Napa Valley Distillery: Oxbow Tasting Salon & Bar Shop

Napa isn’t just for wine tasting anymore!!! The guys working here are so knowledgeable and made this tasting so fun! So fun in fact & so tasty that we became members. There isn’t a single tasting that wasn’t delicious! Go people!!! You won’t regret it! Check out the distillery as well & get a tour!

As a Bar club member, the bar boxes are super fun and let you mix fantastic cocktails. Good value for a great cocktail experience. Highly recommend NVD.

This place is so cool! Theodore did a great tasting for us. He’s super informative, laid back and friendly. We ended up joining the bar club and I’m so excited about it! It’s a great idea for a birthday or Christmas present if you have a guy/​gal in your life that likes unique, quality, delicious alcohol. Go try them out!
We went again; Paul will also knock your socks off. Enjoy

This is amazing!!! Paul is da bomb delicious spirits tastings! The best of the best

You know the story — went to Napa for wine tasting. Heard about this place and had to go. Well we had a great time with Olivia & Zack. The spirits were excellent and the staff very knowledgeable. I am telling you to go. In fact we are going to the distillery too. Do not miss.

LOVED this place! What a nice «hidden gem» in the middle of wine country. Shout out to Olivia, she was awesome! Very knowledgeable about the ingredients and how each spirit was prepared. We ended up taking two bottles home with us (Grand California and Lemon Limoncello) but were very tempted by the gin too… and I don’t even like gin, but this one was yummy! Highly recommend visiting and be sure you ask for Olivia, you’ll be glad you did!!!

My experiences at the Napa Valley Distillery have been exceptional! An incredible staff introducing and sharing an incredible product! I became a member during my first tasting and haven’t looked back since! I roll through every so often to share the tasting experience with friends and they too brag about it! Well worth the visit!

Zach did an amazing job teaching and entertaining! A great break to wine tasting. We got a bottle of Grand California. Cheers Zach!

Good booze. They have a tour de flight which includes a number of different spirits tasted and talked about. Learned a few things about some of my favorite liquors and got acquainted with some lesser known liqs.
Zach was our tour guide. Good presentation of the product and he was knowledgeable about the different spirits being served.

If you’ve ever or still continue to «stir or whip or sway» your cognac you need to go see Paul. The guy is classic! We did Booz yoga and downward drunk. Had a great time filled with laughs and a good variety of alcohol made for the most hipster of them all. Be back soon!

Great experience with Theodore today! I walked over here to buy a gift. I literally know nothing about this stuff. He didn’t make me feel like an idiot, explained it in a way I could understand, was thoughtful and engaging. Cannot wait to bring my husband down for a tasting! I joined their club so that won’t be a problem.

This place is a lot of fun. 30 minutes 6 tastings. Learned a lot about tasting. You don’t have to make a reservation, but it comes in handy if you have time restrictions. They have an amazing selection of bitters and other interesting things that you can self-​serve taste. I love the Fire Cider vinegar they sell. The turmeric vinegar is yummy too.

Wonderful time learning and tasting at the fabulous bar space above NVD’s plant. The crew was great and marvelously entertaining. I especially loved the Old Gin and Tonic. Coming home with their toasted oak bitters.

Came here with a Groupon deal. $ 25 for two tastings with a $ 10 credit. The attendant was very friendly and showed us the proper way to taste liquor (breathe in, swallow a sip immediately — then breathe out your mouth). This was definitely and interesting experience and we didn’t expect to purchase any liquor and ended up taking home 2 bottles! So excited to make some chill with my ancho chile liquor!!!

Awesome Awesome Awesome. My favorite tasting in Napa! Learned a ton and had a blast. I recommend signing up for the Bar Club!!!

Zhachhhhh was the greatest «spirit“ual leader of Napa Valley Distillery. Theodore (which is also my dog’s name) is also probably pretty cool but, unfortunately, we did not get to meet him. We throughly enjoyed the birthday cupcakes (which were not supplied by NVD) but they strongly encouraged the consumption of said cupcakes. Thank you Zhachhhhhhh for your hospitality and service. We shall visit again soon, perhaps to meet this elusive Theordore…

We loved Zach!!! So much fun and now we know how to taste spirits! We’ll be back! Thx, Zach!

zach caters to the common person as well as the experienced. I came here visiting from NJ and he immediately recognized the tastes we were looking for. apparently I’ve been drinking liquors wrong and now that I’ve been directed properly, my life will be enriched by the proper experience. thanks zach!

I have been here with some friends before and just love their variety of bitters. Their education of how to drink a cocktail, the differences of components in cocktails and just that overall education experience. I highly recommend them when you have tried all the wineries in the Valley and stop into the Oxbow for something different.

We happened up this place by accident, but left with a bottle of the Grand California! Great presentation, very knowledgable, and patient (the guy next to us was trying to be funny, and failed miserably, but kept interrupting with dumb jokes anyway). If you like gin, you will love this place. If you don’t like gin, but like spirits in general, again, you will love this place.
We paid for two tastings, but one went toward the cost of the bottle purchased. There is a club you can join, similar to a wine club, that comes with a lot of benefits — but we didn’t join (we just don’t drink enough gin to justify the cost).
We will likely go back with friends or out of town family visiting; it was a fun experience, and we learned a little something while we were at it.

3.5 stars
Not what I expected but it was a lot of fun!
My friends came across this via Groupon. It was about $ 15/​person. We had 6 small tastings and tried various infused vodkas and cocktails. We learned a few tips and tricks on the proper way to consume our drinks. I didn’t really care for the tastings but the staff was very entertaining and friendly which made this a fun experience.
Note: located inside a large building with other shops and eateries. If you’re not on time they will bump your spot.

Great barrel aged cocktails and Paul was great help with the tastings. Love the production design on the stand/​bottles/​glasses/​labels/​all of it. Wish I could buy them all and have these guys decorate my den while we’re at it.

Very friendly. Very knowledgable. It’s a small space to host a tasting but they really don’t let that distract from the process.
We left with a bottle of Old Hollywood Gin. You leave feeling like you need to throw a cocktail party.

Awesome guys. Really helpful AND knowledgable. Can’t wait to try my bitters sampler when I get back home. Cheers!

The guide to our tasting was very knowledgeable and knew what he was talking about. I’m not a big spirits drinking but he has converted me.
He answered all questions and taught me the proper way to take in all the flavors.
Might join the club!

I’ll definitely be back! Learned a lot and enjoyed some deliciousness at the same time. Shoutout to the guy from Oakland (don’t remember his name). :/

The wives sent my buddy and I out shopping for Christmas Eve and Christmas day dinner at the Oxbow. While dutifully getting all items on the list, we ran into the Napa Valley Distillery and thought, why not.
They offer a different assortment of spirits. Some of the offerings include: Brandy Manhattan Cocktail, Apple Brandy, Pear Brandy, Apricot Brandy, Cherry Brandy, Gin, Brandy Cordial and a others like an Ancho flavored liquor. They also have a ton of bitters, tonics, shrubs, syrups and books for you there as well.
Due to strict guidelines, we were only able to sample 6, so I had to choose wisely. I went with the Brandy Manhattan Cocktail, Cherry Brandy, Cherry Cordial, Apple Brandy, Pear Brandy and the Ancho liquor. All were tasty choices, though I found the Gin and Cherry Cordial to be my favorite. The Cherry Brandy would be a nice choice when making a few Ol’ Fashions.
The gentleman guiding us through the tasting was awesome. He gave us a great overview of the company, some of the things they have been doing and wanting to do, tasting guidelines as well as an in-​depth review of each spirit.
If you are looking for some quality spirits, definitely stop by the Oxbow and visit the gents working at the Napa Valley Distillery. This is a unique tasting experience if you like a wide assortment of spirits.

Very knowledgable about their selection, I didn’t realize there was a difference in how you sip vodka or brandy! Excellent service and great high end product, loved it!
Got some to take home and signed up for membership. The membership shipments arrive with a selection, ideas and recipes. It’s a must try

We had first stopped by this business when they were just getting set up, which was a few years back. We were up in Napa today picking up our Passionfruit Purée in another part of town, and thought we would walk around before heading home., So we headed to the Oxbow Market. We did not know what fun experienced would await us. We walked through the building (which is full of culinary related businesses) and I was reminded of this Distillery, and that, once up and running, it was going to offer a huge selection of bitters! This shop was amazing. Such a selection and variety of shrubs, bitters, and fine spirits. Many were available to taste, as well!
We got the pleasure of interacting with Zach, who usually works in their distillery. This is more of a tasting room, and retail sales. We learned so much today about spirits, and bitters/​shrubs, and techniques, not to mention many tips on how to make a wonderful cocktail. Zach was bright and smart, had a great sense of humor, and really made our day. We thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with him.
They have a club that one can join, and the whole concept is so innovative, as well as fun, that we joined on the spot. Lots of benefits to joining — the knowledge, the discounts, the unique and finely crafted products, etc. etc.
We can’t wait to share the experience with friends that we know will enjoy the same experience.
Highly recommend. Thanks for making it so special, Zach!

Read through the reviews and it sounded really interesting so we decided to book a tasting for New Year’s Day. We did it through their website a couple of weeks ago and received a confirmation email… But when we went there, surprise surprise it’s not open :-/
I guess it’s normal many places are closed on Jan 1^st, but would’ve been nice if they would not make that day bookable through their website!

Quite intrigued by the concept, I was very excited to find this local distillery on Groupon and bought a tasting for four valued at $ 49. In late November, I checked the availability for tastings via their website and booked a time slot on 1÷1÷16 at 5:30pm, which was confirmed automatically via e-​mail. To be on the safe side, I also contacted the distillery via their e-​mail address to let them know that we would be coming on New Year’s Day and redeeming a Groupon. While I never received a response from them, I figured everything would be fine since there were still several time slots for tastings on New Year’s Day available on their website.
On 1÷1÷16, we arrived at the Oxbow Public Market at 5:15pm, i.e. 15 minutes prior to our confirmed reservation. To our surprise and disappointment, we found the distillery had already closed! We tried calling them, but nobody picked up the phone. Waited until 5:35pm, but of course nobody came. While their website only states that they’re «open 7 days a week» from 9am-​7pm, it makes no mention of New Year’s Day.
Given that I made the booking ~5 weeks out and contacted them via e-​mail in advance, I would have at least expected a quick call or note letting us know that they cannot accommodate us on the day they had originally confirmed.
Extremely poor customer service and questionable business practices.

My friend and I just finished a tasting and it was amazing. Let me start with drinking yoga. I never knew there was a proper way to drink spirits. Consider my mind blown. My mind was left in shatters by the time I left. I’m not a gin person but their Hollywood gin was quite pleasant. Always associated brandy with terrible fruit cake… I bought two bottles. Your world will be turned upside down in a good way. Also the bartender was really knowledgeable, funny, and friendly. I highly recommend doing a tasting here (all 6 flights because why not).

OMG we have a new found love of good liquor served neat. He explained to us how swirling and shooting will make a quality liquor taste horrible. How breathing in a deep breath and slowly swallowing and slowly exhaling can make you taste all of the notes in the alcohol. Im sooo glad we decided to try this place out!!!

Note, this isn’t actually a distillery… it’s actually a little shop/​storefront in the Oxbow Market that serves tastings as well as sells spirits and mixins like bitters etc. I really liked the old-​fashioned feel of the place — lots of antique, dark wood furniture, like someone should be lounging in a chair smoking a cigar with glass of brandy in hand. The spirits were even housed in old world apothecary bottles that kept in theme.
The tasting was $ 15 for a flight of six ¼ ounce samples, and one of the tastings is waived if you buy a club membership or three bottles. The place looks pretty small, but apparently they have fit up to 40 people at a time for tastings.
Since this was my first time spirit tasting, I really appreciated that the barkeep explained to us how to properly sip drinks that are above 50 proof. He coined the technique «booze yoga».
What we tried:
Napa Valley clear brandy (AKA vodka) — Very smooth, maybe better than Belvedere, but I’d have to do a side-​by-​side.
Apple brandy — Great apple flavor without the sugar. I was afraid it would taste like cough syrup, but it was actually quite enjoyable. Would make a great cocktail addition.
Old Hollywood Ginn — Yes, it has two n’s and a blend of botanicals, which made it really unique. Usually I’m not a huge fan of gin, but this was not bad. I’d never heard of bathtub gin before, and it was an interesting style that wasn’t completely filtered.
MINT JULEP brandy — My favorite. It tasted like a mellow (adult) mint chocolate candy.
Grand California — Similar to Grand Marnier. Made me wanna make a crêpe suzette.
Brandy Cordial — Probably the most traditional brandy we tried.
Definitely drop by if you’re in the area! Plus, they are opening up a physical location nearby in the Fall, which I’m anxiously awaiting. This is also a great place to pick up some cocktail mixes as I’ve never seen this amber eyedropper bottles of bitters, simple syrups, and more~

I’ll be honest, I haven’t encountered a distillery tasting yet that I was adverse to.
Maybe it’s just the spirit (HA!) of the folks who tend to create crafty, small batch things OR the fact that I love sampling boozy concoctions that tend to alter my state in a happy happy, joy joy kind way.
But that said, some are better than others.
Napa Valley Distillery is the best of both the ‘show’ aspect and producing a quality product.
Located in the hip Oxbow Market, the shop is chock full of tinctures, bitters, potions, bar tools and oh yeah, spirits! They offer full or half flights ($ 15 for 6 or $ 10 for 3) and give incentives back if you decide to buy a bottle.
The staff are friendly, super knowledgeable with ZERO attitude that you can sometimes get from the mixology crowd. As part of the tasting they help educate you (again, in a non-​pretentious way) on the particulars of spirits, what not to do (like swirl), a few cool tricks and even offered us hand-​written recipes for some of the more unique spirits we have in our home bar. Prost!
The only downside is the pricing is a wee bit high for what you get, both tasting pours and bottles for purchase… so one star off for that.
Future plans call for a more proper tasting experience at an actual distilling facility (a la St. George) so something to look fwd to down the road.

The smoothest floral herbal gin I’ve ever tasted here. The one with the old film looking label. There is a great selection of locally crafted spirits, as well as the accoutrements, like bitters and certain salts. The employees are knowledgeable and friendly. Buy the tasting flight– it’s worth it. You get to sample and learn about some really tasty liquors.