Southern Spirits Has the Best Booze for Summer!

24 Jun, 16 /  Uncategorized /  southernsc /  Comments Off on Southern Spirits Has the Best Booze for Summer!

Hey there booze fans, thank you for the great turnout for our Scotch tasting! Your show of a support means Justin will be coming back in the winter! I am always very appreciative of your consistent support for all of the things I am trying to accomplish here.

Every day people walk into the store, I greet them, ask if they need some help, and they zoom right by me. I often feel quite compelled to say “hey, you are doing it wrong!”. (this wanting to shout out things is not limited to work, people are doing it wrong all over the place, and all of the time!) The problem is, that I know how other stores are. You walk in, aren’t even acknowledged, and if someone comes and talks to you, they have no idea what they are talking about, or they are pushing some product that they make more money on. I have experienced all of this myself but I also have countless horror stories from you guys. Stories that make me both sad and furious.

We have a different concept here.   When you walk in, we want to make sure that you leave with the best bottle for your specific needs! Sometimes that best bottle, is the one you had written down on your list, BUT sometimes it just isn’t.(I cannot agree to disagree, wait I mean I do agree to disagree!) I have spent a lot of years tasting every bottle I could get my hands on, but also learning about those bottles.(I know you guys think I just pick things up and drink them, “Oh no! That was ketchup!”) This is my true passion. The dumbest question is the one that goes unasked.(I know what you are thinking, but try to be nice.) There have been so many times that someone has reluctantly asked something of crucial importance right at the very end! Turning a near disaster into an amazing hit! (does this taste like licorice, because I hate that taste, but I love the taste of almond and cherry, trade that Ouzo for an Amaretto).   I promise you, that you are not bothering us. Please make sure you are getting what you want and leave with confidence.

I love when customers come up and tell me how smart my staff is! When I walked in here, there were smart people, with good customer service skills, that simply needed more data (I love it when data = booze). So I made sure they tried multiple bottles each week, and that we discussed them in terms of a larger context. Use this whiskey for Manhattans and this one for an Old Fashion.   This Gin is for martinis and this one is for tonics. We are trained and we are ready, and we are using our knowledge to make sure you get what you need. Sales reps don’t like me because I only care about one thing, and that is you walking out happy. I ended up here because I refused to push the products that my other stores demanded I push. We do miss, we do make mistakes, but we also learn from them.

TASTINGS:

FRIDAY WINE 4:00-6:00

R: Rose- made from a blend of grapes and vintages, meant to imitate a Bandol. This is made from the fine folks at Domaine Serene which means it almost certainly contains Pinot Noir.

FREEMARK ABBEY CABERNET: I am a big fan of this winery, and had one of the best times ever visiting there a thousand years ago when Abe Lincoln and I had a glass of Cabernet and watched the Dinosaurs battle the Native Americans. Seriously, this is an exemplary California Cabernet.

Sexual Chocolate: As far as I know Eddie Murphy was not involved in the making of this red blend. It is just a big fun blend.

LA CLOSERIE DU PIC: A Grenache and syrah blend from Languedoc, which continues to produce under the radar quality wines for those in the know! While seeing the words Languedoc on a label can easily be a cause for concern, there are truffles in this minefield.

SATURDAY WOODFORD RESERVE 3:00-6:00

There is a new Whiskey Ambassador (still best job title ever) in town, Jim Laminack, will be pouring for us. We are very excited and we know you are going to have a great time.

WOODFORD RESERVE: This is like home base for me. I go out and try everything under the sun, but when I drink Woodford, I am returned to a time when Whiskey was still new and I was thin. (connection?). I am consistently amaze that so many people who are out there chasing all of these hard to find whiskey’s haven’t tried it. Look at her, she has been there all along, now it is time to say hello, stop chasing Italian super models!

WOODFORD DOUBLE OAKED: This whiskey deserves a lot more respect than it gets. Just because it is available, doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome! Again, stop chasing the hard to find and enjoy the wonderful and available.

WOODFORD RYE: There are far too many people that are afraid of Rye. Personally, I blame Canada for this. That is right Canada, your big state run liquor industry has been shoving (offering) rot gut (affordable) rye on us for years! Well, now that we have figured out that rye can make a profit, we are making a lot of it, and this one is exceptional!

KEITH’S CABINET: What Keith is drinking now.

UNCLE VAL’S RESTORATIVE GIN: This has been such a lovely experience and I am sad that I killed the bottle. This gin can be best described as the love child between The Botanist and Hendricks.

CAOL ILA SIGNATORY: I find the combination of youth, body, and peat to be irresistible in this Scotch. This kept my nerves calm during last weeks Amazing Game of Thrones episode! Also may have been partially responsible for the snoring during Preacher.

SIERRA NEVADA TORPEDO: My west coast beers always provide a sense of liquid nostalgia. Sure Sierra Nevada, isn’t shiny and new anymore, but they are still a brewery to be reckoned with!

NEW ARRIVALS:

DEMETRIO TEQUILA: Wow, what an awesome silver! Super smooth with some lovely fruitiness, and at a great price. I also very much enjoyed the Reposado and the Anejo, but the Silver was the consensus winner in this case.

1776: This excellent bourbon has finally made it into our store! Also, it was joined by both a regular rye and a cask strength rye! Three winners that I am happy to have added to our section.

BRANCA MENTA: This Italian Mint Liqueur was requested by a customer, and so here it is! Is your stomach upset and you are craving the taste of bitter mint? Well now we can have you feeling better in less than five minutes!

SHOUTOUT OF THE WEEK: ZABLONG!

Next time you are downtown, do yourself a big favor and check out Zablong pizza. You get to choose everything. Bread, sauce, cheese, and toppings galore! 9.25 flat fee for this pleasure. I constructed an amazing pizza as did my roommate. The line is out the door but it moves fast and is worth the wait.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

BRAMBLE

2 OZ OF GIN: St. George Terroir, Edinburgh, Millers

.5 oz of Raspberry liqueur: St. George, Giffard, Chambord

1 oz of lemon juice

.5 oz of simple syrup

Shake all ingredients and pour over ice, adding the raspberry liqueur as a floater after you pour.

Garnish with lemon.