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“Elevate your ethanol” is the slogan for a new Santa Barbara shop that’s found a nice niche in its quest to help people get out of their cocktail comfort zone.

Still opened downtown at 37 E. Ortega St. late last year to an enthusiastic audience of bartenders looking for tools, locals searching for gifts and hopeful cocktail connoisseurs.

“There’s nothing like us local,” said owner Jeremy Bohrer, who has spent more than 15 years in the alcohol evaluating and selling business, most recently at K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood. “The craft cocktail has really come alive again. Before you just mixed rum and Coke in your home. People come in and ask for suggestions all the time.”


Shakers, jiggers, bar spoons, vintage glassware, books and locally crafted wooden muddlers and wine stoppers are some of the wares on Still’s shelves, which plan to soon boast spirits and a liquor license to sell the beverages Bohrer pitches to customers.

In the meantime, a bitters tasting bar has drawn plenty of attention.

Gone are the days of fruity drinks, said Bohrer, who was excited to be at the forefront of a cocktail renaissance that puts more emphasis on old-fashioned whiskey drinks, manhattans and other kindred spirits.

CPA Firm Opens

Ballew & Fuhrman CPAs has opened in Santa Barbara at 3 W. Carrillo St., Suite 215.

The boutique accounting firm specializes in income tax preparation, tax planning, audit representation, elder care, bookkeeping and property management.

Jeremy Ballew and Michael Fuhrman bring a vast array of accounting and tax knowledge to the firm, allowing for efficient transactions for clients in a multitude of different industries.

Union Bank Hires Vincent Caballero

Union Bank managing director Vincent Caballero has been named as regional manager for the bank’s consumer and businesses banking division in Santa Barbara County, overseeing operations of area retail branches.

Caballero has nearly 30 years of industry experience, and he joined Union Bank in 2010 as a regional manager of the San Fernando Valley.

Before Union Bank, he was a senior vice president and premier market manager for Bank of America and started his career as a vice president and district manager for Wells Fargo Bank.

Mike Hamilton Joins RRM

Mike Hamilton has joined RRM’s Civil Engineering Group as manager of engineering for its Santa Barbara office.

As a licensed civil engineer, Hamilton, a Santa Barbara native, has more than 15 years of local experience in municipal, commercial, institutional and residential project types.

His previous engineering experience includes work on the Santa Barbara City College New West Campus Building, Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology, Bell Riviera workforce housing in Santa Barbara and The Loop mixed-use development in Isla Vista.

Hamilton is an officer with the Central Coast chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies, a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a certified Qualified Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Developer/Practitioner.

Pierre Lafond Restaurant Closes

The Pierre Lafond restaurant at 516 State St. in downtown Santa Barbara has closed its doors.

No word yet on what will go into the space, and the owners could not be reached for comment.

— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.