Blog Entries
NAHBS RECAP
Well, the 2012 North American Handmade Bike Show is in the books. Despite being rather bleary-eyed this morning after the long drive, we wanted to use the last sputtering, coherent thoughts still rattling around in our road-weary heads to give you a quick rundown.
Although NAHBS is dwarfed statistically by Interbike’s gargantuan size, I think most would agree that it still delivers an awe inspiring amount of cycle-centric eye candy that leaves one utterly overstimulated. Adding to the awesomeness is the collective passion of the builders and riders alike. You would be hard pressed to find another event that attracts such steadfast disciples of the bicycle.
From bamboo and carbon, to steel and wood, the world’s most carefully constructed and creatively conceived bikes were on display at the Convention Center in Sacramento, and this year’s show also boasted the highest attendance in the history of NAHBS.
For us, it’s always fun to get out and meet so many different people to convey our ideas and hear feedback. After so many cold winter months in the office toiling on our 2012 line, meeting face to face with people and sharing our story and our product is incredibly rewarding. We loved hearing about the best and most loyally patronized bike shops, which trails reign supreme in a hometown, and of course which bars and restaurants to hit up next time we pass through Somewhere, USA.
Thank you to everyone who wandered through our booth and made our NAHBS trip a complete success. Thanks also to our amigos at Dekerf and Frances for being splendid neighbors and getting us through. Lastly, a huge thank you to the people of Sacramento for being such gracious hosts and ambassadors for your community; as was mentioned before, the vibe of the city combined with the incredible weather and friendly locals made the trip a blast for us.
WELCOME
Ahh the first entry of our blog. Feels a bit like setting up a squeaky, old folding chair in the middle of an empty gymnasium. Settling in and looking around at the emptiness. Making noise, but not for anyone in particular at this exact moment of writing.
But hello. Here you are fine reader. And welcome to the Ramblings of The Warfield. I think it’s best to give you a bit of an idea of just what you might find here in this tiny corner of the world wide web.
As you’ve correctly assumed, there will be plenty of opining on craft spirits and beer and their proper recognition as the zenith of modern human achievement. There will also be tales of the adventures had in this great wilderness backyard of ours, including but not limited to: bikes, dogs, campers, trout, peaks, and goats of the alpine variety.
There’s also a distinct possibility of sharing some of the joys and tribulations of fatherhood, which seems ripe with bloggy fodder.
It’s safe to say I’ve set lofty goals for this wee blog (whose main mission is to improve SEO and the Warfield brand, so we can start out on the most honest of feet) and its robust entertainment value for you, our kind-hearted reader. In closing, thanks for being here and checking out what we’ve got going on at the Warfield. I’m certain that over the course of the many, intermittent posts we’ll become fast friends.
NEW AGE OF GIN
Over the last few weeks, we’ve had the pleasure of selling cocktails under the summer sun at the Ketchum Farmers’ Market. It’s been a blast getting to meet people and introduce them to our Mayday Vodka and No Return Gin.
One of the things we’ve heard time and again is that some folks just aren’t gin people. When we prod a bit, the reason almost invariably dates back to some hellacious gin bender of their youth. The mere mention of that hard, piney juniper bite of a traditional London Dry style gin brings back horrific, visceral memories of the poor decisions made so long ago.
We implore these gin naysayers to give our gin a try. It’s different we say. A far cry from the [insert name of offending brand that haunts their boozey nightmares] they drank far too much of long ago.
Every one of the brave souls willing to end their gin hiatus and try No Return exhibits the same reaction: bewilderment. “This isn’t gin.” “This tastes nothing like the gin I remember.” “This is actually really good.”
While we love our gin, we’re always excited to explain the renaissance that American gin is experiencing and that there’s dozens of fantastic gins around the country that taste nothing like your granddad’s gin. This is the New American style of gin.
Complex, herbaceous, botanical, floral. The New American gins being crafted today, including our No Return, cover the full spectrum of flavors, delighting gin and craft cocktail aficionados everywhere.