Bedford Nostrand Wine + Liquid Assets
Photos by Curt Saunders for Black-Owned Brooklyn
Some couples rock matching shirts or monogrammed bathrobes to show their bond, but Dan and Natasha Flores do things a little different. They own “his” and “hers” wine shops: Bedford Nostrand Wine for him; Liquid Assets for her. Both natives of East Flatbush, the college sweethearts, who celebrated 17 years of marriage last month, were drawn to entrepreneurship out of a desire to build a legacy for their three children.
“We’re locals who stayed,” says Dan, 43, who opened Bedford Nostrand Wine six years ago in Bed-Stuy. “We really wanted to invest in our neighborhood.”
Natasha, 42, entered into what’s now the Flores family business last year with the opening of her Bed-Stuy wine shop, Liquid Assets. While there’s a touch of friendly competition between their two businesses — Natasha offers a more rotating variety of bottles in a boutique setting, but Dan has an edge of also carrying spirits — their family is united in the higher purpose of Black ownership.
“It just shows that with determination and hard work, you can have your own too,” Natasha says. “Our goal is to build up our economy and have a stronger voice.”
“We’re locals who stayed. We really wanted to invest in our neighborhood.”
“I wasn’t even into wine — that was Natasha’s thing,” Dan says of his initial interest (or lack thereof) in the inventory back in 2014 when he first opened Bedford Nostrand Wines, which he co-owns with a childhood friend, Kenneth Gayle. The retired professional football player, who is of Puerto Rican, African-American and Cuban descent, had been working as a personal trainer for more than a decade and just wanted to start another business.
“But I’m all the way in now,” he continues. “Wine can be very intellectual. There’s history, geography and science behind it, in addition to just being something you can taste and enjoy.” 🥂
With warm hardwood flooring and its selection of distinctive bottles arranged by country and price point, Bedford Nostrand Wine is beautiful in its simplicity. Straightforward and effective. Open for pick-up and delivery, the store boasts knowledgeable staff and a convenient app that are dedicated to helping customers find a bottle best suited for them, as well as easing them into trying something new. The selection also comprises local spirits, as well as organic, biodynamic and Black-owned wines. (My summer fave is Maison Noir’s crisp Other People’s Pinot Gris.)
After witnessing the success of her husband’s wine store, Natasha eventually decided to embark on her own entrepreneurial journey. “I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I’m the wine drinker here,’” she says with a laugh. But the elementary school teacher, who has taught in Brownsville and Park Slope for the past 21 years (currently teaching dance), put her own spin on Liquid Assets, which she opened with co-owner Nigel Frankson in May of 2019.
“I wanted it to have some sparkle with a feminine touch,” says Natasha, Brooklyn-born with Jamaican and Costa Rican roots. “But also a bit of Brooklyn edginess to it, you know?” The vision was executed through a gleaming crystal chandelier, walls stenciled with a pink regal crest pattern, wooden wine barrels and a Biggie-themed clock.
Liquid Assets offers organic, natural and biodynamic wine options, and, in normal times, the store hosts tastings. But for now, use the shop’s app to order for delivery or stop by to pick up a bottle (or four). —By Amberley Smith
296 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, 718-789-9463, bednos.com
504 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, 718-676-0757, liquidassetsbk.com
