Bourbon is known for notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak, but SIPS Bottle Emporium in Benicia served some with a hint of Curry Saturday afternoon.
This Curry was a man— and a famous one at that. Four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, and Golden State Warriors icon Stephen Curry took the trip across the Bay to meet locals, sign autographs and promote his Gentlemen’s Cut Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey.
“We feel the support,” Curry told those gathered outside near the end of the event. “Obviously I’ve been out here for 15 years, we’ve had four championships and hopefully we can keep going back for more.”
Curry was clearly touched by the response of the community to his visit, saying days like this are what makes basketball about more than just putting a ball through a hoop for him. He said he hoped to make his fans proud with his upcoming performance at the Paris Olympics, and is looking for fans to bring some positive energy to the Games.
“To have a day like this in Benicia, the hospitality has been unreal, so thank ya’ll so much for coming out,” he said.
Having arrived at 11 a.m, Curry stayed until about 1:30 p.m., first signing autographs inside for two hours, then coming out to speak with those who couldn’t make it into the building. Lines to see the legend wrapped around both sides of the block, but registration for autographs filled up nearly a week ago.
Regardless of how smooth the whiskey went down, the long lines and lack of access to Curry for those who hadn’t registered in advance left more than a few attendees with a bitter aftertaste. Bob Betette and Kevin Kean, lifelong Warriors fans and Bay Area residents, lined up near dawn to see the Bay Area legend, but barely caught a glimpse as they were shuttled through the store.
“I was a little disappointed because we were told we could get Steph’s autograph,” Kean said. “And when we got here we found out there were vouchers that were handed out earlier in the week.”
Betette said the line split inside the store, and the VIPs were sent to meet Curry while the majority of the attendants were only offered a chance to buy the whiskey.
“We could see Steph in the distance, but we got moved right on out,” he said. “We showed up at 6 this morning. We’re longtime Warriors fans and big-time Steph Curry fans, and he doesn’t do many of these appearances. The media has been advertising this event for weeks, and it wasn’t known about the voucher system, so we were very disappointed to come out and to know that we hadn’t made the special cut that was apparently offered.”
Betette said people in line were irritated by the way the business chose to handle the event, and many felt they were misled by the “a little bait and switch going on.”
“I’m still a big Steph Curry fan, so we wish him the best,” Betette said, noting he was saving the bourbon for the next time the Warriors win the finals.
Laticia Garcia, a Vallejo resident and massive Warriors fan, brought along a life-sized cut out of Curry she normally keeps in her home office. Garcia also was not registered, so did not get to meet Curry but said she was lined up at 4 a.m. outside the store. A Warriors fan since the 1980s, Garcia said she admired Curry for his off-the-court attributes as much as his athletic abilities.
“He is a very humble, down-to-earth person,” she said, “I just love how he is with his family. He’s an awesome human.”
Garcia said the signup to meet Curry, which was supposed to last two days, was only available for one hour.
James Asilo, a Benica resident, came clad in a brand-new Golden State Valkyries shirt, and was last in line at about 11:30. Although he had made it earlier, he said, he lost considerable time hunting for a parking spot, but was still hopeful he could get inside.
Asilo said that as a Bay Area sports fan, Curry means more to him and to the region than almost any other athlete.
“I grew up as an A’s fan, but I knew a lot of Giants fans. I grew up as a 49ers fan but I knew a lot of Raiders fans. The Warriors were the one team that everyone could kind of get behind, so having someone like Steph come in and really make that team feel so important to everybody here and win us four rings … He’s the GOAT in my eyes.”