Our Story
Make. Learn. Make Better. Repeat.
Much like our distillery, the word Sabbatical has its roots in agriculture. Originally signifying a year-long break from working the fields, its meaning has evolved over time but the sentiment remains: a break or change from the routine for rest, rejuvenation and new pursuits. Whether it’s a break for an hour, a day, a drink, or a year, we believe it’s always a good time for a Sabbatical.
Real farm roots
Sabbatical’s home is Victoria Island Farms, located on a unique 7,000 acre island in the Northern California Delta. Rich peat soil and abundant access to fresh water flowing from the Sierra Nevada Mountains make it an ideal location to grow the fresh California ingredients used in our spirits. Sabbatical builds on the foundation of hard work, quality and honesty developed through generations of responsible farming at Victoria Island Farms, family owned and operated since 1964. Sabbatical’s headquarters sit inside a building formerly used for California asparagus. Now converted to a modern craft distillery Sabbatical is carrying the torch forward with a new way of sharing the local agricultural bounty. We’re proud to bring the facility back to productive use and create new jobs on the island and for our community.
Each season we are planting new crops to be used in our spirits with the ultimate goal of 100% estate-grown ingredients. We currently grow the corn used to distill our whiskey products on the island and are planting barley to be added soon. Our gin and seasonal harvest spirits use Victoria Island blueberries, citrus and botanicals grown in our backyard. Formerly river bottom, the organic soil on Victoria Island is high in peat content and essential minerals so there is little need to manipulate the earth beyond routine crop rotations. The peaty soil and temperate climate provide an optimal canvas for growing a wide variety of crops and continued experimentation.
Team
Sabbatical was built on the belief that the interaction of diverse ideas and experiences create better and more interesting results. Our team blends decades of farming, distilling, engineering and brand experience with good old-fashioned work ethic for a one-of-a-kind distilling operation.
Sabbatical was founded by two college friends who had the crazy idea to leave their corporate jobs in New York to go start a craft distillery on a family farm on an island in California. The driving vision was to create a different kind of spirits company that encourages understanding of the full cycle from field to bottle while making premium drinks at an affordable price. We strive to create interesting, provenance oriented spirits in an environment that invites others to learn, grow and share the experience.
To bring the vision to reality and ensure a standard of the highest quality, we rounded out our team of experts with people we respected both for what they had accomplished at their own distilleries and for their shared belief that we can create a brand that stands for something more.
A sustainable community
Feature courtesy of The Press
Our unique location sits at the nexus of the urban and the rural, nestled between the tech capital of the world in San Francisco/Silicon Valley and the famed agricultural heartland of California’s Central Valley. We invite all sides to share the experience as we hope to promote collaboration and mutual understanding centered around hard work, quality craftsmanship and a fine drink with good friends new and old.
Our connection to Victoria Island Farms allows us to create uniquely local products and to present a richer experience when visiting the farm distillery. Sustainability is at the foundation of everything we do, from utilizing local ingredients as much as possible, installing solar panels and electric stills and finding creative uses for distillery byproducts to enrich the soil on the farm. Our ultimate goal is to create fully closed loop, zero waste operation and provide a model for others to think outside the box and look to the future.