117º West Spirits
Overview of the distillery
117º West Spirits in Vista is a small craft distillery and speakeasy with a clear Californian identity: everything from grains to botanicals comes from the state, and production centers around a specially built copper pot still named Alexandria. The distillery combines an academic background in chemistry with homebrewing traditions, and offers bottles, tastings, and cocktail experiences in its tasting room.
History
The story begins when Justin McCabe, with roots in homebrewing and a background in chemistry, chose to take craft distillation from hobby to profession. In 2016 he opened 117° West in Vista, after California law made it possible to sell spirits directly from tasting rooms. Since then the distillery has built a small-batch production with a focus on local ingredients and malt-centered mash bills. A central element of the development has been the specially designed copper pot still, Alexandria, configured for flexible, character-driven distillation. Parallel to the distillery, a speakeasy and tasting room has become a base for the local community, where cocktail classes, private events and new releases are presented.
Raw materials and production
The production approach at 117º West combines brewing craft and laboratory discipline. The core is a mash-to-glass focus with malt as the primary ingredient: two-row barley, malted rye, Vienna– and other specialty malted grains are used in mash bills. The distillation is carried out on a custom copper pot still, where on-steam distillation is used to achieve softer, purer new-make by avoiding 'scorching'. The column (Gatling-type) creates reflux and efficient alcohol extraction, which is practical for small-batch sizes. The distillery's flexibility makes it possible to produce everything from fruity rums and citrusy gins to high-rye bourbons and malt-forward single malts. The raw materials are sourced directly from local farmers and maltsters, including Admiral Maltings in Alameda.
Aging and cask types
Aging takes place in California, where the coastal climate and significant temperature swings are expected to accelerate barrel effects compared with cooler regions. The distillery works with classic casks and experimental finishes; the webshop shows variants with wine and port finishes, and the description highlights that the climate encourages development of caramel, fruit, and spicy notes in the barrels. There is a focus on actively using the aging conditions to shape the whiskeys in a West Coast context.
Whiskeys
The range covers whiskey types (Single Malt, Yolo Gold Wheat Malt, Rye Malt, West Coast Whiskey, and Bourbon), as well as rum, gin, and agave spirits. Several of the whiskeys are marketed as Californian both in raw materials and production process; Single Malt and Yolo Gold are highlighted as produced from 100% Californian malted grain, while Rye Malt and West Coast Whiskey use over 90% Californian grain. The range also includes special or limited editions with wine- and port-finish.
| Whiskey | Type / Series | Cask and Style | Flavor Profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Malt | Single Malt | Single Malt produced from 100% Californian malted grain; a core focus of the distillery on malt and the 'mash-to-glass' method. | Current; Core range; Available | |
| Yolo Gold Whiskey | Wheat Malt Whiskey | Yolo Gold Wheat Malt Whiskey highlighted as produced from 100% Californian malted grain. | Current; Core range; Available | |
| Rye Malt Whiskey | Rye Malt | Rye Malt Whiskey, where the distillery uses malted rye and over 90% Californian grain in mash bills. | Current; Core range; Available | |
| West Coast Whiskey | Blended/Style (West Coast) | Wine cask finish and Port cask finish; finish: Wine cask finish available as a variant and Port cask finish available as a variant | West Coast Whiskey offered in variants with wine- and port-finish; mash bills draw on high-rye and Californian grains for a West Coast-inspired profile. | Current; Core range; Available |
| 117º West Spirits Bourbon | Bourbon | Bourbon in the distillery's lineup, produced with Californian grain and aged in California's climate. | Current; Core range; Available | |
| Cherya Whiskey – Limited Release | Limited Release | Limited release noted in the webshop; listed as 'Sold Out' in the shop’s listing. | Limited; Sold Out |
The style and flavor profile of the whiskeys
Across the material, three recurring flavor directions appear: the malt sweetness and roundness from malt-centered mash bills; fruity, citrusy notes especially in spirits like rum and in some whiskey releases; and spicy notes from high-rye mash bills and from barrel aging (including wine/port finishes). Caramel and fruit notes are also mentioned as typical results of aging in California's climate.
Visit the distillery
The distillery's speakeasy and tasting room in Vista is open Thursday to Saturday (Thu and Fri 16:00–21:00, Sat 15:00–21:00) and closed Sunday to Wednesday. Visitors can come for cocktails and tastings, participate in cocktail classes, book guided tours, or arrange private events. Tours, classes, and private events require reservations through the distillery; the tasting room also functions as a bar with fixed opening hours.
The stated opening hours are Thu: 16:00–21:00, Fri: 16:00–21:00, Sat: 15:00–21:00; Sun–Wed: closed.
Philosophy and craft
117º West operates with a philosophy of local rootedness and transparency: all grains and botanicals must be Californian, relationships with local farmers and maltsters are direct, and production is kept small-batch and transparent. The distillery prioritizes sustainable, region-focused practices and a malt-centered expression in its mash bills.
Latest news
California Whiskey – 2023-08-07
Article about what can define 'California Whiskey' and the distillery's criteria: >90% Californian grain, grain-to-glass production in California, and aging in the state. The text mentions the use of Admiral Maltings and the ambition to capture California's terroir in the bottle.