Taste the Spirit(s) of Northern California at The First Wine Country Distillery Festival

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Griffo Distillery in Petaluma, owned and operated by Jenny and Michael Griffo, will participate in the Wine Country Distillery Festival in Rohnert Park on February 9. Click through the gallery for more local artisan distillers that will be present at the festival. (Courtesy photo)

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Master Distiller (and physics Ph.D.) Michael Griffo doesn’t leave anything to chance when he crafts his small-batch vodka and gins. According to Griffo, he uses “formal analysis and fabrication of innovative still-controls” for his distilling process, which means this ain’t moonshine he’s producing, but rather balanced gins and whiskeys. Michael and wife Jenny run the Petaluma distillery with “Betty,” their 250-gallon copper pot still. 

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Viognier grapes are the base for Alley 6 Craft Distillery’s Harvest Gin, making it a wildly aromatic sipper that has a true taste of the Alexander Valley. Their rye whiskey is gaining serious traction on the awards circuit, made with malted barley from Germany. Alley 6 will be participating in the Wine Country Distillery Festival on February 9. (Courtesy photo)

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Spirit Works Distillery in Sebastopol has been aging whiskey for three years in barrels with headphones and an iPhone with music chosen by the employees. Will the Led Zeppelin barrel taste better than the Michael Jackson barrel? Find out at the Wine Country Distillery Festival on February 9. (Photo by John Burgess)

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Spirit Works, run by Ashby and Timo Marshall, does everything in-house, from milling the grain to creating the mash to distilling its gin, vodka and sloe gin on site and aging some of it in barrel. The distillery won a Good Food Awards in 2018 for its gin. (Photo by Chris Hardy)

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A Spirit Works Sloe 75 made by bar manager Fred Johnson at Zazu Kitchen and Farm. (Photo by Crista Jeremiason)

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Though it almost sounds too far-fetched to be true, twin brothers Christopher (a firefighter and paramedic) and Brandon Matthies (a police officer) have created some of the county’s best-loved small-batch bourbon as a side hustle. You'll see their Sonoma Brothers gin, vodka, rye whiskey, and apple brandy — all made at their small Windsor distillery — at better bars, and at the Wine Country Distillery Festival. 

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Young & Yonder recently moved their operations to Healdsburg, offering an alternative to the wine-tasting rooms around the square. Run by Josh and Sarah Opatz, their H.O.B.S Gin is a seriously hot commodity at local craft cocktail spots, made with Russian River water and a number of local botanicals. Fans of foraging, they’ve also released Fellows & Foragers Absinthe, made with classic herbs like anise and wormwood along with ginger and tarragon. You can also taste their small-batch Stave Robber Bourbon, aged in oak for less than a year, and Persian lime vodka.

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Indira Gin from local microdistillery Sipsong Spirits has become a favorite of local bartenders. Italian juniper, orange, bay, lavender, lime, cumin, and coriander are among the flavors of this grape-based spirit made by Tara Jasper in tiny batches at Sonoma Brothers distillery. (Courtesy photo)

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Graton Distilling Company makes "meticulously crafted spirits" - gin, whiskey, bourbon, rye whiskey and vodka - that "reflect the rustic artistry and raucous vibe" of Northern California.