Liquor lockers are revolutionizing how the elite have a nightcap
- Liquor lockers are also commonly known as "bottle keeps."
- In the luxury-hospitality industry, they're becoming popular among regular patrons.
Liquor lockers, also known as "bottle keeps," are popping up in bars and members' clubs across the globe.
They allow patrons to buy a bottle of alcohol and store it at the establishment for a later date.Exclusive members' clubs are continuing to gain widespread traction in the luxury-hospitality space; Soho House & Co Inc. said its total members in the third quarter of 2023 grew by 20.8% year over year.But to some clientele, these clubs aren't exclusive enough.
Liquor lockers provide a home away from home
James Semenowycz, the director of brand and PR at The Other House, a residents' club in London, told Business Insider its whisky locker is designed to help clients feel at home.
Bottle keeps are somewhat of an "if you know, you know" service in the hospitality world. Establishments such as The Vault in Edinburgh, Scotland, only offer them to its members, while any patron at Silverleaf can partake, albeit with a high price tag.
'It's a bit of a status thing,' venue manager Kyle Gow says
Kyle Gow, a manager at The Vault, a members-only venue, told BI that some of their members use their bottle-keep service to impress guests and business clients.
"Some people want to show off what they've got. People are more likely to buy a more expensive bottle to put in the bottle keep," he said."It's a bit of a status thing," Gow said, adding that clients purchase desirable bottles of whisky that they can later flex to friends trying to buy the same ones."We've had members buy some exclusive bottles, come in and do exactly that — show off," he added.Gow said it's also a way for establishments such as these to get to know their clientele better. He added that a regular client is always looking for the next bottle to put in their locker so they don't lose their space."We'd keep an eye on his bottle for him and as soon as we knew it was getting low we'd be like, 'This is what we think for the next one,'" he said.Though the venue has 120 spaces for bottles, Gow told BI that they've been extremely popular, and the venue is quickly running out of space. But the global rise of liquor lockers means there are plenty of options to choose from.The Vault in San Francisco and The Flatiron Room in New York both have extensive whiskey collections waiting to be kept under lock and key.
The luxury of choice
Gow told BI that most of their clientele know what they like to drink, so it can be more economical for them to buy a bottle than individual servings.