Since we established our business in 2013, our family-owned distillery has flourished. We are proudly Certified Organic, and still family-owned. It’s a combination that brings the best out of our produce and our people, ensuring every sip of Hanson vodka or whiskey conveys the spirit of Sonoma County.

We use a unique hybrid setup of pot and column stills, custom made to produce a smooth, uniquely flavourful grape-based spirit. Our first distillation runs through a traditional copper pot still to retain flavors from the base ingredients. We then distill through a second copper pot still, similar to those you’d find in the Cognac region. This still has a reflux helmet which allows us to retain a velvety mouthfeel. Finally, we distill through our 50-plate copper column still. The distillate has to cool, heat, and vaporize between each of the 50 plates to become deliciously clean vodka with distinctive character and soft mouthfeel.

Hanson of Sonoma Distillery, California, USA

A blend of organic grapes is harvested in late August and early September to ensure the acid and sugar balance is perfect for distillation.

Hanson of Sonoma Distillery, California, USA

At our facility we have a crush pad and traditional wine bladder press. When processing grapes, the juice is pressed from the fruit then moves into fermentation tanks. 

Hanson of Sonoma Distillery, California, USA

The juice from crushed grapes is then fermented in stainless steel tanks to make wine. This ensures no other flavors or contaminants come in contact with the natural wine pre-distillation. Harnessing wisdom passed along from our neighbors, the Ceja family, a specialized yeast is used in fermentation. We never add sulfites to our wines, so they’re considered natural wines. Blending the best wines and ingredients help us make the best vodka.

Hanson of Sonoma Distillery, California, USA

We researched for a year and a half, experimenting with 155 batches to find the very best distillation and filtration methods for our vodkas. The result is a highly refined set-up that promises a beautifully clean spirit, without compromising on flavor.