Calistoga Depot Distillery Prosperous & Penniless

The life of Sam Brannan - the visionary genius behind California’s Gold Rush - was marked with both spectacular prosperity and magnificent failure. Once hailed as a dreamer, leader, and empire builder during the pinnacle of his success, this soldier of fortune died in 1889, remarkably penniless and unable to afford his own funeral.

Brannan’s Calistoga Distillery gained much acclaim before he fell victim to financial ruin, and this expertly crafted rye malt whiskey pays homage to the entrepreneurial spirit of his original Calistoga Distillery, founded more than 150 years ago.