Los Angeles based Lost Spirits Distillery has been named the ‘World’s Best Distillery Tour’ for the second year running, in the 2019 Tourism Challenge by Drinks International London.
Taking visitors on a boat ride, through a jungle and on a floating carousel with dragons, it is maybe not surprising that the distillery is known to be referred to as the Willy Wonka of booze.
Promoting science, innovation and art since 2010 when the company first started distilling in Monterey County, they are renowned for making world class rum and single malt whiskies that have received an array of awards from USA, UK and International competitions.
It was in 2015, that the distillery moved to Silicon Valley. The company continued to advance their innovative techniques in fermentation, distilling and maturation that sees them using Californian malted barley, Hungarian oak and an interesting overall use of peat, whilst not forgetting traditional methods.
The distillery was not built by contractors, but instead by the five partners. Set in the jungle, the site is not open to the public and tours are by appointment or invitation only.
Bryan Davis, a partner of Lost Spirits said: “The space and products are all about imagination, something we could all use a little more of in our 21st century lives. It’s such an honor to see so many people come through and leave with a smile. It makes all of the hard-work worthwhile.”
Their tours are limited to 12 people, last between 90 minutes to 2 hours and offer a 4 to 6 course tasting. Tours run three days a week from Friday evening through until Sunday night with up to 28 tours daily.
Alongside the title of ‘World’s Best Distillery Tour’ by Drinks International, the Lost Spirits distillery experience has also received ‘America’s Best Distillery Experience’ from the American Distilling Institute and ‘World’s Best Distillery Experience’ from The Spirits Business UK.