Ventura Spirits Company

Four college friends founded this Ventura distillery in 2014, building a lineup of gin, brandy and liqueurs from foraged and local Central Coast ingredients, including Valencia oranges, prickly pear cactus, sage and Kernza, a perennial grain chosen to cut down on soil erosion. The tasting room runs drop-in tastings daily, no booking needed, alongside a longer, guided reserved tasting on weekends that runs about ninety minutes. Children and pets are allowed under supervision.