Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1013885
august 2018 / the tasting panel / 5 hen fourth-generation vintner August Sebastiani set out to purchase a former firehouse in his hometown of Sonoma, California, in 2014, he was unaware its existence was already woven into his family's legacy. He envisioned the building as the future home for a beverage company, but as Sebastiani dug through old newspaper archives to learn more about the property during the escrow process, he located a 1945 advertise- ment advocating for "Props 1 and 2" to construct a new firehouse. The announcement was sponsored by the Sonoma Volunteer Fire Department and listed the crew's names—one of whom was Sebastiani's grandfa- ther, August. After Sebastiani shared this unexpected find with his family, his aunt revealed she still had his grandfather's three service badges, and the company's rebranding effort was quickly resolved with the launch of 3 Badge Beverage Corporation. For Sebastiani, the badges serve as a symbol of his family's public service and longtime commitment to the Sonoma community: His father, Don, volunteered at that same firehouse in addition to serving three terms in the California State Legislature. "3 Badge gives us the chance to tell our story through local philanthropy," says Sebastiani, who served on the Sonoma City Council from 2006 to 2010. 3 Badge initially launched as a premier négociant and has since expanded to include spirits: Sebastiani reinforces that the company wears this label with pride as it continues to seek out expert artisans to create new and distinctive products. "We like to travel the world and find choice lots to the extent that they're aged," Sebastiani says in reference to the company's Kirk and Sweeney 12 Year Old Rum. Other portfolio members FORGING AN "There are bubbles and imperfections and we love that. It's all part of the character," Sebastiani says of the Pasote bottles, which are made with handblown glass. Identi AUGUST SEBASTIANI OF 3 BADGE BEVERAGE DISCUSSES THE CRAFT BEHIND PORTFOLIO BRANDS LIKE PASOTE by Michelle Ball / photos by Jeremy Ball