Distillery profile

Cali Distillery

Explore the distillery's history, craft, production, and the distinctive character of its whiskies.

Last updated
Show on map All distilleries

CALI Distillery

Brief Overview of the Distillery

CALI Distillery is a California craft producer of spirits that celebrates 'The Spirit of California'. Founded by Howard and Marni Witkin, the company started in the kitchen with liqueurs and evolved into small-batch whiskeys with a distinctive California approach: non-GMO grains, kosher certification, and extensive use of local botanicals and barrel finishes.

History

From Kitchen Lemons to Distillery

The story begins with the couple behind CALI making homemade liqueurs in the kitchen, which quickly found a local audience. Demand grew, and they went from a few bottles to pallets of spirits, established a distilled spirits company, and received early industry recognition and medals. Founders Howard and Marni Witkin later developed a sipping whiskey, which became the core of the CALI brand.

Development of California Whiskeys

After establishing themselves with liqueurs, the company began focused work on whiskey. The range grew to include both blended sipping whiskeys, high-rye batches in cask strength, and doublewood bourbons. Product development has emphasized expressing a Californian character through finishes, botanical blends, and oak choices.

2024 – Double Gold at Sunset International Spirits Competition

Thunder Bourbon with blackened Sonoran mesquite was awarded a Double Gold Medal at the 2024 Sunset International Spirits Competition, a concrete sign of external recognition for their bourbons.

Raw Materials and Production

CALI works with classic American grains across different mashbills: corn (bourbon), high-rye blends, and malted barley to support fermentation. Riptide and Three Rivers are formulated with a high proportion of rye (93%) and 7% malted barley, while CALI Sipping Whiskey combines a rich corn-mash bourbon with spicy rye. The producer highlights non-GMO grains and kosher certification as fixed requirements, and production emphasizes small-batch production, hand-crafted botanical finishes, and occasional single-barrel, cask-strength bottlings. Several products are specifically finished with hand-painted spice blends or mesquite smoke, and Mavericks/Three Rivers exemplify the use of sequential oak finishes to shape aroma and structure.

Maturation and Oak Types

Many of CALI’s whiskeys mature in American oak and are finished in other oak types. Mavericks starts in new American oak and finishes in toasted French oak; Three Rivers combines New American Oak with toasted and charred oak. CALI Sipping Whiskey is described as matured in clean oak and then finished with botanicals. Thunder is characterized by a journey through two different oak types and a final blackened Sonoran mesquite finish. Riptide is presented as a single-barrel, cask-strength bottling to preserve the raw profile.

Whiskeys

The range covers both spicy sipping whiskeys, high-rye casks, and doublewood bourbons, as well as a range of liqueurs. The core line includes CALI California Sipping Whiskey, Riptide Cask Strength Rye, and Mavericks Doublewood Whiskey; Three Rivers Rye and Thunder Bourbon expand the palette along with Steel String. Under the Sukkah Hill profile there are also liqueurs such as Etrog and Besamim, as well as experimental spirit expressions like Desert Trail. The company emphasizes non-GMO, kosher certification, and small-batch approaches as recurring features of the portfolio.

Whiskey Type / Series Alcohol Cask and Style Flavor Profile Status
CALI California Sipping Whiskey Sipping Whiskey / Flavoured whiskey 42.5 % Clean oak barrels; finish: Aged in clean oak and finished with hand-painted botanicals, herbs and spices A Californian ’twist’ on a classic American sipping whiskey, made from a blend of rich corn mash bourbon and spicy rye, mellowed in oak and finished with herbs, spices and botanicals. Active; Core range
Mavericks Doublewood Whiskey Doublewood Bourbon 45 % New American oak and French oak (toasted); finish: Toasted French oak finish A high-rye bourbon, first in new American oak and finished in toasted French oak; described as a 'doublewood' with perfumed notes and fruity tones. Active; Core range
Riptide Cask Strength Rye Rye Whiskey (Cask Strength, single barrel) 59 % Single barrel; finish: Bottled from single barrels at cask strength A 93% rye-mash with 7% malted barley, bottled at cask strength from single barrels to present a pure rye profile. Active; Core range
Three Rivers Rye Whiskey Rye Whiskey New American Oak and Toasted and charred oak; finish: Finished with succession of toasted and charred oak A dark, rich rye whiskey (93% rye, 7% malted barley) with notes of dark chocolate, black coffee and caramel; aged in New American Oak and then toasted/charred oak. Active; Core range
Thunder (Thunder Bourbon with Smoked Mesquite) Smoked Bourbon Two varieties of oak; finish: Finished with blackened Sonoran mesquite after journey through two different oak types; smoky/dried A dark, smoky bourbon, finished with blackened Sonoran mesquite to add aromatic mesquite smoke to the classic bourbon profile. Active
Steel String Bourbon A smooth, lightly sweet bourbon with a hint of honey on the finish. Active
Etrog Liqueur Liqueur; Sukkah Hill Spirits Lightly sweet, herbal citrus liqueur with aroma of citrus blossoms; compared in profile with other caffeine-free floral and citrus-modifying liqueurs. Active
Besamim Liqueur Liqueur; Sukkah Hill Spirits Richly balanced liqueur based on cinnamon, vanilla, cloves and other hand-selected spices; suitable as cocktail modifier or served neat. Active
Desert Trail Rum/agricole-style spirit (mesquite-finished); Sukkah Hill Spirits Deep oak aged; finish: Mesquite finished; rhum agricole-inspired spirit with deep oak aging; smoky, dried A mesquite-finished, deeply oaky spirit based on sugar cane, designed to evoke smoked single-malt-like qualities. Active

The Whiskeys’ Style and Flavor Profile

Across the portfolio there are clear fruity notes (peach, apricot, baked apple, orange peel), warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice), and sweet malt and caramel tones (butterscotch, toffee, caramel). Some expressions also introduce smoke or mesquite (Thunder, Desert Trail), and there are floral accents such as jasmine in the doublewood expression. These directions recur in descriptions across several products and form the overall style.

Philosophy and Craft

CALI Distillery works deliberately with handmade production, non-GMO ingredients, and full kosher certification. The goal is to produce a 'Spirit of California' through choices of mashbills, casks, and botanical finishes, and each product is produced in small batches with an emphasis on craftsmanship over industrial volume.

Awards and Recognitions

  • Double Gold Medal (2024, Thunder Bourbon with Smoked Mesquite)

  • Top 100 Spirits (Top 100 Spirits, Etrog Liqueur)