Small Pond: October 2012 | outlook columbus

Europia, A Spirit Store a Buzz Above the Rest

by Alisa Caton

Writing at outlook teaches you many things: to appreciate a good happy hour, to always have an office refrigerator full of beer and to know where the closest bar or liquor store is located. With that, it is no coincidence that we are only blocks away from Europia Wine and Spirits, the go-to, gay owned and friendly liquor store on High Street.

Steven Grabner, owner of Europia, said originally he opened the store because there was a need for it in the Short North, along with his love for wine, spirits and beer, and wanting to make the products he enjoyed available for people. Now, 16 years later, Europia has become a staple in the Short North, and also does its part to give back to the neighborhood. The store is a sponsor of Columbus Pride every year, which comes as no surprise since the staff is ?100 percent lesbian, gay and bisexually owned and operated,? and has been since the opening. Europia also works with the Human Rights Campaign Gala to support their wine auction.

Over the years Europia has seen a lot of change in the Short North. ?This biggest change has been as the demographics of the neighborhood have become slightly more affluent, our products have changed with the change of the neighborhood,? said Steven.

Another aspect of Columbus that has changed over the years is the move towards local goods. Europia carries most of the local Ohio and Columbus alcohol products. ?When we first opened, the availability of local was slim. As new products have popped up, we?ve stood behind them,? said Steven. ?It?s giving back to the neighborhood. The neighborhood is so supportive of local grown, local business. Us being in this neighborhood, it?s been great to do these collaborations with all these local distilleries and breweries.?

The store highlights many of these local products in their gift baskets; an idea that Steven said was started due to customer demand. Customers can either design a basket themselves, or choose a themed basket. Some of the themed baskets include a Bloody Mary drink basket, or ?the ultimate martini? basket. ?Everything you need, just add ice,? said Steven. The gift baskets range in price from $49 to $99.

Aside from introducing products to customers through the baskets, Europia also holds a wine tasting once a month in the cellar below the store. The class, which holds 24 people, is lead by a different distributor or wine maker, and up to eight different wines are tasted during each class. ?We were able to get a tasting license, which allowed us to introduce people to wines they may not know themselves and expand their taste,? said Steven. Some of the previous visitors to the tasting have been Brothers Drake, Wine Trends and Solera. The next wine tasting is October 18 at 6:30p, and spots are still available.

Like most companies now, Europia uses social media as form to keep in constant contact with its customers. Their Facebook is updated almost daily to announce new products on the shelves or to remind people that the weekend is coming up and it is time to stock up on their favorite drinks to celebrate. Sometimes the posts are just fun postings for the customers. ?We here at Europia feel Thursdays are underrated and need to be celebrated? OK we say the same for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. So, Cheers.?

Steven has also created a blog for the store, where he creates food recipes and then shares what wines would be a great pairing for the meal. ?A lot of it was customer driven, people coming in and asking, ?Hey, what goes with this??? said Steven. ?Here?s a new wine and here?s an easy meal.? For example, one of the recipes was lamb and beef burgers with tomato cucumber tabouli and he suggested to pair it with a French sauvignon or cote du rhone. Steven posts all of the recipes and pairings to the Europia website, and posts links on the Facebook. He updates the blog once a week, and he said that he tries to keep it seasonal, most of the summer he was posting lighter recipes and wine pairings.

With the arrival of fall, the recipes and the store product will be evolving with the season. ?As we get into the fall we will have more of the reds and a little heartier whites, as opposed to summer when it?s a little lighter,? said Steven. ?We?ve already started getting in the October fest and pumpkin beers.?

Whether it is looking for local ale, the makings for the perfect Manhattan, or the right wine to pair with dinner, Europia Wine and Sprits is stocked with the right products and knowledgeable staff to ensure that the drinking needs of the Short North are met. ?Because of the location we are in, people are always looking for the newest and latest,? said Steven. ?We try to make products easily accessible so they are not having to drive from place to place.?

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Looking to stock the liquor cabinet? Europia Wine and Spirits is located at 672 N High St. Check out their website: www.europiagourmet.com

Source: http://outlookcolumbus.com/2012/10/small-pond-october-2012/

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