American whiskeys make one helluva gift. Oozing American character, these drams range from the subtly sweet and smooth Bourbons to the dry and spicy Rye Whiskeys. Anyone on your list who appreciates these spirits will be bowled over by our selections.

And we're stocked up with some rare bottles from classic Kentucky distilleries like Willett and Van Winkle, plus from up-and-coming micro-distilleries like Lost Republic and Pinhook, any of which are sure to satisfy the discerning connoisseur. But don't wait too long! This category is as hot as ever, so the really good stuff will surely be gone soon.

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Who Are They?

Mayana Chocolate is run by Daniel and Tamara Herskovic, a husband and wife team who are as in love with chocolate as they are with each other. Daniel takes world class chocolate, adds his culinary finesse and creates the edible treasure of a Mayana chocolate. Tamara brings her interior architecture schooling and event planning career to design and radiate the experience of Mayana. She fashions the chocolate packaging and custom designs and brings warm communication to all clientele. 

What are they making? 

Who Are They?

+Caleb Leisure Wines is a small, one-person, natural wine project in Sonoma County, CA. Caleb was raised in the East Bay, studied English at UC Berkeley and was working on his Masters of Fine Arts in fiction at NYU when he stumbled upon the natural wine scene in New York.

He soon moved back to California and landed an apprenticeship at Coturri Winery. After a trip to the country of Georgia in 2016 where he spent a life-changing few days tasting wine out of qvevri for the first time, his passion for wine really took off. That year, he was given space at Coturri to start his very own project. And before the 2017 vintage, Caleb imported and buried 10 Georgian qvevri in the earthen cellar at the winery. 

+The remarkable range of available terroirs, grape varieties, and vineyards in California has him sometimes longing for the structure of an AOC to narrow the choices but he’s been able to find his own style here guided by ancient Georgian traditions.

+He farms much of the fruit that he uses himself while making sure all sources adhere to organic and biodynamic principles with no additions or subtractions in the winemaking process.

Why Do We Love Them?

+While there are other American producers working with modern Amphorae and concrete eggs, Caleb is the only California winemaker using authentic Georgian qvevri in their process and doesn’t own a single oak barrel. He’s embracing the most primitive ways of doing things, understanding that it’s worked for 8,000 years, taking chances at every turn.

+There aren’t any Georgian grapes planted in CA yet but Caleb hopes to change that and is now tending to his own small vineyard in Calaveras County. He’s currently working with classic CA grapes like Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot Noir in Sonoma, but these wines end up being edgy and raw and far from what you think of when you picture wines from this region. They’re resoundingly clean, natural wines, with crazy labels designed by his mom, Joy Broom, but they’re not overly funky or at all flawed, they’re just refreshingly different. Throw all of your preconceptions of Pinot Noir out the window for the one we just got in and the skin-contact Pinot Gris is fun and pretty with some grit. These will go fast!

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-Michelle-

If you’re looking for a little something something to bring your negroni from summer to winter — grab a bottle of the Leopold Brothers Aperitivo. While still giving you those hits of bitter citrus you’d expect from another red bitter, this aperitivo also carries a subtle bit of warming sarsaparilla and cinnamon spice. This is definitely a bitter that wants to be the star of the show, so pair with more straightforward companion ingredients (we love Occitan and Hayman’s London Dry for the gins, and Dolin Rouge for the vermouth with this one). But honestly? Its also delicious over ice with an orange twist.

-Sara-

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When Benoit Lesuffleur told his parents he wanted to start using some of the family apple orchards to make cider they told him he was crazy. When he asked again, they just flat-out said no.

The Lesuffleurs have been growing apples in Normandy for generations but for the past fifty years they have been selling all of their fruit to large cider houses. Fun fact: the Lesuffleur family’s cider was drank by Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to Normandy!

Still, Benoit’s parents probably envisioned a more cosmopolitan life for him. They sent him off to university in Paris, where he still lives during the week and works as a Champagne broker. His experience with Champagne production sparked an idea: why not create a hard cider, using the same methodology and finesse as Champagne?

Benoit now has a couple vintages of experience and is slowly taking on some of the best apple orchards on his family’s property. He is using a wide range of heritage apples and creating vinous blends that balance sweet, bitter, and tannic varieties. (Not bad for a weekend warrior!)

You can find his 2017 vintage of his “La Folletiere” sparkling cider at the shop. If I may say so myself, it’s the perfect Thanksgiving aperitif.

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-Sara-