One day last week, there were 7,765 different items in the Legacy Liquor Store. Not 7,765 bottles; there were 7,765 types of beer, wine and spirits available to anyone who walked through the stores Olympic Village doors. That included 1,200 choices of beer, 250 choices of single malt and 280 choices of vodka (including bacon-flavoured.)
I dont think [demand for such variety] will be a niche market for very much longer, says Darryl Lamb, Legacys encyclopedic product specialist. It will be the culture.
As someone who has travelled to every province in Canada and journeyed around the world, Lamb says theres something very special going on here. We have the best developed palate in the country, he says of fellow Vancouverites.
In the chicken-and-egg debate on whether demand from consumers or supply through private outlets such as Legacy is causing this quiet revolution, Lamb throws a generational influence into the mix.
Theres a big depreciation in Boomer brands, he says, referring to the same top sellers which lined liquor store shelves for decades. Millennials and Gen Xers dont want to do what their parents did. Were building a culture. People are spending more, drinking less and enjoying it more. Its a movement; it isnt a fad.
The more demand there is for such things as artisanal vodkas, the more small-batch brands become viable. The more brands there are, the more we want to experiment and explore.
There have been other influences, of course, especially in a city like Vancouver. When people move here from other countries, they dont want to leave behind their favourite drinks. Legacy staff will research immigration trends and also respond to requests to import specific brands. For instance, Legacy now stocks Riga Black Balzams Liqueur. There might only be a few hundred people here who know what it is, but well give them access to it.
The world is also a much smaller place now that were all travelling more and being as adventurous in our food explorations. Back at home, we want to keep experiencing those discoveries.
But its not just Vancouverites who want access to a world of drinking opportunities. A big part of Legacys business is online purchases which are mailed across the province. There might be one only person in Hope who loves grappa but they can now get it, Lamb says.
As for his travels, hes always dismayed when he returns to his home province of Ontario and finds nothing much has changed in its government-controlled wine and liquor world. Its like going back in time, he says. Those poor, poor bastards. There are more than seven rums in the planet.
