Some days require a stiff drink. That idea – and a strong need for a gin and tonic – inspired business partners Erin Keplinger and Brendan Marsden to start Clink!, a new online liquor store based in St. Louis. “It started after a bad weekend one time,” Keplinger recalled. “A girlfriend offered to send me flowers, and I really wanted her to send me booze.”
Keplinger and Marsden, who also co-owns Modesto Tapas Bar, hope to officially launch the website by Oct. 4. While an online liquor store is not a new concept, Keplinger said she, Marsden and other local experts will select Clink!’s products with an emphasis on niche and locale. “We’re going to be a national website. Anyone can order, but we’re going to share the Missouri pride,” she said, citing available brews and spirits like Mastermind Vodka, The Big O, Schlafly, Perennial, Cardinal Sin, Pinckney Bend and more. Other items include cocktail kits with boutique mixers like Oxford Falls mint julep mixer and Bittermens bitters.
Keplinger says Clink! will provide same-day delivery within 50 miles of St. Louis on orders placed before 10 a.m. Other national orders will be available for next-day delivery. Instead of cellophane-covered baskets, Keplinger said each order will arrive gift-wrapped in sleek, modern boxes with customizable tags. Upgrades including engraved boxes and embossed tags from local artisans are available.
“We love our art and craftsmanship and things that are artisan and curatorial in nature,” she said. “There’s something about the intentionality and thoughtfulness that’s important to us … You don’t necessarily want just the product; you want the whole package.”
This article appears in September 2013.