OUR STORY

Like all truly great ideas, the origins of Tomoka Spirits Boutique can be traced back to a conversation between three friends over a bottle of aged single malt whisky. Having developed a love for spirits of all shapes and sizes as cocktail bartenders, we decided that Hertfordshire needed its very own Aladdin’s cave of refined alcoholic delights.

We opened our store in the lovely and historic city of St. Albans in December 2012, intriguing and delighting our customers with such curiosities as Japanese single malt whiskies, Scottish small batch gins and vintage Caribbean rums.

WHY TOMOKA?

Tomoka is named after the ship of one Bill McCoy, a legendary rum smuggler during US Prohibition in the 1920s.

Unlike the very questionable quality of most of the bootlegged spirits of that era (it was called bathtub gin for a reason…), Bill’s liquor had a reputation for impeccable quality. If you were drinking Bill’s stock you were drinking the finest spirits in the land. His shipments soon became known as the Real McCoy.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our products and search far and wide to bring you the very best independent producers, from the Champagne houses of Billecart-Salmon, Roederer and Gosset to the boutique gin distilleries of Two Birds in Leicestershire and Dodds in Battersea, South London. Please have a look at our Blog and Tastings pages for more information about out producers and products.

We like to think that the spirit of Bill lives on here at Tomoka Spirits Boutique (although, of course, our stock comes from much more reputable sources than his ever did!). Although there’s currently no Bill working here, we decided to pay homage to this early spirits connoisseur by adopting his name in our email address – you can always reach us at billmccoy@tomokaspiritsboutique.co.uk – a decision that has caused no end of confusion with puzzled customers wondering why Bill is never around to answer the phone!

OUR PHILOSOPHY, OUR PRODUCERS AND OUR STORES

  • At Tomoka Spirits Boutique, we strongly believe in quality over quantity and we work with independent artisan distillers and winemakers to bring you great spirits, champagnes and fortified wines produced by passionate people all over the world.
  • We source our products directly from the producers and ensure we taste test everything for quality – that’s probably the toughest part of the job! We work with small and independent producers who are passionate about their products – you can meet them at our tastings and in-store events.
  • At our store, you will find a wide range of spirits, champagnes and fortified wines to suit every taste and enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff on hand to help you make the perfect choice. Please see the Find us page for directions and opening times.

MEET THE OWNERS

Here are Jass, Roberto and Tim’s favourite tipples of the month.

  • Jass – Bollinger La Grande Année 2005 – a tremendous vintage release from Bollinger, drinking fantastically now with apple, honey and cinnamon notes balanced with that classic Bollinger toasty richness.
  • Roberto – Our new Plantation multi-vintage rum finished in French desert wine Banyuls casks selected and bottled especially for us. Layers of complex flavours and makes an absolutely cracking daiquiri or a great slow sipper.
  • Tim – Nikka Coffey Grain – a very unusual grain whisky from Nikka distilled in a tall continuous Coffey still rather than the usual pot still. Amazing flavours of hazelnut, vanilla and exotic fruits like melon and banana. A complete revelation of a whisky!