Distilleries

Vallejo, CA · Est. 2014

Redwood Empire Whiskey

California whiskey named for redwood trees, from sourced blends to its own Bottled-in-Bond and Small Lot releases

Owned
Corporate-owned
Scale
Mid
Still
Hybrid
Founded
2014

Derek Benham founded the Redwood Empire brand in 2014 under Purple Brands and broke ground on a distillery in Graton in 2015 with master distiller Jeff Duckhorn. Early releases blended selected Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana whiskey with young California distillate. As its own whiskey matured, the house kept more of it for Bottled-in-Bond releases such as Grizzly Beast and Rocket Top and for Small Lot releases, while Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant and Lost Monarch remain blends of sourced whiskey. Master blender Lauren Patz leads blending. Production moved to Mare Island in Vallejo after Purple Brands bought the Savage & Cooke distillery in a deal announced in December 2024. Every bottle funds tree planting, and each label is named for a redwood.

Owned by Purple Brands.

Visit

The Mare Island whiskey bar serves flights and cocktails. Distillery tours are booked online.

1095 Nimitz Ave, Vallejo, CA 94592

DirectionsWebsite

15 bottles