Winter Spritz
This is a great way to enjoy a spritz into the cooler months. Lambrusco adds depth and warmth that starts to speak to fall with the rosemary.
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Ventura Spirits Captures Local Bounty in a Bottle
A trip to our local craft distillery is a journey to the brave new world of spirits. Not the esoteric, otherworldly realm, but the ancient art of distillation, taking the harvest’s abundance and applying esoteric alchemy to transform Ventura County’s cornucopia of fruits and grains into delectable alcoholic beverages that are most divine.
Despite its ethereal name, Ventura Spirits is very down-to-earth. Earthy, in fact—using sustainable agricultural practices, local and wild-crafted sources and highlighting SoCal/Central Coast natives and favorites: Valencia oranges, lemons, strawberries, prickly pear cactus, agave, sage and more.
Spinning their story of science, history and craft distilling is tasting room manager Brad Miller. During distillation, “off comes this vapor,” says Miller. “That’s where the word ‘spirit’ comes from. Monks and priests were some of the first members of society to practice distillation. The vapor rising from a cauldron of wine or beer can easily be interpreted as the ‘spirit’ rising from the wine, which when captured as it condenses, offers a purer expression of the soul, or spirit, of the wine. Distillation does go back thousands of years and was often used in medicinal and religious practices.”
Ventura Spirits’ unique products include Wilder Gin, Haymaker’s Vodka, Strawberry Brandy, Prickly Pear Brandy and Limoncello, but none points to fall more than the Amaro Angeleno, a bitter liqueur in the vein of the Italian classic Aperol, with a bright note from Valencia orange peel, native botanicals, herbs and calming herbal tea. It’s balanced with a subtle, floral finish, perfect alone or mixed, making it adaptable and well-suited to Ventura County’s lingering hot days and cooler nights.
Starring the popular Amaro, a brand new Angeleno Spritz, with an anticipated release on or near Labor Day, is being offered as a ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage. This sparkling cocktail will be sold as a six-pack of single-serving cans (200ml or 6.7 ounces), is perfect to take to the beach or serve with barbecue and is delicious over ice or straight from the can.
In the works is the long-anticipated whisky, currently aging in oak barrels stacked to the ceiling in their basement warehouse. Indicative of Ventura Spirits’ commitment to sustainable agriculture is their use of the rare perennial Kernza grass, which reduces waste, soil degradation, erosion and carbon footprint.
Constantly adapting to changing market situations, especially COVID-19 restrictions when their tasting room tours had to be shut down, gave rise to some new and exciting projects from the distillery. Ventura Spirits produced large quantities of hand sanitizers, which they donated to multiple local organizations, including first responders, Ventura County Medical Center, Ventura Food Share and more. Now they sell directly to businesses and individuals.
The company was also able to pivot to online purchases and shipments via their website, as well as curbside deliveries and in-house purchases (masks required).
“The Cocktail Kits and Sample Pack Tasting Kit were deliberate attempts to help our guests find new ways to engage with our spirits from the safety and comfort of their homes,” says Miller. “We also started offering one hour Zoom Tastings for $15 as an add-on to the Tasting Kit to further engage with our guests.”
Local connections led to community events like the Thirsty Thursday livestreams with Visit Ventura (archived on their website). One of those was a chocolate pairing featuring four spirits and four custom bonbons and truffles from Ex Voto Chocolates and Confections. The second was four ice creams paired with four spirits, all of which could be purchased before the streaming date.
For more information, visit VenturaSpirits.com.
Recipes from Ventura Spirits
Winter Spritz
This is a great way to enjoy a spritz into the cooler months. Lambrusco adds depth and warmth that starts to...
