Barber Lee Spirits

Brief overview of the distillery

Barber Lee Spirits is a small grain-to-glass distillery in a brick warehouse from 1910 in downtown Petaluma, Sonoma County. Founded by Aaron Lee together with Lorraine and Michael Barber in 2017, the house primarily makes rye and bourbon but also small batches of apple brandy, rum, absinthe and moonshine. The distillery is known for custom-built apparatus and careful, hand-operated distillation and invites guests to tastings, tours and cocktails in their barrel room.

History

In 2017, Aaron Lee and the married couple Lorraine and Michael Barber united their experiences and established Barber Lee Spirits in an old brick warehouse built in 1910 in downtown Petaluma. After building the distillery's equipment and setting up a tasting area, they opened to the public in 2019 with their flagship single malt rye as well as moonshine and absinthe for tastings. In the years that followed, they expanded the lineup with heirloom corn bourbon, apple brandy and rum. The distillery has received several national recognitions, including Double Gold awards and Best in Class titles at major spirit competitions.

Raw materials and production

Barber Lee operates as a true grain-to-glass house: they ferment, distill, age and bottle everything under one roof. The raw materials include malted rye and heirloom grains as well as raw sugar cane, organic herbs and fruits; emphasis is placed on non-GMO and organic ingredients. For products like their single malt rye, they have developed their own grain-in fermentation and distillation methods, because the mash is especially thick and challenging. The heart of the production apparatus is a specially built copper still called 'The Two Headed Monster', which combines an alembic head with a 4-column whiskey column for maximum copper contact. The whole process is done with manual control: every handle is turned, and every cut is tasted on site.

Maturation and barrel types

The whiskies and other spirits are aged in the distillery's own barrel room in the 1910 warehouse, so all maturation occurs on site. No specific barrel types or finishings are referenced in the available descriptions, but the distillery facilities house the traditional barrel conditions used for on-site aging.

Whiskies

The core of Barber Lee's production is whiskey, primarily rye and bourbon. In addition to their flagship single malt rye and a heirloom corn bourbon, they also produce apple brandy, rum, absinthe and moonshine in smaller series. The production is small-scale and craft-oriented, with each spirit fermented, distilled, matured and bottled on site.

Visit the distillery

Barber Lee Spirits is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday and offers guided tours, tastings and cocktails. Guests can book flights and choose from a full cocktail menu in the distillery's tasting area and barrel room. The official opening hours are Wednesday/Thursday, Friday/Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings, and the site serves both as a tasting room and shop for their spirits.

The stated opening hours are Wed/Thurs 3:00 PM–10:00 PM; Fri/Sat 3:00 PM–11:00 PM; Sun 3:00 PM–9:00 PM.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

The distillery's philosophy is built on traditional, artisanal methods and a grain-to-glass approach. Sustainability and respect for the raw materials are central: non-GMO and organic ingredients are used, production waste is recycled locally, and many processes are performed manually to ensure control and quality.

Sustainability

• Use of non-GMO and organic grains, herbs and fruits.

• Spent grains are given to local farmers as animal feed.

• Grape skins and herbs are composted.

• Reuse of scrap leather for bottle labels.

Prizes and recognitions

• Best in Class (Best in Class)

• Best in Class (Best in Class)