Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/128596
Huge Beer Selection ne of the main facets of the store is its monumental beer selection, important given Colorado's reputation for craft brewing – every brew that's available in Colorado at any one time is sold and kept on the shelves and in a cooler set up with 76 doors, about 5,000 square feet altogether, roomy enough to let customers walk through and shop. Dean, a veteran of local beverage alcohol retail, says the craft beer shopper in the Boulder area continues to experiment in style and format. He carries an enormous selection of the 750 ml "bombers" as well as standard sizes, and offers at Hazel's something he's featured at other stores - a price adjusted "pick six" program that allows customers to combine all but the mass market beers to create their own reasonably priced sampler. "It's probably our most popular item in the beer coolers since so many people want to try something new without paying a full six pack price." In beer, like in all categories, keeping on top of trends is crucial, he says, so while wheat and hoppy IPA beers are hot now, next year it might be something else. "Each year we get a whole new group of shoppers turning 21, and it's all about experimentation and trying something new. We all look back at things we bought at 21 and wouldn't drink now. But these days in all categories, the rate of change is amazing." Dean is looking into setting up a beer growler system for installation in the next year, since his brew-avid customer base already scoops up the 1200 – 1500 brews he carries and keeps on him to get more of the obscure, rare and limited supply items so popular among the craft beer crowd. O Wines of All Kinds efitting any wine store in a well-heeled town, Hazel's stocks a temperature controlled wine cellar space with vintages going for $300 and up. But with the approach that all price points be represented, they carry six and seven dollar brands like Yellow Tail, as well as plenty of box wines and Tetra packs. At both ends, those are the easy calls; what Dean instead wants from his wine buyers is to seek out values at any price. "There are a lot of great $25 wines, the idea is to see if you can find the $10 and $12 wine that is a great value," he says. Making the right choices benefits the store in both the short and long term, he says. "It seems whatever we put out there, our customer trusts us to have done the research on it so that when they buy it they think they're going to get a good wine at a fair price. If they don't, obviously we will take it back." He thinks values will be harder to come by as the excess of juice is sopped up by wine producers; in the meantime, the store is finding success with California and French wines, with shiraz/syrah and pinot noir still hot. With 28,000 square feet on the selling floor, Hazel's had room to add a good sized tasting area that is now accustomed to welcoming as many as a 1,000 customers over a two day tasting period. Hazel's focuses on unusual items not widely available, and by making sure the pourings are promoted and treated like special events. Colorado law allows four tastes at any occasion – one ounce of wine or beer, half an ounce B