117° West Spirits
Our Story
117° West Spirits is a California craft distillery dedicated to the idea that California should have a whiskey and craft-spirit tradition all its own. Every spirit is made with 100% California-grown ingredients, from the grain to the water, distilled in-house on a custom copper still nicknamed Alexandria. The team draws heavily on a background in craft beer and brewing science, which shows up directly in the spirits: mash bills built around specialty malts like Vienna and German-style varieties, and even a whiskey vapor-infused with hops. The distillery operates a speakeasy tasting room in Vista, CA offering tours, classes, and private events alongside its bottled lineup.
The Founders
117° West Spirits is led by Head Distiller Justin McCabe, who brings nearly two decades of homebrewing experience and holds a doctorate in chemistry from UC San Diego. He has chosen to weave his brewing background and scientific training together to reinterpret traditional spirit recipes, which is why the portfolio leans so heavily on craft-beer techniques like specialty malts and hop infusion applied to whiskey, gin, and rum.
How We Make It
Production centers on a custom copper pot still the distillery calls Alexandria, used across fermentation, distillation, barrel aging, and cross-style experimentation with specialty malts. The distillery leans on California's coastal climate to accelerate barrel aging and develop flavor in a shorter time than traditional whiskey regions. All grain, agave, sugar cane, and grapes used across the lineup are sourced from California growers.
Details
- Location
- Vista, CA
- Website
- www.117westspirits.com
- @117westspirits
Gallery
Meet the Team
Justin McCabe
Head Distiller
Brings nearly two decades of homebrewing experience and holds a doctorate in chemistry from UC San Diego. Weaves a craft-beer and brewing-science background into the distillery's approach to mash bills and spirit recipes.
Our Spirits
16 expressions
117° West Spirits Bourbon
117° West Spirits Genever-Style Gin
Rye Malt Whiskey
Yolo Gold Whiskey
Single Malt
Rum
Spiced Rum
Barrel-Aged Rum
Wine Cask West Coast Whiskey
