The UK’s oldest wine and spirits merchant, Berry Bros. & Rudd, is to open its first dedicated spirits shop in “an ambitious expansion”.
It is the first new shop since the business launched in 1698 and the move has been driven by significant growth in the spirits category, the company told the Standard.
Berry Bros. reported a 42 per cent increase in demand for spirits year-on-year, with particular interest in whiskies, sake, and gin, as well as an uptick in spend.
Called the Spirits Shop, the building is adjacent to the original wine retailer and will stock around 1,000 products from around the world. Having been built at the same time as the first shop, the site has been refurbished to ensure old features remain.
To commemorate the opening, Berry Bros. has produced a whisky with Bowmore, one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries. A 1997 single malt, there will be just 100 bottles available.
Creative director Geordie Willis said: “We are delighted to open the doors of our first Spirits Shop as the latest iteration of our centuries-long commitment to curating the finest and rarest selection of spirits.
“The growth in premium spirits shows that our customers have a huge appetite for beautiful and rare liquids and the selection has been carefully curated.
“The space has been carefully restored: the interior will use reclaimed oak barrel staves from old whisky casks alongside a beautiful solid elm tasting table hand-made in Warwickshire.
“The elm used for the table came from the Brodie Castle Estate in the heart of Speyside, home to some of the world’s most celebrated whisky distilleries.”
