San Diego Distillers Guild
The San Diego Distillers Guild Fest lands at the bayfront Saturday for its second annual event. Photo credit: Courtesy, San Diego Distillers Guild

The San Diego Distillers Guild Fest returns at 6 p.m. Saturday for its second event, to highlight the region’s craft distilling industry.

The fest kicked off in 2019, but like most events put it on pause last year due to the pandemic. The distillers fulfilled a different need though, temporarily using their raw materials to meet the shortage of hand sanitizer.

This year’s festival takes place in a new and larger venue, The Lane, on Bayfront Court near Broadway Pier, overlooking San Diego Bay.

Billed as “San Diego’s first upscale artisanal spirits festival,” the fest offers spirits and cocktails from almost 20 craft distilleries, bites from local restaurants and music by jazz ensemble The Justin Joyce Trio, staged on The Lane’s open-air patio.

Guests will also have the opportunity to chat with expert distillers, some of whom have been honored with industry awards.

The diverse group of distillers ranges from long-established local operations to newcomers in the process of opening in San Diego, including:

117 West619 SpiritsCopper Collar DistilleryDeaf Shepherd DistillingCutwaterHenebery SpiritsHumboldt DistilleryJoshua Tree Distilling Co.Liberty Call DistillingLos CaliforniosMalahat Spirits Co.MC DistilleryMisadventureOld Harbor DistillingPacific Coast SpiritsRebru SpiritsSan Diego DistillerySan Diego SunshineSeven Caves SpiritsShelter DistillingStoryhouse Spirits and You & Yours.

Admission costs $60. Tickets also are being limited to less than half of the venue’s capacity to allow for distancing.

Established in 2014, the San Diego Distillers Guild promotes local artisanal distilled spirits production.