That's what i do. My (tiny) local store has a sweet old lady behind the counter. She admits to not knowing much about whiskey but she'll give you a sample from most bottles and let you be the judge. She also doesn't make a fuss about letting me get behind the counter to have a closer look at the more fancy stuff. Never left there empty handed.
Heck man my local family owned liquor shop is willing to order an entire case of stuff as wholesalers often require simply because i was only interested enough to ask if they had any because I wanted to see it it was up my alley once lol. Dont think I've experienced that at any chain liquor stores yet... I haven't taken them up on it yet because I'd feel bad if what I thought id enjoy wasn't enjoyable and seeing it sit on their shelf for ages.
Honestly everything they said applies to any industry where you have a specific item with a lot of variety. There is a massive beef jerky outlet in my state which does the same things. They've got the right idea and I hope they grow.
@MrJre4491 Actually, customer service and hospitality is infinitely better outside the states. Coming from someone who travels for a living. America sucks, and I'm American.
It’s really smart because it’s 1 bottle out of multiple cases she orders and probably less expensive than buying sleeves of the mini’s. Plus she is in CT which is rather affluent area I think so no worries about people coming in and trying to drink all the samples.
@@justadudeintheworldman.120 Connecticut is rich but has a lot of poor people, we're rich only because of super rich people in a few areas. We have the worst wealth inequality in the country
We have one in St. Augustine FL, and surprisingly it's also a chain ABC liquor store. They do tastings and the whole nine there always a great experience.
Irene is amazing. Here is the story of my first visit to her on my 21st B-Day! I traveled from tn to see relatives near her and visited her store with $100 in my pocket to try some diff whiskeys, and to buy a great first bottle for my 21st. B-Day! A few minutes in to talking and looking around I accidentally bumped a shelf with my wheelchair & knocked about $100+ worth of bottles off a rack & they broke everywhere, I freaked out cause I didnt know if I would have enough to pay for it, out of my total $100 in my pocket & I also knew I wouldnt be able to buy a bottle now cause i would have to use my $100 for it, but she immediately told me accidents happen. She consoled me and told me it's all good & that I didnt have to pay for it. She was so nice, she then helped me go over about 50 diff bottles I all had questions about, and she answered every question I had no matter how dumb and beginner sounding my questions were lol. Finally she helped me decide on a great $85 bottle, but she asked if I wanted to upgrade to the better version of that bottle that's an aged small batch for the total $100 I had, I said.. I thought that was like $40 more than my other bottle? I told her that I only have $100 so only have $15 extra i dont have the extra $25 plus tax money to cover that, she said if you wanna upgrade for the $15 we can do that and she gave me the better bottle $25 off, for $100 flat! She said she wanted me to have the best bottle I could possibly get for my first bottle for my 21st. B-Day! She also asked if I had a whiskey glass which I didnt, & she gave me one for free! It was the single best customer experience I have ever had in any store whatsoever period! I have since revisited her every other year, each time I visit family in the area, and she still remembers my name and the story of me breaking a bottle and her upgrading my bottle for me! Of the 3 times I've been back since that first time, each time I visit she hooks me up with all kinds of small free little goodies, she is so kind, passionate, knowledgeable, and she gives the best customer service ever, which builds her loyal fan base. She Is very buissness savy!!
I saw this video a couple of weeks ago and just realized the store is only 45 minutes from me. I took a little drive to go grab some whiskey today. Irene was there. She had obviously never met me before. We hung out for about an hour and tasted various types of whiskey while she shared some great stories. She’s a great person. I could’ve hung out all day sipping on various bottles, but I gotta get home somehow. She also taught me that I’m a fan of Rye whiskey today. Who knew? I didn’t have a single Rye in my bar, but I left with two and prepaid for a third. Yeah. Irene’s got it like that. Most importantly, I learned some things and made a new friend. That’s very whiskey…of her of course. I was the dumb one drinking her stash. I wont buy whiskey anywhere else, and I can’t wait to attend some events. She can pick a barrel for me any day! Also, she’s a highly underrated namer of things. Yeah, you didn’t know that was a skill did you? Well it is, and she has it. You probably think you do too…but you don’t. Trust me. All her barrels have great names and backstories, which makes it a treat to enjoy them with her. Just a sweet Saturday afternoon. Thanks so much for a wonderful experience Irene. It was a pleasure to meet you. Big thanks to the Whisky Tribe for introducing us.
Thanks Sean for stopping in for some good conversation and tasting some of my picks. Glad to have another rye fan for #teamrye. I look forward to your next visit.
@@irenetan6938 where is your store? I love taking weekend trips just to discover places like yours and after seeing this video I'm dying to see your store!
I grew up in a bar that my grandmother owned and she was one of the only people in town that ran a weekly tab. That was an incredible experience and it showed me the way to providing the local people with the drinks they needed when they needed them. Worked in a liquor store for 5 years at my first attempt at college and I learned everything about everything that was in that store. It's a great feeling to provide people with the care that they deserve. There is a camaraderie in the community of bars and stores. A lot of us move between both. Always serve your clients like they are at a spa.
At the start of the video i thought WTF who is traveling so far just to buy some booze. After the video: vigorously serching for plane tickets from germany to connecticut
Hello World! Wait that's a beginner programming thing, put your IT hat away.. Anyway, if you all liked what you saw, follow me @WhiskyMentors on FB or IG for updates to my newest location where even more whiskey can be found, tasting events and all things whiskey related.
I'm from Australia, I visited Irene's store in 2018, I remember thinking "Now this is how you build a reputable business and loyal customer base". One of the best, Thank you Irene, many people around the world appreciate you.
Wow. Every liquor store owner needs to watch this and take notes. This seems to embody the true meaning of community within the whiskey world. Wish every store was like this! Bravo
I like that you did this in a positive way. Instead of going into stores looking for things that were wrong, you went into a great store and found the things that were right that often do go wrong in liquor stores. Teachers do that all of the time Outsider: "He can barely read!" Teacher: "He can decode words well, and can't read fluently YET"
Irene is an incredible business woman. All she does makes so much sense in order to achieve a successful and profitable business. She makes short term sacrifices, some are relatively pretty expensive, but absolutely please the customer, it's a big short term investment resulting in a customer returning, probably for as long as he lived in the area. It will pay off, maybe only after a year or 2, but it will. A lot of businesses don't have the guts or ambition to do this, she's genius!
Costs of doing business got driven through the roof when someone told the liberals we were all rich and greedy. So they jacked our taxes and put us straight out of business. Support your small businesses, take care of them, and they’ll stay. But they’re not getting rich off being your local corner shop.
I love how Irene explains things in a way that even a 3yr. old could understand. I love her old school way of salesmanship. I miss those ways of doing business. Thank you guys for this.
Visited the story today and had such a great time with @Irene Tan. I’m full in the heart, even if a bit light in the wallet. Greatest retail experience ever. Well worth the drive from New Hampshire. I’ll be back!
@@rich1051414 You called it. The digital second hand sometimes disappears when I'm grilling dinner so it's nice to glance at the analog and go ok, 1 min for rare, no need to push buttons to start and stop with greasy fingers.
She's doing what's called among watch enthusiasts "going schwarzkopf". After a US general during the Gulf Wars - Norman Schwarzkopf, who was famously wearing two watches. For practical reasons, of course. One for local time, and one for Washington.
Wow! I wish I could tag her @Irene Tan. I just left her store, it was an incredible experience. Her and her coworker were incredible. Irene was so enjoyable and fun to be around. She let us try anything and everything. She has so many store picks and they are all so good! She has a great selection on regular picks as well. I would do this time over time. Make sure she is there when you go! This is the 8th wonder of the world for a Bourbon lover! Best store in the world hands down. Thanks again @Irene Tan for welcoming these Hoosiers!
Do you care? Business people are supposed to make money. Spending money isn't just about product it's about the experience as well. I'm more than willing to pay for an experience
Honestly, I'm a novice whiskey drinker. The fact that this video kept a smile on my face the ENTIRE time shows me there are people out there willing to embrace and educate people like me without gouging. Kudos guys, and kudos Irene!
Holy crap. I know we're all about whisk(e)y here, but this store carries Empress Gin (the purple gin) from my local distillery in Victoria, BC, Canada. A tiny little craft distillery with an amazing gin, which somehow is available on the other side of the continent. At a totally reasonable price too. Wow - hats off to this store.
Robert Kuehn my local liquor store is run by a super amazing old Chinese man, he only has like 3 people on staff and sometimes they just forget to price the new stuff, if it’s not super expensive they’ll just give it to you for 50% off since they messed up. For bottles that have been sitting for a while he’ll pop one open and give free tastings, if you like it he’ll give you a discount on it. I’ve been going there since I was a wee lad with my dad. There’s a picture of him and my dad back in the late 70’s when they both had hair, lol.
Good grief, yes. I want to support my corner liquor stores, but if they don't bother to put prices on anything, I just won't shop there. It sucks having to ask how much something costs, because you feel like you're a cheap ass if you have to ask.
I watched this back in 2019 when recommended sourced me to this. Now I re-watch in 2021 and I appreciate this much more. Liquor store education is needed. So much intimidation is there. All the best to Irene and others in their spirits journey.
It's Irene! I love her! She's probably the most enthusiastic person I've ever met when it comes to this business. I'm so lucky that she is right down the street from my house. She wasn't kidding about the welcoming atmosphere. The first time I went there after moving to the area she was breaking out tasting bottles left and right and feeding me and my buddy quite a few samples and talking passionately about all of them. I ended up buying way more bottles than I meant to that day. It was glorious.
I'm an engineer and I love that even though the fields are wildly different they have all the same markers of success. Be passionate, be authentic, be approachable.
I'm also an engineer, civil, worked my way there doing dirt work and laying utilities then school at night. In the field we always said "The difference between an engineer and a cowboy is the bullshit being on the OUTSIDE of a cowboy's boot." Had to share that joke with you. Congratulations on your career I know how difficult it was to achieve.
So cool that she understands that some people really want to tase a good spirit but do not have the funds to buy a big expensive bottle so she lets them taste it for free. It is rare to find good business that treats the customers well regardless of social status. She knows it will pay off for her if they do buy something expensive, but it is not her primary motivation. That is how she gets people to drive many miles past countless other venues to shop at her place instead of somewhere else. We need this more now than ever. God bless her.
Lol! The mention of Pappy made me remember an instance several years ago, I went into my local liquor store and the young employee I didn't recognize was at the counter unboxing a shipment. I just happened to notice he pulled out a couple bottles of Pappy. In shock and astonishment I said "Is that for sale?", he shrugged and said, "Yeah, can't see why it wouldn't be." So I bought both bottles on the spot. The next time I walked into the store he said, "You're the Pappy guy! Dude! You almost got me fired!" It seems there was something like a five year waiting list and the store only got a couple bottles at a time. I felt a little guilty...but just a little.
What’s great about working in a liquor store is when customers ask for top shelf bottles and what they taste like, I always tell them “ I couldn’t say, I work in a liquor store”. $1,500 bottle of Hennessy, is it really that good? “Beats me”.
@@joe-e-geo Had a Management professor as the business core for Finance, and let me tell you he was a wickedly smart, humble, and rich with experience. He could make the whole class become a productive start-up in a matter of weeks and no one would realize they are working. He was an exec at a Mexican telecom firm and his CV was impressive but he is a really old guy so I guess he just wanted his tenure and live the rest of his retirement comfortably. Honestly, I heard other Mgmt professors in my uni were boring and stale, I feel like it should be a requirement to have practiced your field outside academics because the best professors I've had have all had careers outside of unis and colleges.
I only go to liquor stores once in awhile and the choices are so overwhelming, especially when it comes to beers and wine. I enjoy reading the labels and seeing where they're from. I can literally spend an hour or more just checking out everything.
This should be a video for ALL brick and mortar store owners. 👍 And I cant stand when the "expensive" stuff is behind the desk. Thats a for sure reason I wont be buying anything "expensive " from that store. Ill be buying online. Great video!
No swearing Jesus Christ is recommended John 3:16-21 Jesus Christ is Lord God Loves You The Kingdom of God is at Hand Leviticus 20:13 Ephesians 4:29 1 Corinthians 6:9
Rarely does someone impress me as much as Irene has in this video. What a great business mind, not to mention she obviously actually also cares about customers/people in general!! Keep it up 👍
One thing the other liquor stores don’t have: Irene! Her knowledge and personality. The amazing social intelligence and ability to communicate with all sorts of customers. When she talks..it’s on your level. Equal. And that’s amazing. Cheers Irene!
I have so much to say about this. For a hot second I thought “why are they flying halfway across the country to go to a liquor store?” To say I understand now is such an understatement. I’m going to have to watch again to keep count of the EXCELLENT business practices I hadn’t ever thought of.
I absolutely 100% have never enjoyed a video as much as I have this one!! Irene is the perfect example of "How to do things right"!!! Thanks for doing this video..So Much Fun!!!
What an amazingly awesome proprietor! Love her enthusiasm and knowledge and dedication to truly above-and-beyond customer service. I'd be in there every other week, at least, if I lived anywhere near CT. She seems like such a cool lady, and I bet her staff is just as awesome. I wish I could get out there, and really wish her the best with her shop. That is the single most impressive selection of whiskey and scotch in a small business/store that I have ever seen.
Wow, her sampling policy is amazing. I've always wanted more tiny bottles available to try new things, but the selection is always so limited. How cool that she allows that.
I need to send this video to a few stores in the Knoxville, TN area. "Hey, you have any Eagle Rare?" "Oh, um well, that's for our 'whiskey call list' customers, sorry." *Roles eyes, walks out*.....You're a saint Irene!
I get nasty attitudes at least twice a week about Eagle Rare and Blantons when I tell people it’s a three month wait list. Buffalo Trace is getting there as well.
If Irene’s store was near me I’d be absolutely broke! Her personality is extremely infectious! This is quite possibly the best Whisk(e)y video ever❣️❣️❣️
It's good to see shop owners getting back to customer service. I used to drive miles for that experience when looking for hardware supplies and even pet care stuff. I would walk out feeling like it was enjoyable and not a chore.
As someone who lives in a state-control state, take my word for it: Lower prices don't make up for the lack of selection and Soviet Union-like grimness of decor and staff.
@@jamessveinsson6006 New Hampshire, too. The liquor stores ain't bad at all though, and with no sales taxes the prices are so good to the point that people from MA come over to shop at them. Pretty sure we've got some of the highest booze consumption per capita in the country so maybe they're even too good 😂
@@jamessveinsson6006 virginia where I live is like this, it's bleak and depressing, you gotta order online for anything really worth a damn, but even then you can't taste test an online order so it's still a gamble, If stores here ran how Irene runs hers I'd be buying at least 2-3 bottles each visit she knows how to run a shop right thanks to no state control bs regulating and restricting
Her business model is amazing! She’s just an all around wonderful person and it carry’s over to her business. This was surprisingly wholesome to watch, was not expecting this. Plus I live in a state where the liquor is state run. There’s actually a bill to change that and I was totally against it until I saw this. Thank you to Irene for changing my mind.
What a great person to be a spokesperson for the liquor industry! When you combine knowledge with enthusiasm... along with the ability to taste for yourself and take all the bullshit out of a potential purchase, you have liquor store gold. Watching Ms. Tan tell us about how she approaches her customers and their needs just felt refreshing the whole way through. She's worthy of a segment on CBS Sunday Morning.
This is forever going to be one of my favorite videos. I was so pleased to hear about whiskey happenings in the New England area, I never imagined you'd literally land in my home state of Rhode Island (big state meets small state?). I was so disheartened that I wasn't able to attend The Bastards Ball due to my financial situation, others can only try to guess how happy I felt to be so fortunate in meeting you both in person after so many years. I look forward to speaking further with Irene about how I can help her make the New England area a truly magnificent place for whiskey lovers from every part of the world. For this moment as I type however it's about time that I bunker down and get ready for ANOTHER magnificent weekend full of whiskey. This time thankfully from the comfort of my own home as I hang out with all the MB's currently attending your cult meet... Bastards Ball... stay magnificent you bastards!
I love her! She´s intelligent, knowledgeable about liquor and truly enjoys sharing with her customers, not just because they come back and that means good business, but because she shares their enthusiasm and is open to provide great customer service. If I was living in the US I would definitely shop here.
My local Twin Liquors is actually quite good. They have several bottles for tasting, and are generally knowledgeable. If they don't know, they answer honestly, and try to bring another employee that is more knowledgeable to assist. The Specs is pretty standard though. One or two employees know their stuff, the rest are content to try and make a sale (if they have anyone on the floor at all).
Spec's is hit or miss with their staff. Generally, if you find an old chunky white dude, they'll be more helpful with recommendations, haha. They've always had lots of people giving samples, though. Tried a lot of local food, wine, and liquor from small scale producers there. It's really hard to hate Spec's when I've seen liquor stores in other states. Twin Liquors, to me, has an okay selection and a pretty inattentive staff. Haven't had a sample there. For a somewhat more knowledgeable (if stuffy) staff, I go to Total Wine which actually has a pretty good selection of liquors.
@@donnameng9408 At our local Spec's they allow vendors in to offer tastings, but don't have a dedicated area. My local Twin has a small "bar" area where they offer tastings from their own bottles, but they don't allow vendors. Spec's does have a much larger (and broader) selection, though Twin is more curated. I'm sure it all depends on who is running the store (and hiring and training staff). I don't have a Total Wine locally.
Ya here in state controlled Pennsylvania I can travel 100miles total trip, to go to west virgina & dont just break even but actually end up saving a couple bucks after gas cost vs buying down the street its pathetic af... I always bought the whole state sucks for variety but is cheaper till I started making state trips n saw how wrong that statmeant is
Utterly incredible segment! As a general manager for a state control liquor store, I can totally get on board with Irene’s philosophy about establishing relationships and community, even though our ability to do that is somewhat hampered here. Oh, one more turn-off for whisk(e)y lovers...knowledgeable staff who really have no people skills. That is a severe non-starter in any retail operation.
I hate when I come crawling into the liquor store trying to buy one more bottle but they refuse to tell it to me cause I'm crawling in the store on the ground
It's ideal and every operator wants to be this way but it gets difficult dealing with unpleasant individuals over time. I want to be this nice but idk if I can pull it off when I have people abusing my automatic doors, complaining about a buck or two on prices, etc.
Jesus, this sounds like the best gosh darn store in the business. In pretty much any business. I love how accessible and accommodating everything and everyone is. I wish we had something like that in Denmark. Our stores could learn a thing or two from this lady.
![F.HERO Ft. JSPKK x ลำไย ไหทองคำ x M-PEE - ไม่สนิทบิดหมด (Thai Riders Anthem) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kPJZ0UihBfk/mqdefault.jpg)
if you are sacrificing a bottle and I sample, I'm already buying something because that is awesome service.
That's what i do. My (tiny) local store has a sweet old lady behind the counter. She admits to not knowing much about whiskey but she'll give you a sample from most bottles and let you be the judge. She also doesn't make a fuss about letting me get behind the counter to have a closer look at the more fancy stuff.
Never left there empty handed.
That's 💯. I would feel guilty otherwise
Yes. This. I don't need a whole lot of motivation to buy anything anyway, but this is a sure fire way.
Heck man my local family owned liquor shop is willing to order an entire case of stuff as wholesalers often require simply because i was only interested enough to ask if they had any because I wanted to see it it was up my alley once lol. Dont think I've experienced that at any chain liquor stores yet...
I haven't taken them up on it yet because I'd feel bad if what I thought id enjoy wasn't enjoyable and seeing it sit on their shelf for ages.
Your all lucky both my local hide everything and won't try an help you in anyway at all
This is a shopowner who understands customer service.
Customer service is an endangered species in these here United States. Seriously.
Honestly everything they said applies to any industry where you have a specific item with a lot of variety. There is a massive beef jerky outlet in my state which does the same things. They've got the right idea and I hope they grow.
@MrJre4491 Actually, customer service and hospitality is infinitely better outside the states. Coming from someone who travels for a living. America sucks, and I'm American.
She’s killing it. Good on her.
@@RemarkableRabbat Where the hell is that - sounds like heaven!
I have never been to a liquor store that offered samples. That right there would have me buying at least one bottle in appreciation.
It’s really smart because it’s 1 bottle out of multiple cases she orders and probably less expensive than buying sleeves of the mini’s. Plus she is in CT which is rather affluent area I think so no worries about people coming in and trying to drink all the samples.
Absolutely! I'd probably end up buying 3!
Absolutely. That'd have me coming back as well!
@@justadudeintheworldman.120 Connecticut is rich but has a lot of poor people, we're rich only because of super rich people in a few areas. We have the worst wealth inequality in the country
We have one in St. Augustine FL, and surprisingly it's also a chain ABC liquor store. They do tastings and the whole nine there always a great experience.
This is a shopowner that EARNS their business. I wish her all the success possible.
That's a man
@@breadfan9 what's wrong with you?
Who cares, owner is awsome
I just 777, jackpot
Damn straight!
Irene is amazing. Here is the story of my first visit to her on my 21st B-Day!
I traveled from tn to see relatives near her and visited her store with $100 in my pocket to try some diff whiskeys, and to buy a great first bottle for my 21st. B-Day! A few minutes in to talking and looking around I accidentally bumped a shelf with my wheelchair & knocked about $100+ worth of bottles off a rack & they broke everywhere, I freaked out cause I didnt know if I would have enough to pay for it, out of my total $100 in my pocket & I also knew I wouldnt be able to buy a bottle now cause i would have to use my $100 for it, but she immediately told me accidents happen. She consoled me and told me it's all good & that I didnt have to pay for it. She was so nice, she then helped me go over about 50 diff bottles I all had questions about, and she answered every question I had no matter how dumb and beginner sounding my questions were lol.
Finally she helped me decide on a great $85 bottle, but she asked if I wanted to upgrade to the better version of that bottle that's an aged small batch for the total $100 I had, I said.. I thought that was like $40 more than my other bottle? I told her that I only have $100 so only have $15 extra i dont have the extra $25 plus tax money to cover that, she said if you wanna upgrade for the $15 we can do that and she gave me the better bottle $25 off, for $100 flat!
She said she wanted me to have the best bottle I could possibly get for my first bottle for my 21st. B-Day! She also asked if I had a whiskey glass which I didnt, & she gave me one for free! It was the single best customer experience I have ever had in any store whatsoever period! I have since revisited her every other year, each time I visit family in the area, and she still remembers my name and the story of me breaking a bottle and her upgrading my bottle for me!
Of the 3 times I've been back since that first time, each time I visit she hooks me up with all kinds of small free little goodies, she is so kind, passionate, knowledgeable, and she gives the best customer service ever, which builds her loyal fan base. She Is very buissness savy!!
Damn she is so nice... I would love to meet her. Surely i would spend at least 500 usd hahaha. Im so far away in jakarta tho
Liar
@@1blueorange who me? Not a lie brother true story.
Dam that's a cool story
What was the name of the bottle you got?
I saw this video a couple of weeks ago and just realized the store is only 45 minutes from me. I took a little drive to go grab some whiskey today. Irene was there. She had obviously never met me before. We hung out for about an hour and tasted various types of whiskey while she shared some great stories. She’s a great person. I could’ve hung out all day sipping on various bottles, but I gotta get home somehow. She also taught me that I’m a fan of Rye whiskey today. Who knew? I didn’t have a single Rye in my bar, but I left with two and prepaid for a third. Yeah. Irene’s got it like that. Most importantly, I learned some things and made a new friend. That’s very whiskey…of her of course. I was the dumb one drinking her stash. I wont buy whiskey anywhere else, and I can’t wait to attend some events. She can pick a barrel for me any day! Also, she’s a highly underrated namer of things. Yeah, you didn’t know that was a skill did you? Well it is, and she has it. You probably think you do too…but you don’t. Trust me. All her barrels have great names and backstories, which makes it a treat to enjoy them with her. Just a sweet Saturday afternoon. Thanks so much for a wonderful experience Irene. It was a pleasure to meet you. Big thanks to the Whisky Tribe for introducing us.
Thanks Sean for stopping in for some good conversation and tasting some of my picks. Glad to have another rye fan for #teamrye. I look forward to your next visit.
Where is your store?
@@irenetan6938 well you have more time for costumers because of the two watches..
@@nox5555 lol i didn’t even notice 🤣
@@irenetan6938 where is your store? I love taking weekend trips just to discover places like yours and after seeing this video I'm dying to see your store!
The world needs more people like Irene.
Absolutely!
I grew up in a bar that my grandmother owned and she was one of the only people in town that ran a weekly tab. That was an incredible experience and it showed me the way to providing the local people with the drinks they needed when they needed them. Worked in a liquor store for 5 years at my first attempt at college and I learned everything about everything that was in that store. It's a great feeling to provide people with the care that they deserve.
There is a camaraderie in the community of bars and stores. A lot of us move between both. Always serve your clients like they are at a spa.
At the start of the video i thought WTF who is traveling so far just to buy some booze.
After the video: vigorously serching for plane tickets from germany to connecticut
I live in Texas and had about the same exact like of thought. I need to make a trip, despite my low finances
Coming from North Carolina; save me a seat! That place looks a lot like heaven to me.
oh ya i'm today going to make a trip here at some point looks like a great time!
Hello World! Wait that's a beginner programming thing, put your IT hat away.. Anyway, if you all liked what you saw, follow me @WhiskyMentors on FB or IG for updates to my newest location where even more whiskey can be found, tasting events and all things whiskey related.
I may be driving 8 hours from Ohio for this...
I'm from Australia, I visited Irene's store in 2018, I remember thinking "Now this is how you build a reputable business and loyal customer base". One of the best, Thank you Irene, many people around the world appreciate you.
Where is the store?
I love how she plays along with your shenanigans
“If you really like it but it’s too expensive at least you’ve had the chance to taste it”. Wow this woman is awesome!
She makes me want to take a trip from Tennessee to buy a bottle from her.
What a owner!
make sure you come to the Canterbury location
Same, and I live in the Netherlands :')
same from Korea 😂😂
Too bad we can't order online & get them delivered to our residence.
This Colorado boy is thinking the same thing! I’ll support any business owner that goes above and beyond to earn my business!
She is so good on camera. You guys should feature her from time to time. This was fun!
downvoted for saying "This is fun!" sounds kinda gay.
Agreed
African lip plate and bone nose - Downvoted for not quoting correctly. Sounds kinda stupid 🤣
Ditto
Totally agree
"Don't buy 'em pretty." I love her..
I did that with my wife. Still not regretting it.
@@TheCryptanalysis how much was she
42LGK 2 cows 4 goats and 1 chicken
---I love her, I once bought a gin because the cap was a derby hat😅😂🤣
Wow. Every liquor store owner needs to watch this and take notes. This seems to embody the true meaning of community within the whiskey world. Wish every store was like this! Bravo
I like that you did this in a positive way. Instead of going into stores looking for things that were wrong, you went into a great store and found the things that were right that often do go wrong in liquor stores. Teachers do that all of the time Outsider: "He can barely read!" Teacher: "He can decode words well, and can't read fluently YET"
I thought the same thing, very tastefully done.
Not every hero wears a cape. This lady is amazing. A real community person
Some wears two watches
Irene is an incredible business woman. All she does makes so much sense in order to achieve a successful and profitable business.
She makes short term sacrifices, some are relatively pretty expensive, but absolutely please the customer, it's a big short term investment resulting in a customer returning, probably for as long as he lived in the area. It will pay off, maybe only after a year or 2, but it will.
A lot of businesses don't have the guts or ambition to do this, she's genius!
I’m not even a whiskey drinker, but I’m very impressed with this liquor stores business style 👍👍👍
The USA needs more Irenes - small store owners who care about their customers, like in the old days..
Chain stores take the personal element away
Costs of doing business got driven through the roof when someone told the liberals we were all rich and greedy. So they jacked our taxes and put us straight out of business.
Support your small businesses, take care of them, and they’ll stay. But they’re not getting rich off being your local corner shop.
Oregon has shops like this, great tobacco shops too.
I agree, too much corporatism now that ruins culture. All town and cities look the same now with the same brands and chains
roundsm18
Moron
I love how Irene explains things in a way that even a 3yr. old could understand. I love her old school way of salesmanship. I miss those ways of doing business. Thank you guys for this.
She's amazing!!! I wish my local store was like this.
Hopefully she makes enough to have a very comfortable life - I love her energy and attitude!
Ralph Lauren shirt and a gold Rolex on her wrist, I think she’s doing just fine 🤣
You see that big ass chain 😂😂😂😂 she been balling
Visited the story today and had such a great time with @Irene Tan. I’m full in the heart, even if a bit light in the wallet. Greatest retail experience ever. Well worth the drive from New Hampshire. I’ll be back!
Thanks Mike. Great meeting you. Enjoy your whiskies.
Irene is such a gangster she wears two watches.
Gives her more time to get things done.
One is a smart watch. She needs a regular watch since smart watches are so shit at being watches :P
@@rich1051414 You called it. The digital second hand sometimes disappears when I'm grilling dinner so it's nice to glance at the analog and go ok, 1 min for rare, no need to push buttons to start and stop with greasy fingers.
She's doing what's called among watch enthusiasts "going schwarzkopf". After a US general during the Gulf Wars - Norman Schwarzkopf, who was famously wearing two watches. For practical reasons, of course. One for local time, and one for Washington.
It’s because she’s so hot she needs that much more ice to cool her down
She is amazing!!! I’d be in the poor house if my local store was this cool.
Adilio Samuels more like the POUR house, am I right?
Brian Killebrew lol yeah man....I’d literally be there on a weekly basis
I had a liquor store that was passionate like this about beer. As a beer drinker primarily, it was a dangerous and exciting experience every time
Not sure if thats good though...
Wow! I wish I could tag her @Irene Tan. I just left her store, it was an incredible experience. Her and her coworker were incredible. Irene was so enjoyable and fun to be around. She let us try anything and everything. She has so many store picks and they are all so good! She has a great selection on regular picks as well. I would do this time over time. Make sure she is there when you go! This is the 8th wonder of the world for a Bourbon lover! Best store in the world hands down. Thanks again @Irene Tan for welcoming these Hoosiers!
Thanks Ryan, Great meeting you and Allie. Hope to see you both again.
Irene is a national treasure. I'd move to Connecticut just for her store.
A national treasure? Lmao
I like her, she believes whisky isnt about gouging people....unfortunately no whisky maker shares that feeling anymore
If she is opening bottles to give tasters the mark up must be massive though!
Do you care? Business people are supposed to make money. Spending money isn't just about product it's about the experience as well. I'm more than willing to pay for an experience
Man, there's millions of companies that would kill for an Irene in store. Hat tip to her she is AMAZING
🥃 IRENE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! I am sending a link to this video to my local liquor stores!!!!!!!
Erik Wait 99% of the stores in the East Bay are the exact opposite of this store.
Honestly, I'm a novice whiskey drinker. The fact that this video kept a smile on my face the ENTIRE time shows me there are people out there willing to embrace and educate people like me without gouging. Kudos guys, and kudos Irene!
Whiskey is so hard to learn.
@@LOUDsigh
But definitely worth all the trouble
This amount of caring for customers really wets the eyes.
Holy crap. I know we're all about whisk(e)y here, but this store carries Empress Gin (the purple gin) from my local distillery in Victoria, BC, Canada. A tiny little craft distillery with an amazing gin, which somehow is available on the other side of the continent. At a totally reasonable price too. Wow - hats off to this store.
I recognized a blue bottle of Gin produced in Norway. So yeah…impressive!
Yeah! I love my bottle of Empress Gin! The way it changes colour when the tonic is added wows me every time.
What I found is that my whisk(e)y lovers also love gin esp when the weather is hot
I was like, "Empress! I love this place!"
She did say, Even her Gin has a story behind it.
My biggest annoying thing: Independent stores with bottles on the shelf with no prices.
Robert Kuehn my local liquor store is run by a super amazing old Chinese man, he only has like 3 people on staff and sometimes they just forget to price the new stuff, if it’s not super expensive they’ll just give it to you for 50% off since they messed up. For bottles that have been sitting for a while he’ll pop one open and give free tastings, if you like it he’ll give you a discount on it.
I’ve been going there since I was a wee lad with my dad. There’s a picture of him and my dad back in the late 70’s when they both had hair, lol.
I totally agree
Good grief, yes. I want to support my corner liquor stores, but if they don't bother to put prices on anything, I just won't shop there. It sucks having to ask how much something costs, because you feel like you're a cheap ass if you have to ask.
@Shawn Tsosie If I have to ask, I assume they aren't that intent on selling it to me.
Same thing with bars and beverage stores I’ll just walk out if itsssome crazy price there not showing you
I watched this back in 2019 when recommended sourced me to this. Now I re-watch in 2021 and I appreciate this much more. Liquor store education is needed. So much intimidation is there. All the best to Irene and others in their spirits journey.
I have a lot of respect for Irene, that’s how you run a business
It's Irene! I love her! She's probably the most enthusiastic person I've ever met when it comes to this business.
I'm so lucky that she is right down the street from my house. She wasn't kidding about the welcoming atmosphere. The first time I went there after moving to the area she was breaking out tasting bottles left and right and feeding me and my buddy quite a few samples and talking passionately about all of them.
I ended up buying way more bottles than I meant to that day. It was glorious.
Hi Jason, for more samples, follow me @WhiskyMentors. We're getting our 3rd barrel of whiskey in next week
I'm an engineer and I love that even though the fields are wildly different they have all the same markers of success. Be passionate, be authentic, be approachable.
I'm also an engineer, civil, worked my way there doing dirt work and laying utilities then school at night. In the field we always said "The difference between an engineer and a cowboy is the bullshit being on the OUTSIDE of a cowboy's boot."
Had to share that joke with you. Congratulations on your career I know how difficult it was to achieve.
I have a pretty decent liquor store near by, but damn!
Irene is next level
This woman knows how to run a business and take care of people. Good to see people like this still exist
So cool that she understands that some people really want to tase a good spirit but do not have the funds to buy a big expensive bottle so she lets them taste it for free. It is rare to find good business that treats the customers well regardless of social status. She knows it will pay off for her if they do buy something expensive, but it is not her primary motivation. That is how she gets people to drive many miles past countless other venues to shop at her place instead of somewhere else. We need this more now than ever. God bless her.
Two watches, the woman means business. She's all heart 10/10
Lol! The mention of Pappy made me remember an instance several years ago, I went into my local liquor store and the young employee I didn't recognize was at the counter unboxing a shipment. I just happened to notice he pulled out a couple bottles of Pappy. In shock and astonishment I said "Is that for sale?", he shrugged and said, "Yeah, can't see why it wouldn't be." So I bought both bottles on the spot. The next time I walked into the store he said, "You're the Pappy guy! Dude! You almost got me fired!" It seems there was something like a five year waiting list and the store only got a couple bottles at a time. I felt a little guilty...but just a little.
He deserved a little scare that's for sure
you got really lucky . and you got 2
Where I am a bottle of Pappy is a long wait list and cost $3500 😭
Score!
What’s great about working in a liquor store is when customers ask for top shelf bottles and what they taste like, I always tell them “ I couldn’t say, I work in a liquor store”.
$1,500 bottle of Hennessy, is it really that good? “Beats me”.
The world needs more people like her I truly believe that if we had more people like her the world would be a happier place!
"just don't bring it back empty" I love Irene. She could teach management classes.
@@joe-e-geo Had a Management professor as the business core for Finance, and let me tell you he was a wickedly smart, humble, and rich with experience. He could make the whole class become a productive start-up in a matter of weeks and no one would realize they are working. He was an exec at a Mexican telecom firm and his CV was impressive but he is a really old guy so I guess he just wanted his tenure and live the rest of his retirement comfortably. Honestly, I heard other Mgmt professors in my uni were boring and stale, I feel like it should be a requirement to have practiced your field outside academics because the best professors I've had have all had careers outside of unis and colleges.
I only go to liquor stores once in awhile and the choices are so overwhelming, especially when it comes to beers and wine. I enjoy reading the labels and seeing where they're from. I can literally spend an hour or more just checking out everything.
Now this.... *THIS* is customer service.
Defs read this in DBZA Vegeta's voice
"What do you like to drink?"
"Yes."
(I have actually done that to my local liquor stores)
FelinaVonDraco as a bartender I have said this to my customers when they ask me what I like.
FelinaVonDraco knobs creek and jack Daniel. JÄgermeister. Jameson. Glenfidddich. 12yr. Glenllivet 12. .
Everything between moonshine and Glenfiddich 14 so far.
This should be a video for ALL brick and mortar store owners. 👍 And I cant stand when the "expensive" stuff is behind the desk. Thats a for sure reason I wont be buying anything "expensive " from that store. Ill be buying online. Great video!
Im from Scotland and that looks like an awesome shop. Puts to shame some shops that I've visited around the world. Well done and keep it up
Thanks. Im coming to Scotland next year. Will check out the shops there.
This lady is not only a magnificent bastard, she's a saint and should be knighted and canonized by the whisky gods!!
No swearing Jesus Christ is recommended John 3:16-21 Jesus Christ is Lord God Loves You The Kingdom of God is at Hand Leviticus 20:13 Ephesians 4:29
1 Corinthians 6:9
@@DHunter_47 who swore
Whisky gods don't exist.
@@gordongoodman8342 yes they do
@Gray Au no it isnt
I wish we have an Irene Tan in our neighborhood. This video is so inspiring for the whiskey community
If I was within 100 miles, I would do all my business there...
For sure.
Rarely does someone impress me as much as Irene has in this video. What a great business mind, not to mention she obviously actually also cares about customers/people in general!! Keep it up 👍
I love this lady so much! Now THAT is customer service and having a passion of spreading the love of discovery.
One thing the other liquor stores don’t have: Irene! Her knowledge and personality. The amazing social intelligence and ability to communicate with all sorts of customers. When she talks..it’s on your level. Equal. And that’s amazing. Cheers Irene!
I have so much to say about this. For a hot second I thought “why are they flying halfway across the country to go to a liquor store?”
To say I understand now is such an understatement. I’m going to have to watch again to keep count of the EXCELLENT business practices I hadn’t ever thought of.
I just stopped by her new store today, Irene definitely knows a thing or two about customer service. And her barrel selections are amazing!
When the cashier says: "See you tomorrow!"
How do they know?
If the customer is a regular the cashier would know
Same church
Because you're an alcoholic and the cashier knows you'll be in for your fix tomorrow.
@@zarifsadiq829 quit talking about me
That's not bad, when theh say I'll see you later is when you have a problem
I absolutely 100% have never enjoyed a video as much as I have this one!! Irene is the perfect example of "How to do things right"!!! Thanks for doing this video..So Much Fun!!!
What an amazingly awesome proprietor! Love her enthusiasm and knowledge and dedication to truly above-and-beyond customer service. I'd be in there every other week, at least, if I lived anywhere near CT. She seems like such a cool lady, and I bet her staff is just as awesome. I wish I could get out there, and really wish her the best with her shop. That is the single most impressive selection of whiskey and scotch in a small business/store that I have ever seen.
“What do you like to drink?”
“YES”
I can't handle how wholesome this lady is
Wow, her sampling policy is amazing. I've always wanted more tiny bottles available to try new things, but the selection is always so limited. How cool that she allows that.
I need to send this video to a few stores in the Knoxville, TN area. "Hey, you have any Eagle Rare?" "Oh, um well, that's for our 'whiskey call list' customers, sorry." *Roles eyes, walks out*.....You're a saint Irene!
I can find eagle rare all over the place in middle tn
@@robertfisher8252 hey is that statement still true?
I get nasty attitudes at least twice a week about Eagle Rare and Blantons when I tell people it’s a three month wait list. Buffalo Trace is getting there as well.
If Irene’s store was near me I’d be absolutely broke! Her personality is extremely infectious! This is quite possibly the best Whisk(e)y video ever❣️❣️❣️
LOL, thanks Chad. Daniel and Rex are awesome at this and we had a blast!
It’s the best customer service video ever!
It's good to see shop owners getting back to customer service. I used to drive miles for that experience when looking for hardware supplies and even pet care stuff. I would walk out feeling like it was enjoyable and not a chore.
I wish someone talked about me like she talks about alcohols.
but when i give out free samples people call me a slut
Irene is freakin’ awesome. I love her and the fact that she does such a great charity idea to support the community is amazing.
As someone who lives in a state-control state, take my word for it: Lower prices don't make up for the lack of selection and Soviet Union-like grimness of decor and staff.
I bet you live in Ohio or Idaho there’s only two states I could think of
@@jamessveinsson6006
Virginia has state liquor as well
@@alexanderofrhodes9622 I like how it’s turning red the state
@@jamessveinsson6006 New Hampshire, too. The liquor stores ain't bad at all though, and with no sales taxes the prices are so good to the point that people from MA come over to shop at them. Pretty sure we've got some of the highest booze consumption per capita in the country so maybe they're even too good 😂
@@jamessveinsson6006 virginia where I live is like this, it's bleak and depressing, you gotta order online for anything really worth a damn, but even then you can't taste test an online order so it's still a gamble, If stores here ran how Irene runs hers I'd be buying at least 2-3 bottles each visit she knows how to run a shop right thanks to no state control bs regulating and restricting
Her business model is amazing! She’s just an all around wonderful person and it carry’s over to her business. This was surprisingly wholesome to watch, was not expecting this. Plus I live in a state where the liquor is state run. There’s actually a bill to change that and I was totally against it until I saw this. Thank you to Irene for changing my mind.
Sooooo in love with Irene's way of treating her customers
Nothing better then someone who's heart is in their business. Cheers!
"Every bottle has a story to tell." I love this woman! (Says the woman who loves to compare not just whisky, but gin, and rum, and...")
"oh great like 18 minutes long"... watched it all. Irene was awesome
Irene is so passionate, humble and serene at the same time that you got to love her. Respect!
She’s like the Martha Stewart of Alcoholic beverages.
Ramazan Karaduman minus the insider stock management hopefully 😂
@@house1918tyler I still don't think what she did should even be considered a crime it just sounds like good sense
Now Irene KNOWS how to run a business and how to handle customer service! This is very rare! Great job Irene!
I would totally buy there all the time. We all need an Irene in every liquor store.
I have tears in my eyes,
this place is amazing!
Wow what a great owner and interview. If I’m ever anywhere near this place I’m definitely buying whiskey there. Thanks for sharing!
What a great person to be a spokesperson for the liquor industry! When you combine knowledge with enthusiasm... along with the ability to taste for yourself and take all the bullshit out of a potential purchase, you have liquor store gold. Watching Ms. Tan tell us about how she approaches her customers and their needs just felt refreshing the whole way through. She's worthy of a segment on CBS Sunday Morning.
This is forever going to be one of my favorite videos. I was so pleased to hear about whiskey happenings in the New England area, I never imagined you'd literally land in my home state of Rhode Island (big state meets small state?). I was so disheartened that I wasn't able to attend The Bastards Ball due to my financial situation, others can only try to guess how happy I felt to be so fortunate in meeting you both in person after so many years. I look forward to speaking further with Irene about how I can help her make the New England area a truly magnificent place for whiskey lovers from every part of the world. For this moment as I type however it's about time that I bunker down and get ready for ANOTHER magnificent weekend full of whiskey. This time thankfully from the comfort of my own home as I hang out with all the MB's currently attending your cult meet... Bastards Ball... stay magnificent you bastards!
Just after 2 minutes of listen to her I think I would cross the atlantic sea just to buy whisky from her.
I am sitting in Norway and planning a trip across the US when the pandemic is over. Canterbury was never on my plan, now it is :)
I love her! She´s intelligent, knowledgeable about liquor and truly enjoys sharing with her customers, not just because they come back and that means good business, but because she shares their enthusiasm and is open to provide great customer service. If I was living in the US I would definitely shop here.
She's absolutely awesome. More stores need owners like that.
Amazing! Her shop is almost 200% exactly the opposite of all the Spec’s and Twin Liquor stores 👌🏼
My local Twin Liquors is actually quite good. They have several bottles for tasting, and are generally knowledgeable. If they don't know, they answer honestly, and try to bring another employee that is more knowledgeable to assist. The Specs is pretty standard though. One or two employees know their stuff, the rest are content to try and make a sale (if they have anyone on the floor at all).
Spec's is hit or miss with their staff. Generally, if you find an old chunky white dude, they'll be more helpful with recommendations, haha. They've always had lots of people giving samples, though. Tried a lot of local food, wine, and liquor from small scale producers there. It's really hard to hate Spec's when I've seen liquor stores in other states. Twin Liquors, to me, has an okay selection and a pretty inattentive staff. Haven't had a sample there. For a somewhat more knowledgeable (if stuffy) staff, I go to Total Wine which actually has a pretty good selection of liquors.
@@donnameng9408 At our local Spec's they allow vendors in to offer tastings, but don't have a dedicated area. My local Twin has a small "bar" area where they offer tastings from their own bottles, but they don't allow vendors. Spec's does have a much larger (and broader) selection, though Twin is more curated. I'm sure it all depends on who is running the store (and hiring and training staff). I don't have a Total Wine locally.
Perhaps I exaggerated, it’s more like 173%
Irene is the best. She takes care of the community.
A talented business owner; would succeed in any business.
4:48
"State controlled is usually cheaper"
Me: starts to cry from Ontario Canada cause its state controlled and doubled to triple the price
State control sucks. Period.
@@bartdaviswcu only state I know in my region is Iowa glad I don’t live there 😂
Ya here in state controlled Pennsylvania I can travel 100miles total trip, to go to west virgina & dont just break even but actually end up saving a couple bucks after gas cost vs buying down the street its pathetic af... I always bought the whole state sucks for variety but is cheaper till I started making state trips n saw how wrong that statmeant is
me from europe, its first time I heard about this. I wonder what happened to the big praised market economy.
I feel your pain...LCBO prices suck
We all need a little Irene working in our community! She is amazing and soo knowledgeable!
Utterly incredible segment! As a general manager for a state control liquor store, I can totally get on board with Irene’s philosophy about establishing relationships and community, even though our ability to do that is somewhat hampered here.
Oh, one more turn-off for whisk(e)y lovers...knowledgeable staff who really have no people skills. That is a severe non-starter in any retail operation.
Robin's soul was crushed having to do that bit. Daniel and Rex owe her.
The main thing I hate is when liquor stores close before I've decided to stop drinking.
Well i dont know where you live but in denmark all stores have an alcohol section with wine etc. and gas stations which dont close sell scotch
And we have a big mall that closes very late which has tons of alcohol
@@simplegameplay3004 I've heard in Russia they sell vodka at the grocery store I've actually seen it on traveling channels bald and bankrupt
@@TrollHiddenCave yea they do that here in denmark to all sorts of spiritus and the legal drinking age is only 16
I hate when I come crawling into the liquor store trying to buy one more bottle but they refuse to tell it to me cause I'm crawling in the store on the ground
Irene is how all liquor retailers should be!
Irene is a treasure! This kind of customer service is, sadly, almost non-existent now.
It's ideal and every operator wants to be this way but it gets difficult dealing with unpleasant individuals over time. I want to be this nice but idk if I can pull it off when I have people abusing my automatic doors, complaining about a buck or two on prices, etc.
Jesus, this sounds like the best gosh darn store in the business. In pretty much any business. I love how accessible and accommodating everything and everyone is. I wish we had something like that in Denmark. Our stores could learn a thing or two from this lady.