You may know Mike’s liquor in Westport expanded — but have you seen its Top Shelf room?

Customers of the new Mike’s Wine and Spirits location in Westport now have three times the space and three times the inventory to choose from, compared to the previous location next door.

But if they want to take a gander at the offerings in the Top Shelf room, they need to flag down one of the employees so they can punch in a pass code.

The Top Shelf — dubbed the high-end room by staff — offers hard-to-find and top-shelf scotch, tequila, cognac and champagne.

It has added security due to the price tags, such as ones on some single malt scotch whiskeys: $4,499.99 for the Highland Park (aged 40 years) and $5,999.99 for The Macallan Reflexion.

“We’ve always wanted a temperature-controlled room. This allows us to be taken a little more seriously,” said Andy Doohan, manager at the Westport location. He also oversees advertising for the company, as well as corporate sales.

Doohan’s father, Mike, founded Mike’s Wine and Spirits in Waldo in 2001, later adding locations in Westport and Brookside.

After more than eight years at 1106 Westport Road, he purchased three lots to the west — one with a rental house, one with a salon and one a used car lot. Then he demolished the buildings and put up a new $3.5 million store and parking lot with 30 spaces.

It has one of the metro’s largest selections of craft beers, especially for cold beer. It also features a cigar humidor. A beer manager and a wine sommelier are on staff.

On the main floor, wine ranges from $7 a bottle to $120.

At the growler bar, customers can pick up some local beers not found in the packaged beer department. It also offers free beer, wine and spirits tastings from 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays.

The previous location was more of a grab-and-go shop. But the expanded store is large enough for carts so customers linger and converse with staff. Since opening earlier this month, Mike’s has seen a double-digit increase in sales.

Mike Doohan’s other son, Pat, is general manager of all three locations. The Westport location will be the hub for their delivery service.

The founder still has two years left on his lease at the old Westport Mike’s, but he already is fielding calls from a pizza restaurant chain and coffee shop.

Mike’s will have regular business hours throughout the holidays.

This story was originally published December 24, 2019 at 5:00 AM.