PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Wine & Liquor owner Jigar Sinroza is hosting an event that he hopes will help you find your new favorite drink.
"This is the first time we have done a three-day-long event," he said. "I can't think of anyone else who has done anything like this for a straight three days."
Sinroza, who also owns George's Liquor Store on Elm Street, said he has hosted one-day tastings at George's, but he wanted to do something bigger for Berkshire Wine & Liquor, which he has owned for just about five months. Berkshire Wine & Liquor is located at 711 Tyler St.
The tasting will take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 12-14, from 4 to 7 p.m. each day.
"There will be multiple vendors," he said. "We are talking 50 to 80 items to be tasted at one time. There will be different items each day … We have a little bit of everything. Wines, spirits, seltzers, beers, craft brews, high-end bourbons."
Sinroza said he hopes the event helps build new relationships with his customers, similar to what he has established at George's. He said the Elm Street location has a loyal customer base, many of whom are enthusiasts looking for specific high-end spirits. Sinroza said he takes pride in being able to find exactly what his clientele is looking for.
He said this following took years to build, and he hopes to foster this same environment at Berkshire Wine & Liquor.
"At George's, if someone is looking at scotches and bourbons, we don't mind opening a bottle. I will pull money out of my own pocket even if it doesn't sell," he said. "At least it is a liquid-to-lips kind of deal that builds that trust with a customer. I personally feel that the first sale is not important. I want customers to come back."
Items at the tasting tables will have special one-day discounted pricing.
"Pretty much everything on the table will be discounted, so you don't have to buy a case to see the discount," he said. "You can have that one bottle for a special price."
Sinroza said there will also be giveaways, food, and raffle prizes.
He said his distributors are excited about the event and have offered their full support. He said he actually had to turn a few away because he was running out of room. Also, he thanked his team for helping him build the event from inception to wheeling out the tables.
Sinroza felt it was the right time to hold the event with the pandemic winding down and fewer restrictions hampering such events.
"No one has really done any events in the past year because of COVID-19. Everything has had limitations, everything was stuck," he said. "Now people are starting to come out, so I wanted to step on it."