Dry Diggings Distillery

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the distillery today. I have to say I really do not drink liquor because of the usual burn and cough syndrome that accompanies swallowing it. This was not the case with Dry Diggings. I sampled the vodka, botanica gin, and rye whiskey and was so impressed. The crisp clean taste of the vodka was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I also purchased some hand crafted bitters and flavored salts for much less than I would have expected to pay. I brought the vodka to a dinner party and my friend (a vodka connoisseur) said its his new favorite and also couldn’t believe how smooth it is! We can’t wait to get bottles for all of our friends and come through the tasting room again. Thank you Cris! I can tell you are very passionate about your craft.

I choose this EDH secret to surprise my husband for his birthday! He loved it! I booked a private tour and tasting with Chris and we had a wonderful time! There were 8 people in our party and I would suggest 8 – 12. But they can accommodate larger. We just had a lot of questions and wanted to try everything we possibly could! CA state law only allows 6 tastes so you want to make sure you try your top choices!
The tour and tasting are about 2 hours with questions. There are different tastings: all whiskey, mix of whites and everything in-​between.
I would definitely recommend this place for birthdays, bachelor parties and even a date night:) We will be back!

Wonderful tour and spirits. Chris is a wealth of knowledge and provided just the right amount of interesting background to accompany the tasting. I suggest a visit if you are in the area.

First the important part (at least from my perspective), we tasted 4 liquors done by dry diggings, diamond springs vodka, Bodie 5 dog white whiskey, Rubicon rye whiskey, and 31 N 50 bourbon. I was seriously impressed by all 4. I’m not a vodka fan because to me I normally prefer liquor with much more flavor that can stand on its own without needing to be mixed but the Diamond Springs seemed incredibly smooth but still had some very nice subtle flavors to it that I could enjoy. Whiskey is my drink of choice and I really enjoyed all 3. The Bodie is what I would have called an unaged whiskey, which is something I havent really tried before, but as explained by the owner by federal definition all whiskey must be aged in new oak barrels. However the definition apparently doesn’t specify how long it must be aged so Dry Diggings produced Bodie by putting it in barrels and then turning around and taking it right back out. The result is very different from what I normally expect from a whiskey with flavors that reminded me of some nice high end tequilas that I have tried. Rubicon is a 100% rye and is exactly what I want and expect from a rye. 31 N 50 easily competes with other high end bourbons. It is 122 proof, so there is an underlying heat but it is very nicely balanced with tons of flavors from the barrel and reminds me of my favorite bourbon, Bookers, which is also bottled at barrel proof. I cant wait to try them side by side to do a better comparison.
The biggest downside is that they cant sell bottles or even a full drink just the small tasters but this is due to state law so not something I can hold against them, though it sounds like they are heavily involved in lobbying to get this changed. They did direct me to a local liquor store just a couple minutes away that carried all their stuff.
Other downside is that it is a high end craft distillery with pricing to match so as good as everything is I cant afford to replace my everyday go-​to bourbon but for me it was definitely worthy of getting a bottle to break out on those occasions when I want something special.
Other stuff, we just happened to wander in while the owner was doing a tour with another group that had made reservations and joined up with their group. Owner definitely was knowledgeable and passionate about their processes and products and was happy to answer all our questions. Tasting room is nicely done in old west style which is kinda neat especially considering that the outside of the building is like every other industrial park building everywhere.

What a cool place! When you first drive up to the building, it looks like every other concrete tilt-​up in any other high-​tech business park in California. When you walk into the building, it also looks like any other set of professional offices in any other office building. But when you step through the door of suite 850, it’s like you have stepped back in time! You have got to see this place! The tasting room is straight out of the Gold Rush!
Once inside, you are greeted by one of the owners and given the option to just take in the place, get a tour of the distilling area they have out back and/​or to sample the spirits they make right there onsite. I’m a vodka fan, and their vodka is unbelievably smooth! (It won some kind of best vodka medal at some big crafty conference in Louisville earlier this year.) But if vodka isn’t your thing, they have three different kinds of whiskey and are working on a bunch of brandies that they will be bottling latter this year. (They also have other items for also, so if you are not into ‘hard alcohol’, you can check out the spices, sauces and other items they have available for purchase.)
If you are wine tasting in the area, or heading to Tahoe for the weekend, or just looking for something different to do this weekend, check this place out. It’s definitely something out of the ordinary! (They do recommend making reservations on their website.) Cheers!

This is a great stop if you’re interested in distilled spirits and the effort to make them in a craft environment locally. We stopped by for an hour and had a great discussion of local history and the effort to make their various offerings. The tasting room is very thoughtfully constructed and authentically represents the history of the county. All of their offerings were excellent but the vodka and aged whiskey were particularly outstanding. I’m going to be asking local bars and restaurants if they carry these spirits and support this local effort.
—I was able to track down a bottle of DDD Vodka for a taste test with 4 other highly regarded vodkas. Group unanimously selected DDD vodka as the best. Wow, I’m really proud of these guys as this was a test of really good stuff all in the $ 30-​$ 50 range.

This place is amazing! Not only is their liquor some of the best I’ve ever tasted, but their tasting room is unbelievable. If you’re looking to try something new I highly recommend Dry Diggings Distillery, you won’t be disappointed.

What a unique and fun place to visit! The tasting room is beautifully and rustically decorated. The local El Dorado county spirit shines through every detail throughout the room. The quaint atmosphere is very inviting and the spirits are STRONG! I liked the white whiskey and the vodka both. The owners are very friendly and informative. You can tell their hearts are really into the craft. I would recommend stopping in for a tasting.

Don’t bother. We paid $ 15 each to get a tour and tasting. The tour consisted of 5% of his time talking about his business and 95% of his time talking about the products he sells in the tasting room (soap, seasonings, soy sauce, old pics of Placerville), and the people that make the products. The tastings consisted of a small sample of vodka and an even smaller sample of their white whiskey. You can’t sample anything else and you can’t buy any of their alcohol. He spent way too much time talking about the special wall paper, wood, and tin roof they’ve decorated with, and very little time on their products or how the make their products. Complete waste of time and money.

If you would like to experience a world class tasting with friendly & knowledgeable staff, give Dry Diggings Distillery a try!
The tasting room has been exquisitely decorated to take you back in time while you sip on some of the finest alcohol to ever touch your lips. The smooth & delicate flavors are incredible and can be appreciated by all levels of vodka, bourbon & whisky fans alike. In addition to the obvious tastings, their small tasting fee of just $ 10 also includes your very own Dry Diggings Distillery shot glass and a bottle of water to cleanse your palette.
While visiting their local tasting room, you can purchase food related items such as seasonings & marinades, candles, soaps, t-​shirts/​sweatshirts, bitters & more! I encourage each of you to experience a Dry Diggings Distillery tasting at least once — I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!