Jörg Rupf founded St. George in 1982 — often called America’s original modern artisan distillery — starting with eaux-de-vie before whiskey and gin made the brand famous. Still independent in Alameda under Lance Winters and Dave Smith, the house brings European fruit-distilling craft to American whiskey: pot stills, inventive finishes (Baller’s umeshu), and a hangar tasting room culture.