by Ilana Gensler
Wandering through an endless beverage array at Wharf Wine & Spirits
Since 1999, the Vineyard has been home to Sean Moriarty; his diligence carried over from summer to summer while working as a busboy. Tasks were tedious, such as managing freshly arrived deliveries and tending to the requests of authority figures – including his older brother. “Those weren’t the glory days,” Moriarty reminisces, but fifteen years later and “I’ve never once been bored on the job,” he notes proudly. It wasn’t until 2004 that the Cougan family bought The Wharf, but Moriarty’s service to the family was acknowledged early on, conducive to the fact that he is now the store’s General Manager.
A brown chandelier-like fixture hangs from the ceiling, casting a spotlight onto the sand-colored wood floors. The reflection bounces onto several shelves housing craft beer and specialty vodka. Careful thought is put into the layout of the bottles, Moriarty explains. “I can’t just throw something up there because I think it’s great,” he begins, “I need inventory that caters to the market too. We are not a niche shop but [we] can have niche stuff.” Only a few brands make the cut, but Maine Beer Company products have certainly wedged their way to the top of the favorite list. “I always have an entire shelf dedicated to Maine Beer Company because they have a few different offerings and make absolutely nothing that isn’t excellent, and I don’t throw that word around,” he notes.
Managing a specialty liquor store requires certain skill-sets, and Moriarty exceeds the prerequisites with flying colors. Despite the tight quarters of the establishment, Wharf Wine & Spirits caters to everybody in Edgartown. “You have the blue collar people that come to us and buy PBR and dollar nips, and the people that come in to buy very nice boutique bottles,” Moriarty explains. “We’re just this tiny shop yet we do weddings, events, and have the ability to do these things that other liquor stores can’t because we have the resources of both restaurants at our disposal,” Moriarty point outs. “If someone calls me from The Harbor View and wants a bottle of time, I give it to someone and they run it back right away,” Moriarty assures. “I make the two-minute long” journey “to Chappy for very special orders,” he adds. Moriarty’s custom deliveries are only one of the several ways in which he has developed personal elements to the business.
“People come back to us because they know we will do things that other people don’t have to do,” Moriarty continues. “We’re the only place on the Island doing “Drizly” which is an app that is a marriage between the concept of Uber and liquor delivery. Basically, people download the app, they pick and choose through our inventory, decide what they want and it’s at their door within two hours – usually quicker,” he adds.
Aside from bringing his visions of the store’s set-up to life, Moriarty expresses great passion for research. “There’s never anything you can’t know. I’m a numbers guy but I like to research the trends and forecast what wine region is about to explode,” Moriarty explains. “All I do is talk about products all day either with customers or sales reps,” Moriarty notes, “but the business is always expanding.” Between “some type of special order, a wedding coming up, or a tasting,” Moriarty thrives off of “the chaos” of it all. From the Bourbon Barrel Aged “Arrogant Bastard” to the Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin, there’s always an interesting flavor awaiting your taste buds at Wharf Wine & Spirits in the heart of Edgartown.
