Located a mere six minute walk away from Inn at Mavericks is Half Moon Bay Distillery. This new craft distillery is creating quite a buzz in the small coastal community of Princeton-by-the-Sea producing high quality, hand-crafted spirits made in small batches by husband and wife distillers, Caesar & Ulli Bisono.
The Inspiration For Half Moon Bay Distillery
Ulli Bisono was born and raised in the northern Alps of Austria and knew about the alpine-region fruit brandies produced by the local Austrian farmers. Most of these brandies were traditionally made from low quality fruit and crude distilling process resulting in a harsh unappealing product. Many years later on a trip back to Autria, Ulli once again tried the local fruit brandy and to her amazement discovered that it was delicious! Modern distilling process combined with high quality fruit had finally yielded a premium spirit. Ulli was so inspired by the local liquor that she began to explore the possibility of importing the Austrian fruit brandy to the United States. Unfortunately, the local, small batch Austrian distillers were strictly limited by outdated laws and were prohibited from exporting their brandy.
Unwilling to be defeated, Caesar and Ulli began considering the possibility of opening up their own distillery. They soon discovered that Coastal California had all of the ingredients they needed to produce excellent spirits – high quality fruit, grain, water and consumers who appreciated hand-crafted locally produced liquor. Bringing Austrian brandies to the United States is still a dream of Ulli, but in the meantime, she is excited to produce premium spirits in their local Princeton-By-The-Sea distillery.
Purissima Vodka & Harvard Avenue Gin
Half Moon Bay Distillery currently produces Purissima Vodka (named after a local neighboring ghost town), and Harvard Avenue Gin. Both Purissima Vodka and Harvard Avenue Gin are “silky smooth” and are delicate enough to sip straight as well as provide the essential ingredient for your favorite cocktail.Where to Taste Half Moon Bay Distillery Spirits
Are you looking for a way to taste Half Moon Bay Distillery’s fine spirits during your stay at Inn at Mavericks? Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, a five minute walk away from the Inn, features local Purissima Vodka in their craft cocktails. Happy hour is offered Monday through Friday 11:00pm to 6:00pm in the bar!
The Distillery also offers 45 minute tours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays where guests are invited to learn about distilling, taste the spirits, and discover how craft spirits are made. Please visit the Half Moon Bay Distillery Website to book a tour. Guests are invited to stay at Inn at Mavericks, conveniently located within walking distance to both Half Moon Bay Distillery and Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.