$4k whiskey a go go in Upper East Side shop

One Upper East Side wine-and-spirits entrepreneur has enjoyed a huge payoff because of some risk-taking.

Frank Giresi, who opened Whiskey & Wine Off 69 last September, heard from Empire Merchants, one of his distributors, that Michter’s, a whiskey producer, was making available worldwide 273 limited-edition bottles of a sour-mash whiskey, Celebration, with a suggested retail price of $4,000.

Although many spirits brands offer whiskeys predominantly made from corn, the sour-mash process generally gives the product less of a corn sweetness.

“The bragging rights behind Celebration are its blend of 20- and 30-year-old barrels of sour mash selected by the distiller,” said Giresi.

After seeing bottles of Pappy Van Winkle 23-year-old bourbon sell for at least three times their reported value, Giresi bought two bottles of Celebration. Within the first two days, Giresi sold one of the $4,000 bottles.