It’s a marriage made in cocktail heaven.
Durty Gurl Cocktail Mixers purchased 2nd City Distillery at Riverwalk and Eighth Street earlier this month.
Dino Dakuras, Durty Gurl president, said he and business partners decided to purchase the distillery after researching the ready-to-drink cocktail market and seeing its potential.
“It made sense to integrate both organizations,” he said. “That was the main reason for the purchase.”
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Durty Gurl, based in Evans, took over operations of 2nd City Sept. 1. Dakuras emphasizes the continuity between 2nd City’s strong homegrown ties and presence and the continuity of its brand and operations.
2nd City co-founder David Long developed the Transfusion, a ready-to-drink cocktail comprised of grape juice, ginger ale and vodka that proved well-received for Durty Gurl, which then approached the Augusta distillery and its Edgefield, S.C. counterpart, Carolina Moon. As Durty Gurl had licenses to sell spirits in both Georgia and South Carolina, combining with the two distilleries seemed like a lucrative decision, Dakuras said.
“The vision behind the organization is to create that local type of connection, whether it be through our drinks or through the brick and mortars that we have,” said Dakuras. “But what is going to stay the same first and foremost is our connection to the local community.”
The most significant change will be that there will no longer be an open bar at 2nd City, at least for now. Instead, the location will be focused on taste and tour promotions.
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“We’re going to invest in reorganizing the actual locations to help promote more of our taste and tours,” said Dakuras. “Really educate the local community on what David Long and his team have done over the years, which is make incredible spirits.”
The 2nd City space will be converted into a tasting room where customers may pay to taste certain drinks that the company will launch, learn about how they’re made, and have the option to buy full bottles when available. There are also plans to use a portion of the building as a rental facility for events. It is presently closed, but plans are underway to reopen the location by mid-October or early November.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
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