Good Selection, Great Taste
Photographer / Robert Jones
The taste of the weekend, celebration, good times, great memories, holiday gatherings, and laughter with family and friends. That’s often what people seek when they enter a liquor store to make a purchase.
Indiana Liquor Group (ILG), was formed in 2018, by three local Hoosier investors. Over the course of seven years, ILG and their team has continued to grow through acquisitions, strategic relocations and the acquiring of new licenses. To date, they operate 65 stores, the newest of which is Noble Wine & Spirits in Noblesville, which opened in early November.
Many of the stores acquired have been staples in the community for years, and they typically choose to keep the same name to pay homage to that legacy.
Most people of Noblesville may remember Mr. G’s Liquors, a previous store that had been serving the community since 1977. When ILG acquired it, they elected to change the name and introduce a higher-end brand of stores. This not only meant a better selection of premium liquor, fine wine, and craft beer but also a larger store to accommodate an overall better shopping experience.
“Noble Wine & Spirits was a bit different because it was our own brand that we created,” says Curtis Painter.
Whiskey continues to be a popular category among liquor stores, bourbon in particular. Noble Wine & Spirits strives to have one of the best hand curated selections in the area featuring new, hard-to-find whiskies and even ILG exclusive single barrel selections.
“ILG selected single barrel expressions are very important to us. A group from ILG will visit various distilleries and sample through several barrels of whiskey,” Painter says. “Once we select the best, that whole barrel is then bottled and shipped to us. These are unique items as it is literally the only barrel of its kind. Every barrel has a unique flavor profile, so when we receive our 100-200 bottles from that hand-picked barrel, they will be the only ones ever bottled. Having a wide selection of single barrels to choose from just adds to our exceptional selection.”
Another factor that enhances the store’s success is their continued commitment to excellent customer service — from the corporate level down to the store level.
“I think our customers appreciate having a great selection but more importantly having the staff to discuss our products and guide them to what they’re looking for,” Painter says. “We understand that people have many options when they shop for that special gift of wine, whiskey, or beer. That’s why we want to make this a comfortable, enjoyable environment to shop in.”
Noble Wine & Spirits serves as the flagship brand for ILG and has continued to expand and introduce stores to other markets. Currently, they have nine under the brand, with their newest being on the west side of Noblesville, at the intersection of Hazel Dell/Little Chicago and SR-32, near the new Wawa’s Gas Station.
“We’re still very much a convenience-based place to shop,” Painter adds. “Customers shopping with us appreciate not having to walk through a busy supermarket or fight traffic to shop here.”
ILG operates 65 retail package liquor stores across Indiana, making them the second-largest retailer in the state. Although they don’t have many stores in the Indianapolis area currently, they operate two in Noblesville, two on the south side, and recently acquired a store in Carmel. Most of their stores are located in northeast Indiana in places like Muncie, Anderson, Marion, Richmond, and small towns in between.
“We are spread out, but we’re excited to be expanding our footprint around the Greater Indianapolis area,” Painter says.
The team is passionate about giving back to the communities in which they serve. Not long after they formed, they created their own charity called Spirits for Smiles, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Indiana. Spearheaded by late owner David Hartley, the nonprofit serves as an avenue for people seeking financial aid for dental services, which can range from routine teeth cleaning to full tooth extractions and dentures.
ILG and Spirits for Smiles recognized the difference they could make in people’s lives with this nonprofit, as it’s a great opportunity to help those who might struggle to find the necessary funds for extraordinary dental procedures.
“So many things revolve around oral hygiene, whether that’s your health in general or simply having the self-confidence to smile while out in public,” says Painter, noting that there could be a variety of circumstances in which an individual is uncomfortable showing their teeth. Perhaps he or she is a server or a hostess, whose job it is to warmly greet people, who might feel embarrassed doing so because they are self-conscious about their teeth. Or someone may be reluctant to go on a job interview if they are embarrassed for similar reasons.
“That was our biggest driver—the wish to give people confidence in their appearance and improve their overall health,” Painter says. “We felt this was a win all around.”
To be considered for the Spirits for Smiles program, visit spiritsforsmiles.com to fill out an application. Applicants must be 18-plus years of age and be located in Indiana. The board reviews applications and approves accordingly. Once approved, the scope or work is determined and procedures completed. To date, they have paid for 100% of all approved procedures.
To raise money for their nonprofit, ILG hosts multiple fundraising events throughout the year, including WhiskeyFest, which is typically held in the fall. Every year, they are allocated certain rare and hard-to-find bottles of whiskey. A select number of these bottles are held back to auction off at WhiskeyFest.
“WhiskeyFest is our main fundraiser for Spirits for Smiles and is a wonderful opportunity to raise funds for a great cause and get some awesome products into our customers’ hands,” Painter says.
Indiana Liquor Group is owned by Nathan Feltman, Kyle Hupfer, Gina Hartley, Chris Lamb and Curtis Painter.
Noble Wine & Spirits is located at 5950 Midland Pointe Boulevard in Noblesville. Stop by and take advantage of great savings going into the holiday season!
