First Light unveils its first coffee whiskeys

Ryan Espinoza, left, and David Elizondo of First Light Coffee Whiskey

Oct. 22, 2020 1 PM PT

First Light Coffee Whiskey, a San Diego distiller launched last spring by cousins Ryan Espinoza and David Elizondo, has released its first two flagship whiskey products, the Original Coffee Whiskey and Dark Roast Coffee Whiskey.

The fledgling company specializes in making corn whiskeys with all-natural ingredients, including coffee extract and organic raw agave. The two new flavors were first taste-tested by judges at the 2020 SIP Awards.

The Original whiskey earned a Double Gold award and the Dark Roast earned both a Platinum award and the 2020 Innovation Award. The whiskeys are sold online and at the Del Mesa Liquor and Keg N Bottle stores in San Diego.

Visit firstlightwhiskey.com.

Pam Kragen writes about San Diego restaurants at The San Diego Union-Tribune. Email her at pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com.

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Pam Kragen

Pam Kragen is a feature writer who specializes in writing human interest, dining, theater and opera stories. She joined The San Diego Union-Tribune staff in October 2012 after 27 years at the North County Times, where she served as the Arts & Features Editor, as well as the paper’s longtime arts writer and theater/opera critic. She is the president and co-founder of the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from San Diego State University and completed fellowships in theater criticism at the University of Southern California and opera/classical music criticism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She reports from the U-T’s North County office in San Marcos.