Since the very beginning (1984), Stan has run the show at Star Liquors. From it’s origination as a convenience store’s sister business to it’s current 9,000 square feet of glory, he was there every step of the way. Stan’s pride in the business is evident in our well-developed and extensive wine selection, the top-notch staff we have worked to build and the customers who leave satisfied each day. Having honed his wine knowledge over 25 years of studying, traveling, and tasting nearly 25,000 wines, Stan’s passion for vino rests on solid foundation. His goal to thrill each customer is met with surprising regularity, so it’s no wonder he still serves some of the same clients today as he did in that first store several decades ago. Originally from South Bend, Indiana, Stan lived in Ohio until May of 1978 when he moved to sunny, beautiful Durango. He loves the people in this mountain town perhaps as much as he loves running, hunting and golfing in it. Stan is always happy to support local charitable organizations and sponsor community events around Durango. When he’s not at work or playing outdoors, Stan enjoys cooking, savoring great wine at home, reading and catching up on sports (Go Ohio State! Go Broncos!).

A few years ago, Stan and his wife Alice, left our lovely state and moved to Sequim, Washington and they have been loving living on the Olympic Peninsula with frequent trips back to Durango a few times a year for Stan to keep his feet wet and give Mike and Tamara some much needed breaks from the business.

Hello! If you skipped over Mike’s bio, I’m the better half  I moved to Durango in 2001 and love it here! I’ve lived a LOT of poopy places and this ain’t one! My hobbies include snowboarding, paddleboarding, collecting unicorn tears [ SO HARD! ] & breaking balls. My favorite drinks are GREAT tequila & high octane IPA’s & oh! of course- BUBBLES! (the sparkling variety and the Furkid!) A few things that you might not know about me: I love watching BAD reality t.v.- just to see all the awesome stuff… (it WAS my dirty little secret)  If tequila is your jam, come find me– most agave products cross these lips before hitting the shelves. ( just to make sure they aren’t poisonous for our customers)! I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Ceramics. Meditation has CHANGED MY LIFE. Lastly, I’m a well- documented badass– able to outride people half my age… and make it look easy. You’re welcome! I’m here more in the summer months because I have to support my snowboarding habits and at the end of the ’21-’22 ski season, I will have achieved my LIFETIME PASS from Purgatory!

Nick is our go-to guy. With his degree in making numbers make sense, he does all of our receiving of all the things that come in this building for resale. Always good for a laugh and a smile. If it needs doing, just ask Nick and he will make it happen. He’s not only a great guy and lead, but he is fun at parties too. When he is not at Star, being a Star, you can catch him up at Purg shredding– really, shredding. His favorite drinks are IPA’s as well as tequila or a full-bodied cabernet. Nick is a FLC graduate, loves the weather in Durango, and the people. His people skills get him free stuff- just for asking. Heck, all they can say is no but he rarely hears that. Always level-headed and ready for action, Nick is a true asset to our company and we’d be hard pressed to replace such an amazing human.

Natan (like NATHAN without the ‘H’) His full name is Natan Montibeller Cavalca- so fancy! He’s worked at Star two different times. We fell in love at first sight and after 5 months, he went and toured the world with his wife and a program called Up With People. Thankfully, he missed us enough and came back. Self proclaimed ‘wine nerd’ he’s taken the position as wine buyer/ inventory manager. His favorite thing about working at Star is the people he works with: they always have his back and are good for a laugh. Having lived in Durango since 2012, his favorite things about Durango are the awesome restaurants and the outdoors. In his off time, he enjoys beating Nick at video games, cycling, golf, pickleball, tennis, ping pong and soccer. His top favorite beverages are any wines from Alsace, France, cabernets from Oakville, CA, Fortaleza tequila, Law’s whiskey from Colorado and Fenceline Ciders- also from Colorado. If you are looking for the perfect wine to accommodate your special meal or are just looking for something you haven’t tried, look for him hanging out in the wine section- He’s the eye candy with an incredible accent!

Evan is fortunate enough to be a Colorado native. He was raised in Bayfield where he grew to love the Great Outdoors. Most of his free time is spent fishing, backpacking, kayaking or skiing. After getting married in 1998, he and his wife foolishly (his words) moved to Washington state. Thirteen rainy years later, they returned home to dry out. Evan has been with Star since July of 2017 and we are thankful! He said he didn’t know what to expect working here but quickly found a sense of camaraderie that is both rare and infectious. (Plus, we get these super-secret spy radios!). He specializes in eating cabbage, enjoying Bourbon, a fine cognac, stout beers and zins at home with his lovely wife and furbabies. A new key holder, Evan’s The Man on the Sunday crew and a few other days too.

She’s Evan’s wife and an awesome addition to our list of characters

This only other lady that works at Star has been with us since June of 2020. Obviously, she’s a ride or die for her to come into our fold during the THICK of Covid. She says her specialty here is making lunches happen but she’s also taken over ordering those mixers that we all need for our cocktails. Her favorite thing about working here is the background laughter. (One of my favorites too)! Technically, she was born in Kansas BUT, she’s lived in the Durango/ Bayfield area for quite a while. Her and Evan did some time in the Northwestern US but needed to get out of all that rain and return back to the area. Her favorite thing about living in Durango is that her family is so close. Theresa’s hobbies include playing with her four-legged friends, visiting and bidding high in pinochle, basking in the sun, jumping in the lake and gliding down the mountain. If you need a laugh or a suggestion for fine rums or cognacs, please look for her- she’s the OTHER girl, you know, the one WITHOUT any visible tattoos.

‘The Big Easy’ is New Orleans in case you didn’t know. Jason started working at Star in September 2019. He’s worked for most of the liquor stores around, it just took him a minute to work with the best! He prides himself on perfecting the driest sense of humor. He’s lived in Durango for 17 years and loves the proximity to a bakery (Bread) across the street. Jason really enjoys the underground jazz scene in Durango and LOVES HIS COFFEE! Jason found himself a life partner and now he spends his time playing legos with his 4 year old that he shares with said partner. He enjoys Old Rasputin Imperial Stout from North Coast Brewing. His extensive knowledge of beers and his tenure in the booze biz makes him an amazing fit for our wacky crew. If you are looking for a joke or advise, come find this guy and he’ll get you set up. Recently, Jason has been promoted to beer buyer and this guy REALLY knows beer. He’s been bringing in SO many new beers each week, we are having trouble stocking them in the cold box but just ask him, he might have already ordered it and is waiting on space to serve it cold. If you have any obscure beer questions, please ask him. If he doesn’t know about it, he’ll look into if we can get it. We special order all the time and we are happy to look into getting your favorite beers in your hands. Obviously we can’t carry every beer on the planet but with Jason’s help, we are at least buying most that are available in Colorado!

Paul’s worked here since mid June-ish 2020. His specialty is smiles and friendly greetings! Paul is originally from Central Wisconsin but has been in Durango about a year. His favorite thing about Durango is the gracious and welcoming community and his favorite about working at Star is the positive attitudes and great coworkers (I swear I didn’t pay him to say that!). When Paul’s not at Star, he enjoys hiking, road and mountain biking and all around adventuring.  He likes his liquors cold- margaritas, Long Island Iced Teas and his wine-hot and mulled. With a pallet as diverse as his, ask him for some of his favorites and I bet it depends on his mood and the weather what he’s into at that moment. Say hi next time you stop by. He’s probably the guy that says hello to you when you enter the building.

Because most people can’t pronounce his last name

Jon started working here in July of 2020. Since he’s SO new, he doesn’t have a specialty just yet, he just happens to be the youngest one in the building. He has a degree in Fermentation Science which most of us still have to ask him what that means. His favorite thing about working at Star is seeing all the new brands of everything and of course, Bubbles! Jon was born in Indiana but has lived in Durango since 2003. His favorite thing about Durango is the Animas River and the many waterfalls you can access around the area. Oh yeah, he’s also an avid videogamer. He likes Helles Lager for his beer preference, vodka as his liquor and sparkling for his wines. Know wonder he likes our resident D.O.G. He’s pretty quiet but he’s a nice change from all our big, loud personas we endure. He’s fitting in here just fine!

Hello! I’m Bubbles. Star Liquors ‘Floor Manager’ and Resident Good Girl