High-End Cabinet For Choice Bourbon Is Among Upgrades At Purdy’s In Saratoga

BY PAUL POST

Brandan Greczkowski said he hears strong reactions from customers almost every day to Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor’s sheer size and the new specialty cabinet it installed, stocked with vintage wines and rare bourbons.

“The business is just fun,” said the 46-year-old Greczkowski. “Customer service is huge. Customer service, keeping things in stock and store appearance are the three things I tell everybody to focus on. It’s quite easy. If you can base yourself on those three key points it’s a successful business.”

The same drive and energy he brings to his business helped Greczkowski reach the 2000 Summer Olympics in judo, in addition to being a three-time U.S. national champion in the sport.

He co-owns the store, located in Congress Plaza in Saratoga Springs, with his wife, Kristen, a former U.S. National Team speedskater. Greczkowski been running it since Kristen’s mother and former long-time owner, Gail Brophy, died in 2020.

“She was my mentor. She knew it all. She taught me how to buy and save a penny when buying,” Greczkowski said.

The store also has a new website, offering online sales and delivery that’s expanded the firm’s reach beyond Saratoga Springs. The service was initiated in April 2022 and has reached new heights almost every month since then.

“We haven’t even chipped the top of the iceberg with online sales,” Greczkowski said.

This part of the business is overseen by marketing and operations director Jaclyn Shyptycki, who came on board 18 months ago.

“A lot of bourbon, whiskey and wine collectors coming to us are looking for something very specific, searching for things they can’t find in their neighborhood stores,” she said. “The website allows them to see the vintage wine or bourbon year they want. We put a lot of time into the website, making sure listings are correct. Then customers find us. It’s unreal how it happens.”

The new high-end cabinet’s bourbon selection alone is worth $100,000 retail, including numerous Pappy Van Winkles and a bottle of 25-year Michter’s Bourbon ($12,000).

The cabinet was built by a local company, TruNorth Design & Development in Saratoga Springs.

“The most expensive bottle I’ve ever sold is a Pappy 25-year,” Greczkowski said. “We retailed it for around $16,000. A young man from Long Island came up to the counter and asked to purchase it. I was kind of blown away. We ran his credit card through and got a phone call real quick. It was his dad calling, making sure everything was okay. He said, ‘Yeah dad, I just need a couple things’.”

“It’s an investment,” Greczkowski said. “That $16,000 bottle is now worth $40,000 five years later.”

Purdy’s sheer size and buying power is what enables the owners to secure such highly-prized items. “It’s all based on volume,” he said.

The store has steadily expanded by taking over several other adjacent sites in Congress Plaza— most recently a former Citizens Bank space—and now has more than 15,000 square feet to work with, including considerable storage room.

All inventory is now kept on-site, which saves money. Wines occupy one vast part of the store, separated by their country of origin, while liquor is in another area.