Applejack Wine Joins the Modern Era

As if Sunday liquor sales – which became legal for the first time on July 6 -- weren’t enough of a joy, drinkers got more good news this month when Applejack Wine & Spirits announced it would finally, after 47 years, start accepting credit cards.

For those of us who only carry cards – cash and checks are so last Millennium – this momentous news means we can finally return to this spirits superstore (3320 Youngfield Street in Wheat Ridge).

As first reported here, Applejack began considering plastic in February, and finally took the leap on July 7, according to president Jim Shpall. “The 21st Century has come to Applejack,” he says, adding that the lines are moving faster and no glitches have been reported. The timing of the change, so close to the Sunday law, was a coincidence, he explains.

Over the years, the store considered cards, but always felt like the fees that the credit card companies charged wouldn’t allow Applejack to keep its prices low. “It was sort of a unique aspect of our store that we didn’t take credit cards,” he says. But recently, the companies made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“Once I realized I could negotiate low rates, we moved forward,” Shpall says. That and the fact that many customers simply don’t carry checks or a lot of cash anymore. “It’s all about convenience,” he adds.

See you there next Sunday, with your Visa in hand. – Jonathan Shikes