Accolades for Griffo Distillery spirits

Petaluma has some excellent food and drink makers, turning out high quality products, from beer to cheese to distilled spirits. Although it is always joyous to see Petaluma-area products garner international attention, it is more of a confirmation of what we already knew and not a complete revelation.

Petaluma’s Griffo Distillery has won a lot of awards over the years, however it has never pulled off quite the sweep they just did at the Seattle International Spirits Awards (SISA.) At a recent two-day single-blind evaluation of local, regional, national and international artisan, craft and popular distilled products and liqueurs from around the world, Griffo took home seven awards, including Silver (Barreled Gin), Gold (Stony Point Whiskey and Brandy VSOP), Double Gold (Scott St. Gin, Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, and Brandy) and Best in Class for their Scott St. Gin.

“We love what we make, but now we know the pros do too!” Griffo posted on Facebook announcing their big wins.

“Stillwater (Moylan’s) and Griffo topped the list winning more awards than any other distilleries in the world, bringing home a combined 12 awards for our little town of Petaluma,” Jenny Griffo said. “It’s exciting to think about what this means for our town. I personally hope we embrace the art of distilling as it seems so intrinsically Petaluman to me - the grains, the machinery, the art, all of it.”

A fan of gin in my younger, sillier days, and not for the taste, it took a Griffo cocktail prepared by Danielle Peters at the former Drawing Board (now Whisper Sisters) for me to realize that cocktails can actually taste good. Through her choice of superior ingredients, including locally crafted spirits, Danielle quickly taught me that the lousy cocktails of my youth, using bottom-shelf booze, are in a completely different category than those available to us today. I still would not call myself a cocktail person, but if I see a Griffo bottle behind the bar, I am wont to see what that particular bartender will do with their excellent elixirs.

For those who may be in the same boat and not willing to commit to purchasing a whole bottle of gin or whiskey for fear it may go to waste, this weekend’s Petaluma Drinks event (June 15 and 16) gives locals and visitors alike a chance to visit Petaluma’s tasting rooms, including Griffo’s Scott Street distillery, where both bottle tastings as well as cocktails are available. (www.PetalumaDrinks.com)

Or if you are simply looking for a nice gift for dad, visit Griffo on Sunday, June 16 from 12:30 to 6 p.m. for a day of tastings, snacks and happy hour cocktails. Dads will receive 10% off all bottles and merchandise. And if space is still available, sign up for a tour at noon to kick off your tasting.

Griffo is also starting a Griffo Event Club that will give free access to private events as well as a pre-party with food and special cocktails before their monthly comedy nights and story slams. The next such story slam is tomorrow, Friday, June 14, from 8 to 11 p.m. The theme is Stories of Courage – from Guts to Nuts.

Eight names will be drawn out of a hat to tell their 5-minute story, which has to be true, be about you, and can’t be a rant or stand-up. Kay DeMartini of “Storytelling Works” and www.KayDeMartini.com is the emcee/producer with Mary Carouba, co-author of “Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion,” performer, presenter, storyteller and multiple Moth winner as the featured storyteller. Tickets are available through Griffo’s website and profits from the show go to COTS, the Committee on the Shelterless.

Griffo also invites visitors to their periodic bottlings but they usually book up immediately upon their announcement. For this reason, those interested in this, other upcoming story slams and comedy nights and especially the brand new Griffo Event Club, fans are advised to sign up their email newsletter at www.griffodistillery.com and like their Facebook page.