Alley 6 Craft Distillery sits in an industrial space on Grove Street in Healdsburg, where Krystle and Jason Jorgensen launched their small-batch operation in 2016. The husband-and-wife team transformed a 2,500-square-foot warehouse into Sonoma County’s first whiskey distillery, focusing exclusively on American whiskey production using their custom-made copper pot still. Krystle handles the business side while Jason, who spent years perfecting his craft as a home distiller, manages production and developed their signature wheated bourbon recipe that uses local grains when possible. The Jorgensens started this venture after Jason’s longtime passion for distilling evolved from hobby to obsession, leading them to invest their savings into professional equipment and navigate California’s complex distilling regulations. They named the distillery after the narrow alley behind their former home where Jason first started experimenting with small-batch spirits. The operation remains deliberately small-scale, with Jason personally overseeing every step from mashing to bottling, producing roughly 200 cases annually across their whiskey lineup. Visitors enter a working distillery where the smell of fermenting grain fills the air and you can watch the actual production process during operating hours. The tasting room doubles as their production facility, so you’re literally standing next to the equipment that makes the whiskey you’re sampling. Jason often leads tastings himself, explaining his wheated bourbon approach and why he chose to focus solely on whiskey rather than the usual craft distillery mix of gin and vodka.