Pour-Your-Own Bourbon Station Added At FL Wine Lounge

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A pour-your-own wine and beer lounge in Historic Kenwood has added a new component to its offerings — a pour-your-own bourbon station.

Jeff Velazquez, a former Marine Corps firefighter who opened The Study at 3100 3rd Ave. N. in September 2023, hopes to reach a wider audience by adding liquor to the menu.

“It’s been a roller coaster of emotions” since opening day, he told Patch. “One day, we’re hot; one day, we’re a ghost town, and everything in between. There was no way to predict what type of clientele we’re getting on a daily basis and we definitely had to readjust our business plan. I wanted this to just be a place for people to have wine, but there just wasn’t enough clientele for that.”

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His approach to selecting bourbons to offer at the lounge will be similar to how he chooses his wines.

“We offer these wines out here for tastings to make it less intimidating to try a new wine,” Velazquez said. “So, we’re doing the same thing with the bourbons. I’m gonna put the bourbons out there to make it less intimidating to try new bourbons and to still make it an interactive way of making a choice.”

Drinkers can walk about and select the amount they’d like to try - either just enough for them to try a sip of it or up to a full ounce.

“And we will still dress it up for you,” he said. “Do you want it on the rocks? A Manhattan or an old-fashioned? We can even smoke it for you.”

Velazquez plans to offer a selection of middle range bourbons, including some local liquors, at The Study.

“I’m not going to be selling, like, $50 shots of bourbon or anything. That said, you’re not gonna find a bottle of Jack Daniels in there either,” he said.

He also plans to continue his partnerships with local organizations for various events — everything from drag bingo to paint-and-sips — and has even offered the space for private gatherings, such as weddings.