Jason F.
Yelp
A family run distillery with a wide variety of locally produced spirits that resides in the heart of downtown Petaluma, Barber Lee Spirits gives new meaning to what's possible when entrepreneurship and modern day invention become one. Founded in 2017 by winemakers Lorraine and Michael Barber and entrepreneur Aaron Lee, Barber Lee Spirits is dedicated to the art of traditional distilling which in this time and age is a real rarity. They found their dream location in an old brick warehouse, right next to Barber Cellars tasting room which is owned by the Barbers, and opened to the public two years ago serving up amazing handcrafted cocktails and distilled spirits by the bottle ranging from malted rye to moonshine to apple brandy to bourbon to absinthe. I had previously come for a special event that was hosted at Barber Lee Spirits and they were such gracious hosts by taking us around their property with tours that showed off all of their incredible distilling machinery that they have on site that I promised myself that I would one day make a return visit to the Barber Lee Spirits and with a group of friends on a recent Saturday afternoon after our long current hibernation was lifted, the day came to finally do it.
Downtown Petaluma's riverfront was buzzing with excitement with people going out to walk around and now being allowed to dine outdoors, and Barber Lee Spirits was no different as their main tasting room was closed during the time that we went, but now they've opened their warehouse and distillery so that people can gather and drink around small tables. Mike Barber was there on the afternoon we got there, and when we first arrived there was one table filled and three others available and in mere minutes the two other tables were filled so we selected the last one remaining. The cocktail menu at Barber Lee Spirits remains robust, which is amazing considering Mike is the only one behind the bar so to speak. They group their cocktails in accordance to their spirits they make on site with cocktails made of absinthe, brandy, moonshine and rye. My eyes were drawn to the first grouping of cocktails, which featured absinthe, and The Drop, which featured their absinthe blanche, muddled sugar, orange liqueur and lemon juice. The perfect excuse to order their version of a Lemon Drop! My friends ordered their Moonrise cocktail from the Moonshine Cocktail section of their menu, which featured moonshine, orange juice, orange liqueur and branded cherry syrup; and their Barber Lee Toddy which featured rye whiskey, apple brandy butter, lemon juice and water.
Their menu even features a bites section and to pair with our meal we ordered a serving of their Russian Dumplings filled with pork and beef. As we patiently waited for our cocktails and dumplings it was really fun to people watch as the activity of East Washington Street really picked up. Once the cocktails did come we were able to sip and savor in their vast covered outdoor space which was warm enough thanks to the heat lamps that were closely nearby. I sipped and savored every drop of my Lemon Drop, as it crafted to perfection under the hands of Mike Barber, made even more special knowing that the absinthe was produced on-site. My friend is a Spirits Club member and with that membership we received half off our order and so she ordered an additional drink from their Brandy cocktail section of their menu, the Buttered Brandy featuring apple brandy, lemon and buttered brandy mix. All of our drinks paired nicely with a huge bowl of Russian Dumplings, which Mike told us were purchased from European Foods based out of Santa Rosa, steaming warm and tasty with each bite, I would go back for just that one dish along with another cocktail from their elaborate menu.
Places like Barber Lee Spirits need to be celebrated and visited as many times as one can possibly do. There are a lot of fun activities for one to do while in downtown Petaluma, with new beer gardens and outdoor dining options for one to partake in, but I would recommend anyone to make a visit to Barber Lee Spirits, if not just for a quick libation, which I did manage ti make a return visit a while later and their Ice, Ice, Brandy cocktail featuring apple brandy, orange liqueur, lemon juice and ginger beer was the perfect drink to sip out there in the warm sun. With other cocktails with names like Old Fashioned Apple Pie and Backwoods Zombie how can you go wrong? You can't and they have great personalized service and everything both inside of their tasting room and production facilities that is so fascinating to experience and discover. At Barber Lee Spirits, customers are always treated as if they are Club members even if they are one or not and that takes something special to pull off!