Inside this 30-year-old Mountain View distillery

Meet the man carrying on his parents’ legacy – a craft microdistillery in Mountain View

Essential Spirits uses a handmade alambic still to create its distillates. Courtesy Essential Spirits Alamabic Distilleries.

I was recently shocked to learn there’s a distillery less than a mile from my apartment – and it’s been around since before I was born. In my 25 years of living in the Bay Area, somehow I had been oblivious to the fact that there’s a distillery in Mountain View. And after talking with other residents, it seems that Essential Spirits has been flying pretty under the radar.

A brief look into Embarcadero Media’s archives, and I found articles from 2000 and 2013 about the distillery. I figured it was about time to reconnect with the family behind the business to see what’s changed since the last article (after all, it’s been more than a decade and an entire pandemic!).

Located in a warehouse on South Whisman Road, Essential Spirits primarily focuses on contract distilling – which is why you may not have heard the name before. Ever tried Tahoe Blue Vodka? Essential Spirits developed the recipe.

Stay tasty,

Adrienne

How a 30-year-old Mountain View distillery is adapting to survive amid decreasing drinking

Essential Sprits Alambic Distilleries is looking to shift from contract production to cementing a presence at local bars and restaurants.

Pizza pop-up takes root in Millbrae, Michelin Guide ceremony results and a gastropub closure

*Spinning Dough’s ube pizza with ube-infused pizza dough, sliced potatoes, housemade pork sausage, sliced red onions, ube ricotta, scallions and bechamel ($27-$36). Courtesy Spinning Dough.*

Spinning Dough, an East Bay pop-up known for its ube pizza and other Asian fusion pies, has found a permanent home in Millbrae.
Michelin removed these six Peninsula restaurants from its California guide after last week’s ceremony.
Caught in Meta’s shifting business plans, Japanese eatery Dashi will end its 26-year run Friday.
Mixue, a Chinese chain specializing in soft serve and fruit tea, opened its first Bay Area location in Sunnyvale in the former Gong Cha space.
After more than a decade in downtown Sunnyvale, The Oxford Kitchen & Gastropub is permanently closing Thursday. A public notice for change of ownership application lists Posola as the new owner.
Alexander’s Steakhouse in Cupertino is temporarily closed for renovations and expected to reopen in late July.
La Pizza Spot, which opened earlier this year in Campbell, has announced its closure.
The 40th annual 4th of July Chili Cook Off and Summer Festival returns this weekend with chili tastings, food trucks, live entertainment and family-friendly activities.

Wine flights at La Nebbia Winery

La Nebbia Winery’s wine flights include three pours for $18. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

If you’re heading to the Coastside this summer, I’d recommend stopping by La Nebbia Winery on your way. La Nebbia is far from pretentious – it’s family-friendly, relaxing, spacious and casual. There’s plenty of covered outdoor tables and benches to enjoy wine and snacks – and you might even see horseback riders meander through the garden.

Wine flights are reasonably priced, with three generous pours for $18. I tried both the white flight (sparking wine, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay) and red flight (merlot, petite sirah and zinfandel), and the wines were excellent – the whites crisp and refreshing, the reds deep and complex.

La Nebbia Winery has plenty of covered outdoor tables for enjoying wine and snacks. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

And as much as the wine was incredible, the truffle goat cheese might have been my highlight ($10). It was perfection, and I would return to La Nebbia just for this cheese. I will, however, skip the baguette ($6) next time I visit, as it tasted more like sandwich bread with no crust and a relatively dry interior.

La Nebbia Winery, 12341 San Mateo Road, Half Moon Bay; 650-726-9463, Instagram: @lanebbiawine. Open Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with live music Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

Pizzeria Delfina owners Craig and Annie Stoll discuss their restaurant journeys and where the business plans to go from here

Try the $45 prix fixe spring menu at Pizzeria Delfina Burlingame and Palo Alto for Peninsula Restaurant Week

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