Well Floyd and I finally took Wade Bowen up on his offer to tour his new location over on Mineral…read moreCourt. We sampled all his latest creations and got a real education on distilling spirits. I was impressed with both of his flavored vodkas and ended up taking some of them home along with his great whiskey. Thank you Wade for the time you spent with us. I am sure your business will continue to prosper and grow.

This is one of my favorite Distilleries in the SLO area and is right up there with one of the local…read moreCider producers. We visited awhile ago, since I did buy their Grappa & Brandy in a store in Orcutt. Ironically we always happen to pass by on the way to the local Strawberry Farm and never noticed it before. The owners are marvelous and the interior is quite nice. Over time, I have enjoyed their product, but since I bought several local distillery products over time, and now drink little, it is all lasting quite awhile. I think one of the owners is of Portuguese origin and the other is Russian. Their products are made from the skins of left over local grapes, which makes it interesting indeed. It is surely fun to visit here, especially for locals. It is very near Spoontrade so it is a good place to consider stopping in before a big meal or maybe after an early lunch.

This distillery became the highlight of our trip to the Central Coast. Its one-of-a-kind spirits…read moreand beautiful tasting room felt like a nostalgic journey to the Old World. Barrel-aged Grappa and Fig Brandy were my favorites, and I took home a bottle of Grappa. Everything is made from local produce, so each sip offers an entire bouquet of local grapes and botanicals. I was advised not to indulge too much, but I am not a drinker :)

Cutlers was such a fun experience. They've got a cute patio area that is decorated well and they've…read moregot a small menu of cocktails. I had the apple pie mood lifter it was perfect for a warm summer day. It tasted like apple pie! And my hubby got a Negroni, which was very good. We ended up also getting a shot of the cold brew liquor and ended up taking a bottle of that home. We will definitely be back!!

After a sweet drink, at a bar nearby, I was seeking something less sweet- thus we headed over to…read moreCutler's for a drink or two. This location is in the heart of the Funk Zone near the pier in Santa Barbara. When we approached the location, we saw that they were only offering drinks outside on the patio- as the temps were ok on Saturday in early September, we felt ok sitting on a small patio on lounge chairs with relaxing music in the background. The patio is in the back of Cutler's that can be entered around the corner (map on the front door of Cutler's shows the directions). The patio is next to other tasting room patios featuring wine and next door to Lark's restaurant. When we visited the tasting room at about 3pm in the afternoon, we were the only individuals there but started to fill up with other small groups. When a large group entered, the waitress said you will need a reservation as she was only wait staff there. Perhaps a sign is needed to notify people, that groups need reservations. The drinks were spot on- the drinks started at 14 dollars to about 16 dollars for cocktails. The tasting room also offers tastings of their products too. The tastings looked small. The cocktails were well poured. I was just disappointed to find out that I could not get a Bloody Mary on a Saturday- only Sundays- the Bloody Mary looked really good. If you are done with wine, and seeking something different, come relax on the patio here if your vibe is a low key environment with solid distillery cocktails.

We came here today right before they were closing and the staff working there were friendly,…read moreaccommodating and knowledgeable. I was pleasantly surprised that they had expanded their entrance since our first visit here years past. I recommend trying a flight of three of their distilled spirits for $12 in which you receive a discount of 15% off your purchase afterwards. Definitely worth stopping by when passing thru Ventura if you are interested in good spirits.

Another great time sampling the best spirits in Ventura County made even better by enjoying them…read morewith a friend :) This distillery is tucked away just enough that you feel in the know once you're there. A true hidden gem for both locals and visitors, and the perfect place to spend an hour or two. I've done their full tour before and learned so much about how much local produce comes through their doors to become the incredible spirits they're known for. Such a cool experience if you haven't done it yet. This time around, my friend and I popped into the tasting room to explore their seasonal liqueurs. On our list: * PERSIMMON LIQUEUR * APRICOT UMESHU * AGAVE LIQUEUR * GRAPEFRUIT CORDIAL I'm here to confirm these were ALL amazing! truly run, don't walk, to try these seasonal specials! I was so smitten I left with bottles of the apricot and grapefruit, but honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them. Hans was our teacher, mentor, and mixologist with the mostest. He crafted custom cocktails for both of us that blew our minds but still felt doable enough to recreate at home thanks to his tips. I went with a sweet apricot Collins, and my friend had a strawberry-forward old fashioned. 10/10 for both...easily some of the best cocktails we've had in a minute. Ventura Spirits really is your one-stop shop: tours, tastings, cocktails, and shopping all under one roof. If you have friends or family visiting, this is the adult activity to show off Ventura's best flavors and local produce. Huge thank you to Hans and the entire VS team for another wonderful day, learning and drinking, my two favorite things.

My new favorite distillery in California! I loved Cutler's. I wish it was closer to home…read more We got the flight and tasted the vodka, gin, whiskey, bourbon, apple pie liqueur, and cold brew liqueur. All sensational! I had to try the espresso martini afterwards as I've been on a kick for these lately. This did not disappoint! It wasn't overly sweet, just perfect. I also loved the second waitress/worker that came, Anna. She acknowledged us, and was nice to talk to. Thank you for making our experience better. The inside almost feels like a saloon, and in the evening they were getting ready for a live band, this was on a Saturday. Wish I could frequent here more often!

THIS PLACE IS AWESOME. We had a change in plans for lunch and my wife found this place on Yelp and…read morewe are so happy that she did because we truly enjoyed our lunch here the other day. We stopped by for lunch around 2pm on a Saturday and to our suprise this place was EMPTY. Our lovely Bartender/ server was incredible and extremely helpful! She was highly knowledgeable with their products and we truly enjoyed the service we recieved. We were reccomended the BBQ burger and that thing was AMAZING. It was a 1/2 lb burger so it was massive and very flavorful! We also got the onion rings instead of the fries and those were also amazing. Overall for the quality of the food and the service they are providing here is phenomenal. Please make sure to keep them in mind, you will not regret it. Till next time.

Wow! What a great spirit-tasting experience! Between the 7 of us tasters, we worked our way pretty…read moremuch across, through, and around the menu. We all enjoyed our tastings, but naturally, a few fan favorites leaned heavily toward the liqueurs. The apricot was sweet summer sunshine in a glass, the coffee the most delightfully rich wake up call, the quince a surprising cozy, fall-essence in a glass, and my personal fave, the Victus Amaro - a magical immediate transportive experience straight to Italy. Each tasting is $25 for 3, including a cocktail of your choice. Sarah, the owner, was a font of info as she shared how the magical process of distillation occurs to become the taster in hand and wonderful cocktail in your glass. It was wonderful to hear that fruit is grown and harvested on property. It's apparent to see how passionate and excited she was to share their creations with us. Really, each taste is a story, where we got the happily ever after ending in a glass. The outdoor area was relaxing, and we enjoyed our drinks chatting away surrounded by beautiful rolling hills. And, pigs! And goats! And veggies to toss their way! Thanks so much for such a truly delightful experience!

We stopped here and tried flights of their three spirits that included a cocktail. We chose…read moreflavors that ranged from Yuzu-infused, Bourbon, Strawberry, Expresso and other flavored spirits. We were pleasantly surprised by their complex yet refreshing spirits and appreciated that we were able to bring some snacks to pair with the alcohol. The gentleman who served us was very friendly and knowledgeable on the history of the distillery as well. A great first experience here.

If you're doing a food tour and you're walking through the city, you should definitely have some…read morehands sanitizer or have spots along the way, picked out to be regularly washing your hands. You also should refrain from touching people's plates and cups as you discuss and show them the food items. I understand it's a food tour, but especially when you don't have clean hands, it's highly unsanitary! It's also a good idea to not greet dogs and let them lick all over you ... your hands.... your arms AND your face while you're interacting with people who are eating food, bringing them food from the restaurant & leading a tour. It's a good idea to give people space after you give them the information about the tour and the food and the art and let them socialize with the people that they came with. We should not have experience the person who is giving the tour or learning how to give a tourist next to you constantly asking you questions about what you're eating, what you're trying, where you're from or other questions that are really irrelevant .. it is pretty annoying & doesn't allow you to enjoy the experience fully. It's not a good idea to take shortcuts, because it's easier for you as the tour guide. One of our group members ate meat. The other 2 are vegetarians, but to keep it simple or make it easier. She was repeatedly offered vegetarian options and not given the opportunity to try the meat options along the tour. This was frustrating as you were very clear when setting up the tour, what the food restrictions were, we reminded them again when we got to the beginning of the tour and also reminded along the tour. How often will we need to say it in order to get the full experience. Although the tour guide and her trainee were very nice & social, it is not likely not an experience we'll do again.

We had a fun day in Solvang with our guide Hannah. Although we were locals, it was great to find…read moresome new spots we had not visited before. Hannah was very friendly and accommodating to our requests. There was plenty of food to eat and a couple of adult beverages included. The photo tips were marginal, but we didn't care as we booked the tour for the fun of walking around town and tasting the delicious food. The highlight was Kim Jensen, owner of the Ingeborg's Danish Chocolates, giving us a wonderful tour of his factory and sharing lots of chocolate treats!

Jacob was professional, efficient, friendly. Everything you could ask for as he navigated shuttling…read moreguests at our party. The van was comfy and clean. I highly recommend this company!

By far the best tour company in town! Great day horseback riding and visiting the spectacular wine…read morecountry. If I could give them 6 starts I totally would :)