My last day in the Seattle Met offices was Friday. But oh man, it was a busy one. So, in a move that didn’t surprise my editor at all, I asked for a deadline extension on this, my final Sauced post.

Where to begin? When Sauced started out three years ago, we called it a "nightlife" blog, and while I was happy to write a nightlife blog, I wasn’t totally sure what that was. Really though, what is nightlife? I picture a club with velvet ropes and muscley bouncers, Lada Gaga remixes and Lindsey Lohan stumbling into a limo.

I didn’t really get it.

So I just started going to bars a lot, and as I did that more and more I discovered something a lot of people in Seattle already knew: That we have a cocktail scene full of creative, collaborative, interesting people. And they wanted to talk.

From the start, though, this blog was supposed to be about you. Readers. People who wanted to read about our drinking scene. And so I tried to bring these fascinating booze characters and happenings to you. For helping me do this, I want to thank all of the bartenders, bar owners, and patrons who have been such generous sources and patient teachers. And for their particularly integral aid with this blog I’d like to mention Jamie Boudreau, Andrew Bohrer, Anu Apte, Rocky Yeh, Jim Romdall, Andrew Friedman, Dave Nelson, Evan Martin, Casey Robison, Erik Chapman, and Keith Waldbauer.

And what booze writer in a situation such as this would be so remiss as to not mention the great Murray Stenson? (As of yesterday, the newest bartender at Canon on Capitol Hill). I didn’t know Murray as well as I would have liked, but my admiration runs deep.

Beer and wine have also been the subject of this blog, but I can’t pretend they’ve received the same amount of attention cocktails have. I only wish I had more time to meet people like the lovely wine expert Jameson Fink. Or that guy Cody Morris—the brains behind the eccentric and delicious Epic Ales. Now that Sauced is in new hands, I hope that Washington beer and wine will get the attention they merit. I can’t say exactly what this blog will become, but I know the people in charge of those decisions will help make it better than ever. I’ll be reading.

I know I didn’t win an Oscar or anything, but if you’ll indulge me in a few more thanks, I’d also like to express gratitude to Steve Stone, Dragos Axinte, and Kirby Kallas-Lewis for helping me get my head around the distilling and booze businesses, my bosses Nicole Vogel and Katherine Koberg for the creative space they’ve always allowed, my patient family and friends for understanding the schedule Sauced demanded, James Ross Gardner (best writer in Seattle) for helping me discover what it could be, Chris Werner for holding down the Nosh Pit fort solo whenever this blog demanded attention, Kirsten Graham for making so many stories possible, Bethany Jean Clement for bar-writing worth aspiring to, and, most of all, everyone that reads this blog and has kept me honest in the comments. Blogs should always be a conversation. Without reader feedback—good, bad, angry, pedantic, serious, and silly—it doesn’t work. So thank you.

Seattle is a city full of entrepreneurial, creative people who sacrifice time and fortune to dedicate themselves to their craft, whatever that may be. It seems to me that supporting and recognizing those efforts—caring about what we consume, voting with our dollars—is at the core of this town’s culture. I have always loved that about it, and it was my distinct pleasure to bring some attention to the weird and wonderful projects here. I’ll miss doing that more than I care to think about.

Still, though, it’s time for me to sign off. So goodbye Seattle, and goodbye Sauced. I’ll be rooting for you both from afar.
Jess