Spirits Society

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

During the first year of the pandemic, our club was temporarily permitted to sell alcohol off-premise to members. Among the new possibilities for member service and engagement, the most popular by far was our whiskey single barrel selection program. We formed tasting committees that chose individual barrels from well-known and local distilleries, which were then bottled and sold directly to members. In mid-2021, the temporary dispensation allowing these types of sales was rescinded. In response, we are planning to implement a "bottle club", wherein members may "lease" prime bar shelf space in our flagship outlet. This space will be used to store and display future barrel picks and other super-premium or rare bottles that members purchase through the club, and consume on-premise when they visit. In this way, we can continue to offer exclusive purchasing opportunities and continue one of the most popular F&B programs at the club, as well as drive club utilization.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

In coordination with this program's rollout, we will market various partnerships with distributors and producers to generate interest in both the products and the program. Logistically, the program operates much like a traditional wine locker model - some nominal initial fee, along with an annual maintenance fee, and early or exclusive access to special purchasing opportunities. The shelf spaces will feature engraved tags with the member names and other pertinent information, placed prominently such that they will be highly visible to all visitors to the outlet.