The vodka known as Hangar One is actually produced by St. George Spirits, which is made on a former naval base on Alameda, a pile of landfill on the bay wedged between San Francisco and Oakland.

By a happy accident, we got there last weekend just in time for a tour of the facilities (Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m.).

Hangar One seems to be in every bar around town, so it’s pretty amazing to see that they make it all - the vodkas, eaux de vie, liqueurs - in this one facility. Don’t get me wrong, it’s probably spacious enough for the inaugural ball, but as factories go it’s pretty compact. And it’s all done here, from distilling to packing.

The tour was fun; the guide was very lively, although there may have been a few too many (like, 20) cracks about drinking on the job.

And then it was time for the tasting.

It seemed like we tried everything. I wasn’t so keen on the pear eau de vie and raspberry eau de vie; Daveena pointed out that the pear seems to work better in their liqueur, where the sugar brings out its floral fruitiness.

The plain vodka alone was tastier than I had ever thought a plain vodka could be. It’s best drunk at room temperature, we were told; the freezer is for the crappy stuff. Flavored vodkas are infused with exotic fresh fruits, such as Buddha’s hand citron.

To my surprise, my favorite was neither this nor the Kaffir lime vodka; it was the mandarin orange blossom, a lovely and delicate blend flavored not just with tangerine peel but also with tangerine flowers.

I also was seduced by the smoky, spicy Qi Black Tea liqueur.

All in all, a great way to spend an afternoon! Word to the wise: Designate a driver. They fill you to the rim.

St. George Spirits
2601 Monarch Street
Alameda
(510) 769-1601