2019-06-01_Market_Watch

SHOP WINDOW

26 MARKET WATCH | MARKETWATCHMAG.COM | JUNE 2019

A Dry Town No More

A new liquor store overcomes obstacles in the Connecticut town of Roxbury

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Wine & Spirits at Roxbury Station (interior pictured), which

opened in Roxbury, Connecticut in March, offers customers a range

of local wine, spirits, and beer, along with mainstream brands.

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everage alcohol retailer Wine & Spirits at Roxbury

Station opened in Roxbury, Connecticut in late March,

signaling a sea change for residents who had been

accustomed to traveling outside of town to purchase their

wine, spirits, and beer. Roxbury was one of the last dry towns

in Connecticut until 2011, when a resolution passed allow-

ing local markets to stock beer and made opening a package

store into a zoning issue. Permittee Tommy Scallon, who runs

the store with general manager Evelyn Smith, had to fight

a Connecticut statute that banned towns with less than

2,500 residents—Roxbury had just under that—from having

a liquor store. Scallon faced numerous obstacles, and attended

multiple public hearings to convince town officials to modify

zoning regulations. Eventually he succeeded, and this year the

result—Wine & Spirits at Roxbury Station—came to life.

The 1,600-square-foot store, which employs a staff of four,

maintains a classic New England ambiance, with barn wood

siding on the walls, high ceilings, and lantern-style lights.

The shelves and wine racks are all wooden and custom-

made. Roxbury stocks 300 SKUs of wine—priced $11-$99 a

750-ml.—organized by varietal with separate sections for French

and organic offerings. Some notable options are Caymus Caber-

net Sauvignon ($90) and Patz & Hall Pinot Noir ($50).

“We’ve gone to great lengths to find a lot of boutique wines

that we think will appeal to our customers,” Smith says, noting

that customers have been gravitating toward Bordeaux, like

the 2016 Clos La Coutale ($17), and Burgundies, such as

the 2017 Joseph Drouhin St. Veran ($16). The store also stocks

products from local Connecticut wineries, like Wild Blue

blueberry dessert wine ($24 a 750-ml.) from DiGrazia Vine-

yards and Sachem’s Picnic semi-sweet red wine ($14) from

Hopkins Vineyard.

A range of 1,000 spirits SKUs ($11-$250 a 750-ml.) is also

available at Roxbury, and Scallon highlights lesser-known

brands to push customers toward novel drinking experiences.

Notable spirits offerings include Gin Mare Mediterranean

gin ($35) and WhistlePig 12-year-old rye whiskey ($113).

Japanese whiskies, including Hibiki Harmony ($80), Suntory

Toki ($37), and Gyokusendo Shuzo Co. Peak ($50), are also

popular at the store, as are Bourbons from Heaven’s Door

($42) and Pinhook ($55). Roxbury also carries Connecticut-

made spirits like Asylum gin ($30) from Asylum Distillery, as

well as Batchers’ vodka ($30) and Batchers’ Barrel Finished

gin ($36) from Litchfield Distillery.

Roxbury stocks 600 SKUs of beer including mainstream

brands like Coors Light ($16 a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans)

and Bud Light ($25 a 30-pack of 12-ounce cans), but mostly

focuses on craft offerings. Three of the store’s seven beer coolers

are dedicated to craft brews, with one just for local offerings,

among them Black Hog Brewing Co.’s Invasion IPA ($14 a

4-pack of 16-ounce cans), Stony Creek Brewery’s Cranky IPA

($10), Thimble Island Brewing Co.’s Violet Sour Wheat ale

($12), and Kent Falls Brewing Co.’s Zep On The Jukebox ($26).

Less than three months after opening, Roxbury is seeing

steady customer flow. The store has a busy events schedule,

holding tastings twice a week. Roxbury plans to partner with

local businesses, and is already building a rapport with neigh-

boring restaurant Mamie’s; the B.Y.O.B. venue sends diners

over to the store to purchase bottles to pair with Sunday brunch.

Roxbury also offers delivery options and occasional

discounts. Smith is working to put together a rewards program

wherein customers will be able to rack up points and win

prizes. Gift cards will also be offered, and gift baskets are

expected to keep the team busy during the holiday season.

Roxbury maintains Facebook and Instagram pages to connect

with customers beyond the store. Additionally, whenever the

store receives a new craft beer, a post about it goes up on the

BeerMenus app and site, which quickly draws beer enthusiasts.

Looking ahead, Roxbury is considering expanding into the

vacant 800-square-foot space next door—currently used for

storage—or using it for events. For now, though, Scallon and

Smith are working hard to bring local customers beverage

alcohol at long last. mw

Jessica Beebe