Schnaubelt Distillery
Unexpected Flavors Abound at Noyo Harbor’s New Watering Hole
By Holly Madrigal
The sun shines through the ocean mist as I find my way to the Schnaubelt Distillery in Noyo Harbor. Boats are moored unloading their catch; sea lions bark as they jockey for space in the docks. Because of a desire to maintain the working harbor, all businesses there must have a link to the sea. How then does a distillery meet that standard, you may ask? Well get ready to try ... smoked salmon-infused vodka. If you are not the brave sort suited to seafood-infused liquor, you could try a spirit imbued with local candy cap mushrooms with hints of sweet cinnamon and maple syrup. A menu of these vodkas, rums, and whiskeys will provide an array of interesting flavors to try.
John Schnaubelt’s sea legs go way back—his family has been fishing in the harbor since the 1920s. His mom’s people come from Portugal, and his dad’s moved to the area in the 1940s to work the fishing trade. The men traditionally did the fish-catching, while the women often were the ones to filet the fish into sellable parts. The Schnaubelts have worked as commercial fishermen, truck drivers, fish and chips sales, and even fish fertilizer sales. Over time they have purchased different properties around the harbor, formerly housing their fishery where Caito Fishery is now. The Schnaubelts’ business interests once resided in the space now occupied by Princess Seafood Market.
The eventually secured a dockside location and opened Sea Pal, a hole-in-the-wall fish and chips joint that serves up some of the most delicious crispy golden fish with a vast selection of Northern California beers. “My mom and dad traded a property for the spot where Sea Pal is now,” shares John. “My mom had a little smoked salmon shop for years. My dad was dealing with back issues and health challenges from a lifetime of fishing. My dad and I used to go to the bowling alley, back when we had one, and go bowling and get a burger. I have really fond memories of that. After the bowling alley closed I decided to make a go of the fish-n- chips place. I tried to recreate the taste of that burger, and that’s what we sell at Sea Pal.” The eatery has really taken off. The outdoor dining tables, large outdoor fire pit, and riverfront deck are regularly filled with visitors and locals alike.
At one point, John went to a bachelor party in Kentucky, where he and his friends had a great time. One of the key events was a tour of multiple distilleries. While tasting, John looked around and realized that much of the equipment looked similar to what he had worked with at home. He started to think that maybe he could weld up his own tanks and find equipment to distill his own spirits. He experimented and found that he had a knack for it.
The Schnaubelt Distillery now resides in an old icehouse on the inside corner of North Harbor Drive. John has outfitted the retro building with a refurbished bar and a reach-in fridge from the 1950s. A pinball machine fills one corner, and picnic tables are out front for patrons with tasting flights. “We don’t have a kitchen here, but if people want to order food from Sea Pal across the street, they can pay for it and have it brought over,“ he explains.
John wants to continue to push the boundaries of what they can distill on site. He has been working on an absinthe that he is excited about, explaining, “We are trying to incor- porate locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible, like the wild fennel, used in the absinthe, we found here along the Noyo River. We may also branch out to a Moonshine. We’re interested in making well drinks for Fort Bragg bars and distributorship more broadly around the area.” They are also thinking about producing a lavender gin, and they’ve begun canning their mixed drinks like the Seabreeze and the sophisticated Greyhound. These cans are a perfect size for a trip to the beach.
It is fun to taste the different types. Paige, who works the tasting room, brings over their whiskey. “This has a tequila nose and an unusual grain bill of 88% malted barley, 2% malted wheat, and 10% corn,” she describes. “We did 30 bottles of this and we’re still playing with the recipe. It has honey notes and an oat finish.” My palate found caramel flavors and an almost coffee taste. One taste of a whiskey-in- progress was 150 proof, and it stands up and slaps ya. “I like the flavors of that stronger one. It sort of has a butteryness to it. Some whiskeys feel like they strip the tastebuds off your tongue, but others have a way of coating it with flavor. That’s what I like in a whiskey,” adds John.
They infuse some of their drinks like huckleberry, adding the local fruit to their vodka, which uses a corn base, adding a residual sweetness. The ruby-hued drink is tart, and the locally-sourced huckleberries have a hint of citrus. The huckle- berry vodka mixed into Sprite creates a stunning sipper. Candy cap mushroom is also infused into their vodka, and it makes for a unique gift. The unusual smoked salmon-in- fused vodka was created because the zoning in the harbor requires a fishing connection. It is surprisingly savory and would be a perfect addition to a Bloody Mary or with a raw oyster plate.
John Schnaubelt is pushing the boundaries of distilling in his business by the sea. His stills fill a space comprised of a tower of round windows reaching up to the ceiling like a spaceship. The distilling process lets evaporation carry the condensed vapor higher and higher, increasing in alcoholic proof, until it reaches the top where it is piped into a condenser and then bottled.
Stop by the Schnaubelt Distillery—it is well worth it for a taste of some unique flavors. You may find yourself learning a whole lot about not just liquor, but also the history of the harbor and those who live and work there.
Schnaubelt Distillery
32425 N Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg
schnaubeltdistillery.com
Open Hours
Thu - Sat 12pm - 5pm, Sun 1pm - 5pm
Whiskey bottles photo courtesy of Schnaubelt Distillery. Other photos by Holly Madrigal.