A beautifully crafted cocktail is the perfect addition to any situation, whether that be unwinding from the stress of daily life or celebrating a special occasion. They’re also a great way to creatively communicate a story, pulling on different flavors and ingredients to deliciously encapsulate a place, time, or experience. There’s a good reason so many couples choose to create signature cocktails for their wedding guests—they have the power to pull people into a unique sensory experience in a way that few other mediums can.

If you’re looking for the perfect spirit to use while crafting your own wedding’s signature cocktails, or just want to mix up a special drink to enjoy with family and friends, we’ve got some recommendations with Santa Barbara roots for your consideration.

Read on to learn about four fantastic brands that deserve a place on your bar cart.

King St. Vodka

Created by Kate Hudson and crafted in Santa Barbara, King St. Vodka is produced under the watchful eye of Master Distiller, Ian Cutler. A proprietary process using GMO-free corn and alkaline water yields a gluten-free, ultra-premium spirit with a hint of sweet vanilla flavor. Distilled seven times and then filtered, King St. is made from the best ingredients to deliver a clean, smooth taste with each sip.

DorWood Distillery

 Located in Buellton California in the heart of the Beautiful Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara wine country, DorWood Distillery is a true soil to sip, hands on family owned and operated distillery making each batch small and hand crafted the old world way. Everything we do is handmade and made onsite.

Using only the finest natural material sourced as close to home as possible, DorWood uses these ingredients to make truly Sophisticated Spirits. We distill everything on site and we only use the Hearts and discard the Heads and Tails for a purer cleaner smoother tasting spirit. We make products that can stand on their own. Our goal is to make spirits you can enjoy by themselves and enjoy their natural taste when distilled correctly.

Black Market Spirits

Black Market Spirits is a socially responsible, California craft distillery with a portfolio of synergistic and exciting brands that  reach across all generations. Whether you’re looking for rum, gin, vodka, or fernet, Black Market Spirits has something wonderful to offer.

Cutler's Artisan Spirits

From prohibition bootleggers to modern craft distillers, the Cutlet family has a longstanding legacy in the California spirit industry—and they proudly hold the title of Santa Barbara’s first legal distillery! In the almost 4 generations since they got their start, the Cutler family has remained dedicated to providing the finest possible spirits to thirsty locals through Cutler Artisan Spirits.