USS Vodka
We recently spent an interesting day in Alameda, California with friends. Alameda, an island in the San Francisco Bay, was dominated by the Alameda Naval Air Station until 1997. It is now becoming a zone for light industry, but it still looks quite “base-y”. We started our day by touring the WWII aircraft carrier USS Hornet. I’m not a big fan of creations built for warfare, but what was achieved using only slide rules is indeed impressive.
We then went to the Hangar One vodka distillery, housed in an old aircraft hangar on the base. They “hand craft” vodka in large copper pots and have a tasting room with an incredible view out over the old runways (now closed as a wildlife refuge) to the bay and San Francisco beyond. We arrived just in time to taste the spirits and watch a hazy sunset.
Hangar One makes fruit flavored vodkas by infusing them with actual fruit (as opposed to flavorings, natural or otherwise).
My favorite is Buddha’s Hand; a lemony vodka with complex, delightful flavors in each sip. It’s made with a rather bizarre looking citrus fruit called “Buddha’s Hand”, which looks sort of like a bunch of carrots with lemon skin on them.
We finished our day with sushi then hot fudge sundaes: perfect!
Related Topics: Food, Landscapes, San Francisco
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March 5th, 2007 at 4:25 am
Very cool journal entry.
Congrats on getting in the big moleskinerie. Hopefully that will sell some of your artwork (if you sell any).
February 17th, 2007 at 7:58 am
what a totally cool day!! And to think a vodka company set up shop in an old airplane hanger…That’s too cool. I’m originally from the bay area, and didn’t know about this. hmm. need to put it on my itinerary! Oh yea, and great page!!
February 16th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
P.S. I forgot to mention that I liked the sketch at the top too of the ship and your comment about slide rules really amazed me. I forgot all about those curious pre-computer thingees.
February 16th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Wonderful sketch and interesting info about Alameda. My sister lives there and often goes to the old shipyard to a flea market there. The vodka sounds delicious. You really know how to live well–vodka and a hot fudge sunday, how fabulous!
February 16th, 2007 at 7:38 am
Ahh! Sounds like an incredibly fun day! 🙂 Nice sketch, too! I love the skyline in the background and the entire feel of the drawing.