Annual bourbon sale in Houston draws hundreds for hard-to-find bottles

HOUSTON - After all the season's gift giving, hundreds of people splurged on themselves in downtown Houston, to toast the new year with a freshly-stocked bar. 

More than 1,000 people waited in line, for up to two days, to buy their favorite bottles of bourbon; hard-to-find varieties that liquor retailer Specs gathered for their thirsty customers.

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As the business day started, it was like a Black Friday for booze for the start of Specs' annual Bourbon Release Day.

Outside, the line wound around the block twice, patiently waiting their turn behind Raquel Harris, who was first, after a 48-hour wait. 

"I am here for all the bourbon," she says. "I want it all!"

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Inside, customers snaked through the store with a chance to collect bottles they may have never seen before. Each of the dozens of selections were curated, over the year, by Specs buyers, who would find a barrel or two of hard-to-find varieties to be bottled just for this event. 

"Each of these have a different story; different barrels that they're done in, and different ways that they're made," says Specs owner John Rydman. "It makes them very special."

It also makes them valuable to consumers. 

"This is 'supply and demand,' says Todd Grube, of the Houston Bourbon Society. "There are a limited amount of bottles that people really want, and everybody wants a chance to buy them."

And they do buy! All the special selections were expected to be snapped-up in about two short hours, with some buyers spending thousands to own something rare. 

Kevin Switzer, who had a more modest purchase, was thrilled, "This is a great day. This is awesome."

Raquel Harris couldn't agree more, as she proudly held a bottle of 10-year-old Old Rip Van Winkle that she bought for about $100.

"I got the good stuff! I'm excited, I'm speechless!"

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As for what happens to all those purchases, some people will drink, some will collect, and others will re-sell them for a handsome profit. 

The bottle of Old Rip, for example, could go for $1,500 on the resale market. For now, its new owner plans to savor it one sip at a time.