How is your relation with your Liquorist?

by **hpulley** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 6:48 pm

Here there is a gov't liquor board so there are no cheaper prices anywhere. Thus I know my liquorist well. He can't get me good prices but he can track stuff down for me which is still valuable and since I'm clueless with wines he is quite helpful in that department

Harry

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 6:52 pm

Surprisingly, my local Oddbins store is very good. It's part of a national chain, so the manager and staff have no flexibility over price. But they regularly offer me tastings. Also, if they only get limited numbers of a bottling, they'll always put one under the counter for me.

by **Iain** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 7:13 pm

My supplier also sets unusual bottles aside for me.

I call them my liquorist allsorts...

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 7:52 pm

My liquorist is a total anise. (Let me know when you work that out, Christian.)

Generally, I go to a shop that has a good selection and simply browse 'n' buy. But when I'm in Boston, I try to stop in at Federal Wines & Liquors on State Street to have a blether with Joe Howell. After wasting a half hour of his time, I usually feel some obligation to buy something (which is what I wanted all along, anyway). I can get better prices closer to home, but I try to buy something I can't get here, without breaking the bank. Joe gives good advice and usually cuts me a bit of a break on his listed price, but I think he does that for about anyone who isn't an idiot (and at least one, you may add, who is).

by **Mr Fjeld** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 8:04 pm

I'm starting to loose the grip on this one but may I suggest this one for you? :

Or is it youir niese working there :lol:

When I go to my favourite shop some of the staff usually say hello. To outsiders that's not necessarily a good thing!
They are also very helpful and some time ago they told me to call them directly instead of using the webshop to save a little money on each order.

Nice and very professional with wine and very nice and slightly professional with whisky :wink:

- I become so happy and satisfied when you get the feeling that the people taking care of you are sincerely enjoying what they do!

Skål!
Christian

Christian

by **jimidrammer** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 8:10 pm

I have to travel quite a long way to find some of my bottles, but I do have one place that I go to regularly that will order special bottles that he can get and will only charge 10% over wholesale for anything he don't have to stock and I pick it up the next time I'm in. It's a good arrangement, but there is alot he can't get due to distributor limitations. I think I've single-handedly doubled his Single Malt shelf space, though. :wink:

by **Tom** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 6:48 pm

Usually I get my bottles from my whiskyclub. The owner also sells whisky so its a store too. Usually he gives me a discount. Then again, I buy quite some bottles and also have a decent amount of drams while im there so its a win/win situation for both i guess.
As far as i know he can get his hands on everything there is on the market.
For 20cl bottles i order trough the internet to another belgian whiskyshop. no discount there but when I meet the owner on a festival or tasting he usually gives me a dram "from behind the counter"
All in all it is my opinion that it matters if you have a good relation with your liquorist. He can then alert you the second he has something special or have a chat about malt. Sometimes they know things before you do.

by **Lawrence** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 7:24 pm

We have a combination of government owned and private stores and the private store that has the best selection of whiskies is very proactive, which is very nice.

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 9:33 am

I find that getting remembered by off license staff depends on what you buy rather than how often you buy. I tend to buy more unusual and sometimes (but not always) expensive whisky so I do get remembered in most whisky shops I go to, even after just one visit. Perhaps this has something to do with staff having their eye on that rare Glen Craig on the top shelf that needs a ladder to get to and is covered in dust...

I almost never get discounts, though. I think the discounts tend to be given on the more mainstream and relatively cheaper bottles. For example, I never normally get a discount at RMW - although I do get offered samples - but when I bought three bottles of A'bunadh for a Gaidhlig class outing (with group money, for the tour guides) I did get a discount. But for that rare Glen Craig, I guess the shop knows it will go to a whisky enthusiast and price it accordingly in the first place. I don't mind this.

On the other hand, a friend of mine buys his wine at the Bordeaux Direct showroom outside Reading. Every customer seems to get a loyalty discount of anything up to 25% and free bottles on top of that. To me, this just suggests a shop where prices are meaningless and customers get ripped off. My friend thinks its brilliant, though, and talks only of the money he saves and not the money he spends.

by **Pipe and dram** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:20 pm

Mr. Tattiehied - waste Joe's time? - when he gets going there is no stopping him (ha ha) - please say hello to him from Chris from Canada the next time you are in - I got higher on the Bruichladdich Acadamy test so he will remember me very well...

by **JUERG GLUTZ-KURMANN** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:35 pm

Hi,

I think I have a strong relationship with my whisky supplier, LOCH FYNE WHISKIES in Inveraray. I have decided to make it my almost only supplier. I write to Mr Richard Joynson and in return he (or his lovely staff) send me the goodies we all like so much. I am often in Scotland on holiday (there's a damn good reason why!!) and it's kind of a must for me to visit this shop. The staff there is very efficient and reliable (and, last but not least, very friendly). I spend a lot of money for shipping cost but for this special relation I am willing to spend "that bit" of extra money.

Cheers!
Juerg

by **bernstein** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 3:04 pm

JUERG GLUTZ-KURMANN wrote:I spend a lot of money for shipping cost but for this special relation I am willing to spend "that bit" of extra money.

Hi Jürg, good to read that!
I do confess, of course, I look out for a bargain from time to time myself - but enjoying whisky is not really about bargain-hunting.
And I would love to visit Loch-Fyne-Whiskies one of these days!

by **Lawrence** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 3:33 pm

Yes, LYW is an exceptional shop and as an added bonun the George is just across the street so if there is an expensive bottle you want you can fortify your courage in the pub first.

by **JUERG GLUTZ-KURMANN** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 3:35 pm

Grüss Dich, Bernstein!

You wouldn't regret to go there! And if you have made it to Inveraray why not go a bit more south and take the ferry to Islay?
That's a whisky lover's paradise with the possibility to visit all of the working distillieries (7 at the moment).

Prost and Slàinte mhath,
Jürg

by **bernstein** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 8:11 pm

Grüß Dich, Jürg,
I know - I should do that! For the moment I just have to be satisfied with occasionally browsing through their homepage. Great view of their interior, by the way - I know, standing there I wouldn't be able to say a word looking at their shelves in amazement.

by **Deactivated Member** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 12:18 am

JUERG GLUTZ-KURMANN wrote:Grüss Dich, Bernstein!

You wouldn't regret to go there! And if you have made it to Inveraray why not go a bit more south and take the ferry to Islay?
That's a whisky lover's paradise with the possibility to visit all of the working distillieries (7 at the moment).

Prost and Slàinte mhath,
Jürg

Should be eight by now, or soon, anyway--Kilchoman's website says "by the end of June". (They're doing cask offers, by the way.) And Jura next door makes nine. Allow at least three full weekdays, probably four, if you want to tour them all. Well worth it.