If tasting is believing, and you’re a spirit’s aficionado, then the Flaviar Membership is for you.
The other day I was unboxing my first Flaviar sample set when it hit me; I don’t actually know much about the spirits I drink. It also dawned on me that I tend to stay inside a bubble of the brands I know and rarely venture out to try something new.
Here’s how Flaviar is changing my perception on other brands
First-off, let me tell you a little bit about Flaviar and what they do. Flaviar was first launched in 2012 by a craft distiller and spirits aficionado out of frustration with how inaccessible tasting fine spirits was. Their mission is to save others like them who suffered with buying an expensive bottle of –insert spirit here- before knowing whether they liked it or not. They achieved this by creating an exclusive membership controlled by them that offers the following:
- Quarterly themed Tasting Boxes
- Original content on fine spirits
- Exclusive member-only private bottlings
- Access to exclusive live experiences and curated regional tasting events put on by distillers, brand ambassadors and Flaviar
- Free shipping!
To put it simply, Flaviar is your new best friend.
If you just like to drink, then it’s for you. If you want to try new brands without dropping a lot of money on an entire bottle first, then it’s for you. If you like educating yourself and expanding your palette outside of what you normally drink, then it’s for you. Got it?
Trying something new
As previously mentioned, I’ve been in a bit of a bubble. I don’t have the exact percentage on this, but I’m more than certain at least 90% or more reach for the same spirit when looking to stock up their bar. I mean, it makes sense, right? Why would you risk wasting the amount (or more) of what you normally spend on a brand you know for a mystery bottle that could be terrible?
“When we first started Flaviar in 2012, my co-founders and I designed the concept based on our favorite way of learning about spirits – tasting samples side by side. We started off by sending monthly tasting boxes to our customers but over time, our offerings evolved. Five years later, having thousands of members in US and Europe not only gives us a thriving global community of spirits aficionados, it also lets us source and bottle products exclusively for our members, providing a truly unique membership experience.”
– Grisa Soba, Flaviar founder
With Flaviar, you won’t have that issue. For just $20 a month (billed quarterly), you will have access to the aforementioned tasting boxes and special private bottlings. Each sampler pack comes with 3 1.5oz samples of craft and big brand spirits bundled in themed boxes, such as Flavours of Scotch, Gin O’Clock, and my personal favorite, Star Spangled Bourbon. I haven’t tried the latter, I’m just a huge bourbon fan J
My Flaviar Tasting Box Review – Ryevolution
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on my first Flaviar Tasting Box to see how it worked. I’m pretty open to drinking any type of spirit, so it didn’t really matter what they sent, however, I would be lying if I didn’t hope for a whiskey sampler. Lucky for me it was the Ryevolution sampler.
It’s an entire experience from the moment you unbox your sample box. You’re presented with vials labeled A, B, and C that contain your themed spirit. In this case, mine was all Rye-based samples. I didn’t spend much time analyzing them, but just cracked open A and started pouring.
Each vial is paired with a corresponding flavor card that identifies the notes of what you’re drinking. It’s nice to compare all of the senses you experience with the cards provided. Following your blind tasting (or before, I’m not judging), you can then reference the provided brand key, which features stickers for all of the samples so you can label what you just drank. My favorite of the Ryeveolution was Sample C: Bender’s Rye Whiskey Batch IV.
All-in-all, I think Flaviar is a genius idea, whether it be for yourself or the spirit aficionado in your life. Flaviar’s membership is an annual fee of just $210. A fair price for the peace of mind of not blowing hundreds on bottles of alcohol you’ll later regret. Not to mention a super unique last minute gift idea for your friends and family this holiday season.
For more information and to sign up, visit www.flaviar.com.
