I can't remember the last time I played guitar on New Year's Eve; a different century, certainly. But that's how my New Year's Eve would end up, and I was looking forward to it.
Before heading to the big gig, though, we had some time to kill. And, when you're in the East bay, there are few ways to kill that are better than heading over to the St. George's Spirits Hangar 1 Distillery in Alameda.
Hangar 1 is located on the now-defunct Alameda Naval Air Station across the bay from downtown San Francisco. I remember being here back in 1983, when I was only two years into my Naval career. A lot has changed since then. The base closed in 1997, and has since gone through some re-utilization. I'd have a hard time finding a better use for the old Attack Squadron 304 hangar than turning it into a distillery!
 |
| Hangar 1 |
We arrived and met Sascha Wen, Hangar 1's "Absinthe Ambassador". Sascha seems to know just about everything about booze, and it's pretty evident she digs her job a lot. Chris and I paid her a visit over the summer, and it was nice to see that there were some new selections on their tasting room list this time around. What we tried in July was certainly pretty outstanding, but why not something new?
While everything they make seems to be pretty damn tasty, there's one spirit they make which, visually, is unmatched. I'm speaking, of course, of Absinthe. What happens to Absinthe when water is introduced to it is difficult to explain, so I'll just include a picture:
 |
A very cool Absinthe reaction with water |
Sascha took Chris and me through a tasting of some of their various spirits, and there were several that I really enjoyed, including a Mandarin Blossom Vodka and a Kaffir Lime Vodka. I ended up, though, buying a bottle of their Absinthe (recently made legal in the United States) and a Raspberry Liqeuer that's just insane.
 |
| With Sascha Wen in front of one of the stills at Hangar 1 |
After we got done with our tasting, Sascha showed us a new addition to the Hangar 1 facility: The Pilot's Lounge. A very cool, upstairs private room, the lounge can be rented for private parties and tastings, and the per-person charge includes a menu of seven or so Hangar 1 cocktails.
 |
| Sascha Wen, of Hangar 1, and Chris Estes in the Pilot's Lounge |
As we had a gig on New Year's Eve, we really needed to get going, although I could've easily been convinced to stay. This was my second visit to Hangar 1 and, I can assure you, it's not going to be my last. It's turning into a semi-annual Easy Bay pilgrimage that I'm sure to look forward to during every visit.
If you find yourself anywhere near Alameda on a weekday, I highly recommend stopping into Hangar 1 and letting Sascha, or any of the other fine folks you'll find there, show you what they're up to.
 |
| In the Hangar 1 parking lot, with downtown San Francisco in the background |
No comments:
Post a Comment