Distillery profile

St. George Spirits

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

Last updated
Show on map All distilleries

St. George Spirits

About the Distillery

St. George Spirits in Alameda is one of the United States' early artisanal distilleries, founded in 1982 by Jörg Rupf. The distillery produces a wide range of spirits—from concentrated eau de vie and brandy to gin, vodka, and a number of whiskies—and has built a reputation as an innovative producer with a strong focus on the quality of ingredients and small-batch production. Master Distiller Lance Winters and Head Distiller Dave Smith are central to the development of the distillery's modern whiskies and barrel-aging projects.

History

The history begins in 1982 when Jörg Rupf distilled his first eau de vie on a 65-gallon pot still. Work with fruit-based spirits and New World fermentation quickly earned recognition; Poire William won Destillata in Austria. Bill Mannshardt contributed to building the operation as an early employee. Later came Lance Winters and subsequently Dave Smith, and together they developed the distillery's single malts and other signature products. Hangar One vodka was launched, absinthe reintroduced as St. George Absinthe Verte, and the company moved to its current facilities at Alameda Naval Air Station. Over time, leadership has been handed over from the founder to the current team, while the distillery continues to launch new experimental releases.

Raw Materials and Production

The eau de vie philosophy shapes the production: you start with excellent raw materials and work to concentrate their aromas through distillation. The first batches were made in a 65-gallon pot still, and pot still distillation is still used in production. For brandy and fruit spirits, New World fermentation techniques are used. In the whiskies arena, St. George has worked in small batches, experimented with different mash bills, and actively catalogued and blended casks from purchased sources for special releases. The focus is on craftsmanship, raw material quality, and creative solutions rather than mass production.

Maturation and Cask Types

Casks play a central role in many releases. A concrete effort has been to source and catalog casks from Kentucky bourbon distilleries, which were later blended into Breaking & Entering Bourbon. Additionally, the distillery actively experiments with aging and finishes across spirit types, including using different types of cask aging for gin and other projects.

Whiskies

The portfolio covers eau de vie and brandy, several gin and vodka variants, liqueurs, and an ongoing series of whiskies, including single malts (e.g., Lot 1) and special blending projects such as Breaking & Entering Bourbon. Some lines such as Hangar One Vodka and St. George Absinthe have made a broad mark, while the distillery also releases more local or experimental whiskies such as Baller Single Malt.

Whisky Type / Series Cask and Style Flavor Profile Status
St. George Single Malt Whiskey (Lot 1) Single Malt The first single malt from St. George, aged in casks after extensive experiments with mash bills and production methods. Current
Baller Single Malt Whiskey Single Malt A California interpretation of the Japanese-inspired style; released as a Bay Area exclusive before wider distribution. Current
Breaking & Entering Bourbon Bourbon Barrels sourced from Kentucky bourbon distilleries A blending project based on casks sourced from several Kentucky bourbon distilleries and blended at St. George. Current
St. George Single Malt (General Line) Single Malt St. George has continually worked on single malt production, with several releases as an ongoing part of the portfolio. Current

Visit the Distillery

The distillery offers a tasting room and a bottle shop with set hours: Wednesday–Friday 14:00–18:00 and Saturday–Sunday 12:00–18:00. Administrative inquiries are answered Monday–Friday 08:30–17:00. Reservations are recommended for tastings and tours. Visitors may purchase spirits in the bottle shop during opening hours.

The posted hours are: Tasting Room & Bottle Shop: Wednesday–Friday 14:00–18:00; Saturday & Sunday 12:00–18:00. Administrative Office: Monday–Friday 08:30–17:00.

Philosophy and Craft

At the core of St. George Spirits' philosophy is the eau de vie mindset: start with excellent raw materials and work precisely in distillation to let the character of the ingredients come through. There is an emphasis on innovation, small-batch experimentation, and a sustained focus on quality and craftsmanship.

Awards and Recognitions

  • Destillata (Winner: St. George Poire William), St. George Poire William

  • Thrillist (Best craft whiskey of the year)

  • Whisky Advocate (Craft whiskey of the year)

  • GQ (One of the most distinctive gins made in America (Terroir))