James and Sierra Clark
Brucato Spirits | San Francisco, CA
September 2026
By the time she graduated from college, Sierra Clark had developed a curiosity for food and beverage and an appreciation for its larger impact on society and culture. She attended culinary school at the French Culinary Institute and then spent time working at the Council on Foreign Relations before becoming an editor at Saveur Magazine. Sierra went on to pursue a PhD in Food Studies at New York University, studying the role of immigrant entrepreneurs in the food industry before shifting her focus to the economics, history, and production of bourbon in the United States. Disillusioned with academia and eager for a change after the birth of their children, Sierra and her husband, James Clark, moved back to their home state of California in 2017. James, who had worked for years at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and then the Treasury Department during the Obama administration, was also at a turning point in his career and in search of a new challenge.
In the Bay Area, Sierra and James wanted to do something hands-on that would allow them to experiment with new ideas and connect more closely with the local agricultural community. With notions of terroir and craft capturing their attention, an interest in amaro—which had been sparked years earlier during their time spent living in Italy—suddenly came back into focus. Embracing the natural flavors and ingredients of California, the couple started to construct their first recipes at home, with lots of trial and error along the way. They eventually moved into a small production space and released their first batch of amaros in 2021. After winning Best Herbal Liqueur at the SF World Spirits Competition, Sierra and James landed a handful of distribution deals and secured a larger space in the Mission District, which became Brucato Spirits' brick-and-mortar distillery in 2025. Since then, they have expanded their selection of amaros and other spirits, and increased national distribution to 12 states. As they continue to broaden their impact and grow their team, Sierra and James are also hosting gin making classes, donating guided distillery tours, and supporting local organizations like Creativity Explored, Foodwise, and 826 Valencia.2026 StarChefs San Francisco-Oakland Rising Stars Award Winner
