Five years ago, Snow White of Snow Apparel was closing up shop for the holiday season. Her husband, Jim Wardell, just stopped in to lend his support. He had just bought a bottle of whiskey when several gentlemen walked through the door in desperate need of a last-minute gift for their wives. At that moment a new tradition was born, a gentleman’s shopping event at Snow Apparel.
In 2017, as Wardell visited his wife at her store he saw these men walk in frazzled by the complexities of buying clothing for their wives. Rather than push a sale on these men, Wardell invited them to share a sip of whiskey to relax a moment, giving them time to consider the gift they might purchase, White said.
“It seemed to make the guys relax a bit. Instead of buying a gift they (the men) bought a gift card and chatted with us,” White said.
After the experience, Wardell suggested White make it an annual event.
White understands that many men have been “burned” in the past when trying to select clothes for the women in their lives. She enjoys helping them find the perfect gift, which may include finding a way to make a gift card still be thoughtful and meaningful, she said.
This year Snow Apparel, located at 520 Main St., will partner with Dry Land Distillers for a night of sipping whiskey as shoppers explore the sustainable and local gift possibilities in the store.
According to Nels Wroe, co-founder of Dry Land Distillers, shoppers will be able to taste a flight of the distillery’s four flagship whiskeys. The samples include the Heirloom Wheat, Antero Wheat, Dry Land’s Light whiskey and its newest Arroyo whiskey.
“It’s amazing how whiskey motivated guys to go shopping,” Wroe said.
The Arroyo whiskey has yet to be officially released and shoppers will get a first tasting of the collaborative spirit. Working with Primitive Beer, Dry Land Distillers crafted the Arroyo from Primitive Beer’s award-winning barrel-fermented sours, Wroe said.
After nine months of aging, Wroe described the whiskey as “delicious and unique,” adding that it is a “food-friendly whiskey.”
According to a news release from Dry Land Distillers, the whiskey has “complex floral notes, deep ripe plum and apple highlights, and finishes with cinnamon, coriander, vanilla and golden syrup.”
“I’ve never tasted a whiskey like this,” Wroe said.
The connection between these two shops goes beyond this one event. According to Wroe, the two are a natural fit as they both are “slow” businesses that focus on sustainability and staying local.
Dry Land Distillers asks its employees to dress “more than casual,” Wroe stated. In an effort to help his employees afford the clothing he teamed up with Snow Apparel. Dry Land purchases gift cards to offset the cost of the clothing, while White helps employees find appropriate clothing to fit their shape and personality.
The Fifth Annual Gentlemen’s Shopping event is scheduled for 3-6 p.m. today.
