Farm-to-Table Distillery and Restaurant Opening in Oceanside

A new distillery and restaurant that with farm-to-table and grain-to-glass sensibilities for its food and drink is coming to Oceanside this spring. Pacific Coast Spirits’ proprietor and head distiller Nicholas Hammond, who previously spent a decade working in the wine industry in Northern California, says his search for a venue took him all over North County before landing on South Coast Highway in Oceanside, where two-thirds of the 12,000-square-foot space will be dedicated to the distillery’s production and barrel housing.

Pacific Coast will offer a large variety of small batch spirits, including gin varietals that range from a California Gin with citrus, coriander, and lavender notes to a Seaside Gin flavored with seaweed, Mexican sage, grains of paradise, coriander, and cardamom. Aged for three years in barrels that are also available for purchase are an American Single Malt and a California Bourbon made exclusively from California-grown corn and barley; the distillery is working directly with farmers in the state to grow organic heirloom corn.

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Various brandies will be featured, including styles modeled after classic pisco and cognac, and other spirits, some which will only be released in the tasting room, will range from four types of organic blue agave spirit to two kinds of vodka, white rum, and amaro.

The focus on local agriculture will continue through its family-friendly restaurant and cocktail bar. Leading the kitchen is executive chef Nick Schaller, whose menu of shareable plates will include a sampler of housemade bacon, local fish ceviche, and fried chicken with corn bread waffles that features its spent grain and chickens sourced from PastureBird in Murrieta.