I keep dragging soon-to-be-appreciative friends into this incredible liquor store that’s tucked away in a little strip mall in Woodinville. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come here on the eve of a dinner party, theme party or cocktail party and gotten great advice on cocktails from the owner, David.
Sure, I could shop for my parties at TotalWine or BevMo, but what I love about Proper & Ernest is their carefully curated selection, and the incredible wine, beer and cocktail knowledge that David and Rob are happy to share with me and their other customers.
I often find liquor flavors that aren’t always stocked at larger wine shops – like Black Cherry vodka from Effen (TotalWine usually only carries their plain and cucumber versions). In fact last week, I was able to pick up a heretofore unknown-to-me “Dutch Raspberry” vodka from Effen!
This barrel, decorated with large and delicious looking liquor bottles, welcomes you outside the front of the shop.
This giant-sized magnum of champagne makes me giggle when I look at it.
I keep meaning to stop by and ask the owner to show me the Washington wines and specifically the ones from Woodinville tasting rooms that he stocks.
Notice the helpful tasting notes pinned to the shelves under nearly every bottle – so helpful!
The miniatures selection is the best I’ve seen. (Sometimes at the large stores like BevMo, I feel like the miniatures only represent weird new yucky liquors that they can’t get anybody to commit to trying in larger sizes). I like to stock miniatures in my home bar for guests who enjoy liquors I never personally will drink – Kahlua and Baileys, for example.
Know what these comfy chairs are for? Tastings! They’re generally offered on Fridays, though on occasion when I’m vacillating between two liquors, David or Rob have generously educated me and given me a sample if they have a bottle open behind the counter.
Serret was super excited about the growler refill area and the selection of beers on tap. I was happy to see my boyfriend’s current favorite IPA, Elysian Brewing Company’s Space Dust IPA on tap!
Here’s a quick peek at some of their sparkling wine, Champagne and Prosecco selections!
The decor here is fabulous – check out this antique porthole-style cabinet!
I often hesitate to purchase unfamiliar liqueurs, but Proper & Ernest staff can tell me exactly how to use and mix their liqueurs into fabulous drinks to serve my guests.
Now that summer is here, I’m extremely tempted to stock up on a few of the limoncellos shown here!
Here’s an example of the liquors set out for an upcoming Friday tasting recently. I was especially happy to see grapefruit vodka from Lake Chelan’s Blue Spirits Distillery!
This specialty liquor store is quite dangerous to saunter into with one’s credit card, I must admit. The intriguing curated selection, knowledgeable staff and fun browsing atmosphere make it too easy to overstock my home bar with delicious non-essentials. (Doesn’t help that I throw so many parties, using “entertaining” as an excuse to buy more!)
-Carrie
RESOURCES:
Proper & Ernest (Official site)
http://liquornliquor.com/
Proper & Ernest on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Proper-Ernest-432807946904557/
Proper & Ernest on Yelp
https://www.yelp.com/biz/proper-and-ernest-woodinville
Article: The Business of Woodinville
http://425business.com/the-business-of-woodinville/
