Well Free Rangers,
The middle tier of our industry is crumbling, making what should be very basic transactions and interactions time consuming nightmares. I genuinely don’t recall the last time we ordered products, they arrived intact and on time, with no erroneous billing issues. At this very moment we’re awaiting word (for days) if our in-store tasting is happening on Thursday (which was scheduled months ago). We’re also awaiting a replacement for shattered bottles in a case we received, just so that we can then process a return of that same case to (the evil) Empire. Have I mentioned that all Sazerac/Buffalo Trace whiskeys are switching distributors, have all been unavailable for over a month without any communication from all 3 companies involved, and nobody can tell us if the private barrel of Buffalo Trace we were awarded last year (scheduled to arrive last month) is even still in the works for us. It is amazing how many important tasks get bumped here for the amount of unforeseen and completely unnecessary fires we’re forced to engage daily. And as Pasquale pointed out, why is it that the small business is always expected to bend over backwards for everyone and everything, but the huge companies that supply us can fall back on “company policy” and “shit happens”?
In the macro, the worst bill in recent memory has passed congress, and as its most brutal ramifications are slow rolling, it may pan out to be the worst in our history. Besides being the largest wealth movement from lower income people to the absolutely wealthiest, now ICE has more money than the FBI (and the entirety of Israel’s military). They are actively hiring 10,000 new thugs to their masked “agents” and mass raids like those happening in LA will be everywhere, heading us deeper into a police state. The same bill repeals a tax on gun silencers (wtf?!) and a crazy provision literally incentivizes states to increase their error rate in SNAP payments as the top 10 state violators get a bonus/reprieve, because democracy? This is the Idiocracy at cruising speed. And the bill was deliberately designed to not properly pay for itself, which will slowly trigger the PayGo rule, which then in turn automatically cuts major services and budgets across the board including Medicaid and Medicare. There is very little about which to be optimistic here, and many people who voted for this regime will lose their livelihoods, their healthcare, and many lives, and so will the rest of us. But here under late stage capitalism, we’ll be doing what little we can, which is to keep our doors open for you all, and your lovely four legged friends. So, who needs a drink?
Now, in theory we’ll have our usual FREE in-store tasting Thursday from 5-7pm, but as we can’t get in touch with the rep in question, we don’t want to guarantee anything. If we do get fully hosed on this one, and have no formal tasting, please feel free to swing by on Thursday and ask for a taste of whatever we have open (which includes an impressive array of spirits), and we’ll pour for you.
And back by popular demand (and my own habits), welcome to our latest My Favorite Chards 6-pack! As many of you know, at some point in the last half decade I apparently turned into somebody’s grandma because all I ever want to drink is expensive (read delicious) Chardonnay. So here are some of our current greatest hits in one very discounted 6-pack! These are the kinds of bottles you can pour for your “I hate Chardonnay” friends. They know not of what they speak, but their palate(s) will know what’s up. In your Chard 6-pack you’ll find 4 of the best quality per dollar Oregon Chards of which we are aware (one by a renown French family), a fairly French style and cleanly made New Zealand Chard, and our go-to under $40 proper Chablis. I’m embarrassed to admit (not really) how many of these we’ve crushed here in the shop, and on my own dinner table recently (and occasionally across the street with Doug at French Louie). This lovely 6-pack is currently available online only for $159 (usually $214)!
Click here to check out full details on each wine (and availability):
(!) Our Favorite Chardonnay Pack Sale (!)
Cheers,
Jack
Proprietor
Free Range Wine & Spirits
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