US Liquor Shop Surprises Women by Selling 1000 Bottles of Wine for a Penny

To honor women on the eve of the International Women’s Day, a liquor store in Columbia Heights in the northwest of Washington DC gave away 1,000 bottles of wine to women who walked in its door for just a cent.

Indian American Jaspreet Singh Tandon, the owner of the wine shop Downtown Liquors, says the surprise was, in fact, real, for the most part. Every woman who dropped by Tandon’s shop on Friday, anytime between 10 am and midnight, could choose a bottle from one of six different kinds of wine and purchase it for 1 cent, as he cannot give away free alcohol under D.C. law.

The store like many local businesses and restaurants is celebrating the 110th annual International Women’s Day through deals and promotions. Jaspreet Singh Tandon began the tradition last year, giving away about 200 bottles of wine as a gesture to show his gratitude to women, which is a unique way to draw new customers into the store, as it was opened just three months ago then.

This year is special for the 50-year-old father of two, who moved to the United States from Punjab in India, about a decade ago. After years of waiting finally, his 19-year-old daughter got her immigration documents cleared for her to move to the United States.

Tandon says he spoke to his daughter Jessica and informed her about his plan to give out 1,000 bottles of wine to women on Friday. He said to her, “I’m doing a Women’s Day celebration and I’m dedicating it to you”.

He also says that the gesture is dedicated not only to his daughter but to all the women in his life, which includes his four protective older sisters and his 78-year-old mother, who also plans to visit the United States later this month.

As he says, “I am thanking my mother, my sisters, my cousins and every woman that helped me out in my life. A woman is a teacher. Women are very strong. If you want to understand something, you have got to follow women. That is what my theory is”.

He also hopes to continue the annual celebration and hopes his son, who also aims to open his own business someday, will also carry forward the tradition. “This has become a symbol of our store. It’s a gesture of love”, he says.