Mattress storein Downtown Charleston, SC

At the end of last year, Charleston-based beverage store Sèchey teased that its curated products would be available in a mass retailer — namely, Target. Now, 1,300 stores across the country are stocked with five nonalcoholic (NA) beverage packs exclusive to Target, just in time for dry January.

Owner Emily Heintz launched Sèchey in 2021 and opened the first brick-and-mortar Sèchey location on King Street in 2022, eventually moving locations several times before landing at 540 King St. Now, in addition to shopping Sèchey’s curated selection of no and low-ABV drinks on King Street, you can find some of Sèchey’s best-selling brands at your local Target, sold in exclusive variety packs.

The Target collaboration also marks the launch of Sèchey’s line of dealcoholized wine, which was created by Heintz with one of the world’s leading wineries specializing in the dealcoholization process. The holiday release of Sèchey wine features a sparkling cuvée blanc, still rosé? and pinot noir.

Heintz described Sèchey’s exclusive Target products as a “shop within a shop,” with the goal of introducing NA products to a wider audience. “It can be very confusing, with so many options,” she said of the rapidly growing NA market. She hopes the Target collaboration will open doors to a much wider audience of future NA drinkers.

Locally, the curated selection can be found on shelves at Targets downtown and in North Charleston and Summerville.

In a 2022 Charleston City Paper interview, Heintz explained she saw a hole in the market for folks looking for a singular source from which to shop NA beverages. “I felt that if I’m feeling this way, I’m sure there’s so many other people feeling this too and want alternatives to drinking,” she said.

With a collaboration with one of the nation’s largest retailers, it’s clear that Heintz’s hunch was a good one.

The five best-selling Sèchey brands involved in the Target collaboration include Surely, an NA wine made with California grapes that use the same fermentation process as traditional winemaking, and Ghia, which is inspired by Mediterranean aperitivo culture and features The Le Spritz Variety Pack, created exclusively for Sèchey with flavors like ginger, lime and salt and sumac and chili.

“Guests should have confidence they’ll like what’s in there,” said Heintz of the specially selected Target products. That confidence stems from quality products that actually taste good — so good that even booze-focused customers could find something they like. “We don’t want anyone to think you can’t shop us if you drink alcohol,” said Heintz.

And it’s clear, if a January 2023 Forbes article is any indication, that NA consumers aren’t just fully sober folks. Kate Dingwall wrote: “One of the biggest drivers of the non-alcoholic market isn’t abstainers — it’s regular drinkers looking to break up their alcohol with thoughtful, delicious no- or low-proof options.” As Heintz said, NA bevs are “just another tool in your shed.”

While it may feel counterintuitive, Heintz said in the new year Sèchey is going to start carrying more alcoholic products. Adding alcohol into Sèchey’s inventory works with the company’s mission, though, said Heintz, who emphasized that Sèchey is inspired by the French word for dry, but her store is “dry-ish.”

“We’re a modern bottle shop; we have a beer and wine license,” said Heintz. “We’re a little more dry-ish, with a small very curated assortment [of alcohol].”

The store also carries hemp-infused products, and Heintz said adding in this third element and experimenting with different brands has been fun for both her and the consumers. “People want a holistic approach. We drink for a variety of reasons. Letting people know of alternatives like chocolates and gummies and all those things … if you are going to consume [something], what do you want to get out of it? Is it a feeling? Is it to help you sleep or give you energy or a little buzz?”

Now, no matter what feeling you’re after, you can find NA drinks to celebrate at Targets across the country, created and curated by Sèchey. When you cheers in the new year, you can feel confident that you’ll have a wider variety of beverages from which to choose. As Heintz said: “People are realizing you can toast with something that’s not water or coffee.”

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I’ve read a lot lately in The Post and Courier about water and flooding. I’d like to offer a few thoughts and possible solutions to some of the problems.

A lot of downtown streets flood at high tide. There’s a reason for that. The city filled in creeks and lowlands, and then built on them.

The city is always not far above sea level. The ocean seems to be reclaiming its natural boundaries.

There is talk of building a wall to keep the water out.

How high will it be? Will it keep growing until there is a walled city?

What about West Ashley and other areas? They have flooding also. Will they have walls? And at what cost for all of this?

There is no shortage of water. There is the same amount of water as in the beginning.

We have neither lost water nor created more.

Some of it is just in the wrong places for us.

Fresh water in the headlands flows in rivers toward the oceans, with some being used along the way. Water evaporates and returns to the earth and oceans as fresh water, most often in the form of rain and snow.

We recycle the same water, some of it purified through swamps and returned to the water table.

Then we fill the swamps in and build on them. And we worry about flooding.

There is plenty of water in the oceans, but it is salty, and we are concerned about it rising and flooding our cities. There is a growing need for fresh water, in some areas there is a shortage.

Navy ships have evaporators that remove the salt from ocean water and provide fresh water for the ships’ needs.

We should build evaporators along the coasts that could provide enough fresh water for all our needs and reduce the threat of the ocean rising.

This would require investment in new facilities. Nuclear energy could be used.

Nuclear reactors are safe: No Navy ships or submarines have ever had a problem with them.

This probably would be better than building walls.

BOB KNIGHT

Charleston

For decades my family has tried to preserve Charleston’s rich cultural heritage.

My grandmother, Margaret Simons Middleton, was an early president of the Preservation Society and wrote groundbreaking books about Colonial artists Jeremiah Theus and Henrietta de Beaulieu Johnston.

My father, Mendel Rivers, was instrumental in saving the Custom House at the corner of East Bay and Market streets and floating Marshlands plantation house from the Naval Base to James Island.

In 1970, he persuaded a reluctant Ted Stern to become president of the College of Charleston and helped save it from extinction.

I have had the privilege of serving on the board of the Ladies Benevolent Society, an organization founded in 1813 at the Nathaniel Russell House by Mrs. Nathaniel Russell, her two daughters and her sister, Mary Christina Gregorie.

The society was the first effort in the nation to provide nursing for the poor.

Ladies of the group visited needy patients with a pound of sugar, a pint of lamp oil and other essentials.

In recognition, the Ladies Benevolent Society continues to meet annually in the Russell House.

The original box containing the group’s papers is on permanent display. This should be another consideration of why the Russell House should not be sold.

As a former professional guide at Winterthur Museum in Delaware, I join the chorus of individuals who deplore the decision of the Historic Charleston Foundation to divest itself of Charleston’s most glorious house museum.

If the foundation’s leaders do not wish to honor its founding mission and retain the goodwill it has garnered over the years, I urge them to resign and promote their advocacy programs elsewhere.

MARGARET (PEG) M.R. EASTMAN

Charleston

Newly elected Charleston Mayor William Cogswell should have a Second Sunday on King Street every Sunday.

THOMAS MADEJ

Summerville

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Letters can be a maximum of 250 words and are subject to editing for clarity, tone and libel. They must carry the writer’s name and address for publication and a daytime telephone number for verification.

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Stony Brook is giving their home crowd exactly what they were hoping for. They have jumped out to a quick 45-38 lead against Charleston.

Stony Brook came into the matchup with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Charleston Cougars @ Stony Brook Seawolves

Current Records: Charleston 10-4, Stony Brook 8-6

We've got another exciting Coastal Athletic matchup on schedule as the Charleston Cougars and the Stony Brook Seawolves are set to tip at 6:31 p.m. ET on January 6th at Island Federal Credit Union Arena. We saw both of these teams recently pull out wins they weren't expected to get, so we'll see who gives it right back.

Charleston had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 15.4 points), and they went ahead and made it six on Thursday. They walked away with a 73-61 victory over the Pride.

Charleston can attribute much of their success to Bryce Butler, who scored 18 points along with five rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Butler has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of CJ Fulton, who scored five points along with eight assists.

Meanwhile, the Seawolves beat the Huskies 62-53 on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back wins for Stony Brook.

Among those leading the charge was Tyler Stephenson-Moore, who scored 21 points along with three steals.

The Cougars are on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. As for the Seawolves, their victory bumped their record up to 8-6.

Saturday's game is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Charleston have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 40.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Stony Brook struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Looking forward, Charleston is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by six points. This will be their first time playing as the favorites on the road this season.

Charleston is a solid 6-point favorite against Stony Brook, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 6-point spread, and stayed right there.

The over/under is set at 153 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Charleston has won both of the games they've played against Stony Brook in the last year.

Prohibition didn't even put a dent in the timeline of America's oldest liquor store. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the business known today as Tavern at Rainbow Row kept right on catering to the whims of locals looking for an illicit tipple throughout the nationwide ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol that ran from 1920 to 1933. We can only guess the early 20th-century proprietors of the long-running mercantile were less than impressed by the booze-busting efforts of Elliot Ness and his famed FBI team, the Untouchables. After all, previous owners of the business, founded in 1686, likely encountered far more menacing characters — notorious 17th-century pirates including Blackbeard, Anne Bonney, and Thomas Tew were known to frequent the area.

The long-running liquor emporium, originally a seafarer's tavern, sits on a bluff overlooking the Port of Charleston. Historic documents and maps found in The Netherlands and in Scotland reveal the centuries-old business has been known by many names during its 300-plus year run, including Tavern on the Bluff, Harris's Tavern, and Mrs. Coates Tavern by the Bay. Through the centuries, it's been both a tavern and a retailer, but not always at the same time. From 1903 until the start of Prohibition, the business operated as a whiskey store. Maybe that's why it so seamlessly went underground for the duration of the U.S. ban on alcohol.

Hidden In Plain Sight

Its location on a bluff near the harbor came in handy during Prohibition, offering easy access for rum runners making clandestine deliveries. To conceal its illicit operation, the then-owners of the storied establishment disguised the business as a run-of-the-mill barbershop. Illegal entrepreneurs made deliveries through an out-of-sight door into a back room where a trapdoor led to a network of tunnels connecting the bootleg distributor to speakeasies throughout the city of Charleston. When the U.S. government repealed Prohibition, the liquor store reopened to the public, never missing a beat.

Located across from Charleston's Rainbow Row — a historic district where the streets are lined with pastel-painted houses — today's Tavern at Rainbow Row still operates as the neighborhood liquor store, but with a twist. In addition to selling commonly known beer, wine, and spirits, the shop specializes in unique commodities, like locally made moonshine and vodka made from seashore black rye, a variety of grain considered extinct until the discovery of a small patch growing on Edisto Island in South Carolina's Low Country. The business also lays claim to occupying the oldest commercial building in South Carolina, complete with the original hardwood floors and a collection of vintage liquor bottles. And, according to some reports, the building may even be haunted.

In a thrilling display of basketball prowess, Samford bulldozed The Citadel, securing a decisive 80-64 victory. The match unraveled with a potent blend of strategic play and raw athleticism, astonishing spectators and setting a new benchmark in the sporting arena.

Samford: A Display of Dominance

Samford’s team performance was nothing short of spectacular. The team showcased an effective field goal percentage of 51.6%, coupled with a free throw percentage of 75%, cementing their dominance on the court. Their performance from beyond the arc was impressive as well, with an 8-23 record on three-point goals – a success rate of 34.8%.

Samford’s Graziani stood out, chipping in significantly to the win with two three-pointers, four steals, and a total of nine points. Achor also put up a noteworthy performance, contributing two block shots and nine points, bolstering Samford’s defensive prowess. The team demonstrated strong defensive skills, securing a total of 14 steals that further accentuated their performance.

The Citadel: A Valiant Effort

Contrasting Samford’s display, The Citadel managed a commendable field goal percentage of 47.1% and a free throw percentage of 80%. Morgan was a standout performer for The Citadel, scoring an impressive 29 points, inclusive of seven three-pointers. However, the team’s higher number of turnovers, totaling 18, proved detrimental to their game. Millora-Brown accounted for six of these turnovers, making a significant dent in The Citadel’s performance.

Despite the setback, The Citadel made commendable efforts in block shots, led by K. Davis with two, contributing to the team’s overall count of four. Yet, despite their best efforts, they couldn’t overcome Samford’s lead, leading to their defeat.

Summing Up the Showdown

The match was a testament to Samford’s strategic gameplay and defensive skills, reflected in their effective field goal and free throw percentages, and their impressive record on three-point goals. Players like Graziani and Achor played pivotal roles in leading Samford to victory, underscoring the team’s depth of talent.

While The Citadel showcased a commendable performance, their higher number of turnovers and inability to match Samford’s defensive prowess resulted in their defeat. Despite the loss, players like Morgan and K. Davis showcased remarkable individual performances, reminding us of the team’s potential.

In the end, the game was a narrative of strategic plays, individual brilliance, and team spirit, leaving spectators and players alike eagerly anticipating their next encounter.