Charbay
Our Story
Charbay was founded in 1983 in Ukiah, California as Domaine Karakash, becoming the 177th licensed distillery in America. The Karakasevic family traces its distilling heritage back 13 generations to 1751, when the House of Karakasevic was honored by the Austrian-Hungarian imperial court of Empress Maria Theresa for its wines and brandies. In 1987 the winery was renamed Charbay, a name combining Chardonnay and Brandy after the family's first Dessert Chardonnay. Still independent and family-owned, Charbay is committed to old-world European distilling knowledge paired with American creativity, producing whiskey, vodka, brandy, rum, and liqueurs without cutting corners on time.
The Founders
Charbay was founded by Milorad (Miles) Karakasevic, who immigrated to North America in 1962 after earning degrees in Enology and Viticulture from the University of Belgrade. Miles designed the first American-made Alambic Charentais pot still in 1993 and was named America's first Grand Master Distiller in 2010. His son Marko, the family's 13th generation distiller, joined in 1995 and has been Master Distiller since 2009. Marko revolutionized flavored vodka in 1998 with the first U.S. vodka made from 100% real fruit and later pioneered whiskey distilled from fully brewed beer.
How We Make It
Charbay distills in a handmade 660-gallon copper Alambic Charentais pot still built by the Prulho family in France. Each batch is run twice: the first distillation builds the body, and the second selectively captures the best part of the run. Master Distiller Marko Karakasevic manually switches between heads, hearts, and tails by taste and smell rather than automated cuts, a process that can take multiple days of continuous attention per batch.
Details
- Location
- Ukiah, CA
- Founded
- 1983
- Website
- charbay.com/
- @charbaydistillery
Gallery
Meet the Team
Marko Karakasevic
Master Distiller & Co-Owner
13th-generation distiller trained under a European apprenticeship model by his father, Miles. In 1998 he made the first U.S. vodka from 100% real fruit, and later pioneered whiskey distilled from fully brewed beer. Named…
Miles Karakasevic
Founder & Grand Master Distiller
Immigrated to North America in 1962 with degrees in Enology and Viticulture from the University of Belgrade. Designed the first American-made Alambic Charentais pot still in 1993 and was named America's first Grand Maste…
Jenni Karakasevic
Family / Recipe Development
Credited on the Charbay site as a recipe creator and co-founder of the Stand For Kindness nonprofit; pictured alongside Marko in Charbay's own distillery coverage.
Cocktails
8 recipes4th of July Sangria
Made with
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Charbay Blood Orange Mandarin Vodka
- 1 bottle dry white wine (or dry red wine)
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup simple syrup
- 1 cup mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
- blood orange slices
- star fruit cutouts (optional)
- ice
Directions
Combine vodka, wine, orange juice, and simple syrup in a large pitcher. Add berries and blood orange slices and stir gently. Chill at least 2 hours to blend flavors, then serve over ice and garnish with star fruit cutouts. Cred. Jenni Karakasevic.
Bananatini
Made with
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 oz Charbay Espresso Cocktail
- 1 oz Jackson Morgan Banana Pudding Cream
Directions
Shake together well in a cocktail shaker, then strain into a martini glass and garnish with a banana slice. Cred. Robin Denny.
Blackberry Walnut Whiskey Sour
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 blackberries
- 3/4 oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1/2 oz Charbay Nostalgie Black Walnut Liqueur
- 1 1/2 oz whiskey
Directions
Muddle the blackberries in a shaker with the lemon juice. Add the walnut liqueur, simple syrup, whiskey, and ice, then shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into a glass and garnish with fresh blackberries. Cred. @mixitupwithmary.
Our Spirits
13 expressions
Charbay Espresso Martini Can
Charbay Espresso Cocktail
Charbay Nostalgie Black Walnut Liqueur
Charbay Double Aged Rum
Charbay Brandy No. 89
Charbay Brandy No. 83
Charbay Blood Orange Mandarin Vodka
Charbay Green Tea Vodka
Charbay Meyer Lemon Vodka
