There’s something uniquely Humboldt about knowing exactly where the things you enjoy are made. Located in downtown Fortuna, Humboldt Distillery is known for small-batch, quality certified organic spirits. Though the distillery distributes throughout the state, all its products are still handmade and hand bottled right here in Humboldt County.
Humboldt Distillery is the region’s first micro-distillery and a leader in certified organic spirit production. It has been making quality spirits in its current location since 2012. More than a decade later, the business remains firmly rooted in our county, but has earned a reputation far beyond the North Coast.
Humboldt Distillery was founded and is owned by husband-and-wife team Courtney and Abe Stevens. Abe grew up in Fortuna and went on to study chemistry in Chicago, where he met Courtney. After working in biotech in cities across the country, the couple returned to Humboldt to settle down. As craft distilleries and breweries were taking off in the early 2010s, Abe began thinking about how his background in chemistry might lend itself to business ownership in his hometown.
Today, Abe and Courtney remain a dynamic duo, with Abe supervising production and sales, and Courtney overseeing bookkeeping, HR duties and marketing. Through years of success, the team has expanded to a small but efficient crew, allowing Humboldt Distillery to grow without losing the hands-on approach that has defined the business from the beginning. While theirs may be a household name in Humboldt County, locals can be proud to know it also has a reputation in much more metropolitan areas, with cases of their spirits getting swept up by restaurants in Southern California.
Near and far, their most popular spirit is the award-winning, organic Humboldt Vodka. Ranked among the 20 best-selling vodkas in the state, it outsells all the other products by far — an especially impressive feat when you consider that the top 20 are largely from major corporate distilleries. Unlike many vodkas, Humboldt Distillery’s organic vodka is made from cane sugar. It’s smooth enough for sipping straight, with a clean finish that works perfectly as a base in a variety of cocktails.
Then there’s Humboldt’s Finest Vodka, a celebration of our county’s most famous — and most infamous — crop: hemp. The iconic plant lends its bright, piney aromatic terpenes to the vodka, giving it a unique, herbaceous (flavor without the psychoactive properties, of course). That distinctive character also makes Humboldt’s Finest a great gin alternative.
Humboldt Distillery also offers a series of organic rums. The Spiced Rum is a popular choice, especially around the holidays, and is a perfect choice for your favorite fall and winter libations, like mulled cider. Unlike its corporate counterparts, Humboldt’s rums are made with natural ingredients, avoiding that synthetic, saccharine aftertaste.
While you can find the staples consistently, year-round, on the shelves of your local liquor stores in Humboldt, there are a few specialty spirits worth sleuthing for. The Apple Brandy has a fruity nose, with hints of apple aroma detectable as you raise your glass to drink. This is not an apple liqueur, but a smooth, mild brandy fermented the old-fashioned way from organic apples. Humboldt Distillery’s Malt Whiskey is certainly not to be overlooked, though it can also be harder to find. Produced as a hyper-small-batch spirit when organic malts are available, this oak-barrel-aged whiskey is another example of the distillery’s commitment to making distinctive spirits.
Over the years, Abe explains, the Humboldt Distillery team has operations running to a tee, enough so that he can lend some of his focus to serving the community. In addition to being a successful small business owner, Abe serves on the Fortuna City Council — another way the Stevens family continues to invest in the community they call home. Courtney, with a master’s in English, may yet find time to write the Great American Novel, says Abe.
You can find Humboldt Distillery’s products at most liquor and grocery stores in Humboldt, but if you want a reminder of labor and love that goes into the production of your favorite spirits, the doors of Humboldt Distillery are generally open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The location is a multiuse space: part informal tasting room, part office, part manufactory, part shipping facility. You can purchase bottles and merchandise and see the makers at work firsthand (be sure to call ahead if you’d like a tour). If you’re seeking a seasonal or specialty bottle, you might have the most luck here. Tasting flights are also available in a very casual, but friendly atmosphere. Business as usual continues in the background, of course. But this is not a deterrent. In fact, there’s something both humbling and charming about seeing exactly where and how your favorite spirits were born.
Humboldt Distillery
735 10th St, Fortuna
(707) 725-1700
humboldtdistillery.com
This article appears in My Humboldt Life September 2026.