Venue of the Week

It’s not too often that you get to attend a “first,” but Friday happened to be the first live music event at The Good Pour in Longwood. If you missed it, you missed a memorable night! “Girls Night Out” attracted a bevy of beautiful ladies (and some lucky guys) that enjoyed the music of Casey Michael as well as numerous beverage tastings both inside the store and out on the patio. A free tasting of specialty wine, liquor, beer or champagne is nothing new at the Good Pour, and every week there seems to be at least one special event at the Longwood store (for example, this Thursday from 4-9 pm features “Bourbon & BBQ”). What started Friday though, and is planned to start occurring monthly, is the pairing of live music with the tasting. Most events at The Good Pour, like Girls Night Out and Bourbon & BBQ, are free.

The Good Pour is not a bar; it’s a wine and spirits marketplace that infuses retail with philanthropy. When you shop at The Good Pour, they donate a portion of their profits to the charity of your choice. I have shopped there a number of times, and the charity I chose is “K9’s for Warriors.” The “Pour Board” keeps track of these donations, and currently shows over $1400 donated to my chosen charity (no, not all of that is from my purchases!) and over $150,000 donated to over 100 charities! The following is a quote taken from The Good Pour website: “For years, we dreamt about harnessing the strength of the wine and spirits industry and transforming it into an experience with more heart. The Good Pour is that dream come true thanks to a team that is diverse in talent and united by purpose. Together we are elevating the way you shop for wine and spirits while reshaping the way we support nonprofits.” I think that’s a pretty cool way to do business!

If you’re looking for the Longwood store (there is also a Gainesville location and other Florida locations opening soon), the address is 2648 W. SR 434 (about a mile west of I-4, where the old True Value store was located). The website is goodpour.com. If you are a musician looking to perform at a future event, you can send an email to [email protected]. They are looking for all genres of music, and right now are seeking solo performers. The Good Pour is open every day, and I can verify what they told me: “we know how to throw a party!”