The Spirit Guild
Our Story
The Spirit Guild is dedicated to celebrating the fruits and flavors of California through the traditional art of distillation. Its tasting room and distillery sit in Los Angeles' Arts District, on a site where the state's first commercial vineyards and orange groves once thrived, just blocks from the Los Angeles River. Both flagship spirits, Star Keeper Gin and Vapid Vodka, are distilled entirely from clementine citrus grown in California's Central Valley rather than the neutral grain base most gins and vodkas start from, which is also what makes both bottlings grain-free and gluten-free. The company's manifesto: create magical communal experience, redefine traditional distillation methods, and share the innovative spirit and natural abundance of California.
The Founders
Founder Miller Duvall was born and raised in agriculture; his family has farmed in California for six generations. Working as a bartender in San Francisco, he noticed that despite the dozens of bottles behind the bar, none of them were truly Californian. He set out to build a line of spirits made entirely from California produce, capturing the flavors of the orchards and fields he grew up around. Over several growing seasons he fermented and distilled whatever was available to him, often with the generous support of neighboring farmers, and The Spirit Guild was born.
How We Make It
Head Distiller Andrew Lardy grew up around brandy and home cooking before a detour into neuropsychology research. "I wanted to taste my research," he explains, "and I was far better at bootlegging hard cider." He graduated from Fresno State's Viticulture and Enology program in 2013 and spent four years making wine from Santa Barbara to Paso Robles, co-founding Wonderwerk House of Fermentation in 2017. That fall he moved to Los Angeles to apprentice under founding distiller Morgan McLachlan, and became Head Distiller in 2019. He is an avid cook, a die-hard hockey fan, and a champion of the distillery's mantra, "All is Possible!"
Details
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
- Founded
- 2012
- Website
- thespiritguild.com
- @thespiritguild
Gallery
Meet the Team
Miller Duvall
Founder
A sixth-generation California farmer who, while bartending in San Francisco, noticed that nothing behind the bar was actually Californian. He set out to fix that himself, fermenting and distilling whatever local growers…
Andrew Lardy
Head Distiller
Traded a path in neuropsychology research for winemaking and distilling. A Fresno State Viticulture and Enology graduate, he made wine from Santa Barbara to Paso Robles, co-founded Wonderwerk House of Fermentation, then…
Robin Chopra
Ambassador / Development Director
A lifelong craft cocktail devotee who ran underground punk-rock supper club Whim Kitchen before opening the acclaimed bar and restaurant Corazon y Miel, earning spots on Jonathan Gold's 101 list and Esquire's Best Bars i…
Cocktails
6 recipesFifty-Fifty
Made with
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Star Keeper Gin
- 1 ounce dry vermouth
- 1 dash orange bitters (Regan's)
- 1 strip of lemon zest
Directions
Chill a cocktail goblet, coupe, or small martini glass. Fill a mixing glass with ice, add the gin, vermouth, and bitters. Stir and strain into the chilled vessel. Express the lemon peel over the drink and place it on the rim of the glass. Serve immediately.
Gin + Tonic
Made with
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Star Keeper Gin
- 4 ounces Fever Tree tonic water (or 2/3 ounce John's Premium Tonic syrup plus 3 1/3 ounces Fever Tree soda water)
- 1 lime wedge (or 1/2 a key lime)
Directions
Chill a cooler tumbler or double old-fashioned glass. Fill with ice and build the drink in the glass; if using the syrup, mix it with the gin before adding the soda. Score the lime wedge and place it on the rim of the glass. Serve immediately.
Moscow Mule
Made with
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Vapid Vodka
- 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
- 4-6 ounces spicy ginger beer (Q or Fever Tree), chilled
- 3 sprigs mint
Directions
Fill a copper mug with cracked ice and build the drink in the mug. Draw the mint into a bouquet and press it between your palms to release the oils. Garnish with a lime wedge and the mint bouquet. Serve immediately.