage 10. Pear Liqueur: "MmMm, Is this juice?" 11. Raspberry Liqueur: "MmMm, That was yummy, MORE juice please!" 12. 120 Proof Absinthe (My fav): * ~ * ~ *EUPHORICALLY BLASTED* ~ * ~ * And who says alcohol doesn't cure everything? OTHER NOTES: *Hours of operation: Wednesday-Saturday 12PM-7PM, Sunday 12PM-5PM *Extremely friendly, down-to-earth, and knowledgeable employees *Perfect for group events, "educational" learning, and weekday FUNdays *$15 for Basic Training, $20 Specs Ops Training (includes tour & bonus), $30 Cocktail Flight School (groups of 10-30 people) *Last call for training is 30 minutes before closing *Drunk munchies available: Sexy Cookies, 4505 Chicharonnes, and Gelato Bars *Have a DD so it gives you a good "excuse" to kill all their pours (Shhhh!) read more

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"Are you trying to kill me?" This question was directed at me 'the morning after' I gave someone a cocktail that contained a few drops of absinthe. After a troubled night, the poor soul made the mistake of Googling absinthe and read about wild tales of hallucinations, death and debauchery. I just think it tastes like licorice. St. George Spirits captured my interest as soon as I discovered you could take a distillery tour and drink spirits on a former military base with stunning views of San Francisco. This place is out in the middle of nowhere and I thought this can't be the way several times while driving there. It really is in the boondocks. The standard tasting fee is $10 or you can pay a little extra to include absinthe. Once they mentioned they were the first to *legally* produce and distribute absinthe in the U.S. once the ban was lifted, I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity. But half an hour later, I was thinking to myself, "What have I gotten myself into?" This wasn't just because of the absinthe. More to do with the realization that I was tasting 14 types of alcohol BEFORE they poured the mysterious brew into my skull glass over ice and shook it until it was cloudy. The tasting menu is not for the faint of heart or weak of liver. They produce several different types of spirits, so your tasting begins with Eau de Vie, transitions through four types of vodka with different fruit infusions (the oddest being buddha's hand), then whiskey and flavored liqueurs. They also supplemented the standard tasting menu with additional seasonal offerings. So the main point I want to convey is come here prepared to drink and draw straws to determine a designated driver so the rest of you can fully enjoy the experience. Or do what a few other groups did and rent a limo. The tasting room is interesting with a main bar and two satellite tasting areas and you are encouraged to mix and mingle with fellow tasters. Unfortunately this can be challenging since the space is incredibly loud. It was difficult to hear the staff who did a fantastic job describing each spirit, its history, fun facts and suggested mixers and uses. It was all very well organized and there is a line on the bar so you just push your glass across when you are ready to move on to the next sample. One of the highlights of my experience was the tour. It also allowed me the opportunity to sober up. So I highly recommend planning your trip so you have some tasting time prior to the tour. You will also think the jokes are hysterical. Our guide managed to be both informative and funny and threw in great stories about "normal, natural monkey behavior," the insanity of trying to get alcohol labels approved, why you shouldn't smoke by a still and Anthony Bourdain. This is a small operation, with only a dozen or so employees, but you can tell they are all passionate about the product. Brilliant way to spend an afternoon. Just don't Google absinthe or you'll be sorry. read more

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I am truly sorry that I'm going to write this review but I need to get this off my chest... WHY DID YOU GUYS CHANGE YOUR WAYS?!!! I've been going to you guys since 2008 and I've seen many changes (both alcohol selection and staff) - some were good and some were bad (again both applies to the alcohol and staff) but I think yesterday's trip was the tip of the iceberg. I've been hyping this place for the BFF and her BF as well as to my own BF... and the selection was just not what I was used to... it was horrible. From $10 full 12 tasting... to $12 full tasting... $15 full with absinthe... now it's $15 barely eck tasting. I miss the days when you start off with fruit brandies... then the 4 vodkas and some on the side... gone were the days! It was GIN... GIN...GIN. 1 taste of vodka... and whiskey and oh I checked out half way through. Our bartender was Alex... definitely a newbie. Gone were the days of being in the company of Paul and Brad... who were fun to drink with... they had persona... charm... they acted like they cared about where you're from and they gave me a whole lot of extras on the side of the tasting. I had to beg Alex to give us a taste of the Fire Lit! I mean I'm thankful but man... stingy! Alex said they changed it because it was taking a long time for the tasting to do... (aka: they want more people in... so in you go... out you go!) but a suggestion: make it a reservation base! If you don't have a reservation then oh well... better luck next time! Wineries have it... you should try it! A result of over commercialization... yes. Am I happy that more people know of them... yes. However, for true fans like myself... bring it back to the original tasting format please! Please see my photo of their old school menu that I longed to have... a real sign that I've been a fan since I knew of them... Will probably drink your alcohol from a far... as far as the tasting... it's really gone downhill. For you OG folks... be prepared for the disappointment! read more

St. George Spirits - the original MENU circa 2008 - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

Believe The Hype about St. George Spirits. -- Tour was informative, funny, and made you want to work there for free. -- The tasting blew me away. The quality and flavor of alcohol there was far beyond anything I've ever experienced or tasted. -- The views of the City are breath taking and surprising: icing on the cake if you will. Funny thing I overheard as I was purchasing some bottles to take home: customer: you give us just enough at the tasting to want to buy more cashier: yup customer: then when we're ready to purchase, the alcohol really kicks in and we end up buying more than we wanted cashier: yup customer: that's fine. so how many cases of vodka did I just buy? read more

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Very cool tasting room with awesome views of the city!! All the spirits were delicious and are at great price points as well. The tasting flight was really cool and our host Justin really gave us the backstory behind each spirit. My favorite was the Baller American Whiskey but there are so many more that I still want to try! My sisters and I enjoyed everything about the experience and I will definitely be back!! read more

I had no idea this place existed! We've been to Rock Wall, came to check out Faction and there was St. George Spirits right next door! Although we had already had a few drinks at Faction we wanted to check out St. George. Since there were 4 of us and we arrived about an hour before closing we bought 2 tastings ($15 each) and shared. (It was nice they allowed us to do that.) I was impressed with our guide and how knowledgeable she was about each of the spirits. She was very descriptive and everything we tried tasted EXACTLY as she described it. The quality of the alcohol and flavors are remarkable. Everything is true to scent and flavor. Personally I liked the vodkas, not a huge fan of gins or whiskeys, loved the liqueurs. A few notes: The Botanivore- Taste like garden. LOL. I don't know how else to describe it. California Citrus Vodka- Made with 3 oranges. Delicious. Green Chile Vodka- Awesome if you're into spicy vodka... its a kicker! My BFF and I loved the St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur. Hubby and my cousin liked the NOLA coffee Liqueur. After a short debate my cousin took home a bottle of the NOLA but we got the Spiced Pear. I won. Both were really good. If you head to this newly developed area, pay St. George a visit. The views are nice, building is pretty, service is great and spirits are awesome. For $15 you're guaranteed to learn something and leave with a buzz. read more

St. George Spirits - Gin, gin and more gin! - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

The beau and I toured St. George, distiller of Hangar One Vodka and more, in lovely Alameda on Saturday. We called ahead and made reservations for a tour. We arrived and checked in for the tour. We were given a complimentary dog tag to indicate we were on the tour. The tour costs $15 each, lasts about 1/2 hour and includes spirit tastings. Our tour guide was M, who was not James Bond's boss, but could have been because she's awesome. She gave us a really fun tour of the facility. One of the best parts of touring a distillery is no children, so we had a fun lively tour with lots of innuendo and humor. The tasting was interesting. They had a list of all the things you get to taste for the day. This included two vodkas, two gins, one bourbon, one liqueur, one absinthe. The liquors were all delicious. I especially liked the mandarin blossom vodka, the bourbon and the raspberry liqueur. The liqueur tasted like candy. The views from the hangar of San Francisco, the Golden Gate and Treasure Island are amazing. It's great to go here for the views alone. read more

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I did the tour with a friend over the Holiday weekend and thought it was interesting but not one I'd need to go on again. The tour was $20 for an hour with six tastings included. Our tour guide was very charismatic with some off color humor, which they assume works for a boozing bunch. The tour itself is more of a stand and be educated in three different sections of the distillery room. I did enjoy learning about absinthe and what qualifies and goes into different alcohols. I found learning about the process made me appreciate the tasting more at the end and each of their spirits are quite tasty. Green Chili Vodka tasted like pico de gallo that was perfectly balanced with spice and bright flavors. The Spiced Pear Liqueur reminded me of spiked apple/pear cider. I definitely recommend these two! The view from the distillery is amazing, a whole panoramic view of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco skyline. Next door is Faction Brewery that has some of the best beer around. And in the surrounding area is a few wineries. Great location to spend a day just wish it was easier to get to from Bart! *Tip: Check out St. George's at Safeway to purchase your alcohol. They were much cheaper at Safeway than the Distillery. read more

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I've heard a lot of places around the Bay Area that provide beer and wine tastings. It's very rare for me to hear of spirits tastings. Let me open up the spotlight on St. George Spirits. I wanted to do something different for my birthday. I decided to go tasting at a distillery with my bro in law and cousins. It had been a long time for me since my last tasting. I ran across this East Bay gem while visiting the Faction Brewery next door. When we arrived at the distillery, the vibe was very lively and entertaining. The hostess greeted our part of four with a good combination of humor and giddiness. Once we paid for our tastings, our hostess escorted us to one of the tasting bars. For $20 each, we got a flight tasting consisting of five different spirits: - Raspberry brandy - Raspberry liqueur - (Liqueur of Choice) Coffee liqueur - Pear Brandy - Absinthe The samples were not full shots, if you were wondering. The samples were poured to be consumed within two to three sips. My favorite out of the tastings was the coffee liqueur. Who can appreciate a drink that tastes like coffee with an alcohol kick? I can! And I hate to burst your bubble, but there are no hallucinogens in the absinthe. It's just a myth from what our bartender told us. Our bartender was very knowledgeable on all of our samples. This was a great present and experience for my birthday. It's good to know that there's a wonderful distillery located in the East Bay. I would recommend coming here if you've never been spirits tasting ever! read more

St. George Spirits - The mythical absinthe. - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

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Came here for a tasting for a friend's bday. And due to some poor planning on behalf of her husband, I was the only gin drinker in the group of gin haters. HOWEVER, the tastings and experience were so amazing, that everyone walked out with a mini bottle of one of their craft liqueurs. First off, our server/bartender/tasting tour guide was great. Friendly, fun, and informative. He made the tasting experience really accessible and appealing to the non-vodka and gin drinkers in our group. Second, the gins were AMAZING. As I said, I'm a big fan of gin and these were so flavorful and very easy to drink (read: TOO easy to drink). I especially loved the Botanivore Gin, Terroir Gin, and Dry Rye Gin. Oh and the Nola coffee liqueur was so delicious. Distilled cold brew? Jesus christ I'm in love. Anyway, the whole experience was great. I'm definitely coming back with vodka and gin lovers/other alcoholics in my life. read more

St. George Spirits - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

What can I say about an actual spirit distillery right smack in the middle of the bay on Alameda Point? Located in a former airplane hangar in the old Alameda Naval Air Station, a friend and I were enjoying Happy Hour along Park Street on the other side of the island when we decided to make an impromptu trip out to the old Naval Air Base for a distillery tour. Thankfully they have tours weekdays at 5:30pm and every hour on the weekends. So it's perfect for an early evening/ after work treat. In fact my friend and I went on our tour with a group of workers who came from San Francisco, so this place isn't just for the East Bay crowd it's clearly the place for team building for companies throughout the Bay Area! You enter and greeted nicely by an employee standing ready to go by the cash register/ counter, it helps to make a quick reservation for the tour via phone but I'm sure if they're not filled up with reservations for the one tour they give on the weekdays they will accept walk-ins. Then a tour guide takes you and your group as you walk maybe thirty feet tops around St. George's fermentation tanks and other spirit making contraptions as they explain how they make everything from gin to bourbon to liqueurs to absinthe. It's all here and the tour was fascinating and fun as lead by our guide Sam. After about a half an hour our tour was over, and then we advanced back to the tasting room where everything was set up for our group to have a small tasting of up to six kinds of spirits. We tasted a nice variety in this order: pear liqueur, terroir gin, dry rye gin, coffee liqueur, a choice of fruit liqueur or rum and finally the signature drink, the absinthe verte. The pours were small, not too much but what were you expecting for 15 dollars? Obviously at lot of this is a ploy to get straight to the gift shop to buy your own bottle of absinthe, but hey you're all the way out in the middle of the bay so why shouldn't they? All in all if you or a friend loves their gins, rums, whiskeys or absinthe then St. George is the place to get to while in the Bay Area. A fun and worthwhile venture was had by all. I'd definitely go back for another round! read more

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We did the mini cocktails tasting. The drinks were delicious and creative. Service friendly and informative. A great experience!

I was in Oakland for a work conference and convinced 14 of my closest coworkers that we needed to work on our spiritual side and do a distillery tour. Seeing how several do not regularly imbibe it took some convincing to get them to come taste gin but everyone in my party was very happy they came on the tour. Our tour guide was great, she was entertaining and funny while really knowing her stuff. For a whiskey nerd like myself, I had to restrain myself from asking too many questions in order to not bore my coworkers. I love pot stills, I'm just sad we were not there while they were actually distilling a batch. I also loved getting a close up look of their barrels though it would have been great if they had a charred sample barrel open that we could see and smell. After the tour it was time for the tasting..3 from a choice of gins/vodkas and 3 from a choice of brandy/liquors was the perfect amount. Many in our group ended up pairing with their neighbor so they could taste the full range. While .5 ounce is not a lot, it's enough to get the essence of the spirit. Gin neat is not for everyone and even the selections that were not favorites got folks talking and laughing. It was $25 well spent ended up being a great team event! read more

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Vodka tasting? Who even knew that was something you could do? :) I went for a friend's birthday and it was a surprising, yet fun experience. At first when you go looking for this place, it is really discouraging because it is out near the pier and from the outside, it looks pretty ghetto. I wouldn't come here at night or by myself. When you finally reach the place, it looks like a big warehouse. Surprisingly though, the atmosphere is completely different inside. There is a separate room with four separate bars and bartenders for each group and the brewery right behind you. You try 11 different types of vodka for the low price of 15-20 bucks! Very good deal! I have the Asian glow so I was completely red at the end of the day. Our bartender was very entertaining and friendly. He certainly deserved his tip. He told us how to drink each one. If you've never tried absinthe, you can add it on for an extra fee. I would say at least try it once in your life. It didn't taste great, but at least I know now. Bring your own snacks! They have some you can buy, but it's nice to bring your favorites. It's something different from the usual bar hopping. This is a great time for groups! read more

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The base is getting to be one of the cooler spots to hang out at in Alameda. There's a brewery, a winery and now a distillery, all within walking distance of one another. It's a great spot to try certain vodkas, gins and brandys that you weren't willing to try before. We had a group of 10 and made a reservation. It wasn't too busy for a Saturday afternoon and they were very accommodating and patient. Citrus Vodka was yummy, very light with a hint of orange. Green Chile Vodka was surprisingly delicious, I didn't think that I would like this one, but I enjoyed it a lot. The Botanivore Gin wasn't too dry for gin, but tasted like I ate a leaf or something. Add one or two drops of water from the dropper to intensify the flavors. I highly recommend the NOLA Coffee Liqueur. It reminded me of NOLA Iced Coffee from Blue Bottle. It had fragrant and strong coffee notes, but not too overpowering and bitter. I imagine it would be great with a splash of milk or cream. Of course you must give the Absinthe a try while you're here, because why not. With a couple of ice cubes, the absinthe turns cloudy white and it will surely get you pretty messed up if you have too much. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of black licorice so I can only tolerate so much of this. The Pear and Raspberry Brandy were my least favorite ones of the day. They were both too overpowering for me and I couldn't even finish it. I know, shame. Overall, with the tasting you get to try six different spirits and I would say total, it equates to about 2 shots. But, since I was on keto for about 6 weeks, my body lacked the carbs to help me absorb the alcohol. So even for two shots, I got pretty buzzed by the end. You can also order additional cocktails at the bar if you'd like. Great stop on your booze tour at the base if you do decide to come here. read more

We really enjoyed our tour and tasting here. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a few things! During the tasting, we learned that distilleries can't serve people more than about a shot during a visit. So the little tasting sips were meager, but still enough to taste. All four of us would definitely do this again. Don't miss the Chile vodka or the Pear brandy. Every bottle of pear brandy is made from 30 lbs of fresh whole pears. That stuff smells exactly like a fresh pear. It's amazing. Also, the Nola coffee liqueur will make coffee drinkers very happy. Everything we tried was very good. Sadly, they didn't have any of their single malt whiskey to try. They only make about 3,000 bottles a year, so if you ever see one, BUY IT. read more

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The tour was fun and comprehensive, as our guide explained some history and info about each of their products. Our guide had some pretty funny jokes and was engaging the group. I liked that he didn't just throw in lame ha-ha jokes, and I could tell he was genuinely a fun/funny person. That's always a nice quality if you're going to be in that line of work. The best part was of course, the tasting, which didn't feel rushed, and we all discovered our favorite, the NOLA coffee liquor (2 bottles purchased within our group). I learned how to properly taste spirits! This was a fun thing to do with friends on a rainy day. read more

St. George Spirits - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

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Our guide was very informative, answered all of our questions, and made sure that we had a great time. The spirits on offer for tasting were delicious and varied. We would recommend the distillery tour and tasting to anyone interested in spirits. read more

I have been here on multiple occasions to pick up bottles, do a tasting, and to go on their tour. I would say that taking the tour is a must do if you are in the area. Plan ahead and book it to avoid showing up and learning that its sold out. The tour is really informative and gives you a connection to what you are about to drink. The tasting afterwards is set up nicely for pacing and also spacing. They will make sure they enough room for everyone in the group. If you haven't had any of their spirits I would say you have to try their gins and the absinthe. read more

St. George Spirits - tasting bar - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

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Really friendly folks running the tasting bar. As others have said, $10 = 12 tastings plus the tasting glass to take home . . . maybe a re-taste here or there, if you're nice! ;-) My favorites were the Buddha's Hand Citron Vodka and the Black Tea infused Brandy. The black tea gave it a really intense smokey nose and flavor. If you're not a black licorice fan, skip the Absinthe tasting. I've never had absinthe before so I don't know if they are all so dominated by the anise. I'm glad the group of 4 I went with shared the tasting so it didn't go entirely to waste! Wish we'd gotten here a bit earlier and made the tour (1pm Sat & Sun). read more

What a great drinking experience for $15. You get to try about 8-10 different spirits with staff that are very knowledgeable and friendly. There is also a 1-hour tour which takes you through the history of St. George's and the science of distilling (1st American company to legally produce absinthe). The tasting bar is located in an old navy hangar and the bar faces North-West with a spectacular view of SF. Overall, it was great way to spend an afternoon in the East Bay and stock up on locally-produced, finely-crafted booze. read more

St. George Spirits - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

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I came with a group of friends for a tour and tasting, and it was wonderful. This is located in Alameda on what used to be a military base, and the warehouse is huge and spacious. My personal favorite part of the tour was getting to the absinthe station and hearing the tour guide's story on the history of absinthe, and how St George was the first one to be able to release absinthe for distribution in the U.S. when it became legal in 2007. Of course, the best part is the tasting that followed after the tour. Here's what I had: 1) ALL PURPOSE VODKA Standard vodka. 2) CALIFORNIA CITRUS VODKA Lovely citrusy smell and taste! 3) Green Chile Vodka I could really smell the chile in this glass. Just smelling and drinking this incited my friends and me to go straight for Mexican food for dinner after the tour. Not kidding. 4) Raspberry Brandy I could really smell and taste the nori in this. 5) Terroir Gin The tour guide wasn't kidding. It smelled like a Christmas tree AND tasted like a Christmas tree! This is glorious. 6) Absinthe Verte Yum! Absinthe on the rocks. Delicious and beautiful. BONUS: Raspberry Liqueur Wonderful brandy! It really tasted like a delicious berry pie! My friends and I had a great time here, and I've always wanted to come here for the absinthe. We were all very pleased. read more

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Amazing experience! Beautiful building, great staff, really interesting (you will learn something cool) and of course... delicious spirits! Our guide was the highlight! Ashanti was funny, informative, quick and kind. She really made the experience and I am excited to see her again when I take my husband to try it for his first time! Pros: - Very friendly staff - Beautiful views inside and outside - Food available nearby - A unique experience that feels different from the usual brewery tours Cons: Not a good place if you like alcohol? read more

Friends invited me for a tour of this lovely distillery just across the bay from San Francisco, part of a no longer active naval air base. The location is great, with lovely views and a few other booze-oriented establishments having made the previous military hangars their home. We enjoyed a lovely tour with the tour guide Lauren making the experience a blast. Not only was she a bundle of energy and enthusiasm, she really knew her history and liquors. After the comprehensive tour, we partook in a few samples -- you get to choose six taster pours from the various selection, so you can lean toward cordials, gin, vodka, brandy, etc. I prefer bourbon and red wine and do not drink gin at all, so not everything was a fit for me personally, but I learned a lot and appreciate the craft. The entire party really enjoyed themselves. I ended up leaving with a bottle of coffee liquor and a bottle of juicy, sweet raspberry liquor that goes down way too smoothly. I also found out they're working on a limited-run Japanese-style whiskey and can't wait to try that next time. All-in-all a very nice experience and something fun to do for a couple of hours in the Bay Area, especially if you're in the East Bay. read more

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Great and accommodating staff. For first time distillery tasters, they were very passionate about the liqueur they were promoting. What I liked was the variety they offered in each set of alcohols. They had a green chile vodka that was recommended over salsa, and they had a chicory, coffee liqueur that packed a subtle punch. Plus the view of the city on a partly cloudy day was amazing. We booked one of the last reservation times and were able to catch the sunset from the parking lot. Fun experience overall! read more

St. George Spirits - View of the city from our tasting at the bar! - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

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What a great experience! For $20 I enjoyed a very informative tour of their stunning distillery and then sipped on 6 spirits. My favorite was the Spiced Pear Liqueur. The staff was incredibly welcoming and didn't mind the horrible faces I made while I was sipping on those spirits. read more

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The boyfriend and I are happy we were able to get last minute spots for a tour and tasting on a Sunday at 1pm. I was nervous it wasn't going to be all that worth it based on others reviews, but glad I tried it myself because I thought it was pretty great! We got there 15 minutes before their tour to check it, and had a seat until they were ready for us. The tour was informational and the guide was pretty funny, so that made for a fun little day! Walked through the distillery and the process of making the different alcohols. The tastings were great! I'm not really a brandy, straight vodka or absinthe type of girl, but the tips on drinking alcohol really helped me enjoy it. In total you get 6 small (and I do mean small) tastings of your choice. It's hit or miss if you get really knowledgeable booze junkies on your tour. They can either be snooty (like the guy who made fun of me for laughing at the guides crude joke), or a pleasure to learn things from. Please note that this place is only for reservations on tasting tours. You can't just walk in and try different items. But you can purchase from their gift shop. read more

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Fantastic setting and a world class distillery. Tour guides are well informed and make the tastings fun. One of the finest distilleries anywhere on earth and with a an incredible view of SF and the Bay to boot. An absolte must visit for locals and tourists alike. read more

The spirits were fine, but the vibe is commercial. To take a trip into the deep part of Alameda requires a bit of effort. Distillers are now a dime a dozen. And the draw is just not there for me. After waiting for the next tasting, we were assigned a spot at the bar where a tour guide/bar tender poured us some tastings of their various alcohols. None of them stood out to me, but there were plenty of decent ones. I didn't particularly care for the gins or vodka. Every moment inside this building felt cold and manufactured. read more

The flight was great, the staff was very knowledgeable. Their Lot whiskey is very different, as with a lot of their stuff they are playing at the edges of standard, and trying to be unique. I plan to go again. read more

This is a REALLY great place to visit. We did the gin and cheese tasting. I never thought of pairing gin and cheese. What an eye opener it was. Had 5 different gins with fives different cheeses. Well worth the price. read more

This was such a great spot! Came here over the weekend as a second stop with a group of six after touring Hangar One next door. Signed up for the tour and tasting online. We were running late and they happily accommodated our group during the next scheduled time. The tour gave a great perspective on the space and history of the distillery. The tour was finished up by a tasting of your choice of 6 different liquors. Definitely worth the trip and the price. read more

St. George Spirits - Part of the tour - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

Honestly not a whole lot more can ask for from a distillery. Location is cute (great view of SF) and the tasting was great, definitely worth the 15 dollar fee. You get six tastings, three from vodka/gin choices and three from brandy/liqueurs. Go with a friend so you can try more things and split them! Favorites for me was the Chile vodka (not hot but spicy, perfect for Bloody Mary's) and the Spiced Pear liqueur (can't taste the alcohol, dangerous!) I'm on a "diet", so in lieu of dessert I want a bottle of the spiced pear so that I can have a shot after dinner. Guy who helped us (Shiraz?) was really knowledgeable and into the gin. Overall, a great place to learn (and taste!) a little more about gin. read more

St. George Spirits - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

This place is a well oiled machine. They produce a ton of booze as well as provide insightful tours and tastings. This is not a bar. You can do 1 tasting and 1 tasting only. My friend won a tour and tasting and invited me to go along for the ride and of course any chance to drink free booze in Alameda is ok by me. If you don't have a friend that hooks up the free tour and tasting, it'd cost you $20. Final thoughts: That's kind of a lot. The tour guide was wonderful and really livened up what ended up being kind of a boring tour. If you have ever been on a beer or wine tour and know how alcohol is made, you've been to them all. I did learn some new booze knowledge (always a good thing), but the production facility is small, so most of this tour is just listening. St. George's makes a great product. No doubt about that. They source local ingredients and it's all produced on the island. Love. Most of the booze I tasted was unique, original and went down smooth, no doubts about that. Booze ranges from vodkas, gins, scotch, rum to even absinthe (the first producer in the USA since made legal)! The tasting is pretty strict and I get it, it's regulated. You choose from a menu: 2 vodkas, 2 gins, 1 brandy/liqueur and 1 liqueur/absinthe. Go ahead, visit and try. A nice assortment and they go over the flavor profiles once again incase you forgot or didn't do the tour. In the end, I'm not quite sure I'd drop the $20 for it. The tastings without the tour is $15 and although I still find that to be a tad bit pricy for what comes out to be less than a shot worth of booze, it does get ya tipsy and it's the good stuff. You're paying for the ambiance and the setting and sometimes ya just need to feel fancy. read more

Hosted our combo bday party here with a group of friends here because hello, it's VODKA! Everyone knows I am a Grey Goose girl, but I made an exception . . . and boy, I am glad I did! At 1PM, Andie gave a funny and entertaining tour about vodka making and to imagine they only do 25,000 cases a year. Wow. We rented the Pilot's Lounge for our bday group for 2 hours ($30 each for tasting and room rental). Annie, our host, set up our lounge with our provided snacks and it looked great when we walked inside. Great views all around (floor to ceiling window of the Bay), it felt like a Top Gun fun living room, equipped with a manly bar. Loved the tastings, especially the Spice Pear vodka! Hells yeah! HIGHLY RECOMMEND for events and good vodka! read more

What a great place for a food adventure! Reserved a tour for 5:30pm on a Friday. Arrived early and since there early was plenty of easy parking we killed some time by pregaming at Faction Brewing next door. So you literally have a distillery, next door to a brewery, next door to a winery?!? So convenient! The distierlly was previously a naval air hangar so the space is huge with an open and industrial feel. Sam, our guide, was funny, informative, animated, and brought good energy. It's cool knowing that it takes something like 30 pounds of pears to make a bottle of their signature pear brandy. The tour ($20) lasts about an hour and concludes with sampling in their tasting room which has gorgeous views of SF. You could possibly share a tasting for a $15. Here's what I sipped. VODKA - All purpose vodka - clean, goes with anything - California citrus - fragrant, reminded me of Absolut citron but more flavorful. - Green chili vodka - so aromatic and packs a wallop! I could imagine a killer bloody mary with this. GIN - Botanivore - clean, little juniper - Terrior - It's like your tongue went hiking up Mt Tam. Woodsy, twiggy, mmmm... camping. - Dry rye - potent BRANDY/OTHER - Spiced Pear liqueur - like Fall warm apple pie. - Raspberry liqueur - like a raspberry syrup, drizzle it over vanilla ice cream - Pear brandy - it takes something like 30 pounds of pears to make one bottle of their flagship - Absinthe - it's cool seeing them add ice and having your drink turn milky, licorice-y. You can do a tasting only for $15, but I thought it was worth the extra $5 for the tour. You can also stop by the store, a fifth of their signature vodkas was like $30. Artisanal, beautiful views, fun thing to do, recommended. (http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=IPiKNzzWlIXBe-yUxGhZ6Q&userid=pDfL8xt8F8ls0-kQIG_ADg) read more

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Spirits behold, I think I had an epiphany of sorts here. Granted, it could have been the vodka OR the whiskey OR that extra upgrade to throw back some lip-numbing Absinthe that swayed me towards this realization. After a flight at Hanger One (pun totally intended) I think I can say, that I actually do like Vodka. Surrounded by scenic views of the bay and San Francisco's skyline, St. George's Spirits has a great location and an edgy vibe. From its retro Russian poster graphics to its friendly and hip bartenders, it's a must-see stop if you're out doing some Urban Tasting. I'll be the first to say that I'm a light weight and an expert in preventing Asian Glow. So, it's probably no surprise to you that I suggest it as a great ending on the road to visiting local vintners and distillers. Which leads me to say that next time...I will take the ferry over! It's $10-15 for "Basic Training" and $20 for Friday evenings' "Spec Ops" tour and tasting. That's some boot camp that will make you smile! I was really impressed with how clean tasting and inventive their infused flavors really are. Lime, Pear and Buddha's Hand are pure dee-lish! Whiskey lover that I am, I liked their version, but my fave was the Absinthe. I hear that sometimes they serve it up with a little Dr. Pepper. Now that I have my own small $20 bottle at home, I'll have to try out that combo myself! Cheers to St. George--I love you more with every sip! read more

St. George Spirits - Love their graphics! - Distilleries Near Me - Alameda, California

Sometimes life takes you to a fork in the road...do you go Left, or Right? You must think wisely... LEFT: $15 for the guided tour of the facilities, and then tastings afterwards.. RIGHT: No tour...just tastings...for FREE! So, my friends and I chose the RIGHT decision and enjoyed the tastings...for FREE! Staff is super friendly! Bourbon is fanFUCingtastic, so I bought a bottle. $34. We finished the bottle before I could fly it back to San Diego... FYI: For the record, I usually vote LEFT ;-) read more

Vodka tasting? Who comes up with these things?? Genius, pure genius! What an opportunity to go out and try something new. The lads running this place are totally awesome. They're professional, kind, funny, and are very informative. Coming here is really something you don't do everyday. St. George Spirits has a huge distillery that you can tour (my group left because we're a bit tipsy and couldn't stay still) and has employees who are knowledgeable and love what they do. The tasting we had was real fun. I forgot the guy's name, but I do remember he had a mohawk and was real chill and funny. He made the experience awesome with cool facts and gave us so much information on each vodka. If you're thinking about trying it out, you don't need to think. Just do it, you won't regret it. read more