Order Up: A little boozy news for the holidays

Sebastopol

Golden State Cider is throwing their hat into the apple brandy ring, following the success of other local cideries’ experimentation with the more alcoholic cousin to hard cider. Known as calvados in France, apple-based spirits have only recent begun to take hold on these shores, bolstered by the raging popularity of cider.

Made exclusively with Gravenstein apples from Roberts Orchard, Golden State’s Gravenstein Apple Brandy is aged in French oak barrels for a year, giving it a maple and caramel candied-apple flavor. The brandy is distilled at Healdsburg’s Alley 6 Craft Distillery, which makes its own signature apple brandy with local and Washington state apples. Golden State will release its first batch of apple brandy in mid-December. Details at drinkgoldenstate.com.

Overland at the Barlow: There’s still not much buzz about the new restaurant concept coming to The Barlow from Acre founder Steve Decosse, but we’ve heard that it’s slated to focus on cuisine from the countries of the “Spice Road.” Watch for more details.

Petaluma

It seems Petalumans have a never-ending hunger for pizza (and Mexican restaurants). This made it a bit of a surprise when Rafy’s Pizzeria closed earlier this year, after moving from its Wilco shopping center location to the Whole Foods shopping center a few years ago. Now a new pizza venture plans to repopulate Rafy’s old location at 615 E. Washington St., Suite B, between Bistro 201 Thai and Pink Owl Coffee. The venture will be called Stonework Pizza & Tap, and owners Pat and Laura Townsley plan to open in spring 2022. Pat Townsley also owns Creekside Pizza & Taproom in San Anselmo. Pizza will be gourmet New-York style pizza, served on pizza stones, which is where the name “Stonework” comes from. The “Tap” part of the name is also exciting, says Houston Porter of the Petaluma Argus-Courier, assuming they will be offering a nice selection of local beers.

Sonoma

Bob (Bobby) Cannard and family, including son Ross Cannard, have long been among the storied providers of organic vegetables to Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. Not coincidentally, both Ross and his brother Marcus worked at Readers’ Books. Their mother is Ditty Vella of the Vella Cheese Company family.

You can get produce from Ross Cannard and family, too, with their CSA boxes. A recent box contained radicchio, chard, onions, leeks, persimmons, kabocha squash, fennel and broccoli, a sample of what subscribers or first-timers to the Cannard Family Farm boxes might receive.

In his email newsletter, Ross Cannard wrote, “Nothing like a slightly bitter radicchio salad to cut through the fog of post-Thanksgiving overindulgence. In fact, I remember suggesting a week or two ago that you make a radicchio salad with anchovy dressing. I guess I’m doing it right, because Samin Nosrat (internationally famous cookbook author and TV star) just ran the same recipe in the New York Times. Though hers is slightly fancier and more complicated, as befits the Times.” To sign up for their newsletter to see each week’s box content and subscribe to their CSA program, email Ross Cannard at ross@vom.com.

Graton

Redwood Empire Whiskey, a small Graton-based distiller, has caught the eye of Esquire magazine editors with its Grizzly Beast Redwood Empire Whiskey. Featured in the magazine’s 2021 Spirit Awards, the whiskey stood up against both artisan and commercial spirits from around the world. What’s unusual about the tiny lot of just 26 barrels is its “bottled-in-bond” designation. We won’t bore you with the specifics, but it means the whiskey is the purest expression of its location, made by only one distiller at a single distillery in one season (i.e. no blending). The whiskey also must be aged for at least four years. Expect notes of sweet honey, vanilla and strawberry on the palate, followed by a spicy finish, according to the Esquire report. redwoodempirewhiskey.com

Compiled by Heather Irwin. Kathleen Hill of the Sonoma Index-Tribune and Houston Porter of the Petaluma Argus-Courier contributed to this report.