One Year In.Well, we made it through our first year. And what a hell of a year it's been. If you've ever watched a show, read an article, or scrolled past a video about the chaos of opening and operating a restaurant, we're here to tell you: it's all true. And somehow, it's even worse. But what those stories don't always capture is how humbling, humanizing, and genuinely rewarding this whole experience can be. We've watched people who used to stop by the tasting room a handful of times a year become familiar faces at Hills once a month, sometimes once a week. We've had the privilege of celebrating 50th birthdays, 63rd anniversaries, job promotions, rehearsal dinners, and countless other milestones. We've met people who walked through our doors as strangers and left feeling like friends. People who've reminded us, time and time again, why we decided to do this in the first place. Of course, it hasn't all been sunshine and perfectly shaken martinis. We've lost employees. We've lost friendships. We've screwed up orders, run out of things, had to turn people away, and occasionally had to tell someone they weren't welcome back. And if you're ever in need of a good laugh, sort our Yelp reviews by lowest rating. (Cris handles all the responses, by the way. We'll let you decide whether that's a good thing.) We laugh about some of it now, but we'd be lying if we said the hard moments didn't hit us. They do. Hard. When you put this much of yourself, your family, your time, and your livelihood into something, it's impossible not to take some of it personally. But the good? The good is what keeps us going. The guest who comes back and brings a friend. The couple celebrating an anniversary. The familiar faces who pull up a stool and ask what's new. The people who take a chance on a cocktail they've never heard of, or a spirit they've never tried. And our team. The people who show up, put in the work, contribute ideas, challenge us, and help make this place what it is. Because none of this happens in a vacuum. At the end of the day, we're not saving lives or changing the world. However, we believe there's something pretty important about bringing people together, making them feel welcome, and giving them a place to enjoy the moment.We take that responsibility seriously, even when we don't take ourselves too seriously. We're proud of what we've built. We're also well aware of how much we still have to learn. We're going to keep trying things, changing things, getting some things wrong, and hopefully getting a whole lot more right. So, to everyone who's walked through our doors, shared a meal, raised a glass, offered encouragement, given us honest feedback, or simply told someone else about us: Thank you. Thank you for giving us a chance. Thank you for coming back. Thank you for supporting our family and the people who work alongside us. We truly hope you enjoy what this team has put together, because every bit of it is a collective effort. Here's to you. Here's to them. And here's to whatever comes next. We hope to see you soon. The Family & Team at Dry Diggings Distillery and Hills Cocktails & Dining
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