Spring Booze News!
1 Apr, 16 / 
Hey there booze fans! First, let me thank each and every one of you that came for the Armagnac tasting. Christine was impressed with you guys as I knew she would be. What a lovely event it was! When guests come to this store they are always as impressed with you folks as they are with us. Anyone can have a liquor store, but populating it with quality customers and staff is a lot more challenging. There are people that walk in here and just think, every liquor store is the same, but they are dead wrong. We have all worked very hard to make this place a special destination, and the entire secret to that success is you guys. If no one is interested in a single malt from Virginia or a Vodka from Charleston, then the whole thing falls apart. Then you throw your hands up, admit that you were wrong and build the biggest display of Cuervo the world has ever seen. But that is not what happened. The strong message we got from you excellent human beings was, bring us the best stuff! Find us the best stuff! Find this thing I had on vacation, find us this bottle I read about in a magazine, find us this bottle that I had dream about once, while I was on vacation and reading a magazine! We are your store. You can say “I shop at Southern Spirits” with pride. This is not me being full of myself. I did not do this. I planted them seeds and hoped that they would grow. I was hired by an owner that wanted more, and have a staff that gets it, and then you guys found us and boom! None of these things happens without all of these things. Maybe this demand for quality and customer service will catch on?
TASTINGS: MUDDY RIVER FRIDAY 3:30-6:30
They are back! This wonderful local distillery which is taking the Carolinas by storm. I love the passion and the products. What you should always look for, is a distillery that has an organizing principle of quality and exploration. When they first launched, they kept at it, and continued to improve their rums, and now what you have is THE BEST Coconut Rum in the universe and THE BEST Spiced Rum in the Universe. Not to mention a very well made clear and aged rum. So please stop by and say hello and taste these fantastic local treats!
WINE FRIDAY 4:00-6:00
CHATEAU JOLYS: A wine from Jurancon! Never heard of it? That is why Martha is here, to help you find delicious new wines for Spring! The wine world is a vast and wonderful place, full of grapes and wines that you have never seen in your life. I am excited, are you excited?
DOMAINE DE PARIS: With Spring comes Rose season. No one makes better Rose than France! So light, so refreshing, so tasty! Take a break from all of those big clunk Chardonnays and drink something lean and fun. If you are a man and right now you are thinking I don’t drink pink, slap yourself in the face! Get over it, make a pledge to drink delicious and forget about nonsensical stereotypes.
AALTO: Ribera del Duero will never get the attention that Rioja does. It will always be Spain’s “other” region, but guess what folks? That just means you get a better wine for a lower price!
VINA ARDANZA: Now that I just said all that, find out immediately why Rioja is so famous. Next time you want to buy a killer wine for a birthday, a party, or whatever, think about Spain. California Cabernets and Oregon Pinot’s are delicious but there is a reason the rest of the world is still busy making wine!
HERRADURA 3:30-6:30 SATURDAY
Tequila season is upon us! One of the oldest and most respected distilleries in Mexico. These guys insist on making tequila flavored tequila. I applaud their consistency and traditional style. I am sure the folks at Brown-Forman want them to destroy their original recipe and make banana flavored tequila, but so far they have not wrecked the brand.
KEITH’S CABINET: What Keith is drinking now.
SMOOTH AMBLER SINGLE BARREL: Still loving every drop of it! Big, bold, long, and tasty. Grab one today, oh what the hell grab two!
DELORD XO: An XO for 60 bucks? How is this possible? Well sometimes ignorance is bliss (not yours but other peoples). Since people do not know what an Armagnac is, you only have to pay for the quality of the bottle.
GREENFLASH SOUL AND GREEN FLASH PACIFIC GEM: Two fantastic beers from one of my all time favorite breweries. Two incredibly well balanced beers from a brewery famous for blowing you away with their hop profile.
DIPLOMATIO EXCLUSIVA: A green rum bottle that is full of joy and love.
WASMUNDS SINGLE MALT: I think this bottle is the perfect way to get into Scotch. It is softer than most Scotches but drier than most bourbons. 100% malted barley from Virginia.
COPPER FOX RYE: Same folks from Virginia, but instead of a smooth and mellow single malt, we get a rock and roll rye! This thing is big, bad, and beautiful. Good job Virginia!
NEW ARRIVALS:
SCRAPPYS BITTERS VARIETY PACKS!: Can’t decide which new flavor to try? No problem, buy a variety pack and have a ball!
CAORRUN GIN: Another Scottish gin, this one is quite traditional. It is quite dry and clean. Perfect Gin for a martini. It has some unusual botanicals but they remain in the background adding nuance rather than a brass horn section.
RETURNS:
YELLOW SPOT: Got another case of Keith’s favorite Irish.
LOW GAP RYE: Got another case of this splendid rye.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
NEGRONI – David Wondrich’s version. This classic Italian cocktail is perfect for warm weather. A lot of us are tired of super sweet cocktails and want something bitter and refreshing!
1.5 OUNCES OF DRY LONDON GIN: MARTIN MILLERS, FORDS, SMOOTH AMBLER
.75 OUNCES OF ITALIAN DIGESTIVO: CAMPARI, PUNT Y MES, COCCHI AMERICANO
.75 OUNCES OF SWEET VERMOUTH: CARPANO ANTICA, COCCHI DI TORINO, QUADY VYA
Shake in ice filled shaker and strain into Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with Orange.
You can make all three parts equal for a more traditional Negroni
