McKinney's Distillery For A Warm Welcome

When you teleport into a sim you somehow get the feeling of how it will be, and the sim I went to yesterday instantly made me feel comfortable and welcome. Like finding a cosy tavern on your journey through the snow, the atmosphere in the McKinney's Distillery was warm and friendly.

I walked through a room containing a large distillery, with some fine whiskey being made no doubt, and went into the bar where there was a glowing log fire. I sat down and started talking to my friend and colleague Hibiscus Hastings in IM, just then one of the sim owners entered the room. ComradeX Munson greeted me and I started to ask him about the distillery. He owns it with partner September McKinney and he told me that September had done most of the building work. I asked Hibiscus if she wanted to join us, and she teleported over.

Comrade told me that there will be live music in the sim starting on January 24th and a grand opening on February 7th. I asked Comrade if the sim was based on anything in real life, he told me it is in the style of a Scottish distillery and that September had a real passion to create it. He said that they had been putting it together for several months, ready for the live music events. They had praise from the highest of the SL escilons too, one of the Lindens had paid them a visit and liked it so much that they have been included in the Second Life Showcase pages.

Comrade had been telling us that September is a real life musician, just as she appeared, greeting us warmly. I asked how she felt about building the sim, she said “it’s been a bunch of fun” and Comrade said the ‘still’ and the fireplace are two of her masterpieces!” I asked September, who is a folk singer, is she wrote her own songs, she told me “I have written them, yes… but mostly I sing folk stuff …Kate Wolf, Dylan, my RL husband’s music as well.” September continued “I hope to help musicians here in SL... esp new ones that have a hard time getting onto the scene.” Comrade added “and we are having a huge grand opening party with musicians on Feb 7th”

Comrade and September offered to take Hibiscus and I on a tour of the rest of the sim, going outside onto the walkway, we could see the pretty landscape that September had created, she said “it’s not just me, (I) had help with friends, suggestions from Comrade.” It turned out that Comrade too is very talented, he had made the waterwheel situated under the distillery, and he had done a brilliant job, it was a working waterwheel, slicing through the SL river, with cogs and moving parts. The marshy landscape, complete with a stage, had dark rain clouds overhead, giving it a lot of atmosphere and Comrade said “makes you feel like you’re in Scotland” Hibiscus agreed “really beautiful and atmospheric.” “It’s a labour of love” Comrade added.

And a labour of love it is, these two people have a real passion for what they are doing and I watched people arriving while we were there, both Comrade and September greeted each one like an old friend and you can tell that this is going to be a favourite gathering place for SL residents. People can go to listen to the live music or just sit around in the comfy bar in front of the blazing log fire and chat.

Remember the live music starts on the January 24th and the grand opening party is on February 7th. I would like to thank September and Comrade for making us so welcome and wish them all the success in the future with their wonderful venture.

Janey Bracken