Who?
Komasa Jyozu was founded in 1883, starting out making shochu for local shrines for religious ceremonies.

Where?
They’re from Kagoshima Prefecture at the very southern tip of Japan.

What?
While focusing primarily on shochu for almost 150 years, Komasa released its first gin in 2018: the Satsuma gin (which we have in the shop)!

This gin features plenty of local botanicals, but the shining star is the Sakurajima komikan, a type of mandarin orange that only grows in Kagoshima Prefecture. It is also Japan’s smallest mandarin, clocking in at around 1.5 inches diameter.

Why we love them!
We love an inventive new-school gin here at Stanley’s, and this one is a total standout. The mandarin quality shines through in a tenderly floral way, making each sip feel like the first day of spring. The texture, as well, practically melts in your mouth, a direct result of the rice used to form the base spirit. Plenty of gins make a great martini or gin and tonic (and this one is no exception) — but you might find yourself wanting to sip this one neat.

-Sara-

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Who?

+Andrew and Annedria Beckham founded Beckham Estate in 2005. Andrew is an Oregon native and has been a ceramics artist and teacher for over 25 years, still teaching at a local high school. Annedria grew up in SLC and manages the business side of things. She’s often the face of the estate, hosting many tasting experiences. Andrew spent several years apprenticing under respected winemakers in the region, and started producing his own wines in 2009. 

Where?

+Thirty minutes south of Portland on a hilltop in Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains. 

+They originally intended to only build a ceramics studio when they moved to the area in 2004 but were instead so inspired by the local farming community that they began planting their future vineyards, consciously leaving riparian zones for natural habitat and wildlife. 

What?

+Their 34 acres include plantings of Pinot Noir, Trousseau, Riesling, Sauvignin, Sauvignon Blanc, Aligoté, and Gamay. Each year they source a small percentage of fruit from fellow producers that share their farming philosophies, but grow different grape varietals.

+The vineyards are organic, have been dry-farmed since the beginning and they stopped tilling in 2012. Over the years, their approach has evolved to include many principles of Biodynamic and regenerative farming, incorporating grazing animals and plant diversity into the vineyard management. 

Why we love them:

+Not only do they make wine but Andrew also hand-builds all of their amphorae! The A.D. Beckham label ferment and age primarily in these amphorae. His ceramics business, Novum Ceramics is the 1st commercial producer of terra cotta amphorae for winemaking in North America. 

+Andrew has noted some benefits of using clay, like: the extraction at the end of the primary fermentation is brighter and higher toned and has more energy and tension, the wine doesn't get as hot and doesn't ferment as fast, and during aging, the wine is exposed to twice the oxygen as in oak so they tend to mature at a much faster rate, thus able to be bottled at 9 or 10 months versus 18 for oak. 

+There’s a kinetic motion inside amphora where the cooler contents at the bottom move towards the top. The vessel’s shape, with its progressively rolling shoulder, forces the cap of stems, seeds and skins formed on top of the wine to roll over and return back to the bottom, creating a soft texture.

+His biggest inspiration in winemaking is Italian winemaker Elisabetta Foradori, whose wines we also have in the shop! Andrew says her use of amphorae opened his eyes to a world of maceration he didn’t know much about. Her daughter even came to visit the winery and they agreed the texture is similar even though their wines are made on opposite sides of the world!

+The wines bottled under the Beckham Estate Vineyard label are only from their estate. They follow the same winemaking philosophy as the A.D. Beckham wines, but are aged in primarily 225L and 425L neutral French oak barrels. They strive for a transparent elegance with no enhancements in the winery and are often designated by parcel. 

+These wines are absolutely stunning and you can expect some new additions to the current lineup in the shop soon!

-Michelle-

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Nestled in the heart of Scotland's picturesque countryside, Lochlea Distillery is a testament to the power of innovation and dedication. What was once a thriving dairy farm, Lochlea underwent a remarkable transformation in 2006 when Neil and Jen McGeoch embarked on a journey that would forever change the landscape of their beloved farm.

For nearly a decade, the couple had successfully raised pedigree beef cattle, but they soon realized that to secure the farm's future, they needed to embrace a bold new direction. Drawing inspiration from the farm's historical roots, where barley had been cultivated for livestock feed, Neil and Jen embarked on an ambitious experiment in 2015 – they dedicated 50 acres to growing malting barley.

In 2018, Lochlea Distillery achieved a significant milestone by securing all the necessary licenses, paving the way for the commissioning of the distillery in August of that year. Since then, the distillery team has been tirelessly growing their barley and skillfully crafting spirit, weaving the essence of Lochlea into each drop of their whisky. Sustainability is at the core of their ethos, with a commitment to giving back to the land that sustains them. 

But Lochlea's story doesn't end with its idyllic setting or its dedication to sustainability. Enter John Campbell, former Laphroaig distillery manager, who has now taken on the role of Production Director and Master Blender at Lochlea Distillery. His arrival signifies a momentous leap forward as he spearheads the production team in anticipation of their inaugural Scotch single malt whisky release in early 2022. 

John's prestigious career and passion for innovation align perfectly with Lochlea's vision, promising to elevate their whisky to new heights. Lochlea Distillery is not just a place; it's a journey, and with John Campbell at the helm, the future is bound to be exceptional.

Right now we have two of their expressions. The “Our Barley” sits alongside our seasonal limited-edition whiskies. It is made from and inspired by the barley, grown on Lochlea Farm. Delicate notes of charred stone fruit and sweet creamy vanilla on the nose. With a complex palate of more stone fruit, beeswax toasty oak and a little cream. The “Ploughing Edition” is matured in ex-Islay barrels and peated quarter casks, is inspired by winter on the farm, when we plough the fields in preparation for spring. Subtle fresh peat and earth aromas followed by shortbread and apples, while the palate is laced with bonfire smoke, butter and ginger, with warm spice and smoke on the finish.

-Charlotte-

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Maloof Wines is the project from the dynamic duo of Ross and Bee Maloof, based in Forest Grove, Oregon, just west of Portland. Ross had a taste of wine-life as a sommelier in restaurants for over a decade in Philadelphia while Bee represents the hard science behind their project as a former engineer in the aerospace industry. They ended up working harvest in the Willamette Valley in 2016 on a trip to visit friends and basically never left. 

In 2017, they officially moved from the east coast to the west coast, and after many subsequent years of working out of someone else’s facility, are now producing wines at their estate vineyard and winery. Although it’s still a shared space, this time it’s with their best friends next-door at Fossil & Fawn (also in the shop!). They pretty much only make white wine for a couple reasons. #1, they love it. And what better way to ensure you have a lifetime’s worth of wine you like to drink than to make it yourself! #2, they respected the fact that they were outsiders and didn’t feel the need to take on all the great Pinot Noir producers of the Willamette Valley. They wanted to forge a path of their own in the region and give the grapes that don’t get as much attention some time to shine. 

They’re best known for single vineyard designates of Pinot Gris made with fruit from renowned sites like The Eyrie, Johan, and Temperance Hill vineyards. These aren't your Aunt’s pinot Grigio’s from the bottom shelf at the grocery store. These are full of energy, and truly capture place and time in each bottle. We love Maloof and are excited to share a growing selection with you!

-Michelle McDermott-

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We are proud to introduce this incredible range of Australian gins and liqueurs from Manly Spirits Co! Don't be fooled by their name, this is definitely not a group of dudes knocking heads and fist pumping around a still, but a proud homage to Manly - a beautiful seaside town in Sydney, Australia. 

Founders David Whittaker and Vanessa Wilton, with a little help from renowned forager and chef, Elijah Holland are ethically sourcing local marine botanicals directly from the ocean that is their backyard, proudly showcasing the unique flavors of Australia while keeping an eco-friendly focus. They are dedicated to preserving the environment and crafting distinctly Australian premium spirits.

My personal favorite is the Lilly Pilly Pink Gin who’s main botanicals are lilly pilly (a native Australian berry similar to a cranberry), riberry, native limes, raspberry, blood orange, rosella, nasturtium and sea figs. It is fun, floral and fruity with soft berry blossom notes on the nose and bright flavors of nasturtium, raspberry leaf, blood orange, strawberry and lime. This one is closely followed by their Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur. Robust and salty upfront followed by smooth malty caramel tones finishing with dark chocolate and espresso. 

We are so proud to have them on the shelves and very excited for you to try them. In fact you can do this for FREE on September 21st from 6-8pm. So mark your calendars and swing by, or if you can’t wait that long click the link and let us deliver some of these amazing boozy delights right to your door. 

-Charlotte-

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