You started working at Beverage Warehouse when you were very young and ultimately bought the business from your parents. Did you always know you'd end up owning it…and what part of it do you still really love?

“It’s funny you ask that, because I'll be there 40 years this year. And when I was younger, I despised school. Even at 15 and 16 years old, I knew I wanted to do two things when I got older, which were artwork and own the Beverage Warehouse. Of course, at that age, people are telling you, ‘You don't know what you want to do.’ 
Well, I went on to start an art company and own the Beverage Warehouse. I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

“My parents are so social, and looking at their lifestyle…how they could go to work together, and come home and still laugh, and see people all day who wanted to stop by just to say hi. I love that social aspect that they created. I was like, how cool is that? I can go to work and feel like I’m enjoying it. I'm hearing about people's lives. It's like going to a cocktail party all day long, with a little more serious undertone. I just love that vibe.

“People are always happy to see you in this business. And the people that you meet, who have done so much evolving their businesses at the same time we evolved ours…we always cross paths. How often do you get to do that in business, where you're in the same network for decades? It’s the coolest.

“Owning a business that was in my family is truly a connection to them. I see them in every corner of this place. When I do eventually sell this company, it's not just a monetary transaction. It is such a piece of my life and my family's history. And that’s going to be very emotional. This is personal to me. My parents still get phone calls from their friends that say, ‘Hey, I went to the Bevie, and everyone treated me so well. Just letting you know that your daughter is maintaining how you treated people.’”

What has changed the most since you first started…and what's exciting you about the Vermont beverage scene right now?

“It's kind of like, what hasn't changed? You never know what's going to happen. You never know the challenges…and that in itself is addicting to me.

“When we first bought it, there was the Winooski construction…they were putting in the roundabout. So the first two and a half years I owned it, people couldn't easily get to our store. We almost didn’t have an income. We had enough to pay our staff and keep the doors open. So that was trial and error.

“And then you have the golden days of the beer movement in Vermont. Oh my God….roller coaster. You couldn’t do anything wrong. I mean, you have the state making the best beer in the world in many people's opinions. And then you have the liquors…Caledonia Spirits, Smugglers' Notch, WhistlePig, to name a few. You’ve got the wineries starting to welcome people. We were more of a destination than ever because of our makers. We had people lining up out our door two times a week for Alchemist…75 to 300 deep, starting at five in the morning, for years. So that was crazy.

“And then COVID. Half our business was bars and restaurants, and they all closed. It was hard, but we survived. We were deemed essential. It was very, very strange. And now we’re in a time where cannabis is in town, and our non-alcoholic business is up 400%.

“So what hasn't changed is the constant adaptation…what stays the same, and what’s new and exciting? As someone who lives in chaos willingly and lovingly, I like not knowing what's going to happen next, because there’s a certain challenge and it’s interesting to adapt. Our store has been fortunate. We’ve become a Vermont destination.

“And that roller coaster? Might as well put it in our parking lot, because we’re riding it!”

Is there something people are drinking right now that would have surprised you several years ago? And how does that shape what you put on the shelves?

“The mocktails. You're spending 35 bucks on products like Seedlip, and the fresh herbs and the creativity…people are putting just as much money into that as they are picking up regular cocktail ingredients. Especially brides for weddings…they usually have a signature cocktail, they're matching their dress, matching the theme, matching a story from their past…like a walk in the woods with a pine-note flavored shrub.

“I went to a restaurant in New York and I had an Ube mocktail…the first one I'd had. It was remarkably delicious. It was so well flavored, so layered. It was beautiful because it was purple. I just savored it. I'm like, ‘This would be amazing with vodka!’ But when I hear ‘mocktail margarita,’ I know what those flavors are going to be. If I'm gonna spend that kind of money, I want it to be something completely unique.

“Anything that's from Vermont, we'll give you a shot. Anybody who's a local producer, we want to support. That’s just Vermont for you. Anything beyond that, we have to be discretionary. Our customers are becoming more and more honed in on what they want.

“And the middle of the road isn't as interesting anymore. It's either: ‘I'm going to have a cocktail tonight and I want it to be worth it,’ or ‘I want something that's just easy drinking. I'm gonna crush some Miller High Life on a weekend. This is what my grandfather drank when we were fishing.’ It is a little more nostalgia-driven on some things right now.”

Bonus: What's the strangest product request you've ever gotten at the store?

“Ever? Jeez. It was an anchovy paste bitter. And I'm like, ‘OK, no,’ because I hate anchovies. I remember because it made my stomach turn. I can see it in a Bloody Mary…but I mean, what kind of cocktail am I putting anchovy in? I wasn't even sure what they were asking for, but that stands out…my face must have screwed up eight ways when they asked me!

“This was so long ago…I'm trying to remember the name. Because it made me sick to my stomach. Thanks for that unsavory recall (laugh)!”