Curious Liquids

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Curious Liquids owner Dayton Joline spoke to Megan Merino about his shop’s strong ties to Ukraine and how he’s making wine-tasting more accessible

Since 2018, Dayton Joline, the owner of Curious Liquids bottle shop and bar, has been on a mission to demystify the often elitist world of wine-tasting, one customer at a time. ‘I want it to be a place where we show wine is a re ection of people and places all over the world; it’s an agricultural product made by farmers, essentially. It’s something that can only be created in that speci c environment.’

The shop, connected to Phillies on Pollokshaws Road in Glasgow’s Southside, houses 200 bottles of carefully curated wine, over 40 of which are available to drink by the glass due to special preservation systems sourced from America. ‘We’ve got Japanese wine, we’ve got Georgian wine (where winemaking rst began in civilization), some really unique varieties and places, says Joline. ‘I mean, Italy alone has over 1000 registered grape varieties. And every one is different. It’s just this marvellous world to explore.’

A selection of craft beers is also on offer (‘I want the beer drinkers to be sitting side by side with the wine drinkers’) as well as wine-tasting workshops where a team of experts explain various avour and weight pro les, which then helps customers shop for their desired bottles. ‘The way that we organise things here is not by country or by grape variety, it’s by avour and weight pro le. If it’s next to it on the shelf, it’s a similar pro le. So if somebody comes in and says, “I like this particular style of wine”, we can then say, “OK, there’s that one, but there are also the ones all around it you may never have heard of”. It’s demystifying the whole wine thing and it’s about letting people realise their palate is valid.’

Creating Curious Liquids was a ‘labour of love from the start,’ Joline says. ‘I owe so much to my staff. They are absolutely amazing.’ Everything from shelving to coasters has been created by friends and family, including a striking mural telling a whimsical story of wine- avour pro les and regions, which was hand-painted by Joline’s wife Lena. ‘My amazingly talented beautiful wife is Ukrainian so she’s going through a lot right now. She designed the logo too.’

Joline’s strong ties to Ukraine are evident from the ag displayed proudly over one of the shop windows (mirroring a Scottish ag on the other side). ‘Ukraine is entwined in my family. It is my wife’s life and it’s where my daughter was born. I think it’s unspeakable what the Russians are doing. My dream is it stops today but we will continue to do whatever we can to help.’

Curious Liquids hosted a fundraising day, alongside Ukrainian-owned neighbours Deanston Bakery (who attracted hundreds to their fundraiser in March), and continues to take donations towards food, medicine and protective gear. But there is more he urges us all to do. ‘Contact government representatives and push the UK to do more to protect Ukrainians, especially when it comes to resettling refugees. I think that’s something Scotland would do without any hesitation.’

Curious Liquids, 28–30 Kilmarnock Road, Glasgow, philliesbar.co.uk

shopping around

Deborah Chu browses through retail-centric TV programmes and podcasts airing this month

Screens have replaced the window shopping of yore, as the likes of Instagram and TikTok increasingly dominate as today’s tastemakers. No one understands this better than the gang of creatives battling it out for streetwear supremacy in new reality competition The Drop (BBC Three, Monday 4 April). Nine up-and-coming brand owners vie for the coveted contract with a fashion supergiant as a rotating cast of big industry names joins lead judge R&B artist Miguel and host Clara Amfo.

For a more soothing watch, here’s one for Marie Kondo enthusiasts as Get Organised With The Home Edit (Net ix, Friday 1 April) returns with professional organisers Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin artfully arranging life’s otsam and jetsam into lifechanging storage containers. This time around, they’re taking a crack at the closets of Drew Barrymore and Chris Pratt, alongside a few normies like us. Meanwhile, Helen Skelton takes a peek into the boardrooms and factory oors of iconic British companies for Inside The Superbrands (Channel 4, Sunday 3 April) to nd out how they’ve embedded themselves into our consumer subconscious.

Millennials of a certain age and ilk will remember venturing into the dark, sweet-smelling caves of Abercrombie & Fitch for yet another branded crew-neck jumper. But a new documentary, White Hot: The Rise AndFallOfAbercrombie&Fitch (Net ix, Tuesday 19 April), suggests how, beneath its good-times, all-American vibes, lie some shifty dealings, racist hiring practices and an increasingly outmoded attitude towards body image. Meanwhile, Alexis Conran digs into the nuts and bolts around electric vehicle ownership in ShouldIBuyAnElectricCar? (Five, Wednesday 13 April) ahead of the United Kingdom’s planned phase-out of combustion engines by 2030.

For a more aural retail experience, weekly podcast GeeThanks, JustBoughtIt! (Fridays) features host Caroline Moss and a guest evangelising over a product they love, from foam mattresses to dough scrapers. Elsewhere, US comics Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak take on the wellness industry’s pleasures and absurdities in Poog (Tuesdays), as they earnestly discuss skincare, crystals and face yoga with a delightful rat-a-tat.

Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin will organise your life

shop talk

Megan Merino picks some enticing establishments to explore both on and off the high street

DELICATE RÉBELLION

Delicate Rébellion started as an independent magazine before founder Hannah Taylor gave the brand a permanent home inside one of the archways on East Market Street in December 2021. The space now displays many other printed goods (from a huge range of collectable magazines to independent artwork) and lifestyle products that are perfect for gift-giving or sprucing up your own coffee table. n Arch 11, 21 East Market St, Edinburgh, thedelicaterebellion.com

VINTAGE SCENE

Already situated south of the border in Newcastle and Leicester, Vintage Scene has expanded their collection of vintage goodies to Glasgow. Situated opposite St Enoch centre, the shop contains a range of expertly curated pre-loved clothing as well as upcycled items sourced from across Europe and the US. n 38 St Enoch Square, Glasgow, thevintagescene.com

YELLOW SOULS

Speaking of vintage spots, tucked away just off Leith Walk is Yellow Souls, Elena Citarella’s labour of love. The Italian fashion designer and vintage enthusiast started curating her own items on the fashion app Depop and at local markets before opening up her own shop with partner Lorenzo. Specialising in high-end items from the 1930s to 60s downstairs, the upper level is a showcase of local designers and artists, including jewellery and prints by Anaïs Moisy Design and paintings by Livvie Nash (both Edinburgh-based). n 10 Croall Pl, Edinburgh, yellowsouls.co.uk

Delicate Rébellion

THE ALCHEMY EXPERIMENT

This space in Glasgow’s West End houses a cafe, shop and events space. On sale are prints by Dundee artist Cara Rooney, sustainably sourced clothing designed by resident artists, and a selection of zines, including photography magazine Climax made by Glasgow-based artists in support of charity Refuweegee. The downstairs area hosts regular artist and makersmarkets, workshops and residency exhibitions (for which they currently have an open call) supported by the Alchemy Creative Fund. n 157 Byres Rd, Glasgow, alchemyexperiment.com

EDINBURGH HONEY CO

The story of this family-run business started 60 years ago with the owners’ grandfather Stan who mastered the art of beekeeping in Poland. Now his grandchildren have two Scottish apiaries that produce unique, raw and organic honey, alongside a range of associated plastic-free products. You can find all kinds of honey blends and flavours in their Easter Road shop, including gin-infused lime and hot chocolate honey (to name a few). And the beeswax candles, acclaimed for their smooth burn, good environmental impact and air-purifying qualities come in all shapes and sizes. n 178 Easter Rd, Edinburgh, edinburghhoney.co.uk