Yay Area (Let's Go!)

If the San Francisco Giants, 49ers, or Golden State Warriors ever made a booze product, I would carry it in a split second out of sheer loyalty. I wouldn't care if it was made from Everclear and Tang powder. Sometimes it doesn't matter what's in the bottle when it comes to having fun. Likewise, when a Bay Area booze company comes up with something exciting and interesting, I'm usually there to strongly support them as a fellow local businessman. You've gotta stand by your people. It's exciting for me and the local booze community that we cater to here at K&L. That being said, when I heard that local rap legend E-40 had started his own drinks company and begun marketing a pre-mixed rum cocktail called Sluricane, I knew I had to get in on that action (I was practically begging to get in on that action!). Unfortunately for me, the initial batch of the much-anticipated elixir sold out quickly (prompting secondary market auctions like Ebay to go crazy with price-jacking). When the next batch was ready for release, however, I made sure I was first in line. We've been getting calls about Sluricane non-stop for the last few months and now I can safely say, we've got plenty of it in stock.

Sluricane Pre-Mixed Rum Cocktail by E-40 $17.99 - You know exactly what it tastes like by looking at the bright red color. Don't get confused: this isn't some fancy new mixologist, barrel-aged, hand-crafted specality. This is like Hawaiian Punch with rum in it and it's a guilty pleasure that brings me right back to Tijuana circa 1997. Fruity, festive, and meant to fuel the fire of a long night out. It's a pop culture phenomenon presented to you from none other than Earl Stevens himself: E-40. He'll tell you when to go dumb.

Personally, I would probably do this on the rocks with a LOT of food and loud dance music.

Also in is a new line of re-casked MGP whiskies from local start-up Mosswood; a project started by Jake Chevedden who used to work booze retail in downtown SF. Unlike most non-distiller producers, however, Jake is actually going out and doing something unique with cask maturation. He's reconditioning used barrels with apple brandy, cold brew coffee, and sour ale to make three different selections for Mosswood. 

Jake was actually out of the sour ale expression when I tasted these, so we don't have that one available. I wasn't too upset, however, because I thought the apple brandy barrel and the espresso were the real standouts. The apple brandy influence is very light in that the flavors are present just at the outer rims of the finish. It's very easy drinking and surprisingly satisfying in an Irish whiskey/Canadian sort of way, despite the fact that it's all Bourbon from MGP. The espresso is shockingly delicious. I don't normally associate whiskey with coffee, but if it works in an Irish Coffee then why wouldn't it work as a cask enhancement? What matters is that it does. These are both in stock now in the Redwood City store.

Mosswood Apple Barrel Aged American Whiskey $39.99

Mosswood Espresso Barrel Aged American Whiskey $39.99

Two new Bay Area products in the store and ready to go for all your shopping needs. Now I just need to get E-40 into the tasting bar for a Wednesday night event.

That would be the shit.

-David Driscoll