It might not look like much from the outside, but I promise you will want walk in the door. Once you do, you might not want to walk back out.
I’m talking about Storied Company in downtown Indianapolis (right next to the bus stop off Delaware).
The Experience
When you walk in, you are going to see a small shop with a bunch of bourbon, scotch, and irish whiskey (plus other spirits) that you probably haven’t seen in most stores. And you’ll meet one of two guys – Simon (the wine guy) or Denis (the spirit guy). Once you introduce yourself, odds are they’ll remember your name every time you come into the store (I’ve been in 5-6 times and both of them remember my name – It’s crazy).
But that’s just the beginning. You have just walked into a university of the spirit and wine world. And your class starts now.
The name Storied Company really sums up this place well. These two gentlemen know the story of every bottle they have on the shelf. I’m not kidding when I say that either. Take the picture above – If you sample any of those bourbons or irish whiskies, Denis or Simon will tell you about the history of the distillery, the mash bill used, where the grain was farmed, and probably what the distiller had for breakfast before making that particular spirit (that one might be a joke). These two know everything about the spirits and the wine they have at the store. It could come from their years of experience in the liquor and wine industry plus their capacity to tell a killer story.
And this is more than just a liquor store. It’s also a tasting bar. You can have up to 4 tastes of anything that is on the tasting shelf. They are organized by the colored dots (one dot is $5 a taste, one is $10, and one is $15). It’s your chance to try a bottle of $400+ bourbon for $15 (I’ve done it and it was great – I would never buy a bottle that pricey, but it was nice to see if I would actually like it). You can come in with a tasting plan or you can let the guys at Storied Company direct you to your new favorite spirit or wine.
The Selection
If you are expecting your big name spirits at this location, think again. Denis and Simon go and handpick every bottle that is in their shop. This comes in the form of sourcing from specific distilleries (domestically and abroad) and even getting into some barrel picks from distilleries like New Riff, Compass Box, Starlight, Wilderness Trail, and others. And after buying and tasting multiple of these selections, I can say that they know what they are doing.
And they have a killer selection of irish whiskey and scotch. This is a unique experience for a typical bourbon lover. I know that I’m not a typical drinker of the spirits from across the pond, but from my stops at Storied Company, I have started to enjoy of few different types of each spirit. Each time I go into the store, I make sure to at least try 1-2 new items I’ve never had before (like Armagnac or some really peat forward scotch).
The Best Part
If you do absolutely nothing else from this blog post, you need to do the following:
- Go to their website here: https://www.storiedcompany.com/
- Sign up for their email list
- Receive the emails that go over all of their items and their special releases.
Then you’ll start seeing emails like this:
and this:
It’s the true hidden gem of Storied Company. You get access to special releases and you get weekly education on spirits from across the globe.
And if you decide to buy some wine or liquor, they’ll store it at their location indefinitely. You can come any time and grab all of your purchases at once. I like to order 4-5 bottles and then schedule a day to go on a visit (with a group of friends).
Conclusion
If you are looking for a liquor store where you can buy all of the allocated bourbon your heart desires, this isn’t you place. If you are looking to buy a bottle of Tito’s, this isn’t your place. If you are looking for educational tastings with a selection of hand picked spirits and wines, Storied Company is your place. If you make a trip, tell them Chris Wilkey sent you. If you don’t want to make the trip right now, make sure to sign up for their email list at https://www.storiedcompany.com/.