Community Highlights: Meet Melissa Pfeiffer & Andy Foerstel of Intoxicology

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Pfeiffer & Andy Foerstel.

Hi Melissa & Andy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Roughly 15 years ago our interest in seeking out a well-made cocktail had taken off after a few craft cocktail bars in St. Louis opened. We were right in step with it and our focus then turned to set up our home bar.

In doing so, we quickly came to realize this was going to be more difficult than we anticipated. Finding the ingredients to make one cocktail required trips to multiple stores and at times we would still come up empty-handed even though we knew it was available in Missouri.

In addition, we had to source quality barware, unique bitters and syrups, and books online. The idea for our shop took hold during this period and was certain we were not the only ones frustrated, so we identified the problem and set out to fix it.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Overall, it was a smooth process. The biggest struggle was creating the business plan because our concept included so many components under one roof and we could not find an existing business model for comparison. The other struggle was keeping our idea a secret since it was a new concept for St. Louis, let alone the country.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a boutique liquor store in The Grove and our focus is to create an environment welcoming to the beginner or experienced shopper and provide the essential components needed for your home bar.

Our selection of spirits, bitters, and barware is curated based on quality, not brand or price. We like to say you can “trust our shelves from top to bottom”. We also have the most amazing collection of vintage glassware to compliment your cocktail.

At Intoxicology we specialize in knowledgeable service and education. We teach intimate hands-on mixology classes and also provide customers the opportunity to taste any of the spirits we offer for a small fee.

**Classes and tastings are still on hold due to Covid.**

We also offer the Intox Box, a Grab-N-Go cocktail kit that is perfect for gifting or building your home bar. Boxes include full-sized bottles of spirits, mixers, fresh fruit, and instructions.

We are locally owned and owner-operated.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We absolutely feel the momentum from the consumers that have put an emphasis on having quality ingredients and the tools that all work together to create a nice cocktail at home. The home bar is not a new concept, so it is really not a trend, but doing it with sense and style is certainly back in fashion.

Contact Info:

• Email: cheers@intoxicologystl.com
• Website: intoxicologystl.com
• Instagram: @intoxicologystl
• Facebook: @intoxicologystl