Oh the pressure of our first newsletter, so much to say… I’ll just start by introducing myself. My name is Alan and I have been working in the spirit world for about 16 yrs. I was taking some classes, working a summer seasonal job that had just ended and I found myself part-time at this liquor store in Somerville, MA. They had more beer than I had ever seen, ever! One by one, I tried hundreds. My curiosity grew; I became the beer buyer, and then came the wine… I learned geography and history as my taste buds delighted. I started teaching wine seminars Cyrano de Bergerac style, then took over those and finally started running the shop. And now here I am in Hyannis, “PROUD PUVEROR OF HOOCH” in my very own GRAIN & VINE SPIRIT SHOPPE.

Now as the cold winds of winter start to blow and we settle in, we would like to say thanks, rather, thank you very much. First of all thank you to our friends and family – there’s too much to mention! There are also so many people who have made us feel so welcome in this wonderful community. A special shout out goes to Cape Cod’s own award winning brewery, Cape Cod Beer, who always remind us to think and buy locally and set a great example for all of us. Then there’s C.O.D, the Cape’s only alternative paper and champions to many good causes. The amazing guys at Compass Construction are responsible for our makeover, we’ve got a killer staff and there’s just so many others!

Now the shelves are full of wonderful spirits and elixirs, beers from countless breweries and vinos from rolling vineyards that span the globe. It’s time to get to the fun stuff. We have a wine keeper so we can try wines pretty much any time, but we’ll really be getting into it at the wine tastings every other Thursday night. And as for beer: that’s the main attraction! Every Friday night we crack open a few bottles, I man the bar and presto-change-oh winter’s not looking so bleak.

So now you know all about me. What about you? There is a lot to explore confined within these walls; we love questions, and other curious people. Tell me what you want to learn about in the wine class. Or hear about in the newsletter. In the future I’ll be telling you about our featured wines on tap, new beers in, and all that old black & white movie romantic stuff: stories from winemakers, brewers, moonshiners, history, and folklore. Until then, open our doors, step inside, as the music settles you in, shake off everything else and let your wanderings take you. This is Alan O’Campbell signing off...