Sunday, December 11, 2005

Holiday Spirits

During most of my working life the holidays have equaled a lot of hard work. The hospitality business cranks into high gear with good cheer for all except the employees. It's sort of an inside family joke that my Christmas stocking has the Grinch on top. In my new line of work I can enjoy the holidays spirit fully.
In this frame of mind I thought why not taste some spirits. Napa and Sonoma Counties draw mega crowds to their numerous wineries this time of year. I was looking for a different experience. On Craig's List I had seen an event listing for St. George Spirits. I checked out the web site and decided to visit this weekend.
Not really knowing Alameda well, we had a bit of search. The distillery is located in an old hangar ( hence the name Hangar One ) on what was once Alameda Naval Air Station. Just down the road is the USS Hornet Museum. It's next to the water with a view of the city and some palm trees at the entrance.
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For ten dollars you purchase a glass and then you get free tastes of about a dozen vodka's, liqueurs, and they even a single malt whiskey. There was a selection of olives, cheese, bread and salami set out to cleanse your pallet. Our favorites of the group were Kaffir Lime Vodka ($36), Raspberry Liqueur($20) , and the Grappa ($40). It's a difficult decision because all the choices were tasty. Not a stinker in the bunch. A great place to buy holiday gifts for your friends or yourself even. Check out the rocket ship shaker set that would look great on any bar.
Get in the spirit!
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tasting gear
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Rocket Shaker

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