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Berry Bros. & Rudd opens first spirits shop
One of the UK’s oldest wine and spirits merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR) has opened its first spirit shop in London, selling nearly 1,000 global products in the category.
Expanding the firm’s existing wine shop, the dedicated spirits section is located at its No.1 St James’ establishment.
A decision was taken by the merchants to invest in the spirits as it reported a 42% revenue growth year-on-year in the category, with increasing sales across sake, bourbon and whiskies, as well as bottle spend across categories rising.
BBR has a history of selling spirits prior to the expansion, selling Cutty Sark in the early 1900s, through to No.3 London Dry Gin more recently.
As part of the move, it has refurbished the area for the spirits shop, with heritage of the building and materials used considered carefully for the sympathetic expansion. In addition, a spirits reserve room has also been created, featuring products from the world’s top producers and distillers, alongside single cask bottlings.
In commemoration of the opening of the shop, BBR chose a cask from Bowmore to produce a special bottle. A 1997 single malt from the distillery, it was 26 years old at the time of bottling, with an ABV of 55%, and available in 100 hand-numbered bottles.
The period chosen for the bottle is considered one of the strongest in Bowmore’s history, and independent bottlings of its whiskies are rare, it said.
Geordie Willis, brand experiences and creative director at BBR, 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, to offer a truly exceptional range and experience at the spirits shop.
“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. 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.”