Ascendant Spirits is a trailblazer in its industry: Not only was it the first craft distillery to open its doors in Santa Barbara County, but it was also the first to legally manufacture liquor there since Prohibition.
However, just because the Prohibition era has passed doesn’t mean the company is without its share of frustrations with the government. Despite being cleared to charge for tastings this year, the distillery still can’t sell bottles of its products.
“The issue is with the legislators in Sacramento,” Ascendant’s master distiller Steve Gertman said. “We made some progress with being allowed to charge for tastings, but if we had included bottle sales it would have never seen the light of day.”
Though Ascendant employees value the relationships they has have with the distributors who stock the more than 200 locations carrying their spirits, it’s frustrating for them not to be able to sell their own products.
“Personally, it seems fundamentally un-American that I can make something that I can’t even sell,” Gertman said. “For it to get from me to the person enjoying it, [the spirits have] to go through two middlemen.”
From the use of locally grown and domestic ingredients, to the flag hanging from the distillery ceiling, to the concepts for the spirits themselves, being un-American is not an idea that Ascendant is familiar with.
On a recent afternoon, Anthony Cano, one of two assistant distillers, was working on one of the brand’s new offerings that will be available this summer: Semper Fi Moonshine, a patriotic 111-proof spirit that uses red, white, and blue corn.
“There’s really a lot more work that goes into making spirits than I think people necessarily appreciate or understand,” Cano said. “It’s really satisfying to be able to have something to show for my work, you know, which is the bottle of alcohol at the end of the day.”
For Cano, distillery maintenance and cleanliness is one of the more challenging aspects of the job and something that is taken very seriously.
“It’s really important to prevent both bacterial contamination and cross-contamination of products,” he said. “Hoses, fittings, gaskets, tanks, pumps … they all need to be cleaned, sterilized, and ready to go for the next day.”
All of the equipment at Ascendant is custom built to Gertman’s qualification, and so spotless it looks as if it’s never been used.
One such piece of equipment is a stainless steel cooker. Brett Beehler, the other assistant distiller, stood at the top rung of a ladder in front of the 750-gallon tank to start the distilling process by pouring enzymes into the tank and heating them along with water, minerals, and corn.
Visitors are given a free tour that includes a walk through of the distilling process and a look at the barrel storage area. Cano emphasizes that although the tasting room is only open three days a week, the staff is always willing to make special accommodations.
“Sometimes people from out of the area stop by in the middle of the week and don’t know that we’re not open,” he said. “In that case, we would open the door and make sure they get their tour.”
And though appointments are not necessary, a group can usually reserve a time when the tasting room is closed.
“Just call ahead, and we’ll set something up,” Cano said. “We can make it happen. Not a problem.”
On March 1, Ascendant celebrated one year of distilling with a special event at its tasting room. Local food trucks by Alfresco Picnic and Cowboy Flavor were on site for lunch and dinner, and country-punk band Devastating Karate provided live entertainment. To commemorate the start of the distillery’s second year, a tasting of the four currently available products normally offered at $10 were discounted to $2.
These include American Star Vodka, Caviar Lime Vodka, Breaker Bourbon Whisky, and Silver Lightning Moonshine. T-shirts, hats, dram glasses, and a specialty glass used for drinking spirits, were also for sale.
Ascendant is open for tours and tastings on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 7 p.m.
The immaculate new distillery is located at 37 Industrial Way, Suite 103, in Buellton.
For more information, a list of locations that carry Ascendant’s products, or to make an appointment for a tour, call the tasting room at 691-1000 or visit ascendantspirits.com.
Intern Dora Saltzman wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 3, 2014.