My Account
Lovers of the finer things in life now have the perfect spot to indulge themselves when they fancy a bottle or more of something special, with the opening of The Cellar by Kiwi Liquor in Silverdale.
Located just off Hibiscus Coast Highway in the lane behind the Z station, The Cellar is a new boutique drinks store specialising in premium spirits, fine local and international wines and craft beers.
Owner Kamlesh Lachhani has owned liquor stores throughout New Zealand for the past 17 years, but he says he was after something special when he designed the Alberto Lane shop.
“I wanted to do something different here, that was the concept,” he says. “We have 10 stores and this is my favourite – I come here at least four times a week.”
The number and diversity of different drinks is almost mind-boggling – one corner is taken up by 250 different gins, while a wall of fridges is filled with countless craft beers and Champagnes. But the heart of The Cellar is its Whiskey Room – a stretch of glass-fronted cabinets containing some of the world’s rarest and finest Scotch whiskies. There are 300 bottles on display, from familiar single malts, through different age and cask variants, up to elaborately packaged collector’s items. Many cost hundreds of dollars each and some several thousand, including a very rare Johnnie Walker 50-year-old that would set you back around $8000.
“We’ve got some rare bottles that we bought from London, from collectors, and a few bottles that are the only ones in New Zealand,” Kamlesh says. “A few of those have already sold – we sold one for $2000 recently. We are getting a very good response from customers.”
Monthly whiskey and gin tasting nights are planned, and there are special offers on a range of wines and spirits every month, too. The Cellar also has a tasting bench, where customers can try spirits they might not have come across before – this month’s includes an organic whiskey from Spain, for example.
“If people want to see something different in a liquor store, they really should pop in,” Kamlesh says.
