TOP RETAILERS

BY KYLE SWARTZ

On a whim , Bevi purchased that 3,400-square-foot shop , then called Beverage Boss .

“ I thought that running a liquor store would be easy , but boy was I wrong ,” he recalls . “ That first year and a half was a struggle . But I had amazing reps who helped me along the way as I learned more about the industry . It was a real learning curve .”

Among the lessons learned by the young entrepreneur was the importance of establishing a business identity . The former owners of Beverage Boss had other locations under the same name , and did not want to share the branding .

“ I thought , ‘ What ’ s better than a boss ? How about a king !’” Bevi laughs .

“ When I first bought my store , it was always known as a neighborhood corner store where you stopped in to grab your beer and nips after work ,” he adds . “ It had great wine and liquor selection , but was never known for that . Beer and nips , that ’ s not where the mark ups are made . Volume does add up , but that ’ s not where you make the money .”

The “ aha moment ” came in 2019 thanks to a loyal customer . Bevi and Connecticut whiskey fan Michael Hertzberg were having drinks in Bevi ’ s basement “ whiskey bunker ” when Hertzberg suggested that Beverage King tap into the booming trend of single barrel whiskey picks .

“ There were already several big players in single barrel picks in my area [ in the upscale Fairfield region ], so I didn ’ t know if it would work out for me ,” Bevi says . “ But Michael twisted my arm .”

The first Beverage King pick was an Elijah Craig Small Batch . For a sticker , Bevi went with Tom Brady . It was perfect timing . That barrel showed up early — the week after Brady won his seventh Super Bowl , with Tampa Bay .

“ That barrel sold out within a day ,” Bevi says . “ That ’ s when I realized that maybe there was room for another player in the game .”

Today , Bevi is recognized for running one of

the best barrel programs in Connecticut , a state known for its abundance of whiskey picks . The Facebook group Connecticut Bourbon and Whiskey Enthusiasts has more than 4,000 members , growing into a leading New England whiskey club . Fans throughout the northeast travel into the Constitution State for its superb single barrel selection .

Beverage King ’ s recent drops include a Starlight rye finished in a barrel that had previously held both Jack Daniel ’ s and Foursquare rum , and a Penelope bourbon finished in a Tokaji wine cask .

“ The single barrel game has changed recently with more and more retailers doing it ,” Bevi says . “ Some are doing it just to do it . There ’ s no rhyme or reason . I did the same thing at first . I picked a few duds . I learned the lesson of quality over quantity . I realized that a pick has got to mean something to me for me to put my name on it .”

Harsha has also excelled on social media . An avid Instagrammer , he has also built a strong following by connecting with whiskey fans in the aforementioned Facebook group .

“ That group is retailer friendly . A lot of other social media is not retailer friendly ,” Bevi says . “ Facebook offers a platform where retailers can go on and promote themselves . One guy came to my store from Rhode Island , traveling several hours , because he had heard about it in the group .”

As for other stores considering single barrel programs , Bevi has this advice : “ Don ’ t just take any barrel . Do your homework and know that you can actually sell it to your customers .”

He reiterates : “ Quality over quantity .”

16 Beverage Dynamics • June 2022 www . beveragedynamics . com