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Bottles Up is Holding Two Events Friday to Mark the Occasion
BottlesUp! is a sweet little bottle shop located not far from where we live in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. It opened in 2019 (not long before the pandemic set in). Despite its proximity, I only wandered in for the first time a couple of months ago and liked it a lot.
The shop is small, with a patio out back for events, and has a curated collection of wine, spirits and beer. Think of it as the antithesis of the superstores that dominate the retail adult beverage scene. Although they source from all over the country and the world, they seek out local producers; during my first visit, I picked up rum from Chicago Cane Cooperative and rye whiskey from Judson & Moore, two of my favorite local producers.
Sorry about the late notice, but Bottles Up (located at 3164 N. Broadway, just south of Belmont) is holding not one but two events tomorrow evening (Friday, September 6) to celebrate its 5th anniversary.
The first will be held at the shop from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will feature free tastings and cake. No registration is required.
The second is a ticketed event at the Columbia Yacht Club in downtown's Monroe Harbor, which the organizers say will have wine, food, killer city views, raffle prizes, and dancing. Click the button below to buy tickets.
Melissa Zeman is the friendly and helpful owner of BottlesUp! While celebrating the anniversary, it put her in a reflective mood about people who made a difference over the store's first five years but have passed away. She wrote a piece in her email newsletter, shared below, that is sweet and moving, that reminds us to keep our friends close because life is so unpredictable.
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Our five-year anniversary is on Friday, and when I was deciding what to write, I was reminded of a recent New York Times article about how people should think about death more. Probably not the direction you thought this newsletter was going to go (honestly, you and me both), but bear with me.
The sentiment of the article revolved around the idea of “life reviews” and how being more aware of your end and more aware of the life you’ve had will help you live more deeply and with more gratitude. I don’t disagree, and admittedly I actually think about death quite a bit. Not in a concerning way (promise) but more in a motivating way.
We’ve all likely heard the question, “What would you do if you knew you were going to die in a day, week, or month?” which usually results in us spilling our grand plans of travel, last meals, bucket lists, etc.
I am NOT saying don’t book that trip - because for goodness’ sake book that damn trip - but I believe thinking about your day-to-day is a more real way of answering. Consider those many little moments that make up our lives. Would you choose to say something kind? Maybe smile at a stranger instead of looking down? Click “yes” at a register to round up a few cents for a donation? Open Champagne just because you’re alive? What does any of that take except for one simple decision and one simple action?
There are three people I think of in relation to this.
Ryan “Ry Guy” Erikson was my longtime friend and soccer teammate who was the ultimate “yes man.” Always down to do something. Always asking where we were going for a beer after our games. Always encouraging someone throw a party…and then always showing up to said party. He was also never afraid to go do something fun by himself. He knew he’d make friends, or if not, he was perfectly fine having a good time for himself. In January of 2019, Ry Guy was diagnosed with cancer. He celebrated his 40th birthday that June and passed away that November. Eleven f*cking months. I received the message that he was gone when I was working late at the shop and just sat at our community table in the dark sobbing. He never got to see BottlesUp, but I know if he were here a) he’d be pissed at me for putting a spotlight on him and b) he’d be at every event. Sometimes I imagine he is.
Barbara Passman was one of those customers who came in with such energy you could never even get a word in. She was always very complimentary and very excited to be supporting us. She’d repeatedly say, “As long as you’re here, I’ll never shop anywhere else. Small business is so important!” After she’d leave it’d take me a solid hour to stop smiling. In March of this year, her husband David came into the shop to let me know she had passed away. It was such an unexpected gut punch that after he left, I had to hide in the restroom between customers to keep myself together. I will never forget her energy and commitment to what she believed in.
Richard Eastline was a Club-member-turned-friend whom I’d met at my previous job in 2014…when Richard was 87. He was actually one of the first in the neighborhood to know that BottlesUp was happening. I met him for coffee in early 2019 and told him that I had signed a lease to open my own shop. He looked at me with actual tears in his eyes and said, “Finally. You were meant for this.” For the nine years I knew him, Richard was impressively active. Volunteering, going to the opera/theater/concerts/restaurants, attending our Club events (especially the trolleys), and writing the best holiday cards. In May of 2023, I found out that Richard had passed away when a copy of his will was mailed to the shop. It was a devastating – but also incredible – read because it was pages and pages of organizations, charities, and causes of which he was a diligent member/supporter. I’ll never know why I received a copy, but I’d like to think it was Richard’s way of reminding me that there’s only one way to live, and that’s by living.
There’s no doubt in my mind that any “life review” analyst would approve of the way Ry Guy, Barbara, and Richard deeply lived theirs. And because they were a part of mine, I’m all the more grateful. For them. For this shop. For my team. And for you.
Over the past five years, we’ve had big moments, big events, and big challenges, but that’s the zoomed out view. When you zoom in on the day-to-day, you’ll simply see genuine, friendly exchanges that we have with each of you. Conversations, stories, laughter, smiles, hugs, and yes, of course some damn good bottles.
Admittedly, one of my favorite every day moments happens when a regular walks by and taps on the front window to wave hello. No expectations. No purchase necessary. Just one simple decision and one simple action.
Being able to wave back is something I will never, ever take for granted.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Love,
Melissa and the incredible BU team
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