Sub5zero - Celebrating the Fast Life
If you entertain at your home on even a semi-regular basis, you know that there’s a certain amount of stress that comes from trying to maintain the tastiest, most eclectic adult beverages menu in your social circle. Regularly checking websites, subscribing to magazines, participating in online forum discussions, shopping price and selection at the local liquor retailers…it’s almost enough to be a full time job. Good thing, then, that there’s a service called Flaviar whose self-assigned mission is to do all that legwork for you.
Founded in 2012 by a trio of spirits scholars, Flaviar is a $20-a-month (billed quarterly) club that, every three months, sends its members a box of 1.5 ounce sample jars of drinks that all belong to a common theme. If something from that quarter’s tasting box strikes your fancy, your membership allows you to order one full-size bottle per month without having to pay for shipping (The tasting boxes also arrive without a shipping charge.), plus you can rate and discuss drinks on the Flaviar website and smartphone app [below], two places that also give members access to comprehensive, insightful and witty expert analysis on each of the roughly 15,000 whiskeys, bourbons, tequilas, rums and other spirits the company stocks.
And lest you assume that all of those 15,000 drinks can be found elsewhere if you look hard enough, know this: Flaviar opens its vault once a month to give members easy access to some truly rare and hard-to-find imbibables, as well as occasional exclusive private bottlings from distilleries that literally (and we’re using the dictionary definition here) can’t be found anywhere else. And speaking of distilleries, Flaviar also organizes members-only live events and get-togethers at those places, bars, and other cool destinations. Seriously, belonging to Flaviar is like having a full set of encyclopedia (Remember those?) devoted to hard liquor at your fingertips…all for just a fraction of what you’re paying for your mobile phone, cable and other humdrum services. You cannot, and will not, beat that. So, why not give Flaviar a try?
Flaviar is a Spirits Sommelier and So Much More by Tom Anderson