The cat is out of the bag. Hair O’ The Dog Wine & Spirits is expanding. A bistro, named Snifter’s, is opening at the Easton location and this favorite Talbot County purveyor of liquor, wine and beer is spreading its wings and heading south to Dorchester County.
The expansion is two-fold. Hair O’ The Dog in Easton has expanded next door at its Easton location at 219 Marlboro Avenue and is offering Snifter’s at Hair O’ the Dog. The bistro will offer small eats coupled with wine, beer and mocktails. The Cambridge location, at 317 High Street, is brand new and will offer both the retail store and a bistro. Both locations are expected to be open by the time readers read the ink on this page.
To say it’s been a busy few months is an understatement. It’s been “all systems go.” The Easton store has been bustling with customers who barely notice the large blue tarp covering the huge hole in the wall to Snifter’s next door. A Dog employee could be selling a bottle of spirits from a local distillery one minute and waving a paintbrush the next minute.
The bistro in Easton will have a separate entrance but will offer shoppers the opportunity to travel back and forth from the retail side. Select a bottle of wine or beer and bring it next door to enjoy with lite fare, including tapas, flat bread, a cheese board, charcuterie or a Panini. Or, order a bottle of brew, a mocktail or a glass of vino at Snifter’s, which has a choice of stools around the bar as well as comfy chairs.
Owner Joe Petro feels that Snifter’s will be the “go to” place for folks to start an evening out on the town. Joe envisions that people will meet up at Snifter’s for small plates and a beverage before heading out for the night. Customers have been excited about the bistro opening. “The response from the public has been overwhelming,” admitted Joe.
The downtown Cambridge establishment has been extremely welcoming and helpful, Joe said, but he hadn’t planned on opening a Cambridge location so quickly. Sometimes in this life, the moon and the stars align perfectly. “Cambridge has such a good foodie vibe and the location was too good to pass up,” he admits.
Joe, who originally worked as a CPA, moved to Talbot County with his family in 1988. He was a self-professed “suit” who yearned to open his own business. He and a business partner opened Hair O’ The Dog in 2004 and Joe has never looked back. Joe’s son, Joey, will be managing the 2,500 square foot Cambridge store and bistro on the first floor of the 1890s building.
Since the day it opened, Hair O’ The Dog has never been your typical liquor store. The staff of loyal employees is quirky, fun, knowledgeable and helpful. The only thing it may have in common with a traditional liquor store, however, is that it carries wine, beer and spirits. That’s probably where it ends. Hair O’ The Dog prides itself in NOT being mainstream. They look for the “little guy,” artisan producers, who make small batches of one thing. The staff tastes upward of 1,500 wines annually to “put our taste buds at risk so you don’t have to,” according to the Hair website. The retail store offers a broad assortment of premiums, exotics, great values and items from off the beaten path. They offer at least 800 wines and 400 beer brands alone.
So the next time your group of friends is looking for a local watering hole to try on a Friday night, consider Snifter’s in Easton or Cambridge. The staff is courteous, friendly and did we mention a little quirky? The food is fresh and tasty and the beer, wine and mocktails are something to celebrate.
For more information, call Hair O’ The Dog at 410-820-4700.