J. Crew Liquor Store

OUR ARTICLE

Coasters are something that the barman puts down when he first hands you your drink. We play by the rules… for maybe a drink or two. But as the natural light disappears and the dim bar lights flicker on, rules start to run out faster than the scotch in our hands. Drinks fizz over, whiskey spills, glass breaks, and we forget all about that coaster that was so neatly set on the aged wood of the bar. No one would care what the walls would say if they knew the chatter the bar could spill, because that sturdy platform, well, it’s seen more than a lifetime of tales.

When the old liquor store/bar that was built in 1825 finally closed its doors and then got repurposed into J. Crew’s boutique men’s store, they knew it’d be a sinful act to even so much as move the bar that had called that location home for nearly two centuries. In a canny act of brilliance, they decided to leave the old pile of wood and secrets alone and named their one-of-a-kind shop the J. Crew Liquor Store.

When shimmying into a pair of khaki chinos and an American heritage jacket, where does your mind go? Macallan 12? 18? 25?

The neon LIQUOR STORE sign still hangs out front – and for good reason, as the shop is decorated with liquor bottles, vintage decanters, and glass barware. While perusing through a store that couldn’t be manlier if Bill “The Butcher” Cunning were the cashier, you can’t help but think that J. Crew had quite the ball filling up this space. In this rogue-designed shop, imagine whiskey and creative juices meeting each other like a cigarette and a lit match. It’s a smoke show of J. Crew’s curated classic pieces enclosed in the best type of bar that New York has to offer: the antiquated dive.

And after all, are they really so different? Men’s style and a bottle of booze of your choosing? They are definitely not antonyms, and while a thesaurus might not call them synonyms, we sure will. When throwing on a pair of J. Crew trunks, the first thought that comes to mind is “cold beers.” When shimmying into a pair of khaki chinos and an American heritage jacket, where does your mind go? MACALLEN 12? 18? 25?

Alright, old sport, you get the play here – this is the digs you head to when you want to find the rebellious style that’s been breathing in our country since WWI, and mix it with a preppy handshake that J. Crew has always been the master of.

This former neighborhood watering hole has survived in a form that’s uniquely modern. Like a retired Hall of Fame athlete, they didn’t erase his memory; they made him an icon and built a store around his monument. Let the wood in the veins of this bar rest easy knowing it’s served its purpose and did it well. No more broken glass, spilled whiskey, and missed coasters, just blazers, sweaters, tees, button-ups, and a lot of coin. Rest easy, our faithful, faithful friend.