Hangar 1
The bottle: Hangar 1 Fog Point Vodka, $134
The backstory: How do you bottle the essence of the San Francisco Bay Area in all its fog-swept charm? Well, if you’re the distillers at Hangar 1, a California-produced artisanal vodka, you make a vodka from that very fog. The brand employs a “fog-catching netting technology,” explains head distiller Caley Shoemaker. The mist is converted into fresh water, which is then combined with Napa Valley-sourced wine. Finally, the liquid is distilled and turned into this limited-edition spirit (just 5,000 bottles), which sells for about three to four times the price of regular Hangar 1 expressions.
As gimmicky as it may sound, fog-catching is an idea whose time may have come. It’s considered a possible way to combat drought and it’s been tested across the world. In any case, the Hangar 1 team hopes its latest release will raise awareness about water-conservation efforts. A 2016 edition of the Fog Point Vodka sold out in one week.
What we think about it: The vodka-made-from-fog thing is all well and good, but there’s a point when you have to wonder about taste. Fortunately, the Fog Point Vodka is not an empty suit of a spirit. There’s a beguiling sweetness to this vodka — we suspect that has something to do with the wine more than the fog — that gives it a very sippable quality. Hangar 1’s Shoemaker says you should pick up notes of vanilla and honeysuckle, but she does say the fog lends elements of salinity and minerality to the mix.
How to enjoy it: This is best had on ice, though we actually liked it neat as well. Or if you insist on a cocktail, try it in a martini, Shoemaker suggests.