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Dustin Parres, bar manager of Derek and Lucas Gamlin’s Sub Zero Vodka Bar, Gamlin Whiskey House, and recently opened Taha’a Twisted Tiki Bar, has what some might consider a dream job: he’s in charge of a whole lot of alcohol—1170 bottles, give or take or few. That’s 700 bottles of vodka, 270 bottles of whiskey, and 200 bottles of rum. This most impressive amount of liquor had us wondering how it’s stored and marketed, and how the Gamlins are able to turn a profit. We connected with both Derek Gamlin and Parres to see how it’s done.
Storage
Each establishment has a dedicated room in the basement for bottles not on display, said Gamlin. What’s not in the basements is out in the open, as anyone who’s seen the vodka tower at Sub Zero or the wall of whiskey at Gamlin Whiskey House knows. That wall, Parres noted, is not mere decoration but provides visible storage as well. All three spirits—vodka, whiskey, and rum—are shelf stable, so there’s not too much concern about expired shelf life, but liqueurs and similar products need to be more closely monitored. Every Wednesday, Gamlin puts in his liquor orders, so distributors know that’s the day to come calling.
In the beginning, vodka bottles were arranged alphabetically, but over time, that method proved too cumbersome as new labels were added. Now, for the most part, the vodka is organized chronologically. The tower at Sub Zero (right) is “the most complicated of all,” explained Parres. “It’s a labor of love for the bartenders,” he added.
Why? In addition to simply keeping track of all those bottles, the bar staff (around 12 bartenders) gathers once a month and pulls everything off the tower for cleaning and inventory. The activity often begins at 2 AM, after customers have left, and lasts for several hours. Parres sees it as a “fun training opportunity,” and baked goods are encouraged, not only to make the job more festive but also presumably to keep people awake on a sugar high. On more than one occasion, a bartender has discovered a bottle he or she had never seen before. Moving rare products and keeping bartenders up to date on selection—not just what’s there but where it is on the tower when everything’s put back in place—are just two benefits of the monthly event.
When asked if he finds the management of all those bottles overwhelming, Parres (left), who counts bottles at all three places once a week, said, “No. I love what I do.” He went on to explain that if a person didn’t love the job, it would definitely be overwhelming.
As a demonstration of how much he loves his job, Parres is currently reading up on rum history after a car accident and shattered knee left him recovering at home. A simple question on our part about variations in rums’ flavors led to a detailed and fascinating explanation on his part about the introduction of rum into Colonial America and the effects sugar, sugar cane, sugar beets, and molasses have on rum’s flavor. Parres had the most fun creating the concept for Taha’a, and appreciates the bar’s motto, “No hurry, no worry,” especially since “a lot of people take their drinking way too seriously”—a statement made after we discussed whether or not the cocktail craze, which looks down its nose at vodka, has had a negative effect on Sub Zero’s sales (it hasn’t).
Marketing and Profit-Making
With the storage aspect of management down, we wondered how one markets so many varieties. The Vodka Club at Sub Zero has been a great way to encourage people to try different vodkas, many of which they may never have known existed. Gamlin (Lucas and Derek at right) said they will soon introduce a similar concept at the Whiskey House called The Whiskey Society of Missouri.
Parres (right) spoke about marketing and turning a profit together. Staff training comes first, so they know what to recommend to customers; the education of the staff member, then, is relayed to the clientele. “We try to keep the bartenders interested and engaged, so they can pass that on to the customer,” Parres said. Another essential piece is creating a cocktail list that moves product. A few minutes spent with any of the three places’ cocktail menus illustrates this point. And, finally, tasting dinners and events that highlight “quieter” brands are key to getting people in the door and trying something new.
The mere thought of counting that many bottles of alcohol a week makes us tired, almost too tired to drink. We’re glad there’s someone out there like Parres who is excited to do so, and while we wish him a speedy recovery, we selfishly imagine that the longer he convalesces, the more he will gain—a boon that will surely be passed on to us when we visit Taha’a for something made with El Dorado 12 (left), his current favorite rum.
