Our Process
Ambix Spirits is an apple brandy distillery in the heart of wine country. We are passionate about apples, brandy, old world techniques and new world innovation.
Our process starts with heirloom apples, French Alembic distillation processes, and French Limousin oak barrels ranging from 225 to 400 L; however, we are constantly taking data and playing with new apple varieties, tweaking process parameters, and choosing distinctive barrels. This speculative work is done to create unique flavors to give a richness of options in blending of barrels to produce the final products.
We never use any coloring or flavoring agents and prefer work with a broad palette of fruit, technique, and barrels to create a unique sense of place and time.
The Apples & Orchard
It all starts in the orchard. Our small orchard boasts over 200 cultivars of cider apples from Airlie to Yates and is located just north of Sebastopol with Goldridge sandy loam soil, warm days and cool foggy nights. These fertile grounds are a fruit tree’s paradise. Overlooking the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the area has a long history of cultivation; originally by the ancestors of the Southern Pomo people, then by settlers in the 1850s who planted hops, plums, and apples.
The Distillery & Aging
The heart of our operation is an Alambic Charentais made in Cognac and traditionally used in Cognac and Calvados production. Our naturally cool and humid environment combined with well insulated walls and nighttime ventilation makes for an ideal aging cave where we age our brandy in French oak and allow the fruit flavors to slowly emerge.
Tradition & Innovation
Brandy production is an act of precision, trust, faith, and patience. From the day a tree is planted, it will take years to reach its first harvest. The juice undergoes a slow fermentation and distillation yielding a spirit which is then laid to rest many years longer. Each step we take takes years to reflect in the product.