Staff of Whisky Attic share knowledge of whiskey, pair patrons with their favorite

Despite the thousands of bottles lining its shelves, The Whisky Attic is not a liquor wholesaler or a bar.

You can’t buy a glass or a bottle of whiskey, although owner Adam Carmer and manager J.D. Darrow will happily pour shots for you.

“What we’re doing is providing an educational service,” Carmer said. “It’s like going to an art class and learning to paint, but this is a tasting class and we’re teaching you to taste.”

Carmer has taught at UNLV for more than 20 years. He opened the Freakin’ Frog in 2002, and it quickly became one of the first places in town to carry a wide variety of craft beers.

Eventually, it expanded to include The Whisky Attic upstairs, where Carmer developed his C:STEM method of tasting.

“It stands for ‘Carmer spirits tasting enhancement method,’ and it’s superior to the way I learned: the look, smell, taste (LST) method,” Carmer said. “We’re pitching how to enjoy whiskey, but C:STEM works with everything.”

Carmer and Darrow apply the method to tastings of beer, tequila, wine or any other alcohol. They don’t deal with mixed-drink tastings. At The Whisky Attic, it is strictly whiskey.

When the owners leveled the Freakin’ Frog for a major overhaul, Carmer began the 18-month process of building the new location at 4780 W. Harmon Ave. He opened the new location Nov. 1, 2014, the day after the old location closed.

“It’s a cleaner, updated-from-scratch version,” Carmer said. “I got to fix all of the things that I would have fixed at the old location. The shelves are bigger, taller and can hold more bottles. You’re engulfed in them when you come in to do a tasting. Parking is never a problem, and we’re closer to the Strip and easier to give directions to.”

Lauren Fox found The Whisky Attic on Thrilllist.com and brought her boyfriend, Andrew Kramer, and a couple of his relatives there for his birthday.

“I’m not really a whiskey drinker, but he is and he’s a bartender, so I thought he would enjoy and learn something he could use, too,” Fox said.

As part of the 60- to 90-minute seminar, Carmer has designed a flavor profile assessment for the guests. Typically, everyone starts with a glass of the same whiskey and adjustments are made based on how people react to it until they find something they like.

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.