St. George Spirits
Terroir Gin is built on Douglas fir, California bay laurel, coastal sage and wild fennel, which is a Northern California hillside distilled into a bottle. The Alameda tasting room pours the whole range, absinthe included.
Why go
The distillery has been at this since 1982 and says so in its own terms: Make amazing spirits, unlike anything else available on the market, with innovation, quality, and integrity.
1 That is the stated aim, and the gin range is where you can check it. Terroir is the one worth the trip, because those four botanicals are what that hillside smells like. The house argument for the rest of the shelf is the same: A cocktail made with a St. George spirit doesn't taste like any other,
from Terroir Gin through to the NOLA Coffee Liqueur.
Everything above is the distillery's own account, which is its case for the bottles rather than a judgment on them.
Order this / avoid
- Order: Terroir first, then Botanivore and Dry Rye alongside it, because the three read as one argument about what gin can carry. Then the absinthe.
- Avoid: a midweek drive. Tours and tastings run Friday to Sunday, by appointment.
What locals & experts say
- St. George Spirits (its own words):
As America's original artisan distillery, we aim to create spirits that beguile the palate and capture the imagination.
1 - Independent coverage: none quoted here.
Good to know
- Timing: the distillery's own page gives tours and tastings by appointment, Friday to Sunday. Confirm on the day.
- Booking: essential.
- Getting there: Monarch Street on the old Alameda naval air station, out past the ferry terminal.
Verdict
could-visit — A distillery running since 1982 with a bottle that states an unusual ambition out loud: Terroir Gin is built on Douglas fir, California bay laurel, coastal sage and wild fennel, which is an attempt to put a specific landscape in a glass rather than a botanical count. The tasting room pours the full range, including the absinthe. It stays at could-visit because every fact on this page is the distillery's own and no independent voice was read.