Some History of Agave in California
2014: Agave planted as a crop in Yolo County.
2015: St. George Spirits' first distillation of California agave grown in Riverside County and cooked in Yolo County.
2015: Agave planted as a crop in Santa Barbara County.
2018: Initial agave crop in Santa Barbara County harvested, subsequently fermented and distilled into CA Agave Spirits by Ventura Spirits.
2019, April: Initial agave crop in Yolo County harvested, subsequently fermented and distilled into CA Agave Spirits.
2021: More California craft distillers (e.g., Jano Spirits, Shelter Distilling, and Venus Spirits) begin distilling California agave and selling to the general public.
2022, March: California Agave Council established as trade association representing California agave growers and distillers.
2022, May: Inaugural Symposium for CA Agave Growers and Distillers held at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine & Food Science.
2022, August: Stuart and Lisa Woolf initiate the Agave Research Fund at UC Davis.
2022, October: Legislation signed into law creating California Agave Spirits labeling requirements: 100% California grown agave without additives.