Old World Spirits

I like gin, and generally have a gin and tonic on occasion. But the Rusty Blade gin is a nice sipping gin with some wonderful flavors from the cask it was stored in (yes, this is an unusual process). And their absinthe rocks too.
They have tastings on Fridays that you can go to if you schedule this in advance. It is a very cozy distillery (but what else would you expect in BELMONT). And if you taste a little too much there is a nice/​casual mexican restaurant across the street – before you hop in your car. How convenient.

We didn’t get to try this place even though we got there at the last Friday of the month of June right after it was scheduled to be opened according to the website. When we arrived at the place a little after 5:30pm, the place was closed. We called the place three times to talk to someone but no one picked up. We also checked the website before heading there to verify the days and times that they are open, and I even put it on my calendar weeks before so we wouldn’t forget. It was a bummer because we planned our whole day around this. We hope they would be more forthcoming of when they will be closed. Was really excited to check them out.

You’ve probably seen Blade Gin or Rusty Blade Gin around the Bay. These two gins (and more) are produced by Old World Spirits which operates out of a garage in an industrial park in Belmont.
Don’t judge just because it’s an industrial park, this place is a tight, efficient operation and makes great use of it’s space. It’s got a huge copper still that makes everything from gin to rye whiskey to brandies to absinthe.
On Friday nights you can get a tour and tasting for $ 15. Because of California law, spirits cannot be sold at the distillery, except wine/​grape based brandies.
The Blade gin is a citrusy gin with a lot of complexity but not much strong juniper flavor that turns most people off. The Rusty Blade is the same Blade gin that is aged in barrels which brings out more cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. It’s very much a winter spirit in my opinion. The pear eau de vie brandy really packs a punch with a lot of great pear flavor and though I’m not really a fan of eau de vies this one is a great one. Also, make sure you try the walnut liqueur, based on a Croatian family recipe, for something different. Finally, yes, absinthe, real absinthe, is now legal in the US and you can taste La Sorcière here. It’s a great traditional absinthe with a lot of anise flavor.
The distiller who gave us the tour and the tasting was really nice and knowledgable. It was a great experience and I encourage everyone to visit once.

Just made my second trip here and this place is awesome. I walked in about 7 pm on a Friday nite and was the only one in the place except for the distiller Todd who was just finishing up a batch of gin. Although within 10 minutes the place was packed. Funny thing was no one knew anyone else but in 10 minutes time we were all chatting like old friends. Some how this place just makes you meet and greet everyone around you.
The explanations of the process were spot on, not only for the still but also for the spirits. Tasted 7 different spirits plus the little «cocktail» at the end. $ 15 bucks for a flight and I have to say the pours are more than generous.
The décor leaves a little to be desired but hey you are in a warehouse what do you expect? Very limited seating so plan on doing a lean against the bar or just standing.
Will be coming back again and I want to try one of the «last» Friday of the month nites when I hear the crowds are a bit bigger.
Also I was glad I decided to come on Friday nite, as I was considering going Saturday afternoon instead as I was on the e-​mail list and received a e-​mail saying they were now open every Friday as well as Saturday. I came to find out that the Saturdays have been discontinued, so I would have missed out.

A Local Distillery up the road from our LoveNest? Awesome.
We love bringing our friends in to do tastings on the last Friday of each month! It’s $ 15 for a flight and you get a personalized group tour through each spirit.
If it weren’t for tasting 6 types of their 94 proof on avg spirits I’m sure I could tell you the names of the guys we had the pleasure of meeting! haha
We met the creator of all the fine spirits! He was very laid back and eager to tell us about the processes and flavors he added to his unique creations.
Blade Gin was my gateway into being a Gin Lover. I love Blade chilled with a touch of zest of lemon. Another interesting Gin we got to try is his new AGED Gin called Rusty Blade. It’s an amber color and tastes like Christmas in a glass! It most certainly warms you from the inside out. I had to shake my head pretty hard to get back to reality after that one.
The Absinthe is another wonderful and favored experience. If you’re nice they will even let you FAIRIE up your own glass. I love watching my Faeries clouding up the glass. Then that special touch of Lemon Zest again and I’m on Cloud 9. We bought a few bottles this time to give as festive Christmas gifts.
Our guests even surprised us with a bottle of Blade (SNEAKY THEY ARE!!) that night when we got back to our place. Apparently I had raved enough about it that they just knew it would make a great host gift as Thankyou for their stay with us over the Holiday weekend.
We love going here and will certainly return again over and over. I’ve never stopped in on a Saturday, but I just might have to check it out. Perhaps the VIP service I already feel like we get there when it’s crowded might just put the experience right over the top? Old World Spirits can enter my temple anytime…

In order for you to enjoy a tasting here, you need to enjoy straight liquor old school style. Seeing that I drink just about the peatiest Scotches out of Islay, this was no issue for me. For some of my friends, not so much :)
Tried the following:
–Pear Brandy
— 2 different Peach Brandies
–Blade Gin
–2 Absinthe
–Framboise liquor
–126 Proof Brandy
now the last two weren’t on the flight list but the owners were such nice guys that they started pulling stuff out of the reserves to entertain us. That is good hospitality. I suggest you patronize them on the service alone and it’s nice that they make some solid products to boot. The crowd was much rowdier than I had expected but then I realized that Devil’s Canyon event happened at the same time so I’m sure you’re getting some of that crowd too. Though I guess it was interesting and good people watching to see what is normally straight, b