How Do We Curate Our Selection?

1. I don’t buy things I haven’t tasted.
2. At all except the very lowest price points, everything in our spirits selection must be a true craft spirit, meaning that it was distilled, aged, and produced on-site using local ingredients, largely by hand. (Some brands might say handmade on the bottle, but recently settled lawsuits suggest otherwise…)
3. I buy based on quality—from my own experience—rather than by brand name, label, reviews, etc.
4. Everything, regardless of price point, must represent a good value for what it is. 
5. Spirits in our selection should be distinct from one another, representing a wide selection of styles and approaches so customers have enough variety to choose their favorites or sample different items within a single category. 

Following these rules results in a few things—first and foremost, it’s a lot of work. I spend a lot of time researching, finding, and tasting new spirits. Often I request certain items or categories from our best distributors, and a rep brings by a bunch of options for me to sample and winnow down to my one or two favorite. Other times, I head into Manhattan to taste at a trade tasting or distributor’s office; on occasion, I seek out to interesting bars and stores when I’m in a new town or on vacation, just to scout out products on my own time. And believe it or not, I also buy the occasional bottle of whiskey or gin (or whatever else) from the big, mass-produced, corporate-owned macro-distilleries just to see what it is people are asking for and make sure that we’re offering something better, both in terms of taste and value.