Spirits and Spice, an innovative liquor store, where you can try before you buy

As Kevyn Ramirez made his way toward Yard House, a popular restaurant in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park, he spotted in a storefront an assortment of brown glass bottles and wooden barrels that appeared to contain whiskey.

Steering away from his initial plans, Ramirez decided to lean into his curiosity and find out what was inside. 

“The place quickly caught my eye because of the big display of whiskeys and since I’m a really big whiskey drinker, I came in the store and was in love,” said Ramirez.

Inside Spirits and Spice, he discovered an array of products ranging from uniquely customized bottles of tequila and whiskey useful for creating delicious cocktails to a variety of fresh spices to enhance the most creative recipes.

Spirits and Spice’s Sweet Irish Maid Whiskey and S&S Red Hot Whiskey on display for sampling. (Photo taken by Isabella Martinez)

“A vacation for your tastebuds!” is the slogan for Spirits and Spice, a liquor store in Boca Raton that offers a wide selection of premium small batch products to locals that they may never find elsewhere.  

Spirits and Spice is owned by former lawyer, actress and entrepreneur Kim Weiss, who started the business in 2018. Based out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Weiss expanded her seven-location business in April 2023 to Boca Raton.

Though it offers a wide variety of spirits such as tequila/mezcal, whiskies and vodka, as well as wines like other liquor stores, Spirits and Spice also offers products for cooking lovers like a variety of extra virgin olive oils, balsamic and spices handcrafted by a five-star chef specifically for the store.

The outside of Spirits and Spice, the only liquor store in Mizner Park. (Photo taken by Isabella Martinez)

Store manager Mike Westreich, who has been running Spirits and Spice for three months, explained the store’s attraction.

“I think the biggest draw is the fact that it is so niche and so unique. If you see we also have all the handwritten-labeled bottles. So, you know that’s not something you’re going to find in another store,” Westreich said. “Even anything that you see with a label that means that we’ve worked with the distillery for a certain recipe, or we have bought the entire batch.” 

For instance, Two Bitch Bourbon, Batch #005 by Two Bitch Spirits, is only sold in Spirits and Spice stores and on its website, Westreich said, adding that no added colorings or preservatives are used in their spirits or spices.

“My favorite example to use is our Peanut Butter Whiskey,” he said. “Ours is just roasted peanuts, honey for some sweetness, and whiskey. None of that junk that a lot of commercial brands use.”

Writing on the store’s website, Ryan F. raved about the Peanut Butter Whiskey.

“I usually won’t drink anything whiskey,” he wrote. “But we happened to go into the store. I was curious to try it…turns out we loved it! The whisky is smooth and has a delicious peanut butter flavor. What a great surprise! We’ll be back to buy more!”

Unlike many liquor stores, Spirits and Spice also gives customers the chance to try before you buy in stores and offers events such as the “Whiskey Experience.”

“So with the Whiskey Experience, what we do is kind of go through all the different whiskeys. We kind of go through a bit of the history,”  Westreich said. “We go through some special ones. It’s always good when I’m here because everybody gets to try quite a bit, so eat before you come.”

Along with their extensive selection of products, many of their spirits, liqueurs, oils and vinegars come in different sizes, and with that, different prices.  

The Smokey Cupreata Agave Spirit comes in their signature handwritten glass bottles in sizes ranging from 200 mL at $65 to 750 mL at $119. The Fan Favorite Dark Chocolate Coconut Cream Liqueur is sold in sizes ranging from 100 mL at $34 to 750 mL for $104. 

For cooking, the store’s Garlic & Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes in even more sizes, from a 100 mL travel size bottle that sells for $17 to a large 1L bottle for the price of $75. 

“Sometimes it kind of hurts to spend more, but you’re getting a product that’s going to go a longer way. It’s going to have a way better flavor profile,” said Spirits and Spice sales associate James Rios.

Rios added that a big selling point is the natural ingredients of their products, mentioning how all the agave-based spirits are truly 100% Blue Wave Agave.

“We have a gentleman that goes to Mexico and works directly with these distillers. So, nothing is like half in Mexico, half in America,” Rios said. “So, it’s the purest form of the product.”

Racks of glass bottles and wooden barrels containing whiskey in front of the store’s large window. (Photo taken by Isabella Martinez)

During his time in the store in Mizner Park, Ramirez tasted various whiskeys and ended up purchasing Spirits and Spice’s 100 mL S&S Red Hot Whiskey, which retails for $34. 

“I had no intention of coming here and actually purchasing a bottle to take home,” he said, “but I’m happy that I did, and I’m definitely coming back.”

Isabella Martinez is a senior at Florida International University who is interested in digital journalism and social media marketing.

Martinez has experience writing stories about the South Florida community for Caplin News and producing content on multimedia platforms. She also knows how to compare and analyze data to strategize how businesses can elevate their brands through various marketing techniques on social media. Martinez hopes to become a multimedia journalist or a social media coordinator in the future.

Martinez will graduate from the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media with a bachelor’s degree in digital communication and media with a minor in social media and e-marketing analytics in Summer 2025.