Summer 2024
Spirits Rising Calistoga Depot Distillery
By Claudia Bauer
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Whiskey lovers know that every bottle tells a story — and when friends sit down for a drink, tales of life, love, and adventure are guaranteed to follow. At Calistoga Depot Distillery, storytelling is infused into every barrel. Founded by visionary vintner Jean-Charles Boisset, the Distillery is rooted as much in the terroir of the valley as it is in California’s storied past. Each of Boisset’s small-batch, ultra-premium spirits pays homage to Gold Rush settler Samuel S. Brannan, whose daring, innovative nature still defines the California ethos. The First Millionaire, a collection of malted barley whiskeys, celebrates the fortune Brannan amassed by selling goods to gold miners (he was, according to lore, California’s first millionaire). Calistoga Star, the Distillery’s line of barrel-aged fine brandies, nods to the newspaper Brannan founded in San Francisco. And Calistoga.
Depot Distillery 1868 features exclusive spirits, including gin, vodka, and rum, named for the year he extended the local railroad tracks to bring tourists to the Depot, founded by Brannan himself as one of the state’s original distilleries.
But fortune is a fickle mistress, so Prosperous & Penniless reflects the highs and lows of Brannan’s net worth in premium whiskey and barrel-aged gin, while the rye-forward whiskeys dubbed Fame & Misfortune offer a tip of the hat to the scandalous Lola Montez — courtesan to a king, entertainer in the Yukon, and decidedly wild woman of the West. Today’s Distillery tells a new story, one that grows out of Boisset’s lifelong passion for wine, and his commitment to terroir and artisanal craft. He infuses each bottle with the distinctive flavors of Napa Valley by aging spirits in oak barrels and wine casks. The results speak for themselves. Among the Distillery’s dozens of awards are the Master’s Medal from the Spirits Business’ American Whiskey Masters and The Fifty Best’s Double Gold (for Calistoga Depot 1868 Vodka) and Gold (for the Prosperous & Penniless Rye Malt Whiskey).
Just as during the Gold Rush, the new Distillery is housed in the historic Calistoga Depot, which reopened this April after three years of renovation helmed by Boisset and entrepreneur Michael Madden. The Distillery boasts a stunning copper-clad bar and offers spirits tastings, barrel tastings, and craft cocktails with spirits from the awardwinning Boisset spirits portfolio. And the Depot welcomes locals and visitors to the Casa Obsidian Bar, the First Millionaire’s Saloon, and the Oyster & Champagne Bar Car, for a warm ambiance, fine spirits, and tales yet to be told.
Calistoga Depot Distillery
1458 Lincoln Ave
Calistoga, CA 94515