Stephanie P.
Yelp
I happened upon Mischief's distillery while wandering around Fremont one afternoon (OK, I was going to Theo). I've seen their spirits for sale in local stores and was curious to check out their distillery -- and the tastings!
Their storefront is fairly small and doesn't have a big sign, so keep an eye out as you head down Canal. There's a big wall mural suggesting that Mischief is "just 1/2 block down," but it's further than that, so don't give up!
The small shop/tasting room is cozy, but it's full of fun stuff to look at -- not only various sizes of their spirits, but vintage barware, gift sets, candles, and other treats. I really liked the manly gift sets with Stanley flasks, booze, vintage shot glasses, and leather trays or boxes to hold it all. You can see the stills through the large windows in the gift shop. They offer tours, but since things were slow, the nice lady working that day opened up the door and let me peek inside and check out their gorgeous copper stills.
Tastings are $5 for four samples and they have a wide variety of spirits to choose from. I'm not that much of a whiskey fan, but I was curious about their sugarcane rum, vodka, and gin, and the gin actually ended up being my favorite -- it has an unusual floral/herbal blend of botanicals that's quite unique. I did try one of their whiskeys, and it was pretty good! You know, considering.
I can see why other reviewers mentioned slow service or feeling neglected. There was only one employee, and when I walked in, she was helping other customers and I was on my own until they left. This didn't bother me, but I could see that it would be weird to be left hanging in mid-tasting if the lone employee went to help other customers. However, the lone employee was friendly and chatty with me during the tasting and when she wasn't otherwise busy. I think you just have to manage your expectations or come by at less busy hours if you want their undivided attention.
I enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes peek at how it all gets made, and had fun tasting their various spirits! Even if you're not a big whiskey drinker, there's lots to see (and sip) at Mischief's distillery. Definitely worth a visit for gift shopping or stocking your bar.