Cutler’s Artisan Spirits

When you need a break from wine tasting, you must check out Cutler’s.
I’m a vodka lady and I absolutely love theirs. It’s distilled seven times and oh soooo smooth. From the tasting room in the front, you can see into the actual distillery in the back with all of its stainless steel machines and contraptions. Fascinating.
Currently open for tastings Thursday-​Sunday however they plan on expanding their business hours in the near future.
Another positive is that, on Friday and Saturday, they are open later than the tasting rooms.
Ian (the owner) and Ron (his trusty assistant distiller) are both a joy and a wealth of knowledge. They also make an Apple Pie liqeuer, a Gin and a Bourbon, all of which are stellar.
You can do a tasting of all or just one or two.
For a special treat, check them out.

Great choices here and a good mix in the area. The gin is great and the apple pie booze is so good it’s dangerous. The whiskey is really good in the sense that it doesn’t make you cringe after taking a shot of it. Tasting was a great price but a bottle is more on the expensive side, but well worth it.

The address on the map is a brewery, and the phone number goes to a voicemail. Disappointing

Apple pie is the best thing that has ever been in my mouth. If you don’t have it inside of you, you are missing out.

Came here with some friends from out of town. The tasting area is very small. There were 4 of us and we filled up the entire room.
We sampled their vodka, gin, bourbon, and apple pie liquor. All were exceptional. I’m a big gin drinker and Hendrick’s is my #1; however, I was in love with their gin. It has a nice citrus flavor. It’s a shame they cannot sell their bottles at this location.
Overall, the experience was nice. I would definitely come back. They also have a great 2 for 1 Axxess deal.

I LOVED my experience here! But everyone’s right! The Apple Pie liquor was the BEST part! If you happen to be a Bourbon lover, 33 was very smooth! The only downside was that you can’t buy anything there :(

The establishment is very small and clean, you will notice a small counter as soon as you enter with a few bottles, that the very kind man behind the counter assists you in tasting. Next to the counter, you will see a glass that offers a view of their distillery, everything is very clean! For $ 10 you get to taste 5 liquors.
The ones that stood-​out to me were the vodka, from which you will appreciate the smoothness; and the Grandma’s apple pie whiskey… the sweet taste of freshly baked, cinnamony apples will have you craving more… the only thing I lament is the fact that you cannot purchase any of their bottles there due to a law that apparently states that distilleries have to place two middlemen between their product and the buyer??? (ie wholesaler and retail store). Anyway, I have made it a point to purchase one of their bottles as soon as I find a retailer that carries them. Enjoy!

Excellent quality product and a non pretentious but informative tasting experience. Exciting to find a corn based gin that the owner assured me was gluten free! My husband raved about the whiskey which is unfortunately sold out at this time (but still included in the tasting line up). He cannot sell directly through the tasting room but we were able to find the gin at Les Merchands around the corner. We will definitely purchase this product again in our home town (the owner said it is sold at Last Chance liquor store in Arroyo Grande).

Visited in early May. Had not only the bourbon, vodka and apple pie others have mentioned but also the gin. All four were perfect. There is something for everyone, and undoubtedly some will find something new to like. We had a group of men and women, and although the women unanimously favored the apple pie, they all loved the aroma and flavor of the gin, and none were gin drinkers. It’s just that good. Worth the trip and few bucks to try. Hoping locations that carry Cutler’s spread more to Orange County soon.

I love this distillery!!!
I think it is really cool that the owner, Ian, gives the tastings. He is so knowledgeable and friendly and for him, this is a family affair. He comes from a generation of distilling and even has his grandpa’s old moonshine set up in the front.
Their vodka, scotch and whiskey is all amazing and you can honestly taste the difference. It is like nothing I have ever drank before. I highly recommend the apple pie liquor because it is amazing and tastes like it was made with fresh apple pie! YUM!!!
Go here, stop in for a tasting, it is something fun and unique to do and this place is truly a gem in the funk zone! Cannot wait to come and bring friends! This is also a Santa Barbara Axxess deal, Buy one get one free tastings! $ 6.00 for two tastings and a few shots was well worth it! Thanks Ian, hope to see you soon!

What do you get when a third generation distiller and former chemist opens up his own distillery — amazing spirits! Novices will appreciate the spirit 101 you’ll receive during a tasting. The best part, to buy the spirits you’ve just tasted, all you have to do is walk around the corner to Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant,

What a nice addition to the Urban Wine trail! Very friendly person who truly educated us on how he makes his incredible products! Very passionate about what they do, just wish I could buy it direct!

Ever had REALLY good vodka? Or REALLY good bourbon? No matter what you answered, come by and try some!
It’s a one man shop, so Ian, the owner, will be the person serving your tasting and talking about the spirits with you. The only downside? You can’t buy the bottles onsite, but you can around the corner literally about 100′ away.
The hooch is top notch, and you’ll learn a ton about distilling and the history behind it. Bottles are about $ 35 each for quality that you’d pay upwards of $ 100 for a «premium brand».
DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE!

Of all the crummy things filling up this block, Cutler Spirits seems to be a passion project steeped in family heritage. We tasted three spirits: Vodka, apple pie moonshine, and bourbon. The bourbon has that corn grain-​silo flavor I associate with non-​oaked whiskeys. Very good! Priced in the $ 30-​$ 40 range and for sale off-​site these are great products.

I came here with a bunch of girls for a bachlorette activity. It was nice to try something different after a slew of wine tasting. We met the owner who was a doll and entertained the slightly tipsy bunch describing all the alcohol he had produced or imported to blend. Being a bunch of girls the apple pie vodka was popular, but I also enjoyed the really yummy smooth as silk vodka he is producing. It’s the anti-​gasoline vodka. Great place to visit if you’re in Santa Barbara.

Ian is the man! He knows what he is doing with his product. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a 4^th generation distiller. The vodka, Bourbon 33 and apple pie are nothing less than excellent. Check him out in the funk zone!

Ian is the best. Really down to earth guy who loves making whiskey (and other spirits). Great location and cool décor. The 33 Bourbon is really good. We went next door and bought bottle. The vodka is very smooth. Filtered like 7 times. The apple pie is dangerous as it tastes just like pie and would be addictive if I had a bottle. Can’t wait for the gin to come.

Free shots… who wouldn’t give this place 5 stars?! My boyfriend liked the whiskey a lot and I fell in love with their Apple Pie liqueur. You get 3 tastings (whiskey, vodka, liqueur) for free, but are encouraged to purchase a glass, t-​shirt, etc. The owner was very friendly and told us how each alcohol was made which was fun to learn about. I wish I had bought the Apple Pie liqueur but hopefully will be back one day to get it!

If you live in Santa Barbara and would like to improve your knowledge about spirits and impress the heck out of your friends, Cutler’s Artisan Spirits should be your first stop. Owner Ian Cutler is very committed to not only producing some of the highest-​quality alcohols to be found around these parts, but carrying on a great family tradition that dates back to his great-​great grandfather, Duke Cutler. You can see his great-grandpa’s moonshine still right in the tasting room!
After Prohibition ended, Duke opened a bar in Oakdale, Calif., and then a liquor store. Later, Ian’s grandfather, Bob Cutler helped expand the family business with an alcohol production operation. The Cutler’s brand made vodka, gin, and three kinds of whiskey, but it ceased production in the mid-​1980s. Now Ian, a longtime student of distilling and production practices who has traveled the world learning from master distillers and artisan spirit experts, is picking up the family legacy.
I was truly impressed not only by the quality of the three products I tasted, but with the time and attention to detail that Ian puts into his process. He has some innovative production methods and is willing to share much of his wealth of knowledge. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to purchase bottles of his products at the tasting room due to California’s restrictive regulatory environment, but you can find them in some of SB’s best bars, including Dargan’s and the Bourbon Room, and hopefully they will be available many more places soon.
A few notes about the products: I didn’t get the chance to try the vodka yet, so I can’t speak to that. But the Grandma Tommie’s Apple Pie Liqueur, which is based on Ian’s grandmother’s apple pie recipe, is truly amazing. Usually I avoid these types of alcohols because they are either too fruity or sugary or just taste weird. This one is amazing! I make a lot of apple pie and I wouldn’t hesitate to toss in a splash of this to kick the sauce up a notch. If you are into dessert wine, I would try this as an alternative. Serve it with some top quality vanilla ice cream and you’ve got the easiest gourmet dessert around for your next dinner party!
The 33 Straight Bourbon Whiskey is also super smooth and delicious. A lot of blended whiskeys end up with a harsh note on the finish. This one doesn’t have it at all. It’s a great combination of four barrels that Ian sourced from the Midwest. He’ll be happy to tell you all about the process and his future plans to make his own whiskeys from scratch (he’s already in progress).
In short, I was just thoroughly impressed with Cutler’s Artisan Spirits. It’s something unique and cool and new in Santa Barbara and you should definitely check it out!

Wow! Santa Barbara has it’s first Distillery! This place is located in the Funk Zone (of course) right next to Figueroa Mountain Brewery. I was surprised it was open when I went by yesterday and only had a moment to pop in. They are currently tasting a Vodka that has been through seven distillations, a very good Bourbon and an Apple Pie, basically a vodka with apple, vanilla bean and a subtle cinnamon.
Ian the owner and distiller is a great guy and fun to talk to! He comes from several generations of bootleggers and really know his stuff! His Grandfathers old still is sitting by the door as you walk in. Ian’s equipment looks a little more state-​of-​the-​art.
It is an interesting business in that he can not charge for his tastings. He is also not allowed to sell his liquor. He can sell you the glass that use to have your taste though so I would STRONGLY recommend that you do that! If you like his booze there are places to buy it and bars that serve it locally. Please support this new Santa Barbara business by asking for it!