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Rob & Jen Place of Greenport’s Spirited Wine & Liquor (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)

Ever go to the liquor store to pick up a bottle so you can match that great cocktail you recently had at a restaurant by making it at home? Then you get home and realize you don’t really know how to make it.

The owners of a new liquor store in Greenport understand that predicament and they’re doing something about it. Spirited Wine & Liquor, which opened this month at the former Claudio’s Wines & Spirits location on Main Street, is hosting cocktail-demonstrations inside its store. 

It’s just one of the features the owners say make them unique in the world of liquor stores.

“A lot of liquor stores are geared toward discount liquor and doing a lot of volume,” said Robert Place, who opened the store with his wife, Jennifer. “We want to showcase small batch distilleries and wineries on the North Fork and around the world.”

The Places — he’s a native of Huntington, she’s from Deer Park — moved to Southold three years ago. With backgrounds in banking, they each yearned for a new career direction once they arrived on the North Fork.

“We couldn’t retire yet, so we asked ourselves, ‘What do we enjoy?’” Mr. Place said. “We love wine, we love spirits and we love making cocktails.”

The Place’s plan is to focus on lesser known brands and products not found on the average liquor store shelf.  The shelves at Spirited Wine & Liquor are stocked with spirits made at craft distilleries on Long Island, Brooklyn, the Hudson Valley, Virginia and other parts of the country.

“There’s a lot of great products that people haven’t heard of and we want to educate them on that,” Mr. Place said. “Some of it’s competitive price-wise with the big brands, but it’s got a different flavor, is better quality in a lot of cases, a lot is organic and sustainably produced, and we think the market’s ready for that.”

The idea is to showcase the little guy and the many great cocktails their beverages can help you make. They’ll host tastings in the store as well as the cocktail-making demonstrations they hope will add depth to the customer experience.

“[Making cocktails] is not as hard as some people think,” Ms. Place said. “A hands-on event to watch the producer make cocktails with their spirits will be fun.

“We’re just excited to be able to do something we’re passionate about.”

Spirited Wine & Liquor is located at 219 Main Street In Greenport. For more information call (631) 333-2380 or visit spiritedliquor.com.

Spirited Wine & Liquor is open 7 days a week in Greenport (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)
Spirited Wine & Liquor is open 7 days a week in Greenport (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)
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