Distillery 209

[beans]

Distillery 209, as the project is known, combines British gin-distilling expertise with California Wine Country capital and entrepreneurial flair. The startup moved into a cavernous renovated space on Pier 50 in December, built a gleaming copper still and began producing experimental batches a few weeks ago. The company plans to test-market its gin in June.

"We have got a chance to do something special here,'' said owner Leslie Rudd. "We are here because this is one of the great cities of the world.''

Distillery 209 faces a double challenge: inducing trendy martini-bar habitues, who have embraced vodka in recent years, to make their cocktails with gin instead, and convincing gin connoisseurs to buy its 209 brand, which will be more expensive than even some established imports.

San Francisco Chronicle article here.

Edited April 6, 2004 by beans (log)

[JAZ]

Sorry, I missed your post.

Great news for me, since I live but a short bus ride away. Although it doesn't seem that California is one of the test markets. Too bad.