When you visit Early Times Emporium it feels like you are stepping back in time. Every inch of the store, at 413 Cameron St., is filled with a carefully curated selection of locally made items ranging from candles and personal care items to tea and home goods.
Despite being open less than a year, the Early Times Emporium’s sign reads that it was established in 1986. That was the year that Susan Early and her husband founded Early Times contracting and considered establishing a store on North Alfred Street with an old-time photo studio and antique restoration services.
When it was time to move forward, Early planned to open a colonial-themed apothecary with her stepdaughter who is a certified herbalist in Ashville, NC. When her stepdaughter decided to step back, Early continued with the store, keeping an aspect of the original idea by selling specialty shrubs, bitters, simples syrups, honey and other cocktail mixers.
“All of the herbs, the herbal tinctures, the bitters, the shrubs — all those things they used as medicines — are now [used in] cocktails” explained Early.
The store carries a wide variety of local and regional mixer brands, including Element Shrubs, Bittermilk and Yes Cocktail, as well as drinkware and cocktail recipes. Early is developing a cherry blossom-inspired drink recipe which she plans to sell along with the mixers used to make it. Early is eager to share her knowledge of plants and mixers with shop visitors.
History is very important to Early, who volunteers with Gadsby’s Tavern Museum and Lee-Fendall House museum. Items in the store are displayed on furniture that has been saved from houses throughout Old Town. Early’s husband frequently works in Old Town and many of these pieces have been given or sold to them by people selling or renovating their houses. A couple of wooden display cases come from Early’s grandfather, who owned a store in southern Virginia and inspired Early’s own journey to open her business. Early’s daughters often help out at the store, keeping the legacy alive.
Prominently displayed in the store is a large print of Luke Fildes’ 1891 painting, The Doctor, which hung in the foyer of the old Alexandria hospital before it closed in 1974. The painting was returned to the Fannon family who originally donated the painting to the hospital. When the Fannon’s heard that Early was opening a colonial apothecary they gave her the picture to display.
Early is a longtime local resident herself — she attended Hayfield High School.
With Spring quickly approaching, Early has big plans. There is a patio area behind the store where Early will host events like a Mad Hatter-themed tea-party, a Kentucky Derby party and opportunities for customers to learn how to grow and prepare their own shrubs.
All of the items in the store can be made into custom gift baskets. Some of the most popular baskets are ones with a variety of mixers, glassware and drink recipes. Early Times Emporium is the perfect place to find unique gifts and drink mixing items while experiencing great customer service and learning a bit of Alexandria history.
To learn more about Early Times Emporium, visit earlytimesemporium.com and follow the shop’s Facebook page at facebook.com/earlytimesemporium.
