Common Ground Spirits was founded in Berkeley, California in 2020 by Julian Peebles and Tory Brown — tech-industry coworkers turned lifelong friends who shared common ground as men of color in an industry where that was rare, and who wanted to build something of their own that could be passed on. The name is the mission: a Black-owned craft distillery built on the belief that everyone, regardless of race, religion, or gender identity, deserves a level playing field, and that spirits are what people find common ground over. The gins are formulated with neighbor Ryan Sutherland of Sutherland Distilling in Livermore, and the technique is layered: botanicals macerate and bond first, then a fresh round goes in before redistillation, which is where the depth comes from. Every ingredient is sourced from California's bounty. The core recipes are numbered and paired — Gin Recipe 01 Basil & Elderflower, Gin Recipe 02 Black Currant & Thyme, and Gin Recipe 03 Blood Orange & Tarragon — each built to be versatile enough for a Negroni, a Martini, or ice alone. Janéa, named for Tory's sister, is the barrel-finished series: Release 01 rested the basil gin in a five-year Navy Strength rum cask, Release 02 aged the blood orange gin ten months in bourbon barrels from Home Base Spirits. All at 45.22% ABV, under $40 for the core line. A California bourbon from 100% state-grown grain is aging now. Distributed across the Bay Area, Georgia, and the DMV — and a genuine addition to the West Coast gin conversation.

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