All posts by Dana

So, today calculating how many American Oak barrels will be required each month to house the amount of new whiskey produced. Algebra algebra. We were told in the 8th grade that we would need this skill but did we believe it ….NO.

Last Sunday we were invited to the 75th Birthday Party of Sonny Barger of the Oakland Hell’s Angels fame. We were also going to see Jim’s old friend Phil Cross and wife Meg who have just had a book published. The book is called “Gypsy Joker to a Hell’s Angel”. We drove down to New River Arizona to the Roadrunner Bar/Grill and bull arena. After buying two copies of the book Meg assured us that all appropriate names had been changed to protect the guilty. The book is a high class publication with lots of photos from the past including snake handling and Altamont.

It was a great party, hundreds of bikers wearing their colors, band, beer and a sort of musical chairs game with fighting bulls for prospects. The day was beautiful, truly Indian summer. Wish we had some of our product ready for taste tests. They would have loved our Rodeo Rye and our Gurley Street Gin.

I had picked out the shirt I wanted to were to this party - very appropriate - and taken it to the dry cleaner earlier in the week. I went to pick it up on Saturday and the cleaner was closed. Who ever heard of a cleaner closed on Saturday. I had to wear my second choice shirt. The only downer of the day.

Great idea that I had………..start a distillery.

I think that I had been listening to Cat Power sing Moonshiner - the Bob Dylan song - over and over. So, here we are six months later spending money like it’s going out of style. Buying barrels, stills, bottles, corks, designing labels, reading books and books and books.

What herbs to use in the Gin. Bubble bubble toil and trouble - is it sage and fennel with Juniper or maybe lemon thyme?