Racquet Club Spirits crafts 'something that tastes good' for Palm Springs

Palm Springs is known for its midcentury architecture, outdoor leisure and history of attracting Hollywood celebrities. Racquet Club Spirits owners Brian Harke and Matthew Winks took all those things and put them into a bottle – literally.

The pair worked closely with New Alchemy Distillery in El Dorado Hills to produce a vodka with hints of vanilla and lemon, and a smoky bourbon featuring flavors of caramel, vanilla and chocolate. Harke, a marketing director, and Winks, a TV commercial producer, also worked on a classic bottle design with a vintage label.

"We're about giving our consumers a good experience," Winks said. "Something that tastes good and they're going to like, makes them feel a certain way and has a certain vibe when they're drinking it."

Racquet Club Spirits launched in November and is served at The Tropicale Restaurant and Lounge, Eight4Nine Restaurant and Lounge, and Chill Bar in Palm Springs. It can also be found at Mirage Wine and Liquor in Palm Springs, Total Wine and More in Palm Desert and racquetclubspirits.com.

The company's website lists many well-known cocktail recipes their liquors can be used for, such as the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour, regular and espresso Martini and Lemon Twist.

The Racquet Club of Palm Springs, a former resort established by Hollywood actors Ralph Bellamy and Charles Farrell in 1934, inspired the branding.

The resort had two tennis courts and a swimming pool, but was also a party haven for Hollywood stars. Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor, Errol Flynn, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner were regular guests, and Marilyn Monroe is said to have been discovered there. A massive fire destroyed the hotel in 2014.

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"Bourbon was part of that time in Palm Springs history," Winks said. "People who hung out at the Racquet Club were bourbon drinkers. That was the liquor of the day and (bourbon) is having a moment right now. It was really important for us to include that in our company."

Chill Bar Palm Springs owner Rob Giesecke said they're keeping with the brand's identify and serving Racquet Club Spirits in classic cocktails such as the Rose Kennedy and Manhattan, adding the feedback from customers has been "tremendous."

"Customers are impressed with the clean taste of the vodka with its slightly sweet finish. The bourbon has wonderful depth," Giesecke said. "They are both great spirits for mixing or enjoying with minimal additions, like a Martini or Old Fashioned."

Giesecke said there are benefits to having local-crafted spirits at Chill Bar Palm Springs.

"We think locals enjoy seeing their community reflected in the selections we have," Giesecke said. "Even more than that, out-of-town visitors get excited about trying something they can’t get at home. We try to offer something local in as many categories as possible. Beers, liquors, coffee and our food. The Coachella Valley has a lot to offer if you’re will to try something new."

The vodka is run through a carbon filter with coconut husks, which don't deposit any flavor into it, but adds a connection to Palm Springs, the label and the resort.

"There's actually thought that went into them as a craft brand versus just being produced," Harke said. "We designed it for our audience – the easy taste and drinkability of it all, and the whole concept behind the Racquet Club was designed to be for our consumer."

The early stages

The spirits went into development four years ago. Harke and Winks applied their knowledge of marketing and advertising after meeting with the distillers and distributors. It was everything they sought – working for themselves, doing something that was "sexy and fun" and providing an opportunity to use some of their creativity.

But it's not easy to make your own liquor. The spirits industry is full of regulation and requires approval, licensing and trademarking. After finding a distiller, there's a series of tastings to find the correct flavor profile based on samples provided, and then you have to create a label and a bottle.

"It's all there for a reason," Winks said. "But if you're passionate about it and if you've come at it the right way surrounding yourself with the right people, then you do well."

The bourbon is aged for four years. Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 ages at four to seven years. Other common brands like Maker's Mark age for six years and Knob Creek advertises its bourbon aged at nine years. Many brands have created 12-year bourbons, but Harke said they don't plan to do that in the future.

"I don't think (the bourbon) would be as approachable," Harke said. "We want to stay at a good price point where people will be able to afford it and it doesn't become an elite brand."

Before they took a leap on creating spirits, Harke was a former Dean of Students at University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts until 2019. He has also produced commercials and marketing campaigns for The Walt Disney Co., Microsoft Corp., Procter & Gamble Co., American Express Co. and more. Winks still produces commercials for several clients.

They divide their time between Los Angeles and Palm Springs and, after being part-time residents for eight years, are planning to move full-time to their home in The Movie Colony neighborhood.

"We're super excited about that," Winks said. "It's gotten to the point where we just hate coming back to Los Angeles and we're there about two-thirds of the time. Palm Springs is home for sure."

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye. Support local news, subscribe to The Desert Sun.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Racquet Club Spirits crafts 'something that tastes good' for Palm Springs