St. Petersburg’s Urbane Renewal S
t. Petersburg, Florida, has seen rapid growth over the last few decades. This once-sleepy beach town has recently attracted world-class art museums, high-rise condos, and a redeveloped bay-front pedestrian pier shifting the city’s focus from the gulf ’s relaxing retirees to an active cosmopolitan downtown. Recently Formula 1 reinstated the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, showing off this city to an international audience. While growing pains always accompany growth, this influx of new settlers and businesses brings with it new ideas that can transform the ordinary into something unexpected. In that regard, St. Petersburg Distillery is much like its home city. “We love to experiment,” said Master
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A growing city and its namesake distillery boost each other’s profile Written and photographed by CARRIE DOW
Distiller Warren Gardener. “We never stick to one procedure, especially in the craft industry. You have to think and see things with an open mind because you never know where you’re going to get the right answers from or your inspiration to do something.” The Jamaican-born Gardener — a 20-year Floridian — and Assistant Distiller Adam Mitton, who came from Chicago, are a part of a younger generation infusing new energy
into St. Petersburg. However, both men have been around long enough to see the effects of St. Pete’s changes both good and bad. That is why the distillery’s flagship products are made under the label Old St. Pete. “It’s really a reference about the history of St. Pete,” said Gardener. “Everybody understands that changes are going on now. If you live here, you have experienced the changes.” “It’s our way of saying that we’re part of
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