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Sweet Grass Vodka owner Jarrod Swanger toasts with actor Jeremy Renner, then his celebrity brand rep, in September 2023.

The owner of a rapidly unraveling Charleston vodka company sold his million-dollar house and lost a large chunk of the profits in a court order.

Jarrod Swanger bought a 2,300-square-foot house in Mount Pleasant in 2020 months after launching Sweet Grass Vodka, a business investors now say was built on a series of falsehoods. Swanger convinced those investors to give him millions of dollars and lured actor Jeremy Renner to be the face of his brand, even calling him a co-owner.

Renner cut ties with Swanger earlier this year, while people who sunk money into Sweet Grass are suing Swanger for failing to pay back nearly $750,000 in loans. He also stands accused of owing Renner nearly half a million dollars and employees as much as five weeks in back pay.

Swanger officially sold his Snee Farm home for $1.7 million on June 21, when the deal closed. A sales contract was signed in late April, court records show.

More than a quarter million dollars — the bulk of Swanger’s share of the profit from the sale — was handed over to the court as part of an agreement in a lawsuit brought by investor Stephen McCord.

Alicia and Jarrod Swanger pose for a portrait in the future location of Sweet Grass Vodka inside of The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Dec. 9, 2021, in Charleston.

The agreement allowed Swanger’s wife, Alicia, to keep half of the $680,000 in net proceeds after a previous order by Judge Jennifer McCoy had called for all proceeds from the sale to be seized. An exemption in South Carolina law also allows Jarrod Swanger to keep $73,700 from the sale.

The caveat protecting Swanger’s wife was the main reason he agreed to the June 12 order, said Swanger’s lawyer, Ronald Jones Jr. He said Swanger’s wife has nothing to do with the business or debts of her husband and noted the judge has yet to make an order on who is to receive Swanger’s cut of the profits.

McCord and his lawyer could not be reached for comment.

Far from the jet-setting lifestyle brushing shoulders with celebrities he enjoyed in recent years, Swanger’s story has devolved into a tale of professional failure mixed with personal tragedy.

With his business shuttered and debts mounting, Swanger’s 16-month-old son fell into the family’s backyard swimming pool on June 11 and nearly drowned.

Swanger and his wife were both at home when the child was found unresponsive in the water, a police incident report states.

The Mount Pleasant house sold this month by Sweet Grass Vodka owner Jarrod Swanger. A judge ordered his share of the profits held by the court until a final decision is made on one of the lawsuits against him.

Story continues below

Police are still investigating and have kept further details under wraps, while refusing to release records related to the incident. A spokeswoman for Mount Pleasant police could not be reached for comment.

The infant was taken to East Cooper Medical Center and then to the pediatric critical care unit at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Shawn Jenkins Hospital. The child was still there as of midweek. No update was available June 28.

Swanger has been selling off his furniture on the Snee Farm Villa HOA Facebook page, posting this month: “Anyone need an office set up for cheap? Or just the table or just the bookshelves?”

Nearly 20 people, among them investors and former employees, told The Post and Courier that Swanger took millions from investors while operating a business built on deception. The craft vodka, billed as made from locally sourced potatoes in a Charleston distillery from his wife’s family’s old Polish recipe, is a watered-down version of alcohol made elsewhere. The farm where Swanger claimed he bought the potatoes confirmed it never sold to him—and it hasn’t had a potato crop in two years.

Investors say they never got their money back, and Swanger never provided them annual tax forms the IRS requires for business partnerships.

On June 14, a judge ruled in favor of South Carolina Federal Credit Union in one of four outstanding lawsuits against Swanger that stated he owed $26,154.30 on a defaulted loan. Swanger also was ordered to pay the credit union’s legal fees. Court records show that loan was repaid as of June 25.

Other lawsuits claim he still owes $37,000 on his bottling equipment and $113,466 as part of an unpaid loan.

Alicia Swanger holds one of the company’s bottles inside the future location at The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Dec. 9, 2021, in Charleston.

Sweet Grass Vodka and its Sweetgrass Lounge has been closed since April, when Swanger was booted out of the company’s space, located inside The Refinery at 1640 Meeting Street Road on Charleston’s upper peninsula, for failure to pay rent. Swanger still went on to host parties at the lounge until his mid-April eviction, even though his liquor license was revoked in March.

He also failed to pay state income taxes in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Sweet Grass Vodka hit shelves in 2020 and quickly landed in Total Wine locations, restaurants and six states across the Southeast, including South Carolina. Two years later, Swanger was telling people his company was worth $26 million and would reach $40 million in annual sales by 2023.

In reality, according to a former business partner with copies of the brand’s distribution figures, Sweet Grass in 2023 sold roughly 2,000 cases. Even at retail prices on the company website, that comes to well below $1 million.

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John Ramsey is a reporter on The Post and Courier’s Watchdog and Public Service team.

He has worked as an editor and reporter in Richmond, Va., Fayetteville, N.C. and Rocky Mount, N.C.

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Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us – it’s free.

Sweet Grass Vodka owner Jarrod Swanger toasts with actor Jeremy Renner, then his celebrity brand rep, in September 2023.

The owner of a rapidly unraveling Charleston vodka company sold his million-dollar house and lost a large chunk of the profits in a court order.

Jarrod Swanger bought a 2,300-square-foot house in Mount Pleasant in 2020 months after launching Sweet Grass Vodka, a business investors now say was built on a series of falsehoods. Swanger convinced those investors to give him millions of dollars and lured actor Jeremy Renner to be the face of his brand, even calling him a co-owner.

Renner cut ties with Swanger earlier this year, while people who sunk money into Sweet Grass are suing Swanger for failing to pay back nearly $750,000 in loans. He also stands accused of owing Renner nearly half a million dollars and employees as much as five weeks in back pay.

Swanger officially sold his Snee Farm home for $1.7 million on June 21, when the deal closed. A sales contract was signed in late April, court records show.

More than a quarter million dollars—the bulk of Swanger’s share of the profit from the sale—was handed over to the court as part of an agreement in a lawsuit brought by investor Stephen McCord.

Alicia and Jarrod Swanger pose for a portrait in the future location of Sweet Grass Vodka inside of The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Dec. 9, 2021, in Charleston.

The agreement allowed Swanger’s wife, Alicia, to keep half of the $680,000 in net proceeds after a previous order by Judge Jennifer McCoy had called for all proceeds from the sale to be seized. An exemption in South Carolina law also allows Jarrod Swanger to keep $73,700 from the sale.

The caveat protecting Swanger’s wife was the main reason he agreed to the June 12 order, said Swanger’s lawyer, Ronald Jones Jr. He said Swanger’s wife has nothing to do with the business or debts of her husband and noted the judge has yet to make an order on who is to receive Swanger’s cut of the profits.

McCord and his lawyer could not be reached for comment.

Far from the jet-setting lifestyle brushing shoulders with celebrities he enjoyed in recent years, Swanger’s story has devolved into a tale of professional failure mixed with personal tragedy.

With his business shuttered and debts mounting, Swanger’s 16-month-old son fell into the family’s backyard swimming pool on June 11 and nearly drowned.

Swanger and his wife were both at home when the child was found unresponsive in the water, a police incident report states.

The Mount Pleasant house sold this month by Sweet Grass Vodka owner Jarrod Swanger. A judge ordered his share of the profits held by the court until a final decision is made on one of the lawsuits against him.

Story continues below

Police are still investigating and have been tight-lipped with any further details while refusing to release records related to the incident. A spokeswoman for Mount Pleasant police could not be reached for comment.

The infant was taken to East Cooper Medical Center and then the pediatric critical care unit at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Shawn Jenkins Hospital. The child was still there as of midweek. No update was available June 28.

Swanger has been selling off his furniture on the Snee Farm Villa HOA Facebook page, posting this month: “Anyone need an office set up for cheap? Or just the table or just the book shelves?”

Nearly 20 people, among them investors and former employees, told The Post and Courier that Swanger took millions from investors while operating a business built on deception. The craft vodka, billed as made from locally sourced potatoes in a Charleston distillery from his wife’s family old Polish recipe, is a watered-down version of alcohol made elsewhere. The farm where Swanger claimed he bought the potatoes confirmed it never sold to him — and it hasn’t had a potato crop in two years.

Investors say they never got their money back, and Swanger never provided them annual tax forms the IRS requires for business partnerships.

On June 14, a judge ruled in favor of South Carolina Federal Credit Union in one of four outstanding lawsuits against Swanger that stated he owed $26,154.30 on a defaulted loan. Swanger also was ordered to pay the credit union’s legal fees. Court records show that loan was repaid as of June 25.

Other lawsuits claim he still owes $37,000 on his bottling equipment and $113,466 as part of an unpaid loan.

Alicia Swanger holds one of the company’s bottles inside the future location at The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Dec. 9, 2021, in Charleston.

Sweet Grass Vodka and its Sweetgrass Lounge has been closed since April, when Swanger was booted out of the company’s space, located inside The Refinery at 1640 Meeting Street Road on Charleston’s upper peninsula, for failure to pay rent. Swanger still went on to host parties at the lounge until his mid-April eviction, even though his liquor license was revoked in March.

He also failed to pay state income taxes in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Sweet Grass Vodka hit shelves in 2020 and quickly landed in Total Wine locations, restaurants and six states across the Southeast, including South Carolina. Two years later, Swanger was telling people his company was worth $26 million and would reach $40 million in annual sales by 2023.

In reality, according to a former business partner with copies of the brand’s distribution figures, Sweet Grass in 2023 sold roughly 2,000 cases. Even at retail prices on the company website, that comes to well below $1 million.

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John Ramsey is a reporter on The Post and Courier’s Watchdog and Public Service team.

He has worked as an editor and reporter in Richmond, Va., Fayetteville, N.C. and Rocky Mount, N.C.

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Profits from the house may end up paying off some of Jarrod Swanger’s mounting debts Read moreSweet Grass Vodka owner’s profits seized from the $1.7M sale of his Mount Pleasant home

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WASHINGTON —… Read moreSupreme Court weakens federal regulators, overturning decades-old Chevron decision

Rum is a wonderfully versatile cocktail ingredient that’s brilliant in anything from a warm-you-from-the-inside winter’s day cocktail like a hot buttered rum to a refreshing, light, summertime mojito. It’s an invaluable ingredient to cook with, too, and the next time you’re looking for an amazing brunch, look no further than a rum-soaked challah French toast. You’ll have to pick up a bottle of rum before you try any of those, and picking out the right type can be more confusing than you might think. There are a surprising number of options, but let’s talk about the two most common.

When it comes to white and dark rum, their differences start right from the beginning. White rum gets its distinctive clarity by having all impurities removed during the distillation process, and that’s done (in most cases) by using a column still. Dark rum, on the other hand, contains all of those impurities — which isn’t a bad thing despite the negative connotations of the word.

Impurities aren’t just important for the color; they also have a major impact on the taste. Because dark rum still contains essentially more traces of the ingredients used in the distillation process, it often has a stronger, richer, deeper flavor. Dark rum is generally described as having tasting notes that tend toward a smoky caramel, while white rum is sweeter and smoother. Does that mean they’re not interchangeable in various cocktails and recipes? Not entirely.

Read more: 26 Popular Vodka Brands, Ranked By Their Versatility

Both white and dark rum are made from the same ingredient: sugar cane. The juice extracted from the cane is fermented and turned into rum, but white and dark rum are made from entirely different processes, including the various stills and filtration levels we mentioned. But that’s just the start. After the rums are distilled, they take a different route into the bottle and onto your liquor shelf. While some white rums are bottled immediately, others might be aged for a relatively short time in stainless steel tanks.

Dark rum, on the other hand, is typically aged for at least three years (although more expensive rums can spend decades aging before they’re bottled and sold), and the barrel it spends time in is important. Barrels can be made from American white oak, European oak, or acacia, and they all impart distinctive flavors to the rum, giving it distinctive hints of vanilla, spices, honey, or caramel. When American white oak barrels are used, there’s a good chance they’ve already been used to age whiskey, which adds to the character that dark rum develops as it ages. Sometimes, caramel coloring and other flavors are added to dark rum, while white rum is valued for purity, clarity, and a light sweetness.

If a cocktail or a recipe specifically calls for white or dark rum and you don’t have exactly what’s recommended, you can swap one for the other. It’ll end up tasting different, but it’s generally not going to taste bad. There are, however, some guidelines to remember if you want to use the correct rum for a particular application, especially when it comes to drinks.

If you’re looking for something to drink straight or on the rocks, go for a dark rum, as it will be much more complex. Dark rum is also best used in cocktails with strong mixers. Those are drinks that can be as simple as a rum and coke, but you’ll also want a dark rum so it stands out in something like a rum punch or rum-based versions of classic cocktails like a Manhattan, a Negroni, or a Mai Tai.

White rum, on the other hand, is perfect for cocktails where you want to focus on flavors other than the rum itself. Any kind of mojito best uses a white rum as it doesn’t overpower the mint and fruit, and the same goes for a daiquiri. If you’re adding rum to lemonade or another juice, or making a light and fizzy spritz, go for the fresh, clear, light flavor of a white rum. That said, experimentation is also perfectly fine!

Read the original article on The Daily Meal.

Smelling like bourbon is usually frowned upon.

Especially when engaged in certain activities, like driving, sitting for a job interview, or attending a kid’s 9am birthday party.

But sometimes that familiar aroma is exactly what you need to tie an outfit together, or to spice things up for a date.

So here’s Oduoak, a bourbon-based fragrance line from a Kentucky whiskey expert.

Pronounced “oh-du-oak” (like eu de parfum), the new company comes from Jackie Zykan. She has degrees in biology and chemistry, and her career has taken her to nearly every corner of the American whiskey world. She once served as Master Taster for Old Forester, and today she’s the Master Blender of Hidden Barn Whiskey. With a finely tuned sensory skill set, she’s now turned her attention to fragrances.

Colognes and perfumes are traditionally based on neutral alcohols and infused with scents. But Zykan has put her own twist on the category by building these fragrances on a foundation of bourbon whiskey. Bourbon receives the bulk of its aromatic qualities from maturing in oak barrels, hence the complex notes of vanilla, spice, fruits, herbs and florals.

The Oduoak collection includes several fragrances available in 15 mL rollers and 30 mL atomizers in names like Feral Gent and Walk of Shame. Each comes with descriptions similar to those you might find on your whiskey bottle.

There’s Love & Whiskey, a comforting fragrance with notes of cedar, vanilla and alpine. The Mint Julep scent is described as clean, masculine, fresh and minty and channels the famous Kentucky cocktail. Walk of Shame is warm, woody, spicy and leathery, and Basecamp is smoky and dark, with notes of the woods and the sea.

If you can’t choose just one, the fragrances are also available in sets of four, so you can mix things up. In that case, Love & Whiskey could lead to Feral Gent and then Walk of Shame.

Yeah, just like in real life.

Brugal 1888 Jungle Negroni

A quality-made rum cocktail is transportive.

Whether or not it’s summer, you’re a snowbird escaping to a Caribbean island in the heart of winter, or you’re simply mixing up your own libation at home — rum cocktails exude the tropics in a glass. Contrary to popular belief, rum drinks are not all about sweet Piña coladas and potent mojitos; there’s a wide variety of rum drinks out there, from tiki classics to twists on celebrated cocktails, that showcase the spirits’ nuances.

From the painkiller, a Piña Colada’s mature cousin, to unique recipes like the Tipsy Toucan, have fun experimenting with these eight rum drinks that are sure to bring a smile to your face no matter the temperature outside.

The ingredients may read similar to a piña colada, but the Painkiller is a trademarked drink by Pusser’s Rum and has its own origin story that dates back to the British Virgin Islands in the 1970s. The standout differences: it’s not blended and is built from a base of Pusser’s dark rum rather than light rum.

Ingredients: 2 oz Pusser’s Rum, 4 oz pineapple juice, 1 oz orange juice, 1 oz cream of coconut, freshly grated nutmeg

Method: Add all liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice; shake vigorously. Pour into a tall glass or goblet filled with ice. Grate fresh nutmeg on top; garnish with an orange slice and Maraschino cherry.

Celebrated as the national cocktail of Martinique and Guadeloupe, Ti’ is an abbreviation for “petite” in the French Caribbean islands’ native tongue. Only three ingredients are required to make this refreshing yet potent petite, or small, punch.

Ingredients: 2 oz rhum agricole, 1 oz lime juice, 0.25 oz simple syrup

Method: Squeeze the lime juice into a low glass; add the simple syrup and stir together. Add the rhum agricole and ice (optional) and garnish with a lime wheel.

Morse code for “V,” which stood for “victory” by its creator Donn Beach, this popular tiki cocktail was invented during WWII. The cocktail is well-balanced, hitting almost every note on the palate with sweet, bitter, and spice.

Ingredients: 1.5 oz Martinique rhum agricole, 0.5 oz blended aged rum, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz fresh orange juice, 0.25 oz velvet falernum, 0.25 oz allspice dram, 0.25 oz honey syrup, 1 dash Angostura bitters

Method: Combine all ingredients into a blender with crushed ice to the rim; flash-blend then pour into a pilsner glass. If you don’t have a blender, add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with crushed ice, shake gently then empty the tin into a pilsner glass, ice and all, for a similar effect. Garnish with three Maraschino cherries (3 dots) and a pineapple frond.

Though this tiki drink has become synonymous with Hawaii, it was reputedly created in Oakland, Calif. by Victor Bergeron at his Trader Vic’s bar. In the 1950s, the hotel group behind the Royal Hawaiian and Moana Hotel in Waikiki commissioned Bergeron to create their cocktail list and as tourism boomed from this period on, the Mai Tai he included on the list became the island state’s signature cocktail.

Ingredients: 1.5 oz white rum, 0.75 oz dark rum, 0.5 orange curaçao, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz orgeat,

Method: Combine all ingredients except the dark rum into a cocktail shaker with ice; shake gently and strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice. Slowly pour the dark rum in to float on top of the cocktail; garnish with a lime wheel, slice of pineapple and optional cherry.

Homemade Mai Tai

Star & Key’s terroir-driven rum infused with passionfruit adds complex layers to any classic rum drink, but this recipe is a standout – drawing parallel flavors to a piña colada but with unexpected complementary notes from the lemon juice and Champagne.

Ingredients: 2 oz Star & Key Passion Fruit Rum, 0.75 oz lemon juice, 0.75 oz pineapple juice, 1 oz egg white, 0.5 oz demerara sugar syrup, splash of Champagne

Method: Add all ingredients, except for the Champagne, to a shaker; dry shake (without ice) then add ice, shake again and strain into a Champagne flute. Top with Champagne and garnish with a skewered cherry.

Another way to impress guests with tropical flavors in a new format comes from Copalli Rum, an organic, single-estate rum out of Belize. The banana liqueur and coconut cream make this sip taste like a vacation in a glass — no matter where you are.

Ingredients: 2 oz Copalli White Rum, 0.75 oz banana liqueur, 0.75 oz coconut cream, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.75 oz fresh orange juice, 1 dash Angostura bitters

Method: Add the soda water to a chilled Champagne flute and set aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake then strain into the Champagne flute with the soda water at the bottom. Garnish with an orange twist spiral.

Sunshine Punch has become popular for its ready-to-serve citrus, creme and rum cocktail in a bottle that’s designed to be poured over ice or combined with ingredients to create a more elaborate drink. Their Sunburn cocktail emphasizes the key flavors of the base ingredient (which are often likened to an orange creamsicle).

Ingredients: 2 oz Sunshine Punch, 2 oz pineapple juice, 0.5 oz coconut rum, dark rum float.

Method: Combine all ingredients, except for the dark rum, in an ice-filled shaker; shake for 20 seconds. Pour into a rocks glass over fresh ice, float over the dark rum to the rim and garnish with an orange wedge.

A playful riff on the classic Jungle Bird cocktail, Brugal 1888 puts forward their fruity yet sophisticated summer sip that only requires three ingredients.

Ingredients: 1 oz Brugal 1888 rum, 0.3 oz Campari, 0.3 oz pineapple syrup

Method: Add all ingredients into a glass cocktail beaker with ice, stir together then strain into a low-ball glass with a large cube of ice.

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As a whiskey maker, Al Laws is no stranger to waiting.

Laws, president and founder of Laws Whiskey House in Denver, distilled his first batch of liquor on July 4, 2011. But because time is an essential ingredient in whiskey, it wasn’t until October 2014 that he released the first bottles.

That said, it’s been more than six years since he began the journey to renovate the distillery’s taproom. Both he and local drinkers may soon see the project get to the finish line.

Laws Whiskey House anticipates debuting its new taproom at 1420. S. Acoma St. to the thirsty public in late August or early September. When it does, the space will be significantly bigger – about 4,000 square feet compared to the previous 300 square feet, Laws said – and include a bar shaking up cocktails with house spirits and mezzanine seating.

The distillery has long had what it calls a “whiskey church” – an area outfitted with pews where folks go to learn about and pay homage to whiskey, Laws said. The new taproom design leans into that ethos with a new, two-story gothic window that lends an elegant feel to the space, he added.

“It’s a great place, but it’s not gonna be open ’til 2 a.m. It’s a place you come for pre-dinner drinks or you have a date or you have a friend in town or you have a quick business thing,” Laws said.

The bar will serve only house-made spirits, but that doesn’t mean the menu is limited to whiskey. Over the years, Laws Whiskey House has no doubt honed its namesake spirit, using only Colorado-grown grains. But the distillery has also made other liquors like vermouth, rum and agave that it plans to integrate into the bar program.

To that end, there will be certain spirits that drinkers can only find in the taproom alongside longtime staples like Four Grain Bourbon Cask Strength, which was recently named the best small-batch bourbon made outside of Kentucky at the World Whiskies Awards.

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Part of the expansion includes revamping the Laws Whiskey House tour and eventually adding a rooftop deck where drinkers can take in vistas of the mountains and Mile High City.

But first, Laws simply wants to open. As the distillery’s 13th anniversary approaches, he feels cautiously optimistic about the project coming to fruition.

“The fact we’re so close, it’s a weird kind of hum in your head: ‘Like, are we really? What’s going to keep us from opening?’ That’s the way we think about it now,” he said. “You just can’t feel joy about it until it’s done.”

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

“`

As a whiskey maker, Al Laws is no stranger to waiting.

Laws, president and founder of Laws Whiskey House in Denver, distilled his first batch of liquor on July 4, 2011. But because time is an essential ingredient in whiskey, it wasn’t until October 2014 that he released the first bottles.

That said, it’s been more than six years since he began the journey to renovate the distillery’s taproom. Both he and local drinkers may soon see the project get to the finish line.

Laws Whiskey House anticipates debuting its new taproom at 1420. S. Acoma St. to the thirsty public in late August or early September. When it does, the space will be significantly bigger – about 4,000 square feet compared to the previous 300 square feet – and include a bar shaking up cocktails with house spirits and mezzanine seating.

The distillery has long had what it calls a “whiskey church” – an area outfitted with pews where folks go to learn about and pay homage to whiskey, Laws said. The new taproom design leans into that ethos with a new, two-story gothic window that lends an elegant feel to the space, he added.

“It’s a great place, but it’s not gonna be open ’til 2 a.m. It’s a place you come for pre-dinner drinks or you have a date or you have a friend in town or you have a quick business thing,” Laws said.

The bar will serve only house-made spirits, but that doesn’t mean the menu is limited to whiskey. Over the years, Laws Whiskey House has no doubt honed its namesake spirit, using only Colorado-grown grains. But the distillery has also made other liquors like vermouth, rum and agave that it plans to integrate into the bar program.

To that end, there will be certain spirits that drinkers can only find in the taproom alongside longtime staples like Four Grain Bourbon Cask Strength, which was recently named the best small-batch bourbon made outside of Kentucky at the World Whiskies Awards.

Part of the expansion includes revamping the Laws Whiskey House tour and eventually adding a rooftop deck where drinkers can take in vistas of the mountains and Mile High City.

But first, Laws simply wants to open. As the distillery’s 13th anniversary approaches, he feels cautiously optimistic about the project coming to fruition.

“The fact we’re so close, it’s a weird kind of hum in your head: ‘Like, are we really? What’s going to keep us from opening?’ That’s the way we think about it now,” he said. “You just can’t feel joy about it until it’s done.”

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

The Matching Fund Special Purpose Securitization Corporation Board of Directors heard the good news at its quarterly meeting on Wednesday but did not touch on the bad news.

The corporation’s capitalized interest account held by Causey Demgen and Moore PC is earning more than anticipated.

Andy Mathes, representing the firm, said the investment this fiscal year earned $5.7 million instead of the $5.1 million expected. Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., who chairs the board, asked where that money would go. Joel Ephross, also with Causey Demgen, said he was not sure which account it would go to, but no matter which, it would benefit the Virgin Islands.

Bryan said, “So, we have a little change in the bank.”

Another piece of good news for the board is that its operation expenses are predicted to go down. A budget of $700,000 was approved, compared to last year’s budget of $750,000. The Public Finance Authority has assumed the corporation’s administrative duties. Nathan Simmonds, the director of finance administration at the PFA, presented the budget.

Although the budget decreased overall, it will increase in two areas in the upcoming year. Board fees and expenses will go from $55,000 to $90,000, and the PFA administrative fee will go from $154,00 to $159,000.

Simmonds also asked the board to approve payment of $239,000 in PFA invoices. The board did.

The board was formed as part of the plan to prevent the Government Employees’ Retirement System from going bankrupt.

The plan is based on the territory receiving $13.25 for each proof gallon of rum sold stateside from the United States government. The bad news is that because of a lack of action from the U.S. Congress, the territory has only been receiving $10.50 for the last two years.

Simmonds recently told the Senate that there is no indication it will be raised in the upcoming year. He said the government covered the shortfall to GERS in the first year but not in the second year. He said he expected the shortfall to be larger in the upcoming year. This year, it was $34 million.

In other action, the board plans to hold an annual meeting on St. Croix this December. The meeting will include tours of Cruzan and Diageo rum distilleries.

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The search for a missing diver Monday on St. Croix turned into a recovery effort, the V.I. Police Department reported Tuesday.

On Monday at approximately 5:38 p.m., the 911 Emergency Call Center received a call regarding a missing diver. It was reported that the man went diving off the Fisherman’s Dock in Frederiksted around 9:00 a.m. and had not returned, according to the police report.

Read story: stcroixsource.com/2024/06/25/body-of-missing-diver-found-in-frederiksted/

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Body of Missing Diver Found in Frederiksted

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Gypsy Spirits is releasing a new Cherry Pie Vodka this summer. It’s a collaboration with King Orchards in Northern Michigan. Photo provided by Gypsy Spirits. High Five Spirits

PETOSKEY, MI – Gypsy Spirits’ new liquor is meant to taste like you’re sipping a slice of a favorite summertime dessert.

Cherry Pie Vodka is slated to be available at its Petoskey distillery and hit store shelves around July 1. The fruit-forward vodka was born of a collaboration between Gypsy Spirits and King Orchards in Northern Michigan, near Torch Lake.

“This delightful new spirit captures the essence of Michigan’s famous cherry pies, offering a unique and flavorful experience that is sure to become a new favorite among our fans,” Gypsy Spirits staff said. “Cherry Pie Vodka is crafted using the finest cherries from King Orchards, ensuring a rich, authentic taste that embodies the spirit of Michigan. This collaboration combines the expertise of Gypsy Spirits with the exceptional quality of King Orchards’ produce, resulting in a vodka that is as delicious as it is distinctive.”

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The sleek bar area inside Gypsy Distillery near Bay Harbor, in a space that used to be a tack room for the Bay Harbor Equestrian Club. Now, you can get cocktails mixed with award-winning Gypsy vodka, whiskey, and more. Photo provided by Gypsy Distillery.

This new cherry vodka is also a hat-tip to Gypsy Spirits’ announcement that it plans to open a tasting room this fall in Traverse City – a spot that’s been dubbed the Cherry Capital of the World. The new spirit makes its debut around the same time as Traverse City hosts the National Cherry Festival, set to begin this weekend.

The new Gypsy Spirits tasting room is set to open on West Front Street, according to the Traverse City Ticker. MLive plans to bring you a sneak peek before the opening.

“We love the Grand Traverse area and are beyond excited to bring Gypsy Spirits to downtown Traverse City. Bringing our passion for spirits, hospitality, and community to an area that has meant so much to us since we were kids is a dream come true” said Michael and Adam Kazanowski, the twin brothers who own the brands Gypsy Spirits and High Five Spirits along with the Gypsy Distillery production site, tasting room and events center near Petoskey. Their partner, Michael Kolkmeyer, is the company’s director of operations.

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“This new tasting room will allow us to connect with more of our customers and share our passion for crafting exceptional spirits. We can’t wait for everyone to try our new Cherry Pie Vodka and experience the Gypsy Spirits magic firsthand.”

The brand is known not only for its Gypsy Vodka, but for a spirits line that includes gin, flavored and aged rums, whiskey and canned cocktails. You can see all their products on the website here.

A comfortable lounge area inside Gypsy Distillery near Bay Harbor. Grab a cocktail or drink at the bar and settle in to sip and savor. Photo provided by Gypsy Distillery.

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