Maybe you aren’t jumping to place Pappy on your back bar. (In this economy? Beyond such well-known (and expensively priced) grail spirits, offering rare and vintage spirits can add value to a bar program and increase its cachet.
Martin Cate says that bottles with age can “offer real insight into the taste profile and the past” of rum bottles. He has a large collection at San Francisco’s Smuggler’s Cove. They offer interesting contrasts with current releases.
Sourcing bottles
Are you ready to go stale? These bottles are not available through the usual distributor channels because of scarcity. Simo built his bar’s collection over a decade. He started by scouring the old liquor stores’ bottom shelves and then circling estate sales. Even though eBay was prohibited from selling treasures at the time, eBay still held valuable items.
Pricing Factors
How do you price unicorn bottles? Simo prices them based on the difficulty of replacing them. Simo says that once he had a complete case of yellow, he was able to price it more aggressively. He then adds in the cost for a small amount of Chartreuse to compare. It’s fascinating to see the difference between the fresh and the old Chartreuse, what flavors have emerged and dissipated.
Thomas agrees with Thomas. He says that whisky lovers are fascinated by comparisons. “They enjoy trying to analyze old spirits, especially before and after a facility or process change.”
However, the commodification of rare spirits has created financial problems. Simo says that the market has become so saturated that it is difficult to find value. You used to be able to find amazing bottles for as low as $100 to $200. How will I charge my customer for a pour when prices are so high?
One possible solution? You have other options and can explore other types of spirits. “The whiskey category is experiencing huge inflation, but there are still value in tequila and liqueurs; Bill Sunday’s emphasis on rare and obscure distillates has done an outstanding job of showing that people will go out to bars to drink liqueurs,” Simo continues.
Cate suggests that you first assess the value of your stock before you open your wallet. He suggests checking in with your regulars to determine the interest level before investing. “Vintage spirits left unenjoyed can lead to financial loss.”
Inspiring Interest
Joly says that while you might be tempted just to pour some obscure spirit into a glass of wine, Joly insists that it is not about speed. It’s not all about speed. “You want the ability to slow down the service and to connect with guests.”
Simo says, “Remember that a lot people aren’t used to drinking liqueurs straight.” Simo encourages his staff not to view rare pours as an upsell but as an evangelism effort. We sell on enthusiasm. It’s not about selling the most expensive pour; it’s about gauging a customer’s knowledge.
It is important to get to know the guest and their knowledge level. Simo says, “If you were curious about Chartreuse I wouldn’t try to sell you any obscure ’70s green.” Start with half an ounce of current Chartreuse, and we’ll be able to see what you think. We can help you get into cooler stuff if we start with cheaper Chartreuse. But if we start with less expensive Chartreuse and you don’t like it, Chartreuse may not be the right choice.
The Cocktail Question
These spirits can be mixed into cocktails. It is possible to serve these spirits in cocktails. But do you want to? But that’s a different matter altogether.