You know the name. Now discover something more.

You may know Oakhurst Spirits. You may have driven past the distillery, stopped in for a tasting, or seen its locally made bottles on a shelf.

But have you ever wondered what’s actually happening behind the scenes?

Oakhurst Spirits is a craft distillery founded by Mike and Ally Benbrook in 2017. After more than 30 years in business, including owning a manufacturing company near San Diego and operating an art gallery in Balboa Park, the couple sold their business, moved to the mountains and pursued a new dream: opening a distillery and art gallery in Oakhurst.

Today, Oakhurst Spirits produces a variety of small-batch spirits, including several types of whiskey, along with gin, lavender vodka and agave spirits.

But the distillery is only part of what’s happening on the property.

Art has been part of Oakhurst Spirits from the beginning, and today the gallery is curated by local artist Gina Mimms. The gallery hosts a variety of exhibitions, artist meet-and-greets and special events throughout the year. These include Visions of Self, a women’s exhibit held in March; the Au Naturale nudes exhibit in April; the Oakhurst Art & Wine Hop, held from May through October; and Sierra Art Trails, which helps spotlight both emerging and established artists.

The result is an unusual combination—a working craft distillery and an active art space sharing one destination.

And there’s even another reason someone might find themselves spending a little more time at Oakhurst Spirits. Located on the property is Whiskey Mike’s, a vacation rental that gives visitors the opportunity to stay just steps away from the distillery and gallery.

But whether you’re visiting for the spirits, the art or simply to see what’s happening, there’s much more going on behind the scenes than what ends up in the tasting glass.

Local Discovery

Here’s something you might not know about Oakhurst Spirits.

The spirits aren’t simply branded with the Oakhurst name.

They’re actually made here.

Oakhurst Spirits manufactures, ages and bottles its spirits on-site, meaning the process visitors associate with distilleries in places like Kentucky or Tennessee is happening right here in our mountain community.

That includes whiskey—a spirit that requires something craft distilling demands plenty of: patience.

While some spirits can move from production to the bottle relatively quickly, whiskey spends time aging in barrels, where the interaction between the spirit and the wood helps develop its flavor and character. For a small craft distillery, that means some of the products being poured today began their journey years earlier.

The distillery also offers visitors an opportunity to get a closer look at the process. Rather than simply stopping in for a drink, guests can learn more about how spirits are produced and discover the work that happens before anything ever reaches a bottle.

There’s another unexpected side to Oakhurst Spirits as well.

The Benbrooks’ original vision wasn’t simply to open a distillery. Art was part of the plan from the beginning. Before moving to Oakhurst, the couple operated an art gallery in San Diego’s Balboa Park, and Ally Benbrook is an accomplished watercolor artist whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

That combination of craft distilling, art and hospitality makes Oakhurst Spirits a little different from what someone might expect when they hear the word “distillery.”

And perhaps that’s the real discovery.

A bottle bearing the Oakhurst name isn’t just something visitors can take home as a reminder of their trip to the Sierra. It’s something that was made, aged and bottled right here in the community.

Sometimes you know the name.

You just don’t know everything that’s happening behind it.

Discovering Local

You know the name. Now discover something more.