St. Augustine is a wonderful city in Northern Florida. It is rich with history that you can take tours to learn about. They have several ghost tours that are fun as well. There are several distilleries and a winery that you can visit for free tours and sample tastings. I have been to a few of them already and even wrote about them. During this weekend getaway I learned about a distillery that I never knew about.
City Gate Distillery was tucked away towards the end of the cobblestone streets of old historic St. Augustine.
You walk in and they check your ID right away to make sure everyone is legal. They had some tanks and work stations set up, but no one was working at them the day I visited, probably because they were so busy doing tastings.
The first station that was set up was their whiskeys. They offered three flavors.
- Smoked Maple Whiskey – This was a blend of maple and brown sugar; it is charred in an oak barrel that adds a touch of spice. When you first sip it, you can definitely taste the maple. As you finish it, there is a sweetness of butterscotch but for me if the host did not say this I would not have picked up on the butterscotch.
- Peanut Butter Whiskey – This was my favorite whiskey. The smell of roasted peanuts, butter, and coffee come together to offer a sweet and salty whiskey. I felt that there was a hint of chocolate that helped pull out the peanut butter flavor even more.
- Salted Carmel Whiskey – The aroma of vanilla, caramel, and sea salt was enhanced by the oak barrel. This had a quality about it that would make this a great dessert whiskey.
The second station introduced three different spirits.
- Sweet Tea Vodka – This was an amazing vodka that tasted just like true Southern sweet tea, just with a kick. I could see this being added to some lemonade and making a fantastic Arnold Palmer.
- Limoncello – I would never have expected to find this here. But considering we are in Florida and there is an abundance of citrus fruits, this drink is perfect. The zesty lemon shines through with both a sweet and sour taste. This would be great for sipping however, putting a splash of tonic or club soda to this for a little bubbles would take them limoncello to the next level.
- Coconut Rum – What an amazing tropical flavor with the combination of fresh coconut and vanilla. Just pouring it over ice will give the impression that you are drinking a pina colada.
The third station was all about moonshines.
- White Lightning – This is the classic clear moonshine that you will find all over Tennessee. It’s corn based and carries a kick.
After tasting it straight, they combined it with their homemade passion fruit sour mix. This helped breakdown the moonshine to something that was a little easier to drink. The passion fruit had a nice sweetness to it.
- Orange N’ Cream – This tastes just like the classic ice cream treat. The only difference is this was not creamy. They used authentic Florida oranges along with vanilla that helped create that creamy taste. This was my overall favorite spirit I tasted all day.
- Apple Pie – This is also a very traditional moonshine flavor. Combining fresh apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar to create that classic apple pie filling taste. By them adding a hint of graham cracker, they made this moonshine unique in the market place.
Also after tasting this straight, they added it to their Ancient City spice mix. This created a unique cocktail that made me feel like I was sitting by the fire at Thanksgiving.
The tasting experience was wonderful at City Gate. The staff is all very knowledgeable and able to answer all kinds of questions. They also have everything for sale there so you can enjoy every option at home. Make sure to check them out if you are visiting St. Augustine.
Enjoy!
T
