The burgeoning Journal Square area of Jersey City will get a new shop along an emerging retail pedestrian plaza as Lifted Spirits comes to one of the neighborhood’s newest developments.
Nasser Freres recently announced that Lifted Spirits, a new wine and spirits shop founded by Greg Cochran and Stephen Denaro, has signed a lease to open at The Greyson at 25 Cottage Street. The store will combine a curated selection of wine and spirits with an emphasis on hospitality and education.
The business is set to occupy about 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space along Homestead Place, which is starting to rise to prominence after years of planning and development. Lifted Spirits will place a particular focus on Old World wines that Cochran and Denaro describe as emblematic of their varietals, regions, and winemaking traditions.
“We see Lifted Spirits as much more than a place to buy a bottle of wine,” said Cochran. “Our goal is to create a neighborhood destination where people at every level of knowledge can discover great wine and spirits, ask questions, and learn. We want the wines we carry to be true expressions of where they come from and what they are supposed to be, while making that experience approachable to anyone who walks through the door.”
The selection is being designed to appeal to a broad range of customers, from casual wine drinkers and emerging enthusiasts to experienced collectors, with wines generally ranging from $15 to $100. The founders are also exploring opportunities to offer classes and programming for residents of The Greyson.
Both founders bring extensive New York City restaurant and beverage experience to the venture. Cochran is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and certified sommelier and alumnus of Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World Wine School, also serving as General Manager at Murray’s Cheese, Great Jones Distilling Co., and other ventures. Denaro is a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and served as General Manager at Daniel Boulud’s Le Gratin.
“We’ve spent our careers building beverage programs and helping people understand and enjoy what’s in their glass,” said Denaro. “Lifted Spirits gives us the opportunity to bring that experience into a neighborhood setting and create the kind of shop where someone looking for an accessible everyday bottle receives the same level of attention as a serious collector.”
Lifted Spirits is aiming for a late 2026 or early 2027 opening.
