Every neighborhood has its own unique landscape, and the Belle Isle Moonshine team wants to help you navigate each of them. In our Field Guide series, we're diving a little deeper into some of our favorite neighborhoods and showcasing a few of the businesses that help to make them unique with the help of some local influencers.

Our host in Richmond will be Shanna Battle, thrifting-maven and Content Creator-in-Chief of the style blog me and Minnie. With Shanna's help, we'll explore a few of Richmond's most notable 'hoods and the stores, bars, and restaurants that make them tick. Next up: the brewery and restaurant-packed Scott’s Addition!

I love playing tourist in my own town.

Some Saturdays I find myself Googling random neighborhoods to find new hidden gems in my city to explore. Last Saturday my Google search led me to Scott’s Addition. Though this up-and-coming Richmond millennial mecca is not new to me, I’ve never really had a chance to explore it. After searching for a few suggested places to visit, I settled on Jackson & James, a men’s clothing store in the heart of the Scott’s Addition, and Tang & Biscuit, a shuffleboard social club that piqued my interest.

You really feel like you’ve entered another city upon entering Scott’s Addition. There’s no shortage of sprawling apartments, restaurants, and breweries on just about every corner. There are also little pockets of small shops weaved into the neighborhood, and that’s where I find Jackson & James.

From the second I stepped in, I felt as if I’d walked into a well-curated man cave. Before you have a chance to take a quick scan of the shop, you smell a mix of musk and sandalwood from the candles and cologne perfectly arranged on a shelf in a corner. Directly across I spotted a hanging rack of simple white t-shirts and jackets. I made a beeline but was distracted by a nearby shelf stacked with quirky bar cart accessories. A book of cocktail recipes caught my eye–the perfect holiday gift for my brother.

Next, I browsed the t-shirts, button-downs, and jackets. Now that my son is older, I’ve been looking to invest in a few items for his closet that will stand the test of teenage time. Since it seems winter is here to stay, I picked up an olive green field jacket and will keep a close eye on a green plaid shirt I think he would like.

As I made my way to browse their selection of denim, I came upon a small sitting section complete with a brown leather couch, a flat-screen TV playing SportsCenter, and a perfectly curated selection of old records tucked away in the corner. I couldn’t help but take a seat, kicking my feet up to get a recap of the week's game highlights. After browsing through the records, I take a look at a few pairs of jeans. I’ve been trying to get my dad a new pair, and their selection gave me so many options. I’ll have to bring him back to test a few out. With my goodies in hand and a date in mind to come back for some more shopping, I’m off to see what Tang & Biscuit is all about.

Upon hearing Tang & Biscuit was a “shuffleboard social club,” I was a bit intrigued. When I think of shuffleboard, I get this image of my grandparents playing with a group of age-appropriate friends on their extended retirement cruise. The second I walked in, I was greeted with lights from a larger-than-life “LOVE” sign that made the entire place glow. In the background is a colorful “Tang & Biscuit” mural, and directly across the shuffleboard court is a bar–a massive one!

I’d never played shuffleboard before but T & B manager Carrie was kind enough to give me a quick lesson. After a few minutes, I got the hang of it and challenged her to a few rounds! Midway through our game, I was served their signature Oranjutang Lightbulb–Belle Isle Black Label, triple sec, and Tang served in a lightbulb glass! With a drink in one hand and the cue in the other, I tried to push my puck in between sips of my elevated childhood drink. After a few, it was a bit hard. This is not my grandparents' shuffleboard–this is shuffleboard 2.0! I was told their version of shuffleboard was best played with a group of friends and a drink in hand, and after playing just one game sipping and shuffling, I can see why!

When we finished our last game, I made my way to the bar to refill my lightbulb and got the chance to sample a creamsicle version the bartender was testing out. Some drinks are complicated to make but this one is very simple–and the perfect complement to my brother’s cocktail book! Along with serving as the day’s taste tester (a job I took very seriously, but the way), I got the 411 on why this place is called Tang & Biscuit to begin with: in shuffleboard, the cue is the tang and the puck is the biscuit. A very simple concept with very fun results. My friends and I take turns planning monthly outings to catch up, and this place in next in the queue.

Post by Shanna Battle, founder of me and Minnie. Follow her on Instagram at @meeandminnie to get great thrifting, styling, and lifestyle tips!

All photos by Sandy Swagger Jones. She also has an awesome Instagram feed, which you should follow @sandyswaggerjones.

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Field Guide: Forest Hill

The Field Guide: Forest Hill, Richmond

June 14, 2018The Field GuideStephanie StantonComment

Saturdays were always errand days in the Battle household. My mother would drag us kids from home to the Richmond Public Library, local bookstores, and on some Saturdays, it was off to the dreaded antique shops around town. Antiquing was never fun for kids aged six, eight, and nine. We would drag our feet slowly behind her, whining about our overwhelming boredom and not so quietly praying for release from the torture we had to endure. Of course, the louder we complained the longer she stayed!

I’m not sure at what age it happened, but the antiquing became intriguing, and then exciting to me. Gone were the days when I would drag my feet behind her, wanting to leave. Instead, I would be at her heels, eager to show her something cool I’d found and listen to her tell me the story behind it. Before I enjoyed treasure hunting in a thrift store, I loved the hunt of an antique shop.

Now on Saturdays, I gladly accompany my mommy to an antique store, and we can easily lose our day - and a bit of cash - in the process. A must-visit on our Saturday antique adventures is Nest. Nestled in the middle Richmond’s Forest Hill neighborhood, I first introduced my mother to this cute, quaint little shop about three years ago when my son was a student at the elementary school directly across the street. Before you even walk into the shop, the porch is filled with vintage wheelbarrows, turn of the century dressers, and hand-crafted pottery.

After a browse outside, we turn our attention inside to the carefully curated treasures that span hundreds of years and tell a million stories. We first walk by a cart filled with vintage bar items. I’ve been carefully building my own bar cart at home, so I look to see if anything catches my eye. While I look, my mother makes her way over to a couch filled with handmade baby hats, dolls, and trinkets. She looks up and spots the most opulent chandeliers, religious pictures, and wall decor. It becomes almost sensory overload -- in a good way of course! Everywhere you turn, there are vintage goodies about, and you don’t know where to start looking.

As we make our way to the back of the shop, we stop and look over a few of the vintage housewares and then we make our way around the corner and find a “Blackmore” that caught our eyes. My mom looks over it, and as per usual, gives me a little history lesson about her right on the spot! On our way to the bathroom that’s peppered with old pictures and frames, she points out a wall of broaches (my weakness) and I must get a closer look to see if there’s one I need for my collection.

We have a few more shops we want to visit, but we need a quick fill-up before our next adventure. We walk next door to Laura Lee’s, a cute little eatery that seems like it's three restaurants in one. We start off at the bar, where we meet Ben and strike up a conversation about bar carts! I typically con my mom into getting me lunch, but today I treated her to drinks - a Diamond Dancer and a Lady Freeze's Negroni. She’s not the biggest fan of cocktails, but Ben made her a drink she loved so much she’s thinking about making it at home with the bottle of Belle Isle Ruby Red Grapefruit I got for my dad a few weeks ago.

Neither of us have been to Laura Lee’s and wanted to look around. We moved to the dining room area, finding a seat by a huge picture window that seemed to let in all the sunlight RVA has to offer. With a quick look around, we see the walls decorated with custom art, beautiful greenery, cute vintage-style booths accented by subtle industrial touches, blending the charm of the 1950’s and the minimalism of present day perfectly. We quickly scout an open door and take our adventure to an outdoor patio area that is mini botanical
garden right in the middle of the city. From a little table by a wall of flowers to a bench flanked by shrubbery, it's as if we entered another world. If you’ve ever been to any shop on Forest Hill Avenue, you know it can be a bit noisy. Back in the little garden, the noise of the city seems to halt, and for a second, you feel as if you have been transported to another place.

My mom looks at her watch, and it's time for our next antique adventure, so we take a final sip of our drinks and make our way back through the restaurant. As we make our way out the door, we know we know we’ve stumbled upon a gem and vow to come back as the summer wears on.

Post by Shanna Battle, founder of me and Minnie. Follow her on Instagram at @meeandminnie to get great thrifting, styling, and lifestyle tips!

All photos by Sandy Swagger Jones. She also has an awesome Instagram feed, which you should follow @sandyswaggerjones.

Want to explore more of Richmond?

FIELD GUIDE: CARYTOWN!

Belle Isle Moonshine is a premium, handcrafted spirit proudly hailing from Richmond, Virginia.

We take the name Belle Isle from a small, 540-acre island located smack dab in the middle of the James River where Civil War soldiers used surplus corn rations to make moonshine in copper kettles.

Belle Isle Moonshine is distilled from 100% organic corn, grown by three family farms and responsibly sourced. Once triple-distilled, we charcoal filter Belle Isle four times over. Then, we cut it with purified water right from the James River. Our infusions are made with 100% real ingredients, never artificial flavors or color. We use real grapefruits sourced from Texas and California, local honey from the Shenandoah Valley, organic habaneros grown an hour away, and freshly roasted coffee beans from the most socially conscious roastery in Richmond, Blanchard's Coffee Roasting Co.

From there, each bottle of Belle Isle Moonshine is filled, corked, labeled, and packed by hand by our Production team, who check each bottle and batch for quality assurance. Since Belle Isle is made in small batches, you can find the batch number handwritten in the bottom right corner of each bottle.

Distilled from good times and 100% organic corn.

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The Field Guide: Carytown, Richmond

May 15, 2018The Field GuideStephanie StantonComment

Every neighborhood has its own unique landscape, and the Belle Isle Moonshine team wants to help you navigate each of them. In our new Field Guide series, we're diving a little deeper into some of our favorite neighborhoods, showcasing a few of the businesses that help to make them unique with the help of some local influencers.

Richmond has so many little pockets that will make you feel as if you’ve been transported to someplace else, and Carytown is one of those places. It’s as if a small, quaint little town popped up in the middle of the city. No matter how many times you visit, you always manage to get lost in the charm it has to offer. It’s one of those really dope Instagram pictures that pops up when you’re searching hashtags for places to explore in a new town come to life. The streets are lined with cute little shops, small cafes to pop into for a slow cup of coffee and a croissant, local musicians playing live music on the street, and tasty places to eat or have a cocktail. This is the place you visit when you’re looking for a bit of a slower pace and want to get away from the hustle of your week. Carytown is the place where you re-discover old loves and stumble upon new ones.

One of my oldest loves is Ashby. She and I met years ago, and I can never leave Carytown without stopping by to say "hi." I love getting lost searching the racks, looking for someone’s trash to make my treasure. In a matter of minutes, I find a dress and some sunglasses that will be coming home with me and a pair of shoes that I plan on coming back for later. I go to purchase my items, and not wanting to feel like I’ve missed any hidden gems, I still walk the store from end to end before leaving; stopping to smell the candles and soaps made by local artisans, admiring hand crafted jewelry, and slowly doing a final once over the racks.

As I leave my old love, I go in search of a new one. After walking half a block, I stumble upon Can Can Brasserie, a little touch of Paris in the middle of Carytown. When you walk through the glass doors, your eyes jump from the little mahogany booths to the Parisian tables next to an open window (a perfect spot for people-watching) to stained glass pillars, and then to the bar that seems as if it were carefully decorated with spirit bottles from all over the world.

I take a seat at the bar, admiring the wall of spirits, and after a few moments Caleb asks me what I would like to drink. I asked him to recommend something, and he quickly whipped up a Suspended License or as he called it “The Ticket”!

Caleb and I spark up a great conversation about this and that, and he gave me the recipe to the drink he made; which reminds me, I must get a bottle of Belle Isle Honey Habanero before my first party of the summer! The conversation was so great that before I knew it thirty minutes had passed. I realized I had to make my way back to reality, but I promised I would be back soon!

When out-of-towners ask me where they should visit, Carytown is always last on my list. You may be wondering why, especially after I’ve spoken nothing but amazing things about it. I want this to be the final impression on a visitor to ensure they keep coming back for more.

Post by Shanna Battle, founder of me and Minnie. Follow her on Instagram at @meeandminnie to get awesome thrifting, styling, and lifestyle tips!

All photos by Sandy Swagger Jones. She also has an awesome Instagram feed, which you should follow @sandyswaggerjones.

Check back soon for more installments of The Field Guide!

Belle Isle Moonshine is a premium, handcrafted spirit proudly hailing from Richmond, Virginia.

We take the name Belle Isle from a small, 540-acre island located smack dab in the middle of the James River where Civil War soldiers used surplus corn rations to make moonshine in copper kettles.

Distilled from good times and 100% organic corn.