A spot of whisky at the Albion River Inn
Taking a break from the wine
Luscious glasses of bourbon on a beautiful spring evening…
Whenever we talk with folks about the whys and wherefores of the appeal of Mendocino, some of the first things that come up are the stunning beauty of the great outdoors here, the plethora of wonderful hiking trails, and the peaceful calm that settles over you when you stroll through the historic district or simply sit and stare at the ocean. Following closely on the heels of such blissful reflections is, more often than not, a statement about the fantastic local wine scene. Indeed, here at the inn wine seems to play a pivotal role in the broader Mendocino experience – we love wine, we love to share it with our guests, and we love to explore and discover new vintages and vintners that we can get excited about or even rediscover classic standards and fall in love with them all over again. However, sometimes even we want a little break from all the wine! So, this past weekend, we made ourselves a dinner reservation at the Albion River Inn…
Just a few whiskeys to choose from…
A Mendocino staple since the early 80s, the restaurant at the Albion River Inn has long been known for its impressive selection of whiskeys from around the world. When we sat down at our table in the newly erected garden dining area, we immediately requested the whiskey menu. The waiter handed it over with a grin, and we felt dazzled by all four closely typed pages of spirits, two of which were filled to the margins with a list of roughly 150 whiskeys, and a third of which was covered with single malt tasting flights. It was magnificent. As the flames flickered in the heating tower beside us and the intermittent skirl of a seabird rose and fell with its curlicue flight above the bay below, we pondered all the options on those pages. It was a tough decision, but after realizing we were more in the mood for bourbon than anything else, we narrowed it down to a couple that seemed to hold good promise.
The Tuscan Style Pork Stew was richly flavored and perfect with the whiskey.
We placed our order and sat back to enjoy the evening. There was a bit of fresh ocean breeze wafting around the edge of the tent that sheltered us from the brunt of any inclement weather. The sunshine dappling through the lovely gardens around us was just beginning to shimmer with that golden evening glow. And when our food and drinks arrived, they were the perfect accompaniment to the soft jazz suffusing the air, the muted clink of cutlery, and the murmur of the spread out diners around us. We savored our Tuscan style pork stew, which went really well with the bourbons we had selected, and sat back to soak in the moment. The woman at a table next to us reached a spoonful of something across to her partner for him to taste. The waiters moved briskly yet quietly between the tables. Another couple gave soft exclamations of satisfaction at the plates being laid before them. And there we sat, tummies filled to just the right level and whiskey in hand. We were in no rush as we sipped on the last bits of bourbon in our glasses –drinks as good as these deserved to be drawn out and enjoyed to the very last drop.
The Albion River Inn sign on Hwy 1 marks the spot!
A few tips:
If you like a quieter dining experience, we would highly recommend making your reservation at 5:00 or 5:30 like we did. The views over Albion River’s bay were lovely, the gardens lit with softening light, and the air not yet touched with the evening’s chill. With more people opting to come in later, you also have more of the waiter’s attention and less ambient noise cluttering up the air.
ASK FOR THE WHISKEY LIST. Because all menus are being thrown away after service right now due to COVID protocols, the waiters are only handing out this extensive menu if patrons are explicitly interested.
Larceny was our favorite bourbon of the evening – an excellent choice for whiskey novice or experienced connoisseur alike.
If you are interested in switching things up and taking home something besides wine to remind yourselves of your latest Mendocino getaway, Harvest Market up in Fort Bragg carries several gins, vodkas, and whiskeys that are made in Mendocino County – just look for the Made In Mendocino tag to show you which ones are local. Our personal favorite at the moment is the fantastic gin from Solomon Tournour – not a whiskey, we know, but completely fantastic nonetheless!
Words & pictures by Laura Hockett