The company is now Hanger 1 Distillery. Bentwing Brandy, its first non-vodka offering, is a super-premium blend of fruit-forward Northern California and Chenin Blanc-style French brandies. Bentwing Brandy “offers a unique take on the growing California brandy category, by marrying new American know-how with Old World eau de vie blending techniques,” the company says.
“Bentwing Brandy takes our grape-based blending expertise a step further, celebrating both fresh California ingredients and old European heritage,” said Shoemaker. “Brandy is historically at the heart of many cocktails that we commonly associate with whiskey. I’ve loved experimenting with our brandy and discovering that it easily fits into so many of the classic cocktails that I already know and love.”
With Hanger 1’s home at the former Alameda Naval Air Station, Bentwing Brandy is also a nod to where Hangar 1 started, taking its name from the inventive gull wing aircraft used during WWII: the ‘Bentwing Bird.’