by Kirby Lindsay, posted 30 December 2013
For January 2014, The Barrel Thief Wine & Whiskey Bar offers a substantial selection of tastings, workshops and social gatherings – in addition to its daily wine, whiskey, tea, chocolate and food offerings.
On January 7th, Barrel Thief owner/manager Christopher Gronbeck will teach a workshop on maraschino cherries – how to make them at home, all year long. On January 15th, he’ll be hosting a rye tasting. On the first and third Sundays, he has on the schedule a Tango social dance hour – called a milonga. The second Sunday, January 12th, the Barrel Thief welcomes back Gabriela Condrea and her popular new Tango Speed DatingTM event. If all of that weren’t enough, on January 22nd, a limited number of pre-registered bourbon fans can taste Pappy Van Winkle, the number one bourbon in the world.
‘Texture And Depth’
This is only about half of the complete list. Gronbeck has scheduled events held regularly at The Barrel Thief, including a monthly whiskey tasting (he’s done scotch and bourbon, and rye in January, so February will be ‘none of the above.’) Weekly, on Fridays, The Barrel Thief hosts wine tastings with Bartholomew Winery featured on January 17th, Stevens Winery on January 24th, and Parejas Cellars on January 31st.
“It is a lot,” Gronbeck agreed cheerfully about the list. He didn’t brag, or show signs of exhaustion either. “I have a pretty good capacity to organize things,” he explained, “I had the flu a few weeks ago, and I came in and set some stuff up but my staff pulled it off.”
While many think ‘bar’ and envision a dark place to nurse a drink, Gronbeck offers an alternative idea. “I like to think this place has a lot more texture and depth than that,” he said. He wants to offer The Barrel Thief as a place for drinks, but also for fun, for food and for learning.
Share The Knowledge
The maraschino cherry workshop on the 7th began with Gronbeck’s own quest for knowlege. He’d wanted to make maraschinos from canned cherries for when the fruit is out-of-season. Once he succeeded, he decided he could to share his findings with others equally curious. The Pappy Van Winkle tasting comes from a similar source – Gronbeck has never tasted the very exclusive bourbon either, and he thought he’d share this opportunity with his customers. The milongas, and the Tango events hosted by Gabriela Condrea, also emerged from Gronbeck’s own interest in the dance.
Perhaps these personal inspirations make it easier to understand why so many Barrel Thief events are free, or have only a minimal fee attached. The maraschino making workshop costs $20, but that only covers the supplies required to make an 8 oz. jar of cherries that students will take home. Ultimately, Gronbeck explained, “I’m not a place that makes money on workshops. My events generally break-even.”
‘A Meeting Place’
“I’ve always envisioned this as a meeting place,” Gronbeck said, “an educational place.” He encourages more people, like Condrea, to host their own events at The Barrel Thief, and he doesn’t have a rental fee or minimum drink schedule set. Gronbeck has also, rearranged the bar’s interior, over the holidays, to provide more open and flexible space, and to incorporate a new booth he acquired from The RE Store. He’s also created a potential ‘private room’ for smaller gatherings.
“I really appreciate it when people bring in other people,” Gronbeck explained. So far, he reported, the Barrel Thief has attracted a wide variety of people, in ages and interests, and he hopes to continue to draw a dynamic crowd interested in being engaged.
Innovative And Dynamic
Today, The Barrel Thief does meet the typical bar expectations. No flat screen t.v.s or loud music, but it has an impressive selection of whiskeys plus just about the largest selection of ‘by the glass’ wines around (over 150 labels.) Pouring wine using an argon gas dispenser – so that air never enters the bottle – The Barrel Thief can give a fresh glass of just about any wine a customer wants to try. Gronbeck developed the ability to do this from his own curiosity and interest in innovation, two characteristics that this business strongly reflects.
After all, in September 2012 as one of the first tenants of the Saturn Building, the business began as a coffee shop/wine bar called Wine Tea Chocolate. The concept was new – an attempt to create a gathering place people could visit both morning and evening – and didn’t quite work. Recently, Gronbeck observed how Wine Tea Chocolate required him to work 95 hours a week, and maintain a larger staff. All that effort, he observed, and he barely broke even. “It wasn’t really resonating,” he also observed.
In mid-2013, Gronbeck decided he’d had it. And, according to him, “if I hadn’t had investors, I might have just ended it.” Instead, he tamed his vision, and changed the name to The Barrel Thief. “This is more concise,” he explained, “I think people understand it better.” Not that he gave up entirely. As Gronbeck said, “I still have wine, tea and chocolate,” he pointed to the cabinets near the bar, “but it isn’t the brand.”
Instead, the Barrel Thief brand has become more dynamic, with activities and tastings galore, but held only in the afternoons and evenings. To find out more about what is going on, check the Barrel Thief calendar. To find out how easy it could be to host an event there, contact Gronbeck at christopher@bthief.com.
No matter what your interest, it might be time to try out some wine, whiskey and/or education this month…
Related Articles
- Open Up To Possibilities With ‘Tango Speed Dating’
- by Kirby Lindsay, November 6, 2013
- The Ease Of Events
- by Kirby Lindsay, August 7, 2013
- David Roman Produces ‘Dinner Theater With A Bite’
- by Kirby Lindsay, June 29, 2012
- Come Join the Fans, And Fun, Of Karaokegrass
- by Kirby Lindsay, November 1, 2013
©2013 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.