INTRODUCING THE SAUSALITO LIQUOR COMPANY
(OH, AND OUR BLOG TOO, WHILE WE’RE AT IT)
Hi there. I’m Scott, the founder of Sausalito Liquor Co. My wife Patricia and I moved to Sausalito (roughly translated as “Little Willow” from its Spanish origin) from San Francisco in 2009. We never really wanted to leave The City, but the arrival of not one, but two kids in just over 12 months had us scrambling for more space, a bit more quiet, and a desire to meet other young families.
So, we packed up our stuff and moved (cue the Beverly Hillbillies theme song) across the Golden Gate Bridge. In our minds, this was as close to being in the city without actually being in the city. (We’re not going to become suburbanites, are we?)
We had visited this lovely seaside town before, but always looked at it with tourist eyes. It’s beautiful, energetic, and has a shitload of ice cream. However, what we found as newly entrenched residents was a town and a surrounding area with a much deeper soul.
SAUSALITO: JUST A LITTLE OFFSHORE
The Spirit of Sausalito, as we have grown to know it, is what has attracted artists, writers, musicians, and freethinkers for more than a century. Its stark beauty, rugged seascape and proximity to San Francisco and the rest of Marin County no doubt have contributed to the town’s popularity. But the soul of the town is more than that. It is quirky, opinionated, light-hearted and kind. It values small-town traditions and brings people together to connect and converse regularly. The 4th of July Parade, Jazz By the Bay, the Chili Cookoff (which we won again this year!), and the Holiday Lighted Boat Parade are just a few examples. Most importantly, it’s not a feeling of being mainstream or mainland, but more free living life just A Little Offshore.
The history of Sausalito is important and fascinating, and more than occasionally wild and weird. Over time this blog will share some of our favorite stories of Sausalito. These include profiling the industrial side of the town where Liberty Ships were built during World War II (and gracing the labels of our Unsinkable Whiskeys) and maritime businesses thrived and still do today. We will look at the long, rich history of spirits from the distillery that graced the town from the late 1800s to the 1960s and the rum-running businesses during Prohibition. There’s also amazing music history here including the Record Plant where dozens of gold and platinum records were recorded including Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, the Grateful Dead’s rehearsal studios and Bill Graham’s houseboat where Otis Redding wrote Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.
And we’ll also talk about modern Sausalito. The town today is a unique mishmash of 7,500 locals from far and near and is called home by many authors, artists, musicians, designers and creatives. It also sees more than 2 million visitors a year from around the Bay Area and the globe looking to get a view into what living a little offshore looks like.
In our more than 14 years living in Sausalito we have found an amazing community of friends ranging widely in age, background and passions. But all are connected by this unique spirit of the town and a feeling of gratitude for what surrounds us. Whether it’s the (unsinkable!) Sausalito Cruising Club, the weekly public bocce leagues, or dining at one of the town’s charming restaurants, our lives are filled with gatherings of friends new and old.
FILL YOUR GLASS, FREE YOUR SPIRIT
I started the Sausalito Liquor Co. to recognize and honor the place and people that have made Sausalito and Marin County such a unique place to call home and a worldwide destination for visitors. The spirits we produce are specifically designed to be shared with friends, are unapologetically drinkable, and like the town itself are just A Little Offshore of the ordinary. And you won’t need a PhD in mixology to enjoy what we’re making here – let’s keep this simple, but delicious and bold. Every time.
For those who live in the area, I hope you enjoy how we have captured the area in our products and packages. For those visiting, I hope you will bring the Spirit of Sausalito home with you so you can visit this special place anytime you like, from the comfort of your favorite arm chair, camp chair, or whatever weathered wooden log you’ve got propped up next to your backyard firepit.
And we’re just a little bit famous now! Please check out my appearance on the Barfly Podcast where I had the most delightful chat with Jeff Burkhart and Kevin Blum.
