There's something inherently romantic about embarking on a US adventure, and many thousands of pioneers, including our island ancestors, have blazed American trails before us.
Ever since Jackson, Crocker, and a dog named Bud, drove their Winton Touring Car on a transcontinental trip in 1903, the Interstate highways have captured the adventurous heart.
And, just like the beat poets and counter-culturalists who set out on inner and outer journeys of discovery in the 50s and 60s, we're on a new trip of our own.
To learn more about our progress, we caught up with our friend and partner in this exciting endeavour Peter Mooney who has been working hard to help us spread the word about our island spirit across the world.
We'll hear more about Peter's story in the coming weeks, but it's safe to say that he has been an invaluable addition to our ambitions with over 25 years of experience in the global drinks business.
The last time we talked for our weekly Journal, he told us the ship carrying the long-awaited, much-anticipated supplies of Isle of Harris Gin had docked in the Port of Houston.
From there, after clearing US Customs, we swiftly sent our beautiful bottles to the city of Dallas, where our new friends at MISA Imports were waiting patiently to begin work.
Headed up by Matt and Cormac, the team in Texas have been busy talking to potential partners in brilliant bars, restaurants and liquor stores across their great state and beyond.
Peter tells us…
"We share many common values, and they're a fantastic bunch running a very professional operation. Better still, they love our distillery story and purpose, as well as the product. It already feels like we've struck up a partnership which will work for everybody for years to come."
Because of COVID, many businesses are still closed across the country. However, in Texas, the restrictions are being eased a little quicker.
So, we'll be appearing in some select bars and restaurants here to begin with, and over the next few weeks, we'll be confirming exactly when and where folks will be able to go out and discover it.
Peter continues...
"We've already had lots of interest from our US-based fans, so we hope that we can tap into that enthusiasm over the coming weeks and months. We're already speaking with them through social media and via email, so they can find out more about our story, and where they can buy our gin."
Then, like Sal Paradise, we'll head for sunny California and then onwards to Illinois, where we will be available in liquor stores initially and grow further from there as lockdown life improves.
We've got set our sights next on New York, Massachusetts, and Washington State, and all being well, we expect to arrive there in time for the summer.
After that, we will continue to venture on, state by state, sure and steady, with an ultimate aim of encountering as many of our US fans as possible by 2022.
The prospect of bringing Isle of Harris Gin, and the good word of our work, to so many across the Land of the Free is an exciting one, as Peter confirms…
"It gives us a tremendous opportunity to tell our Social Distillery story to a new audience, many of whom have connections with Scotland – and some even directly with Harris. So whilst the initial focus will be on our Isle of Harris Gin, it won't be too long before we start planning the launch of The Hearach single malt whisky there too."
We can't wait to meet and make new friends as these routes unfold. To paraphrase the great American writer and traveller Jack Kerouac, everything is ahead of us, as is ever so on the road…