The End of an Era

By Michael Cobb

Located at 20 John J. Curtiss Road, Mountain Spirits Package store in downtown Norfolk is currently listed for sale by realtor Mary Reeves for $400,000. The 1,744 square foot building has ample basement storage, an adjacent wing to the right of Mountain Spirits, and sits on 0.14 acres of property that includes several parking spaces.  

Colebrook resident Susan Burke has owned Mountain Spirits for 11 years and has worked at the store for 29 years. Previously Burke worked at the Norfolk Pub and has been a part of the downtown Norfolk business community for about 40 years. 

She loves the people she’s met while working at Mountain Spirits, but cites a recent divorce and the search for a place to live as her primary reasons for selling. “So far there’s been no interest in the property,” Burke says. 

When asked about any notable changes in business over the last few years, she says, “It’s been pretty consistent. When the pandemic hit, there were a lot of people from out of town who came here to escape the city for a while. I saw an increase in sales then, but after that it went back to normal.” 

Burke sells a wide variety of products including beer, wine, liquor, and non-alcoholic drinks. She is well known for being able to order anything “if I can get it.” She has noticed some slight changes in market trends in the last few years. “For beer, it used to be just Bud. Now IPAs are popular. These days, people love micro-breweries like Norbrook, Great Falls, and Big Elm. Those fly off the shelves,” she says.

Specialty products like pre-mixed cocktails, High Noon, White Claw, and in particular Vodka & Berry flavored drinks have also increased in popularity. 

For wine, “There’s every-day wine, but some people order more expensive bottles or specialty cases. Same with liquor. It just depends on what the customers want.” she adds.

Burke works with about 20 Connecticut-based distributors. Due to liquor laws, she cannot work with out-of-state distributors and cannot sell to restaurants or other local businesses. “They order from the same distributors I do,” she says. “If someone’s going to have a private party, they might order larger quantities, but they do that on their own.” 

As to the legacy of Mountain Spirits and who might take it over. she says, “I hope they carry it on like I did, but you never know. I just have to sell it.”