Liquor store with quirky name opens in Manchester

Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·3 min read

MANCHESTER, NY — If you’re looking for any deep, spiritual meaning behind the naming of the new Goat Tribe Wine & Spirits liquor store, there isn’t one.

Nothing against goats, because who doesn’t love a goat? That’s just what a bunch of friends of owner Martha Yudicky came up with and it fit.

If you're looking for Finger Lakes wines, vodka, bourbon and other spirits, well, that's a different story. The liquor store opened last week in the quaint storefront on the village of Manchester’s Main Street.

No goats here — no real ones, anyway; there are lots of miniatures around the store, though — and no frills.

“This is come in and get whatever you’re after and go,” Yudicky said.

Martha Yudicky owns Goat Tribe Wine & Spirits, which opened earlier this month in Manchester. Daughter Jessica Nash also works at the store, with the help of her dog, Link.
Martha Yudicky owns Goat Tribe Wine & Spirits, which opened earlier this month in Manchester. Daughter Jessica Nash also works at the store, with the help of her dog, Link.

Do feel free to stay awhile and chat, which many people make a point of doing, including some who don’t even drink, said Yudicky’s daughter, Jessica Nash, who works here, too.

Many have stopped by to share memories of this place when it housed a diner, pizza place, ice cream shop and go-to place for the kids to fill up on penny candy. Some have enjoyed the company of Link, which is most definitely not a goat but Nash's friendly dog.

“They all have stories about who lived here, who came here as kids to hang out, or lived down the street or next door,” Nash said. “They’ve been very welcoming. It’s just been a lot of fun to see people’s connection with this space and see their appreciation for all the hard work put into this space.”

The ground-floor shop is small, but larger than it looks from curbside. The upstairs is being remodeled for housing. The striking hardwood floors are hard to miss as one bowses through the selection of wine and spirits.

In other words, opening the business here didn’t just happen. This has been a three-year labor of love in the days between when Yudicky purchased the building and its grand opening Feb. 8.

Yudicky, who works in the healthcare field, was out of work after the COVD-19 pandemic hit. This area needed a liquor store and she needed a way to bring in extra income “because you never know if it’s going to happen again,” Yudicky said.

After driving around the area looking for a spot, this spot proved to be an easy match for what she wanted to do, Yudicky said.

“This was the building that caught my eye,” Yudicky said.

You could say Yudicky knows this building — especially after all the work put into it — but visitors really know it, even down to which boy met that girl here back in the day.

“They know this building better than I know this building,” Yudicky said.

More details about Goat Tribe Wine & Spirits

Goat Tribe Wine & Spirits is now open at 20 S. Main St., Manchester.
Goat Tribe Wine & Spirits is now open at 20 S. Main St., Manchester.

Goat Tribe Wine & Spirits, 20 S. Main St., Manchester, is open from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.

Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Goat Tribe Wine & Spirits liquor store opens in Manchester NY