Well Free Rangers,
There was apparently just a shooting in the street in front of the shop [Saturday, early afternoon]. Broad daylight, bright sunshiny day. It seems to have been some form of road rage situation, but it’s unclear if the crash that closed Atlantic occurred before or after the gun violence, and it had yet to be hauled off before I arrived. Then the genius cops blocked off the sidewalk on our side of the street, diverting foot traffic and costing us Saturday business, even though no part of the crime occurred on the sidewalk, and the car still yet to be investigated was in a blocked lane on Atlantic Ave itself. It’s always something. Sigh. … This town is not as violent overall as it was when I was growing up here, but it can still get very real out there without warning. It certainly helps to not get involved in road rage incidents, if it can be avoided. *UPDATE* Since writing the above, it now appears that there had been gun shots near Bond & Warren just after noon, a related car sped off and collided with an unrelated vehicle on Atlantic between Hoyt and our front door, and the driver fled on foot (who may have also been shot). Over five hours later, that car is still blocking a lane on Atlantic Ave and the sidewalk is still inexplicably closed between our front door and the corner at Hoyt. It’s rarely boring around here.
What’s the opposite of déjà vu? I’m having recollections of something I can find any evidence of having existed. Have I really not written about my day at St George Spirits in Alameda, CA? No, it definitely happened, but *mostly* weekly e-mails (in their current form) for over three years has left me with a huge pile of content that requires several levels of searching to locate any specific passages. Apparently the prose in question occurred in October of last year. Thought it seems a lifetime ago, some other era, burned out and long gone from the brutish realities of this foul year of our lord 2022. (RIP HST)
| But back to St. George Spirits, at its home on the surreal little island in the bay, Alameda, CA. We have long carried many beautiful bottles from America’s original micro-distiller, and it was a rare treat to visit the mothership. Lance, Dave, and their tiny (though hearty) crew had just received their harvest of local dry-farmed Bartlett pears from which they were distilling their lovely brandy, which we tasted warm from the still. Huge batches of freshly roasted coffee beans had just been ground (for NOLA Liqueur), adding to the spectrum of olfactory stimulation swirling about the converted hangar. While they bottle and sell an eclectic array of spirits, I was floored by the sheer volume of barrels containing juice that’s never been bottled, or even intended for commercial use. Apparently, producing some of the worlds finest consumable art, and keeping inquiring minds engaged, requires a profound amount of constant experimentation. Roughly seventeen years prior, not knowing where else to acquire used port barrels in which to age whiskey, they located traditional Portuguese varietals in California and made a few barrels of port-style fortified wine. Some of that remaining juice was one of the most balanced and pure tawny-like dessert wines ever to pass my lips. So many current and upcoming projects were mentioned that I genuinely don’t recall which are not yet public knowledge, but the level to which these accomplished distillers continue to explore the leading edge of their medium and challenge themselves is deeply inspiring. It was difficult to resist the temptation to shoot a mojo wire back to Brooklyn letting Derek know that he’s the captain now, so I could post up in an abandoned military barrack and intern for the second assistant distiller. The stewed carcasses of all those pears weren’t going to shovel themselves. But I digress. In all seriousness, I am of the belief that St. George is pound for pound the highest quality distilling outfit in America, and I can’t think of a spirit they bottle that isn’t best in class, from their 4 unique expressions of gin, three chiseled vodkas, Pear and Raspberry Eau de Vie(s), and their unmatched CA Reserve Apple Brandy, to their luscious liqueurs, and world class whiskeys. Speaking of which, while it will still likely be available in other markets for some time, Breaking & Entering Whiskey is leaving our market directly, on its way to eventual extinction, so you might want to grab some while it still exists here. And the punchline is that this week’s online only sale features our deepest discounts ever on all St George Spirits bottles in stock! So please dig deep and stock up at 15% off all items! The one caveat is that we have many releases of St. George Single Malt Whiskey, but only the 2019- of which we have the most bottles- is discounted here, but at much better than 15% off! Click the link below to check out the full array, at the best prices you’ll ever see. (!) Click here for hidden sale page (!) 15% off all St. George Spirits *** Online exclusive! *** *** This week only! *** Cheers, Jack Proprietor Free Range Wine & Spirits P.S. Free Range E-mail Archive |
