FOOD & DRINK

In Good Spirits

Culver City’s Juicefly delivers upscale alcohol to local doors

By Elizabeth M. Johnson Delivery services have thrived during the past year as the coronavirus pandemic kept people at home. At the same time, demand for alcohol also increased. Three young entrepreneurs saw the opportunity to provide a needed service and take it to a new level with Juicefly Wine & Spirits Alcohol Delivery in Culver City. Juicefly founder Melo Pamuk and his brother, Met, have extensive experience in local e-commerce and on-demand delivery businesses. They partnered with Miguel Prado, who brought expertise and a passion for good wine and spirits to the team. With European backgrounds (the Pamuks are from Turkey, Prado from France), the partners created a product list that highlights a global selection of wine, beers and liquors. “Demand for alcohol has been huge during the pandemic, but supply is limited and everyone carried the same things,” Melo said. “Our team has curated an amazing selection of handpicked products from around the world. We have something for all tastes and all different price points.” He added that third-party delivery services charge high fees, especially for alcohol delivery. In contrast, Juicefly offers customers fast and often free delivery throughout the city. Delivery is free on orders over $50 on the Westside in under 30 minutes and on orders over $100 in all of Los Angeles in under one hour. While fast and free delivery is a big selling point for Juicefly, the Pamuks and Prado are also developing Juicefly as a neighborhood destination, with a brick-and-mortar location in one of the oldest liquor stores in Culver City. “The building has a history, but everything inside Juicefly is new and unexpected,” Prado said. “Our staff is well trained in product knowledge, and we have QR codes on the shelf, as well as online for all of our products so that customers can get all the information they need. We’re bringing a new era of retail understanding to alcohol.” Juicefly’s wine collection offers rare finds and classics with champagne, rosé, red and white varietals such as Krug Rose Champagne, Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne, Tattinger Comes Blanc de Blanc, Chateau Brane Cantenac, Les Griffons de Pichon Barron, Purple Angel, Opus One, Caymus, Tignanello, Bodegas Alion, Flor De Pingus, Le Macchiole and Finca El Origen “Phi.” Some of the exclusive spirits offered at Juicefly include Heritage Guillotine Vodka, a French vodka made from Champagne grapes; Dos Perros Mezcal, rare mezcals from the owner of Le Petit Ermitage in West Hollywood; Tequila Dos Artes, a family-owned tequila that comes in a uniquely crafted bottle; and Alberta Premium Whiskey from Canada that was just voted the number one whiskey in the world. Beer aficionados can find brands including Del Pueblo Beer from a local Pasadena brewery; Estrella Galicia from

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Juicefly in Culver City offers a one-stop destination for lovers of wine and spirits to discover something new. Spain; Glutenberg, a glutenfree beer; and organic options such as Green’s Amber Ale and Pinkus beer. With COVID restrictions on public gatherings being lifted, Juicefly plans to expand its offerings for customers with events in its spacious outdoor back area. The owners plan to host tastings to showcase the many specialty brands they carry and create an environment for cocktail and wine lovers to sample new products and participate in happenings that will include art, food, wine, cocktail classes and live entertainment. Looking ahead, Prado and the Pramuks hope to work with local entertainment companies and businesses to provide them with unique opportunities for entertaining clients or hosting events. They also offer a service to provide bulk beer, wine and spirits for weddings. They hope to partner with other businesses that provide services for events and weddings (caterers, bartenders, musicians, DJs, etc.) and create a one-stop shop for customers looking for these services. Even as pandemic restrictions ease and people begin to get out and celebrate more, the Juicefly team anticipates that they will continue to make the “juice” fly throughout the city. “Delivery here in LA will continue to be a big thing,” Melo said. “We know we can make everyone’s life easier.”

Juicefly 10725 Jefferson Blvd. Culver City 323-916-8336 juicefly.com

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