Iowa Spirits Volume 1 2018 - 16

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By Annie Tobey

ou might say that Tom and Sylvia Amlie thought
outside the box when they opened Happy's Wine
and Spirits in 2014. As owners of a retail building
with a vacancy, they decided to open their own
business to fill the space, while at the same time
giving Cedar Valley a locally owned store that
pulls from more small, local vendors in a boutique
atmosphere. Besides the fact that Happy's sells
products that make people happy, Sylvia Amlie's
mother is conveniently nicknamed "Happy."
In addition to stocking a diversity of wine and
spirits, the business carries a wide range of beers.
In fact, the product selection is one of Happy's
points of pride.
"We feel we have the best selection in the
Cedar Valley, and many of our customers think so
too," says Tim Knudsen, wine and spirits specialist. "Every week we taste new wines ..., we
research new liquors that come into the state and
we read about all the new beers that are constantly coming in, so we can tell people about
products with great ratings or ones we actually
taste." And if customers can't find what they're
looking for, "We love doing special orders."

HAPPY SPIRITS, WINES AND BEERS
The liquor shelves at Happy's Wine and Spirits
begin with those everyday products that everyday
customers appreciate-the favorite vodkas, gins
and whiskies. A large collection of 50-mL mini

BEN HAGARTY

bottles helps customers find new favorites. And
to set their shelves apart from the competitors,
Happy's stocks special spirits that add excitement
and enthusiasm to the home bar and parties:
spirits from craft distilleries near and far, like Iowabased Elemental Romarin rosemary-enhanced
liqueur; small-batch whiskies, like Jefferson's
ocean-aged Kentucky bourbon; and spirits from
Japan-one of the latest trends in the liquor
world-like Suntory whiskey.
To keep products relevant, Knudsen pays
attention to big-city craft mixology trends, in Iowa
and beyond, such as the use of high-end vermouth. "We have been increasing our rare and
hard-to-find liquors slowly in anticipation,"

"Every week we taste new wines ... we research new liquors and
we read about new beers, so we can tell people about products
with great ratings or ones we actually taste."
TIM KNUDSEN

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IOWA SPIRITS
Iowa Spirits Volume 1 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Iowa Spirits Volume 1 2018
