Nooze Hounds: Kindred Beverage Director Elyse Simchik Serves in a Shortage
Episode 51

In episode 51 of the Nooze Hounds podcast, Ryan and Justin talked to Elyse Simchik, beverage director at Kindred restaurant in Davidson. Simchik has used her experience as a sommelier and a pastry chef to get creative with her cocktails during a liquor shortage that many in the business say is affecting Mecklenburg County in a worse way than elsewhere in the state.
Simchik explains how she has integrated sherry into her cocktail menu and used other tricks to try to make her limited supply stretch. The trio also discuss other aspects of how COVID-19 and the resulting liquor shortage has affected the restaurant industry, as well as the limits of the North Carolina ABC system.
You can read our recent over story about the Mecklenburg County liquor shortage here. On the podcast, Simchik explains how it helps that she lives in Charlotte and works in Davidson, because when her restaurant’s assigned ABC store is out of stock, she has to travel around the county looking for what she needs.
The group also discusses some recent development news, including the moving of Amelie’s flagship location and the newly announced development that will go where Uptown Cabaret and Midnight Diner are currently located in South End. They also get into the recent allegations of sexual assault at Hawthorne Academy high school that resulted in criminal charges for the suspect, but somehow also resulted in the suspension of the victim, whom school officials accused of filing a false report.
Remember you can catch us on Spotify and other places where you find podcasts, and be sure to check out Queen City Podcast Network for a slew of other great Charlotte podcasts that aren’t quite as good as ours but pretty damn close. Find past Nooze Hounds episodes here.
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