Norman’s Wisdom
It may be ‘compact, cosy and bijou’ , but The Lincoln Whisky Shop is now packed to bursting with unusual and exciting whiskies. Richard Jones reports
You should see it during the Lincoln Christmas market period, thereâll be 40 people inside the shop jostling for space. We have to put someone on the door, not for security, but for crowd control,â begins Norman Horton, owner of The Lincoln Whisky Shop.
Speaking in January during the post festive malaise that strikes all wine and spirit retailers, it seems an unlikely picture. Not that you canât imagine the shop packed with customers, after all it contains one of the finest ranges of whiskies, liqueurs, wines, spirits and miniatures for many miles around, but simply on the grounds of logistics. Sardines and tinned cans spring to mind.
Anyone who has ever visited the city of Lincoln in Eastern England will know that the topography of the town centre is dominated by a particularly arduous hill. So much so that a walk and ride bus service operates to carry weary shoppers to the summit.
The Lincoln Whisky Shop is situated in the higher altitudes in the historic quarter close to both the Cathedral and the Castle.
âIt has the feel of a village up here,â Norman Horton observes, âWith lots of small businesses all supporting each other. Itâs similar in many ways to the Shambles in York.â
âItâs fair to say weâre not the biggest shop in the world. But every single bit of shelf space is crammed with bottles. The building itself is around 250 years old which means it has a great look and feel to it, but itâs impossible to expand.
âOur selling space is a si.....
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By Richard Jones
Section : Whisky Spotlight
Page number : 26
