Hanson of Sonoma Distillery sits on Burndale Road in the heart of Sonoma County wine country, but don’t expect your typical vineyard experience. Founded by Brandon and Chris Hanson, two brothers who decided to pivot from their family’s organic vodka business into craft spirits, this operation opened its doors in 2013. The distillery occupies an industrial building that feels more like a working laboratory than a polished tasting room, which honestly makes sense given their scientific approach to distilling. The Hanson brothers didn’t stumble into distilling by accident. They’d already built a reputation with their organic vodka line before deciding to expand into whiskey and other spirits. Brandon handles much of the production side while Chris focuses on the business operations, and you can tell they’re still figuring things out as they go. Their philosophy centers around using organic ingredients whenever possible and treating distillation like the chemistry experiment it actually is rather than getting caught up in romantic notions about craft. When you visit, you’re stepping into their working distillery where production happens around your tour. The space isn’t huge, but it’s efficiently laid out with their custom copper still taking center stage. They’re producing vodka, gin, and whiskey in relatively small batches, focusing more on dialing in their recipes than scaling up for mass distribution. The whole operation feels like you’re visiting a startup that happens to make alcohol, which is refreshing if you’re tired of distilleries that take themselves too seriously.