isge beatha. It’s a Scottish Gaelic term meaning “water of life.” Today, it’s known worldwide as whiskey (spelled “whisky” outside of the United States and Ireland).

It’s a drink with a storied history. The credit for the first distilled alcohol likely belongs to the ancient Mesopotamians around 2000 BCE, who used it not as an imbibement but as a perfume. Cultures like the Greeks and the Chinese made use of distilling technology (probably for medicinal purposes), and by about 1400 CE, some well-traveled Irish monks brought the concepts home and adapted them for their own enjoyment. These days, the water of life is widespread across the world as aqua vitae, akvavit, eau de vie, and whiskey’s descendants: Scotch, bourbon, malt, rye, and good ol’ mountain dew, also known as moonshine or white lightning.

In July 2023, just over 4,000 years after humanity’s first foray into distilled spirits, entrepreneurs Long Lam and Ylli Ferati opened the doors to their long-schemed Anchorage whiskey shop, Allocated.

Lam and Ferati wanted the shop to become a portal to the history of whiskey and to the varied cultures and places that have made the drink their own. A wall of Scotch varieties transports shoppers to wind-whipped Scotland; the Australian whisky shelf is like a trip Down Under (albeit to a lush, vineyard region of the Outback). The shop features a robust collection of wines evoking the cobbled walkways of Venice or the grassy plains of Argentina’s Tierra Del Fuego. Within this portal, Lam and Ferati also wanted to provide a haven where customers could learn to appreciate the fine spirits on display.

In the year-plus that Allocated has been in operation, they’ve achieved both goals. When I first walked in the doors of Lam and Ferati’s shop in Spenard last winter, I was promptly stricken. I wanted about fifteen more eyes to take in the sheer quantity and variety of bottle offerings, and while that should’ve been overwhelming, I was immediately placated by Lam himself shaking my hand and asking, “Want some coffee?”

It was clear that nobody wanted to sell me anything. They wanted to learn my name and help me decipher my preferences. They wanted to talk about whiskey, a subject they are palpably passionate about. When I left perhaps a half hour later, it felt like I’d received a masterclass in Scotch. And I hadn’t bought a thing.

Lam and Ferati share a guiding dictum: whiskey is built on relationships. This is a cornerstone principle of their business, and one that Lam and Ferati first began discussing back in 2019. The two share boundless knowledge of the business and whiskey worlds—Lam from his career as an accountant and financial consultant, Ferati from his immersion as a mixologist and bar manager at his family’s restaurant, Fiori D’Italia—and they wanted to turn that into a bottle shop.

Ferati, by that point, already had some experience in delivering unique spirits. He’d spent years curating an extensive collection of whiskies at Fiori D’Italia, receiving recognition from Whisky Advocate magazine as one of the best bars in the nation. He took it a step further just before the COVID-19 pandemic; he ordered an entire barrel from the vaunted bourbon producer Maker’s Mark, used it in his famous premium cocktails (much to the delight of his customers), and managed to go through the barrel in two months.

“That’s when the wheels started to turn,” Ferati says. The timing was fortuitous; while whiskies worldwide had suffered a recession of interest near the turn of the 20th century, enthusiasm for high-quality spirits was renewed around 2005. More distilleries currently make whiskey in America (roughly 2,300) than at any time since the late 1800s, says Charles Cowdery, author of multiple books about bourbon. London-based wholesaler Cask Trade reports that Scotland has more than 150 distilleries today, compared to just 81 in the ‘80s. New global offerings, such as Korean whiskies, surged 46 percent in sales in 2022 and are continuing to climb, according to Bloomberg.

Locally speaking, it was clear to Ferati that Alaskan customers wanted not only allocated whiskies—that is, specific selections of rare and/or high-demand spirits, often directly from the producer—but a unique experience when it came to selecting and buying the product as well. This is where Lam came in. He envisioned a shop where customers would feel comfortable and at ease, a place where they could get educated about whiskey and receive a personal touch according to their preferences.

In the summer of 2023, after years of mutterings and discussions, Lam and Ferati united under another crucial philosophy: “Whiskey is meant to be shared.”

In the spirits world, the “X factor” describes a whiskey that’s got something special about it. It may be distillate-driven (empowered and influenced by the original distillation process), or it may be perfectly aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The fundamentals are all there, but something about it—the X factor—is at once indescribable yet integral to the experience. Maybe it’s the passion of the makers. Though just a year old, Allocated seems to have a similar X factor.

Perhaps it’s the company’s focus on the oh-so clichéd yet entirely indispensable “small things.”

“They add up in the whisky industry,” Lam says.

Allocated is devoted to the details. The shop space is elegantly sophisticated—how could it be anything else with hand-picked spirits adorning the walls?—yet feels like a friendly, small-town diner. Even during subsequent visits, I’m still hit with that same aura of camaraderie that I detected during my first visit: a handshake and the appreciable sense that I’m not being sold to. For any returning customer, there’s a good chance they know your name, and if you’re not, they’ll know it soon.

Lam, Ferati, and their staff members Chris and Matt are all experts on all of their products—and they’re not all brown liquor. Allocated offers an array of gins, vodkas, tequilas, wines, beers, and mixers. I once asked for a wine recommendation for my mother-in-law, and the Allocated team whipped out a well-worn notebook of wine tasting notes to help me make an informed decision. By now the whole crew has my Scotch preferences memorized, too, and they are quick to report any new offerings that might suit my palate.

Lam and Ferati’s goal of educating their customers and the general public has remained a mainstay. Allocated routinely offers a variety of tastings, ranging from Korean whisky explorations to rare selection dinner pairings.

Lam and Ferati place particular emphasis on opening the world of fine spirits to all. While certain whiskies have been touted as “the rich man’s drink,” Allocated does its best to make it economically accessible, and it encourages historically marginalized groups to participate. In such events, Allocated pairs with a local nonprofit and donates a portion of the proceeds to that organization. Lam and Ferati have also teamed up with institutions like UAA to offer courses in whiskey history, technology, and appreciation.

One thing Allocated doesn’t do is “push alcohol,” in the words of Lam and Ferati. They are sensitive to alcohol’s entanglement with abuse and misuse, which can be especially detrimental in a commercial economy driven by quantities and volumes. With Allocated, Lam and Ferati make a conscious effort to oppose this viewpoint and change the paradigm of shopping for whiskies, wines, and other spirits. They consistently advocate for “quality over quantity,” ensuring that whiskey receives the respect it deserves, such as being consumed on joyous occasions with family and friends.

Lam and Ferati do not compromise on their original vision for the business, and they say they have parted ways with distillers who haven’t shared the philosophy.

Lam and Ferati have ambitious plans to make sure that Allocated lasts. They want to continue growing their customer base, hosting more tastings and educational events, and even obtaining a sampling endorsement to better connect customers to products.