Opening of the Senza Maeso distillery and tasting room

With standing room only available inside the Senza Maeso Tasting Room this past Saturday, the Senza Maeso Distillery and Tasting Room held its grand opening. Outside, guests listened to live music and vendors offered a variety of things for sale, including Senza Maeso merchandise.

Brothers Jay and Ryan Gitman have teamed up to produce an unusual hybrid spirit and liqueur created using South American Cape gooseberries. Bottled at a higher strength than traditional liqueurs with no added sugars, the taste is lively, balanced and complex with notes of apricot and citrus. It can be drunk neat, on ice or in a classic cocktail. The brothers also created a corn-based vodka called RAY Vodka.

Senza Maeso, a hybrid Spanish-Italian term meaning “masterless,” reflects a brand built on years of experimentation with unique spirits. Located at 1090 FM32 in San Marcos, less than a mile from the junction of RR12 and FM32, the upscale roadhouse-style tasting room and bar was inspired by sci-fi themes. Tasting room hours are Thursday through Monday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.