18.21 Bitters

A friend of mine is neighbors with the owners and she brought some 18.21 product to a party and talked up the website and the new shop in Ponce CM. I enjoyed what she shared and put 18.21 on my Christmas list.
A friend went shopping for me and tried to share her experience: «I can’t…well… I don’t know… I want to say they were rude, but that wasn’t quite it. It was really annoying and not helpful. They made me feel very uncomfortable for being in their store. I didn’t know what to ask and they told me I should have researched on the web site before coming to the store.»
She bought me the Rosemary and Sage syrup and the Prohibition Bitters. These were as excellent as the products my friend had shared that first introduced me to 18.21.
I decided to do a little research on my own into the customer service issue. This is a fairly horrible shopping experience. They keep all the products behind the counter where you can’t actually «shop». You’re immediately hounded by a sales person asking why you’re there and what you’re shopping for. There’s really no way to not feel like an idiot here. I would really love the opportunity to browse without being interrupted. It’d be nice to have some labeling and pricing on the shelves; maybe some recipes and suggestions for use. It helps to read and take everything in without a sales person blathering on and downloading her complete knowledge at once.
I didn’t get the name of my particular sales person, but it was another awful experience. This woman was incapable of speaking above a whisper. I had to ask her several times to speak up. She just kept mumbling away. She hit me with so much information delivered in her inaudible monotone that I just wanted to run away. However, I fully intended to purchase something that day, so I quickly made a purchase just to get away from the shop-​girl before she made me taste something else.
So, yeah, I totally understand my friend’s inability to fully articulate and just sum it up that the 18.21 in-​store shopping experience was just plain annoying. I’m sure the owners had a nifty plan of being customer focused with all of the information contained in the employees and not displayed to the customers, but it’s just not how I want to shop. I’d really love to see an actual shopping and browsing opportunity. It would be a big improvement to have specific and multiple recipes on the web site for each product. I’ll probably keep trying products from 18.21, but I really don’t want to have to go into that store again — at least not as currently configured.

Tucked into a corner of the Food Hall at the new Ponce City Market you will find 18.21 Bitters. This place is seriously fun and frankly the kind of establishment that Atlanta needs a lot more of… a lot more. This is a store devoted to enabling your craft cocktail dreams and aspirations. Unusual artisanal syrups, bitters, tinctures, ect. Go during a slow period and the super-​knowledgeable staff will help you learn where you fit into this fun new world. They also have a great collection of vintage glassware. Check it out!

Nifty shop, needs better floor planing. I really wanted to check out all the products lined up on the back wall of the shop. An employee approached me and attempted to direct me to a crowded corner where small sample bottles were laid out. I replied «yeah, but there’s a lot of people; I can’t see… I just want to see what you’re selling». Before I could finish my sentence, I was curtly told «sir, this is an employee only area». *goodbye* I left.
tl;td: why do you have a nice display of products in an «employee only area» and crowd your perspective customers into a corner of the shop?

So. Fun.
Wandering around the food hall, we stopped in here hopeful for a cool cocktail. What we got was SO much more: the ingredients to make a cool cocktail at home!
They offer classes, which I am all for — furthering your education is important, people! I will definitely be back to support this local, women-​centric establishment. Great addition to PCM :)

Great customer care!!! So great I want to take a cocktail class and I’ve never desired to take a cocktail class:)

Stopped in here while exploring Ponce City Market this past Saturday. I really wasn’t sure what this store was all about as I have never had experience with bitters and shrubs and the like. The «chef» (forgot her name) was so friendly, she invited me to sit down and taught me about the different, wonderful things she makes there. She had me taste at least 6 – 7 of their offerings, explaining each one and how each could be used to craft my own cocktails at home! I bought a bottle of a «shrub» to take home, which she had been brewing just that morning and was still hot! And it was so delicious when I mixed it with champagne the next morning at my house-​such a unique and fresh flavor. I am super excited to return here with family and friends so that they too can learn all about the products! I am dying to get in on one of their cocktail classes too! So go by there and see for yourself what an amazing store this is…

So… most add-​your-​own-​alcohol mixers are pretty bad. Or just alright. However, 18.21 seems to have the junk together. I tasted a few of their syrups and mixers and they’re super delicious. They take their cocktails serious here and are worth the visit.
They also sell bitters and ginger beer, all house made.

A unique and amazing experience visiting this new store tucked away in Ponce City Market. The owners are extremely knowledgeable and will guide you through their various bitters, tinctures, shrubs and syrups. They even offer freshly made beverages that you can mix with alcohol or drink virgin. There were some cool antique barware pieces for sale as well.
Forget the mainstream chemically filled mixers you have been using your whole life. All you need is club soda, booze and everything this store has to offer.