Staff
Jonathan Baker – Owner
Jonathan began working in the beverage alcohol industry as soon as he was eighteen and has been engrossed in it since. After tending bar at various Berkshire County establishments he took his act to Boston where he attended the University of Massachusetts Boston and apprenticed under some of the greatest wine and spirits minds in our Commonwealth’s capitol. With a solid background in the finer things in life and a taste for expensive Burgundy and Cognac, Jonathan moved to Connecticut to be a sales representative for the wholesaler Brescome Barton. As a salesman, Jonathan completed his edification in all things alcohol, obtaining certificates, degrees, and awards in both wine and spirits knowledge and palate. (Yes, such things do exist!). It did not take long to outgrow the corporate confines of working at a large wholesale house and with the prospect of owning a business in Williamstown on the horizon, he and his wife Tracy quit their jobs, sold their home and headed back to the Berkshires. Jonathan handles the day to day operations of The Spirit Shop and is a great source of knowledge on pretty much every product they sell. In his free time, Jon enjoys spending time with his wife and son, Jackson, and his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Tracy Baker- Co-Owner
Tracy met Jonathan the summer before her senior year at Williams College. After she graduated in 2003 she moved to Boston to work for a small hedge fund. After marrying Jonathan in 2005, they moved to Connecticut where she worked as an analyst for Travelers Insurance. Tracy has a love for wine, and this love was fostered by the dwindling sample budget Jon received from his job as a wholesale salesperson. It was not very difficult to convince Tracy to come back to Williamstown and purchase a landmark from her college career. Tracy’s strong analytic and organizational skills keep the business running smoothly. She also handles marketing and The Spirit Shop’s monthly in store wine/beer tastings and quarterly Grand Tastings. When not working at her day job at High Peaks Venture Partners in Williamstown, Tracy enjoys a nice big juicy Napa Cabernet, going to the park with her son, Jackson, walking her two rottweilers, and complaining about how messy Jon is.
Mat Ostrowski – Operations Manager
Mat has been with The Spirit Shop since 1999 and handles pretty much everything from maintenance and stocking to plumbing and electrical work. He is invaluable to keeping a business housed in a building built in 1890 up and running.
Garrit Baker- Whiskey Aficionado
Garrit comes the Spirit Shop with a strong background in customer service and a passion for whiskey – mainly Scotch. He’s the guy to see when you are looking for some premium brown spirits. His other passions include making great coffee and music.
Valerie Rowe- Deli Manager
Valerie Rowe runs the Deli Station and has been with the Spirit Shop for the better part of a decade. She makes some of the best homemade soups around. Having a luncheon at your office? She’s the woman to call. The Deli Station is pretty flexible, if you can dream it, they can make it, deliver it, and keep you under budget.
