We have a fun tradition of hunting down unique bottles of wine or spirits, locally made if we can find it, and bringing them home as a memento from the trip. Sometimes, let’s be honest, it’s slim pickings. We’re usually in the middle of nowhere, and while we might find some local hooch we also might not, or might wish we hadn’t. I turn to the internet of things when I’m searching for the place that will have a selection above and beyond your average. Sometimes we end up at distilleries, but there’s one shop that is so outstanding it deserves its own post.

Susan’s Fine Wine & Spirits in Santa Fe, NM is one of the best bottle shops I have ever been to. Partly it’s the hidden location (“Is this the place? I think Siri got us lost…”), partly it’s the fantastic aesthetics inside the shop (complete with fantastic tasting room), as well as the excellent selection.

I was thrilled to see unique bottles of wine from obscure locales and producers at price points that make them accessible. They aren’t trying be pretentious, which makes them that much more sophisticated and effortlessly cool. I can certainly think of a bottle shop or two who could learn from Susan’s.

I would say I know a lot about wine and spirits compared to the average person. It’s a long standing passion of mine. I read books and articles about the history, production and evolution of wine and spirits because I find it all fascinating. I talk to distillers and winemakers every chance I get. This is a favorite hobby of mine. I tell you this so you know I’m picky. I’m discerning. I’m a snob about a lot of this stuff and proud of it. But I cannot stand the overstuffed culture that can come with this territory. Lighten up! I have my opinions about wine and spirits. I know what I like, and I know what I don’t. But at the end of the day, it’s alcohol. If you’re enjoying yourself, well done you.

The staff at Susan’s gets it. I asked a question I tend to ask at every liquor store I go to: “Do you have any Rum Agricole produced in Curaçao?” This got us a one-on-one conversation with Brian, their head spirits buyer. Pretty soon Brian suggested we just go ahead and open up some of these bottles we were talking about so we could taste them. He took us to that fantastic tasting room I mentioned. We took a step up and passed through a narrow little doorway into an intimate room with a few high-top tables and lots of ambiance. We bellied up to the bar while Brian poured through the full range of Diplomatico rum (not made in Curaçao in case you’re wondering). We chatted about the production, the flavor profiles, how it compared across the lineup and against competitors. We got to know each other. In the end though, I said, “Thanks very much but I can buy these anywhere. What should I get if I’m looking for something no one else will have?” To which he didn’t miss a beat and sold me a bottle of Rum & Cane Merchants French Overseas XO Rum. Delicious.

Ryan was thrilled as well since they happened to have a very select bottle of Fortaleza Reposado Winter 2021 on their shelf for half the price you can find it anywhere else. That is, if you can find it at all. Which you can’t.

As is often the case when we’re on an adventure, let’s just say, we didn’t exactly look like we were ready to lay down lots of dollars on great bottles of alcohol. When had I last washed my hair…? I don’t want to talk about it. But the staff didn’t hesitate or look twice. They were warm, they were accommodating. Had I asked for a moment alone in the Lady’s with a bottle of shampoo, I can almost guarantee I would have gotten it. More than anything they left us feeling like we didn’t want to go. I wish Susan’s was around the corner from us. I wish our local liquor store was even a shadow of what Susan’s is. I love this place and I miss it. Go. Say hi from A Guy A Girl and A Trail. Hopefully, our paths cross again.