The Barlow is welcoming shoppers with West County style.
After years of public debate, planning and construction, the collection of food and beverage purveyors, restaurants, artisans and small businesses known as The Barlow is now open for business in Sebastopol. Though additional tenants and other finishing touches will continue to be introduced into 2014, it’s not too early to stop in and get acquainted, educated and enjoy West County’s newest community.
What is The Barlow?
For decades, The Barlow Apple Cannery was a hub for apple processing in Sebastopol, turning the area’s signature apples into sauces and ciders. By 2006, its owners, Ken and Brett Martin, were looking for a way to repurpose the 12.5-acre site just east of downtown and turned to developer Barney Aldridge of Ross.
They originally worked out a plan that included 300 new housing units and 100,000 square feet of retail space, but public outcry sent them back to the drawing board. Aldridge, inspired by the success of food product destinations like Oxbow Public Market in Napa and the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco, envisioned a vibrant manufacturing district where visitors could have first-hand experiences with the people and processes behind the goods they purchase. The area would also be a site for community gatherings and celebrations.
“I’d say The Barlow is a number of things: a community space, a retail district, an industrial park and a community center,” says Aldridge, now co-owner of The Barlow and manager of Sebastopol Industrial Park, LLC, which oversees the property. “It doesn’t really fit anyone’s traditional labels, so I think we’re all still working on defining it.”
Driving through The Barlow recently, it was easy to find a mixture of work and play taking place. A flatbed trailer full of wine barrels was followed closely by a slow-moving car, heads craning out the windows to check the place out. Pedestrians headed for their morning coffee stop at a corner as a FedEx truck turned down a narrow side alley in front of them. There is a growing bustle and energy as businesses open and word of mouth spreads.
Spirit Works Distillery
One of the first manufacturers to open for business at The Barlow was Spirit Works Distillery. The new venture of husband-and-wife team Timo and Ashby Marshall of Sebastopol, Spirit Works is a micro-distillery producing gin, sloe gin, vodka, wheat whiskey and rye whiskey one batch at a time. (See “A Spirited Revolution,” August 2013.)
The couple spent the last five years travelling the country studying the craft under master distillers, learning what to do and, more important, what not to do. Their philosophy is to be as hands-on as possible in the production process, giving them complete control over the products from start to finish.
“We’re a grain-to-glass facility,” says Timo. “We would never have done this any other way.”
This means their work begins with the sacks of grain that line the back wall of the distillery. It continues with insisting on fresh botanicals, citrus peeled onsite and a complex distillation process using their gleaming, made-to-order still that stands 26 feet tall at its tallest column, looking like a cross between a brass pipe organ and one of Willy Wonka’s inventions.
And the result of this attention to detail? Spirit Works’ gin, for example, tastes like nothing you’ll find on the supermarket shelf. The traditional juniper berries deliver its first, bright flavor, but don’t overpower the citrus and spice flavors that can be clearly detected afterward.
Because they just began distilling in November, Spirit Works’ rye and wheat whiskeys, which need to be aged a minimum of two years, won’t be available until at least 2015. The unaged, or “white” spirits, like gin and vodka, can be produced in 10 days.
The distillery’s vintage apothecary-style tasting room, with clear views of the production floor, is currently open Thursdays through Sundays for tastings, but visitors can also sign up online for scheduled tours of the facility to learn more about the process.
The Marshalls have worked with the California Artisanal Distillers Guild (CADG) to remove some of the long-standing restrictions on distilleries in California, which included laws against distilleries selling their products onsite or charging for tastings. California Senate Bill AB933, just passed in September, allows distillers more freedom in charging for tastings, but still forbids them from selling spirits direct to consumers at the distilleries.
Marshall says he and his wife considered many locations around Northern California when looking for a home for their distillery, but didn’t want to be isolated in a business park somewhere. “When we spoke with Barney and his team, they sold us a dream and a vision of craft and artisan production, community and emerging small businesses,” says Marshall. “It took a fair amount longer that we anticipated, but that gave us breathing time to get all of our ducks in a row by the time we opened.”
He says they did find that sense of community with other tenants during The Barlow’s build-out phase, sharing everything from tools to storage space to advice on the best contractors. Today, that camaraderie continues as they offer moral support and coordinate visitor tours that stop at neighboring Barlow businesses.
Marshall hopes that by inviting people into the distilling process and letting them see how grains become spirits, more people will understand and appreciate what they’re drinking at the bar. “It’s really interesting to see how many people don’t know how the products they’re enjoying originate or where they come from,” he says. “It’s awesome to see the light bulbs turning on.”
La Follette Wines
Greg La Follette has a history of following his dreams. On a career path that’s led him through stints as a Catholic seminarian, professional bagpiper, bicycle racer, medical researcher and co-owner of Tandem Wines, he’s now the winemaker and part owner (along with Pete and Terri Kight) of La Follette Wines in Sebastopol.
La Follette Wines opened its doors at The Barlow in March with a weekend of festivities, including a dinner with food from neighboring restaurant Zazu and a “Pinot and Popcorn” tasting party. At the tasting, La Follette greeted guests in his overalls and alternately shared stories from the vineyards and answered questions on the science behind winemaking, clearly enjoying both roles.
La Follette Wines is known for its complex Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, sourced from small-lot vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The modern, barn-style tasting room is decorated with black and white photos of the fields and grapegrowers behind its vintages.
While La Follette Wines’ winemaking operation will remain in its current location, a repurposed apple packing plant in the north side of town, La Follette says The Barlow seemed like the perfect fit for its first tasting room. “The Barlow is an intriguing concept that pays homage to West County’s agrarian roots,” he explains.
As a father of six and longtime resident of Sebastopol, La Follette believes The Barlow’s diverse mix of vendors offers the community three main benefits: tax revenue for the city, potential internship and job opportunities for students from nearby Analy High School, and a way to showcase the best of West County and what it has to offer.
He’s been excited to watch the center take shape, as some tenants are just starting out and others are folks he’s known for years, and believes that people are looking for the types of true artisan experiences like those to be found at The Barlow.
Woodfour Brewing Company
Since it opened in August, Woodfour Brewing Company has been garnering a lot of attention. Its large deck facing out onto McKinley Street has become a popular spot to pull up a seat under a striped table umbrella or at one of the long communal tables. The brewery’s restaurant, led by chef Jamil Peden, is also earning rave reviews for its turn away from typical pub grub, relying instead on fresh, local ingredients.
Woodfour was founded by Seth Wood and Olav Vier, who envisioned a space where they could not only brew great beer, but promote a new kind of beer culture. “The brewery is, first and foremost, about building the Woodfour brand. But part of it is also pushing the boundaries of what people think about beer and getting beer the respect it deserves,” explains Wood.
Wood and Vier (German for “four”) have been proving their point by taking chances in their beermaking. Their Berliner Weisse, for example, described on the menu as a “sour beer” with “subtle aromas of yogurt” (as a result of undergoing a lactic fermentation process), is deliciously refreshing, with the pleasant tang of lemonade on a hot day.
The kitchen remains closed on Mondays, but the bar stays open with day-long deals on all beers. Most public tours also take place on Mondays. Wood says they hope to be starting a series of beer education classes soon.
At The Barlow, Woodfour’s commitment to buying locally takes things to a whole new level. Some of its hops are grown right in Sebastopol, it uses fruits from Farmers Exchange of Earthly Delights (FEED) next door, and its Coffee Porter is made with Taylor Maid Farms coffee, roasted just across the street.
The company has also committed to sustainable practices right from the start, installing an integrated energy system on the roof that generates enough thermal and photovoltaic energy to supply the brewery with all its hot water and energy needs and still feed back power to the community.
Taylor Maid Farms
After 20 years in business, Taylor Maid Farms has already built a solid reputation for its organic, shade-grown, fair-trade coffees and premium teas, served at coffee shops and restaurants around Northern California. But Taylor Maid’s owner, Chris Martin of Occidental, was looking for the chance to expand operations to include a cafe with more retail capabilities and a training area where he and his staff could educate the community on how to bring out the best in the products.
When the idea of The Barlow came up, Martin jumped at the chance, especially since one of its warehouses had actually been Taylor Maid’s first home. The company moved production (by just a few blocks) in April and officially opened its cafe in May. Though the move increased the company’s space from 7,000 to 10,000 square feet, most of that change went toward the new café and Martin says he’ll soon be renting additional space for storage. Taylor Maid will also soon be partnering with local bookseller Copperfield’s Books on a café in its upcoming San Rafael location.
Taylor Maid’s wide front porch encourages passersby to stop and sit a while, and an upstairs area with tables and Wi-Fi has been drawing a relaxed crowd. A 40-foot-long counter looks over the production area at the coffee being roasted. Visitors can take free tours of the production floor and attend classes on how to use specific coffee brewing products, or sign up for longer classes like “Beginning Barista” for a small fee. “Lots of restaurants in the area are also sending all their new hires down to us to get trained and educated about coffee,” says Martin.
Taylor Maid has been busy collaborating with many of its neighbors since its opening. Beyond its Coffee Porter, Woodfour is looking at ways to incorporate the coffee into its restaurant dishes. SubZero Ice Cream may be using Taylor Maid’s products for its coffee ice cream. Alternately, Taylor Maid’s café offers Village Bakery pastries and is working with Zazu to create savory items to put on the café menu.
A diverse slate of tenants
Not all of The Barlow’s tenants are beverage producers, but there certainly are a lot of them. Longtime tenant Guayaki will continue to produce its yerba mate teas, and Warped Brewing Company will be brewing beer and running a tasting room. Wind Gap Wines, Marimar Estate Vineyards and MacPhail Family Wines have all opened up tasting rooms, while Kosta Browne has moved its wine production facility to The Barlow (though supply doesn’t allow for a tasting room at this time).
The Santa Rosa-based grocery cooperative Community Market has built a large, new location at The Barlow. Local favorite Zazu has moved in, and fall openings were expected for Village Bakery, SubZero Ice Cream and The Juicery.
Many artisans are already hard at work on their nonedible creations in their spaces. Walking the sidewalk past longtime tenant Wolfard Glassblowing Company, the factory floor is at eye level and you can see its oil lamps being handblown, cooled and prepared for shipment. Galleries like Hanses Fine Art and the Tibetan Gallery & Studio will exhibit art pieces and offer classes to the public. Other services include a yoga and dance studio, hair salon, antiquarian bookseller and several clothing and gift stores.
Things to come
One major change was recently announced in The Barlow line-up. Palisades Hospitality Group of San Rafael, which operates more than 25 luxury hotels and restaurants, including Solage in Calistoga and El Dorado Hotel in Sonoma, has announced plans to open a boutique hotel and restaurant in The Barlow’s southeast corner.
“It has a really good presence in the area and a history of building properties that are unique to the spaces they’re in,” says Aldridge, who will be a partner in the hotel.
The hotel will be occupying four of the new warehouse buildings, while the restaurant and hotel lobby will take over the restaurant space already built on the corner. Aldridge expects work on the hotel to begin in the spring and to be done in time to open by the end of 2014.
Nothing like it
Sebastopol Mayor Michael Kyes reports that resident reactions to The Barlow have been very favorable overall since it opened. “It’s a pretty big deal for a city this size,” he says, “but, so far, everything that’s opened in it has been quite a bit of fun.
Kyes believes the area complements the existing downtown, just a two-minute walk away. “It’s not like a shopping mall with a fast pace,” he says. “It’s a place where you can go to relax, see interesting things and meet interesting people.
“The Barlow is a great addition to our city center and provides so much more than a formula retail space. It bolsters our economy with food, beverage and art producers as well as the good jobs they bring to our community.”
On November 2, The Barlow is planning to hold its official grand opening party, throwing open the doors and inviting everyone in the community to come check things out. After all the work it’s taken to see this project through, I ask Aldridge what’s surprised him most about the process.
“It’s how many things came together even though they seemed impossible, and all the people who stepped up to really put their hearts and minds into this,” he says. “We kind of had a blank canvas, and all the tenants have built out these really interesting and unique spaces.”
Aldridge adds that The Barlow has committed to a 90 percent edible landscaping plan, which means everywhere you walk, you’ll see and smell walkways lined with rosemary, micro-orchards tucked between buildings and garden beds packed with artichokes and onions instead of pansies.
“I don’t think anyone really gets it until they walk through,” he says. “There’s really nothing else like it yet in the country.”
