Hello Free Rangers,
Long story tolerable (and apologies to those reading outside the reach of the NYC subway system): Until very recently, the Atlantic Ave BID (Business Improvement District) had been a tiny, weird, dysfunctional entity into which we were forced (through property taxes, passed down from the property owner) to fund. Our largest concern was that the historic “B poles” (the shorter sidewalk lampposts) had been dark for about a decade. After watching a smart, conscience, well intentioned civil servant fail at this- as well as his own stated goal of getting the cops personal cars to stop taking all of the shopping area parking on the Ave for which they don’t pay- resign in defeat, a number of sharp, bright-eyed folks arrived trying to make a useful community building endeavor out of the project. I don’t believe I met any of them more than once. Since the arrival of Executive Director, Kelly Carroll, the Atlantic BID has accomplished- by far- more objective good for the people and spaces of the Atlantic corridor than the sum total of her decade of predecessors, while having roughly 1/10th the budget of our closest adjacent BID. This is why this long-time BID skeptic has proudly been a board member for over a year now. If you’ve enjoyed the increased flora in tree pits and planters, the mid-block pedestrian crossings, the extended holiday lighting over Atlantic Ave, and/or the increased sidewalk lighting offered by the resurrection of long beleaguered B poles (THANK YOU!!!), you have Kelly to thank. And for those who have joined us for any of the weekend outdoor programming on Hoyt Street, that’s largely via the efforts of Kelly’s direct (and only) hire, Layla Passman, Community Engagement Coordinator. This two-person team achieves the work of what would be expected from a small group of organized specialists, and it inspires us to want to be more involved. This is how effective organizing happens. You should check out what they’re/we’re up to in pictures here: Atlantic Ave BID on Instagram.
So, this week’s FREE in-store tasting welcomes back to the shop our former team member, Connor, who will be here with a tasting flight of Shochu, the widely variable spirits of Japan, which are generally distilled from rice, barley, sweet potato, and buckwheat, but can also be derived from other base ingredients such as brown sugar, chestnuts, or sesame seeds. As I am still just getting a handle on the category- any student of the game is always learning- I really should have asked Derek and/or Wesley to weigh in on this paragraph as they made the final stocking decisions after a second round of tasting from which I abstained. But they are both off today, and I really should have had this note ready to go by Monday, so my bad. Connor will also know quite a bit more about these three lovely Shochu (yes, I have tasted them all now), so I’ll refrain from further recounting (poorly) what little I know about these mysterious and tasty spirits. Tomorrow, Thursday, August 8th (5-7pm), please join us for FREE tastes of three Shochu, one of sweet potato, and two of barley (one barrel aged). And enjoy 10% off all of these all week online, and in store on tasting day:
(!) Click here for Shochu sale page (!)
Cheers,
Jack
Proprietor
Free Range Wine & Spirits
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