Community Sponsor Spotlight: St. Petersburg Distillery

Matt Armstrong, president of St. Petersburg Distillery, is in his second year as a member of the Shorecrest community. He and his wife, Laura Reyes-Armstrong, are parents of Margo ’27, who joined the School as a ninth grader last year and has aspirations to become an endocrinologist.

“We did a lot of hunting around to figure out which school would be right,” he says. “Shorecrest was the place that felt most comfortable to Margo. It felt like a safe place – where the teachers were engaged and passionate and cared about being there. She was really impressed with Mrs. Peck and the Medical Sciences.”

As residents of Odessa, FL, Matt says, “Being involved in the Shorecrest community is something we want to do more of, but with the distance, we have to be very intentional about it.  If we lived in St. Pete, we’d be involved in more things like the Gala. Margo has said to both of us, ‘I really want you to be involved in Shorecrest.’”

To that end, Matt and Laura represented St. Pete Distillery as this year’s Gala Spirits Partner, personally purchasing and donating all of the spirits for the event. Regarding their first experience with the Shorecrest Gala, he says, “I don’t do lots of galas, but it was fun to dress up and go out, knowing that we were doing our part to make Margo feel comfortable at the School, and extend that social network. … And I hope the visibility brings in some traffic for the business.”

Matt is enthusiastic about continuing the partnership he’s created between the School and the business, which is committed to crafting local spirits and creating unforgettable experiences. There’s a good possibility that the Shorecrest community will have the chance to enjoy a Parents’ Night Out tasting or a Distillery Dinner prepared by their award-winning executive chef, David Reyes. 

“St. Pete is a big ‘little town,’ and being in the position I’m in, you get involved and do the things that will help the community,” he says. “It’s important to us to make sure we’re doing our part. You can give of your talent, your time, and your treasure, and if you can do all three of these things, it helps to build community for these kids.”