As many Fresnans recognize, one of the best benefits of living in the Central Valley is our close proximity to a multitude of cool places to visit, often less than a single tank of gas away. Whether it’s San Francisco, Los Angeles, beach cities, the Sierras, or Sequoia National Park, we are so lucky to live where we do.
This past weekend, my husband and I discovered a total gem of a destination in Atwater, CA — just under an hour from home. Corbin Cash Distillery is a family-owned operation located a couple of miles off Highway 99, only 58 minutes north of Fresno. I reserved a tasting experience at the distillery for my husband’s birthday, and we had such a great time.
Distillery founder David Souza greeted us in the tasting room when we arrived and spent an entire hour with us. He shared the history of his family’s farm, founded two generations prior, and explained how he eventually carved out a niche by learning to use one of the farm’s most prominent crops — sweet potatoes — to distill ultra-premium spirits.
David walked us through the lengthy process of building the distillery, naming and gaining category approval for each spirit, and the challenges of distribution within the industry. He also explained how the weather, crops, and market conditions influenced the creation of each spirit in his line, which he named after his son, Corbin Cash.
Their most unique and rare offering is the Barrel Reserve Sweet Potato Liqueur. Inspired by a beloved family recipe of David’s mother (her Sweet Potato Squares), it is crafted from 100% estate-grown California sweet potatoes, barrel-aged for four years like whiskey, and blended with brown sugar, spices, and extracts. The result is an aroma, flavor, and texture that are nearly unmatched in the spirits world.
In addition to this liqueur, Corbin Cash also produces vodka, gin, a whiskey blend, whiskey, and bourbon. The tasting room is spacious and comfortable, with a counter for tastings and education, plus another counter serving made-to-order pizzas and a wide array of cocktails with foodie-friendly recipes that highlight their spirits.
Step outside and you’ll find an expansive green space lit by warm string lights that make the entire property feel welcoming. You might even be greeted by Sissy, the sweet and friendly ranch pup who takes her job of supervising the grounds seriously.
Along with tastings, Corbin Cash offers farm tours on Saturdays with advance reservations. Tastings are only $20, pizzas run $12.99, and the experience is worth every penny. The customer service and kindness were off the charts — we felt like part of the ranch family.
We even purchased a bottle of the Sweet Potato Gin (a surprise since gin is usually our least favorite spirit, but Corbin Cash Gin was excellent!) and received a complimentary cocktail recipe book featuring drinks for each of their spirits.
If you love wine tastings but haven’t tried a distillery tasting — or if you already know you’d enjoy one — I can’t recommend Corbin Cash more highly. A trip to Corbin Cash would make an excellent date experience, friends’ trip or even family (or multi-family) meet up destination. All ages are welcome on the property. Kids can run on the green space, play cornhole, and enjoy pizza, while adults sip on cocktails and tastings.
Corbin Cash Distillery is open Thursday and Friday from 5–10 pm and Saturday from 2–7 pm. Tastings can be booked online here.
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