Oceanside Distillers sits in an industrial park on Industry Street, about five miles inland from the Pacific Coast. Founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife team Brandon and Melissa Tonner, this California craft distillery emerged from Brandon’s background in brewing and their shared passion for small-batch spirits. The operation runs out of a 3,000-square-foot facility that houses their custom copper still alongside fermentation tanks and a tasting room that feels more like a neighborhood bar than a tourist destination. They focus primarily on whiskey and bourbon, though they’ve expanded into gin and vodka to keep the lights on while their aged spirits mature. The Tonners didn’t take the typical route into distilling. Brandon spent years as a homebrewer before making the leap to commercial brewing, then eventually convinced Melissa they should try their hand at distilling. They started with a 250-gallon copper pot still and have slowly built their inventory while learning the nuances of aging spirits in Southern California’s warm climate. The facility doubles as both production space and tasting room, so you’ll often see them working while visitors sample their spirits. It’s the kind of operation where the founders are still hands-on with every batch. What you get here is an authentic look at craft distilling without the polish of larger operations. The tasting room has a casual vibe with concrete floors and exposed beams, and Brandon or Melissa will likely be the one pouring your samples. They’re building their aged whiskey program slowly, focusing on quality over quantity while supplementing with unaged spirits and gin. It’s not going to wow you with fancy tour experiences, but you’ll leave understanding how small distilleries actually work and probably having had some good conversations about the distilling process.