Road Tips

Total Wine and More - Henderson, NV

When our company gets together for trade shows - such as the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas - we work hard and we play hard.  My boss has long known that his sales and support staff are all closet alcoholics and he also likes a glass of wine or two after a long day.  We learned that bar tabs at the hotel where we stay can get out of hand - we had a $500 bar tab for about two hours of drinking at a hotel bar a number of years ago - so my boss has us go out on "beer runs" before the shows start to stock up on beer, liquor and wine that we'd enjoy in one of our hospitality suites.   One of the support guys from our main office in Montreal told me about a place in Las Vegas that he found during set up of a show in Las Vegas last spring - Total Wine and More.  The first full day we were in Las Vegas, my boss sent my colleague, Ian, and me out to stock up for our meeting suite at the Venetian.  We headed out to the Total Wine and More store in Henderson (see map).   

There's actually two Total Wine and More locations in Las Vegas.   The other one is out in the northwest suburb of Summerlin.   In fact, Ian was at that one last spring when he was in town for the NAB show.  When I took off for the one in Henderson, he said, "I think you're going the wrong direction."  My GPS showed two Total Wines and the one in Henderson was about 2/10th's of a mile closer to the hotel than the one in Summerlin.   We were literally equidistant between the two, just over 10 miles away.

Total Wine and More began in Wilmington, Delaware when two brothers - Robert and David Trone - opened their first store, Liquor World.   The brothers initially had two stores in Wilmington before expanding into a superstore concept.  Today, the Potomac, MD-based company has 85 superstores in 14 states - primarily along the East coast and in the Southwest.  They topped $1 billion in annual sales two years ago.  Total Wine and More is the largest seller of liquor of non-supermarket chains in the United States.  In reading up about Total Wine, I found that there were a lot of local liquor stores who were upset when a Total Wine would come into their market.  Total Wine is basically the Wal-Mart of liquor stores.  Only much better.  

Pulling up to the Total Wine and More store in Henderson, from the outside it, indeed, looked like a large supermarket.  As you enter the building, the it looks like a warehouse full of liquor and beers.  The large floor area on the left starts out with an impressive selection of wine from all over the world.  While I can find some pretty good American, Australian and South American wines, Ian is proficient in finding European wines - specifically Italian reds.  He does know his French wines, as well, but not as well as our boss does.  I took a long look at what they had for wines at Total Wine and I was impressed with their selection and their price.  They seemed to have at least one of everything.  

After a few minutes of browsing, I let Ian loose in the wine department to pick out some Italian and French wine, and I went to go check out the beer selection.  Actually, it was pretty difficult to not find the beer in Total Wines.  Most of the big name domestic beers were stacked up in the aisles all through the store.  But I was on the hunt for a specific beer.

When we were in Hawaii nearly three years ago, I fell in love with Kona Brewing Company's Big Wave Golden Ale.  I found out late last summer that they were beginning to start making it available on the mainland, but I couldn't find any place close to Iowa that had the beer.  When I found out about Total Wines, I did a search on the Internet and found their web site.  It was there that I found that they did, indeed, have the Big Wave Golden Ale.  The beer is one of the most refreshing beers I've had.  While I'm not big on fruit beers, the initial taste of the Big Wave Golden Ale has sort of a slight tropical fruit taste on the tongue.  But the finish is a nice mix of delicate hops and a hint of bitterness that really balances the taste.  The result is a beer that has a stimulating and summerlike taste.  But I'm sure it would still taste great in the dead of winter.  

 

 

I hunted around for the beers and finally found a long aisle with two large racks featuring hundreds of beers in six packs.  They had a number of local and regional micro-brews, a few that I wasn't familiar with.  Like their wines, if it was available to sell in the state of Nevada, Total Wine and More had it.  And their prices were pretty good, too.  It was one of the more impressive beer stores I've been to in quite some time.

At the end of one of the beer racks, I found the "holy grail" - a large end cap of Kona Brewery beers in six packs and cases.  In addition to the Big Wave Golden Ale, I also found the Longboard Lager, the Pipeline Porter, and the Fire Rock Pale Ale.   (I found out later that Total Wine also sold the seasonal Koko Brown ale, but they were sold out of it at the time.)  I picked up a number of beers from a case of the Big Wave Golden Ale, some of the Longboard lager and the Fire Rock pale.  I also picked up beers from the Alaskan Brewing Company, a six-pack of Magic Hat #9, some beers from the Lagunitas brewery, a sixer of Full Sail Amber, and I even found an Abita Amber that is somewhat tough to find in the Midwest.  All in all, I picked up a total of three cases of assorted beer at Total Wine.  

Of course, we needed liquor.  My colleague, Todd, had a wish list of different types of rum.  Ian is also a rum aficionado and Total Wine had a boat load of rums to choose from.  Once, we couldn't find a specific rum - Wray & Nephew white rum - and we asked one of the guys stocking the shelves down the aisle to help us find it.  He couldn't find it, either, so he went to his computer to check stock.  He came back and said, "Well, it says that we have 6 in stock."  We eventually found it - under its proper name - J.Wray & Nephew.  "We alphabetize our selections," he explained.  "We were looking under the 'W's' when we should have been looking under the 'J's'."  

Scotch was also on the list and Total Wine had a magnificent selection of single malts and blends.  We found a bottle of the Macallan 15-year that was at a very good price.  We also got a bottle of the Aberlour A'bunadh, a cask-strength single malt that Ian actually turned me on to when we went on a beer run in Indianapolis last fall before the CEDIA Expo.  It's got a very forward taste that smooths out on tail end.  

With five bottles of wine, a like number of liquor and Scotch, and three cases of beer, we spent less than $500 dollars at Total Wine and More.  Granted, we still had to go to a grocery store to get some soda pop, water, limes and other various snacks, but we spent less in one trip to Total Wine than we would have had we spent two to three hours in the bar at either the Venetian or at the Mirage where the bulk of our group was staying.   It's very easy to see why Total Wine has reached over $1 billion dollars in annual sales.  They've got a great selection at very good prices.  I can see why some local liquor stores get upset when a Total Wine comes to their towns.  Total Wine has everything you'll need for any party, special occasion, or for stocking up for your wine rack or personal bar.  If you've got a Total Wine and More wherever you're traveling and you need some liquor, wine or beer, I recommend heading there first. And don't worry if they don't have something you're looking for.  They probably do.    

Blue Max Liquors - Burnsville, MN

During a recent trip to the Twin Cities, I was on the hunt for some Oktoberfest beers.  One place that I found in south suburban Burnsville was a place called Blue Max Liquors.  The sign out front says, "Over 1100 beers and over 300 single malts."  Oooo... I couldn't wait to get inside. 

Tom and Diane Pilney are the owners of Blue Max Liquors, which has been in business for over 30 years.  It's located in a small shopping area near where I-35W and I-35E split off in the southern part of the Twin Cities (see map).  As soon as I walked into the place, I was in beer and Scotch heaven.  First of all, Tom Pilney has a collection of Springbank whisky on display.  Springbank is Scotland's oldest family owned distillery and they put out some of the best Scotch there is on the planet.  Blue Max Liquors had some Springbank collectibles - special run Scotch that some call priceless.  And they weren't for sale.  I was overly impressed.  

Their selection of Scotch just made my mouth water.  They had TONS of different types of Scotch.  They had everything - Maccallan, Laphroaig, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich.  I must have spent 20 minutes just looking at all the Scotch they had.  I was just absolutely blown away.  

But I'd come in for beer and not really Scotch (although I did pick up a bottle of Talisker 10 year at a pretty good price of $44.95).  I was even more impressed with the beer selection.  I have to say that they have at least one of everything that is available from all the area distributors.  I mean, they had their beer sectioned off by countries!  I was in beer heaven! 

I found August Schell Octoberfest, Summit Oktoberfest, and Lake Superior Oktoberfest.  I found something called Brau Brothers Scotch Ale.  I had to try that.  And to my pleasant surprise, I found some Full Sail pale ale.  I first had Full Sail on my first trip to the Pacific Northwest a couple years ago.  Their pale ale is outstanding.  My only wish is that Alaskan beer would be available in Minnesota.  That would make my world complete. 

I grabbed about three cases of assorted beers and took them up to the counter along with my bottle of Scotch.  The guy at the register said, "Looks like you're stocking up!"

I said, "I'm from Iowa and I can't get a lot of these Oktoberfest beers down there.  This is what I like about Fall.  Oktoberfest beers."

He said, "Well, I hope that we had enough for you.  Looks like we did!"

He was telling me that he gets a lot of people from Iowa that come in and fill up their trunks with beer.  "We're so close to the I-35 split that it's easy to get here for people on their way back to Iowa, he said.  "I just had a guy in here yesterday from Iowa.  He got a bunch of beer."

The guy helped me carry the beer out to the car.  I told him he didn't need to do that, but he insisted.  "Part of the service," he explained.

Blue Max Liquors has just made it into my Top Ten of best place to hunt for beer.  Great selection, great prices, great service.  I was overly impressed.  And it will be a must to stop there on my future trips to the Twin Cities. 

Lukas Liquor Superstore - Ellisville, MO

In my post from last fall - Beer Hunting in Kansas City - I mentioned Lukas Liquor in Overland Park as a great place to find some eclectic beers.  Actually, the first Lukas Liquor Superstore that I visited was the one in suburban St. Louis at the corner of Manchester Rd. and Clarkson Rd. (see map).  I was in the St. Louis area recently and it was toward the end of the Oktoberfest season, so I wanted to check out what Lukas Liquor had to offer.  (Click here to go to Lukas Liquor - St. Louis web site.)

The Lukas Liquor in suburban Ellisville sports 24,000 square feet in floor space.  They boast over 6000 different wines, 1500 different liquors and 900 different beers.  Although it's been sort of out of the way for me in the past, now that we've put Focal speakers into Ultimate Electronics stores, there's an U.E. just down the road from Lukas Liquors.  I had to do a training at the store one morning, then I stopped in to Lukas Liquors afterward. 

I had picked up a number of good Oktoberfest beers when I was up in the Twin Cities a couple weeks earlier.  (I found a great liquor/beer store up there that I'll be telling you about very soon.)  But one beer that I was missing was Boulevard's Bob's 47 Oktoberfest beer.  I had seen it in Kansas City, but decided to try and get it when I got back home.  Well, it turned out that the local distributor for Boulevard didn't bring in the Bob's 47 this fall, for some unknown reason.  It's one of my favorite Oktoberfest beers, if not my favorite. 

I got into Lukas Liquor around 10:30 and started to look around at their beer selection.  They had just two six packs of the Bob's 47 left.  I asked one of the very helpful staff at Lukas Liquor if they had any left in back.  He checked and said, "Nope, sorry.  It's getting toward the end of Oktoberfest beers.  I'm sure we've sold all we can get our hands on to this point." 

I put the two "sixers" in the cart and started to look at some of Lukas Liquors other beers, just to see if there was anything that I couldn't live without.  Now, I remember Lukas Liquors as featuring some pretty obscure breweries in the past.  It was sort of exciting to go in and see something that I thought would be interesting to try.  On this trip, however, I was sort of surprised that there were more "mainstream" small and craft breweries on the shelves and not some of the mysterious eclectic beers that I remember them having.  They had a lot of varieties from Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada and Leinenkugel, to name a few.  But I didn't really seem to find to the more inconspicuous, interesting microbrews like they had in the past.

Another staff member came up and asked if I was looking for anything specific.  I said, "I remember you guys used to have a lot of small obscure breweries that were pretty interesting.  I don't see quite that many on your shelves."

He said, "Well, the economy has dictated some of that.  A number of small breweries have gone under.  Those that are left are having distribution issues because distributors don't want to deal with low volume sellers.  And places like us are looking at maximizing our turns.  We have to give more shelf space to the beers that people like and perform well.  We just can't afford to have beers that don't sell on a regular basis." 

It's all purely understandable.  These guys aren't in the business of finding a number of no-name breweries and taking a chance that a number of people like me are going to come in on a regular basis and try something new.  They need to have beers that are proven sellers. 

But, still, Lukas Liquor Superstore has a wide selection of beers to choose from.  You just won't find the small breweries represented like they once were at Lukas Liquor.  Their prices are good, the wine selection is also top-notch, and you can be sure to be able to find something good each time you go in.  I'll keep going back just to check and see what they have to offer.  You never know...

Consumer Beverage Center - Hales Corner, WI

Milwaukee may have the title of "Brew City, USA", but it may also have the title of having some of the best places to buy beer in the U.S., as well.  The only other city that I think may come close in regard to the number of liquor stores that have a great selection of beer to choose from would be Minneapolis/St. Paul.  But for the Milwaukee area, Consumer Beverage Center in the southwestern suburb of Hales Corner (see map) is one of the top "beer hunting" places I've found in the area.

Consumer Beverage Center was established in 1963 and is currently run by Mike and Libby Praedel and their family.  While it's not a huge place compared to some of the liquor stores in the Milwaukee area, the Praedel's do a good job of stocking it with popular wines, liquors and beers.  Not only do they have a wonderful selection of Wisconsin and Midwestern craft beers, but they also have a large selection of imported beers to choose from, as well. 

The Praedel's also do a good job of marketing their place as they hold special events from time to time.  There are wine tastings, "meet and greets" with brewers, and special prices on liquor, beer and wine on a regular basis.  Just trying to differentiate themselves versus the ever growing threat of the local and national chains in the liquor business is a full time job. 

Consumer Beverage is sort of on the way out of Milwaukee for me on my way back home.  If I don't have time to stop at some of the other places in Milwaukee, I'll usually stop at Consumer Beverage.  That's not to say that it's a last option for me.  It's just to say that I'm lucky it's there on my way out of town. 

The last time I was in was earlier this summer when a friend of mine asked me to pick up some of the new Schlitz beer that has come back onto the market.   Actually, Schlitz never really went away, but it definitely wasn't the same since the 70's.   At one point in the early to mid 70's, Schlitz was the No. 2 brewer in the U.S. behind Anheuser-Busch.  In an attempt to bolster their business, Schlitz changed the formula of the original Schlitz.  This proved to be disastrous to the company who immediately lost market share.  In the early 80's, a crippling strike forced the company to be sold to the Stroh Brewing Company.

Through a series of buy-outs, the original Schlitz formula was lost.  Now owned by the Pabst Brewing Company, the 60's-style flavor was resurrected by a team of brew masters, taste-testers and historians.  Through documents found in old files, the team was nearly able to replicate the original taste of Schlitz. 

The original Schlitz is once again available in the distinctive brown bottles that I remember from 30 to 40 years ago.  But they aren't available in the Quad Cities as of yet.  I was talking with a friend who was asking me about the "new" Schlitz and I told him that I'd seen it up in Milwaukee.  He asked me to pick some up for him the next time I was up in Milwaukee.

Consumer Beverage had a big display of Schlitz on their floor.  I grabbed a 12 pack to take back home with me.  When I dropped them off at my friend's place, he said, "You didn't put these on ice?  I thought we'd try them out!"  I still haven't one of the "new" Schlitz beers.  He told me later on, "These taste just like the ones we used to steal out of my dad's refrigerator when we were 16."  

So, if it's Schlitz or an eclectic craft beer from Wisconsin that you're looking for, there's a good chance Consumer Beverage Center will have it.  They always seem to stock the most popular items, and feature some interesting seasonal beers, as well.  It's a great place to do some beer hunting. 

The End of Sam's Wines

The Chicago Tribune is reporting today that the controlling interest of Sam's Wines, a long time Chicago wine, liquor and beer emporium, has been bought by their major competitor Binny's.

(To see my earlier post on Sam's, click here.  To see my earlier post on Binny's, click here.)  

To see the article from the Trib, click here:

It's somewhat sad to see the demise of Sam's, one of the first wine and liquor superstores that I came across in the Chicago area.  My friend, Steve Weiner, was a big proponent of Sam's up until the Rosen family sold controlling interest in the four store chain to Arbor Investments, a private investment group, in 2007.  Sam's had been rumored to be in financial trouble for the past year.  Earlier this year, Sam's announced the closing of their Highland Park and their South Loop locations, concentrating their efforts on their original store in Lincoln Park and their store in Downers Grove. 

Over the past year, I noticed that Sam's seemed to be focusing on cheaper and more obscure wines in their on-line e-mail releases that I received on a nearly daily basis.  Steve Weiner told me that this was a conscious effort by the powers-that-be with Sam's to reduce overhead and inflate the profit margin.  It obviously didn't work.   

Binny's has 22 locations across Chicago (soon to be 24) and features a number of the same wines, liquors and beers that Sam's had.  In fact, I will say the selection of eclectic beers at Binny's was more impressive than what I found at the Sam's locations.  The only problem was price - Binny's was pretty proud of their stock and it was reflected in their higher prices.

In the long run, Binny's higher prices won out.  While you have to tip the hat to a company that has been in business for over 60 years, Binny's suddenly becomes the 800 pound gorilla in regard to beer, wine and liquor in the Chicago area.  I don't think there is anyone who can come close to them with their selection.  And that generally means higher prices for wine, beer and spirits.  I'll shop at a Binny's, but I'll miss the "warm and fuzzy" feeling that I got when I shopped at Sam's.     

Ray's Wine and Spirits - Wauwatosa, WI

On a recommendation from Jon Spelt, one of the owners of Ultra Fidelis in Milwaukee, I sought out and found Ray's Wine and Spirits on North Ave. in suburban Wauwautosa (see map).  Jon said, "If you like to go beer hunting, Ray's is the place in Milwaukee.  They've got a ton of beers to choose from."

There is no Ray, although there used to be.  Ray's was founded in 1965, but has been owned by Rick Laev and Bill Siegel since 2002.  Laev and Siegel grew up across the street from one another and Laev used to call on the store as a liquor wholesale rep for over 20 years.  Ray was wanting to retire after 35 years of running the place, so Laev and Siegel bought the business.

Actually, their beer selection isn't what Ray's is known for.  They stock over 4500 different types of wine making it one of the largest wine stores in the Midwest.  Laev and Siegel personally taste each wine to get an idea of what they're selling.  Some days, they'll taste 20 to 25 different wines to get an impression of what they're like.  And they do that 4 times a week.  Hey, that's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

Ray's Wine and Spirits also has a great selection of Scotch whiskey and tequila.  I was pretty amazed at the large selection of Scotch they had to offer.  Jon Spelt at Ultra Fidelis is a Scotch connoisseur and has over 60 different types of Scotch at his house.  "All but a few of them came from Ray's," he told me one time.

Ray's is basically a no-frills shop.  Every amount of available space is being used to showcase their wine, liquor or beer.  Although I think other places in Milwaukee may have more selection of beers to choose from than Ray's, you can't overlook the different brands of beer they have to offer.

I ended up getting a couple six packs of some different Wisconsin micro-breweries to try - a Central Waters Brewery Happy Heron Pale Ale, which wasn't too bad - and a Lake Louie Brewing Company Arena Premium, that was very hoppy and flavorful.  I also picked up a four-pack of the Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner, a very, very intensely hopped up beer.

I gave Jon a call after I left Ray's and thanked him for the tip on the place.  Knowing that he really liked hoppy beers, as I do, I told him that he needed to go to Ray's that night and pick up a four-pack of the Imperial Pilsner.  He said he would do just that.  (He told me later on, "Man, I wish you hadn't turned me on to that stuff.  Not only is it expensive, it's great!")

Jon then said, "Hey, have you had breakfast yet?"

I told him I had.  He said, "Shoot.  Well, next time you're out that way, you need to try John's Sandwich Shop which is right across the street from Ray's.  They have great breakfasts, probably the best in Milwaukee."

Well, I'm sure I'll be back at Ray's sometime when I get to traveling to Milwaukee again.  And I'll make it a point to have breakfast at John's Sandwich Shop, so I can let you all know how good it is.

 

 

 

 

3 Corners Liquor - Owatonna, MN

There's something to like about a lone liquor store that's situated in the middle of a busy retail, hotel, truck stop and restaurant sector along an Interstate highway.   3 Corners Liquor outside of Owatonna, MN is just that kind of liquor store.  I was surprised, however, at the amount of great beers they had to choose from at one point.  But, sadly, they don't have quite the selection today that they once had. 

Situated along Interstate 35 at exit 45 (see map), 3 Corners Liquor is literally in the middle of a number of businesses including a large Cabela's store, a Famous Dave's barbecue place, a couple of hotels, other restaurants, a couple truck stops and a Russell Stover outlet store.  It's also just down the road from the large Medford Outlet Mall, located just three miles north at Exit 48.

During trips to and from the Twin Cities, I found myself stopping in at Cabela's to look around at things.  One time, I decided to stop into 3 Corners Liquor just to see what they had to offer.  I was surprised to find a number of shelves of single beers where you could mix and match six-packs.  And there was a lot to choose from, well over 100 different types and brands of beer including some Upper Midwest brews that we didn't get in Iowa, to some eclectic import beers that looked sort of out of place in a liquor store in South Central Minnesota.  I always found something to take with me whenever I would stop in.  The selection they had was very impressive. 

One day coming back from the Twin Cities, I stopped into 3 Corners Liquor to do a little "beer hunting".  As I walked in, blaring from the stereo system in the store was a blistering blues number by Tommy Castro from his "Live at the Fillmore" album.  I said to the guy behind the counter, "Is this Tommy Castro?"

His face immediately lit up and he said, "It sure is!  You have this album?"

I said, "Yeah, I do.  In fact, one of Tommy Castro's band guys gave me a copy." 

To make a long story short, the guy behind the counter, Mark, was sort of an impresario in the Owatonna/Austin/Rochester area when it came to producing blues shows and booking bands.  I began telling him about my work with the annual Rib Fest (now River Roots Live) in Davenport, along with some work I'd done for the Mississippi Valley Blues Society.  It turned out that he knew a number of people I knew from working the gigs over the years.  Suddenly, we were like two long lost brothers.

It turned out that Mark was the manager of 3 Corners Liquor and he was the one responsible for the vast selection of beers they had to offer.  The guy really knew his shit about beer.  He turned me on to a number of good brews on subsequent visits to 3 Corners Liquor.  He remembered who I was and he would usually greet me with, "Hey, man!  I've got something you've got to try!"  More than once he would open a bottle in the store and offer a taste.  I was in love with the place.

However, about two years ago I stopped into 3 Corners Liquor and the selection of eclectic beers and even the amount of liquor and wine on their shelves was about 1/3 of what they normally had.  A lot of the good beer that Mark had turned me onto was no longer found on their shelves.  I asked the guy on duty if Mark was around and he said, "Mark no longer works here."

I said, "You're shitting me!  When did that all happen?"

He said, "Oh, he hasn't been here in, maybe, four months."  

I was sort of devastated.  The guy was pretty reluctant to talk about Mark or where he was.  The only thing he said was, "Mark has some issues that he has to take care of."  

So, while the large selection of great beers is no longer available at 3 Corners Liquor, they still have a nice selection of beers if you need a twelve-pack after buying a gun at Cabela's and you're going out hunting.  At one point, 3 Corners Liquor was one of the best places to buy some interesting beers.  Today, it's just another liquor store with an adequate selection of beers.  On their web site, they say they have a bunch of different types of tequila, rum and vodka, but no mention of any vast array of beers to choose from.  I stopped in last summer just to see what was going on and if they had the 600 different wines, over 100 different tequilas and over 50 different types of rum they advertise having, they had them well hidden.   

Come back, Mark!  Please! 

(Update February 2012 - I've been back to 3 Corners a handful of times on trips to and from the Twin Cities.  My last visit there, it looked like the place was on the verge of going out of business.  They didn't have half the beer selection they've had in the past.  The liquor shelves were about half full and there didn't seem to be much of a wine selection any longer.  I honestly don't know what's happened to 3 Corners, but it's not the same place as it was.)

 

Argonaut Wine and Liquor - Denver

As I've mentioned in previous posts, whenever we get together at trade shows we usually go out and buy a bunch of wine, beer and liquor and congregate in one of our rooms for a few moments of company camaraderie after the show ends for the day.  Being that yours truly is usually the one who knows where all the good liquor stores are in the area, I'm the one who usually drives two or three of my colleagues on a beer run.  Now, I've taught them all the chorus to comedian-songwriter Todd Snider's great song "Beer Run" (you can hear the song here), so we're usually singing it at the top of our lungs when we pile into a vehicle to go get booze.  This past fall at the CEDIA Expo in Denver, we were singing it as we drove to Argonaut Wine and Liquor, just east of the downtown area in Denver in the Capital Hill neighborhood (see map). 

Argonaut Wine and Liquor has been around for over 40 years, serving a combination of Denver's upper class wine sophisticates, everyday drunks and good ol' party dudes - like most of the guys I work with.  With over 25,000 total square footage, Argonaut Wine and Liquor is the largest store of its kind in Denver.  They feature over 9000 different liquors, wines and beers, along with all the fixing's you'll need to have a big party.  

When we go to a place like Argonaut Liquor, each of us will usually fan out in different areas of a store.  I usually go to the beer section, a couple of my colleagues will go scope out the domestic and imported wines, and another will go check out the liquor for any good buys on Scotch, rum or tequila. 

Actually, this year, I shipped a couple bottles of Templeton Rye out to Denver (which, I found out from my local FedEx drop off site, is a federal offense) for us to have during the show.  We drank all but about a quarter of one bottle.  It was a hit among my colleagues.  But that didn't stop us from gathering up a couple more bottles of Scotch and a bottle of tequila for the room. 

My boss, Daniel, doesn't drink beer or hard liquor all that much, but he sure does enjoy his wine.  We always get a couple three bottles of wine for the room - usually a couple reds and a white.  My colleagues from Canada and California usually pick out the wine.  

I was pretty impressed with the beer selection at Argonaut Wine and Liquor.  In addition to most of the usual Colorado beers (many of which I don't care for), they also had a selection of great beers from the Pacific Northwest (to see my post on the beers of the Northwest, click here).  Some of my colleagues like the heavier European imports, so I pick a couple three sixers of those up.  The Oktoberfest marzen-style beers were beginning to show up on the shelves, so I grabbed some of those, too.  

We also picked up some glasses (we learned our lesson after viewing this blog entry on the horrors of the cleaning staffs in hotel rooms), a styrofoam cooler and some ice.  Actually, we got the ice for free.  One of the guys just gave us a bag because it had been accidentally opened when they were putting it in the ice freezer.   

With all we got, it came to just a bit under $300 bucks - pretty good considering that our guys can easily spend $300 bucks on bar tabs during a week.  And my boss doesn't seem to mind picking up the bill for the libations.  

It's too bad we didn't find Argonaut Wine and Liquor until our last year the CEDIA Expo was in Denver.  Right now, they're in the midst of getting ready to open a new and improved Argonaut Wine and Liquor Store just down the street from the original one (see map).  (An artist's rendition is shown on the right.)  At the time, I thought the interior of Argonaut was a little tired and the displays could have used a little sprucing up.  But when I found out that a new store was going to open in a couple three months, I quickly forgave the appearance of the old store.  I hope I can get back out to Denver and check the place out someday.       

Beer Hunting in Kansas City

I picked up a number of good Oktoberfest beers this fall once again this year.  While I was in Kansas City a few weeks ago, I stopped at a number of liquor stores in the area. These are ones that I've been going to for a number of years and I just happened to hit them while I was in town for two or three days earlier this fall.

Gomer's has been around for over 30 years on the Missouri side of Kansas City.  I was first turned on to Gomer's when I would travel to Kansas City to see an old girlfriend in the late 70's, then again after I began to work for a company in the KC area in the mid-80's.  Gomer's was nothing like I'd ever seen before in regard to a liquor store that had such a great variety of beer, wine and liquor. 

There are four locations of Gomer's in Kansas City.  I first went to the Midtown location (see map) years ago and I went to the south location (see map) on my most recent visit.  While others in the area have passed Gomer's by in terms of beer selection, I still like to go in and take a quick look around to see if there's anything that I can't live without. 

Metcalf Discount Liquor in Overland Park (see map) is in the same shopping complex as one of my large dealers in the KC area.  This location is one of three in the company, which is basically a small family owned business.  They have a pretty good selection of eclectic beers and often at a very good price. 

Metcalf Discount Liquor has a single bottle "mix and match" program with an ever expanding selection of different brands of beer.  They had a great price on a case of the Boulevard Brewing Company's Bob's 47 Oktoberfest beer.  I couldn't resist the price - about $27 bucks for the case.  And I love Bob's 47 Oktoberfest beer. 

Lukas Liquor in Shawnee Mission (see map) is an 18,000 sq. ft. superstore that features the best selection of beer and wine of any store in the Kansas City area.  Founded in 1981, Lukas Liquor moved to its present location in 1995.  They also have three other locations, including one in suburban St. Louis that I've visited a couple times in the past. 

I never knew the one on in Shawnee Mission existed until a buddy of mine was telling me about it a couple three years ago.  When I found it (it's actually back off the street a ways in a strip mall), I was astounded at the selection of beers they had in the place.  I think I spent well over $50 bucks on my first visit and it's always a $20 bill or more each time I go into Lukas Liquor.  l was able to find a couple six packs of the Paulaner Oktoberfest and the Warsteiner Premium Oktoberfest beers

Berbiglia (pronounced Ber-BIL-ya) Wine and Spirits has the Missouri side of Kansas City covered with 11 locations.  Berbiglia is arguably the oldest liquor store in the area as it started as a grocery store in 1917.  Through the years, it morphed from an upscale grocery store during its day to more of a wine and liquor store that sold eclectic foods, as well. 

I visited two of the locations while I was in Kansas City - the main location on W. 103rd St. just east of State Line Road (see map), and the location at 79th and Wornall (see map), just down the street from a dealer I'm trying to land.  While the Berbiglia locations I've been to seem to cater more toward wine connoisseurs than beer guys.  I didn't really find anything that I absolutely really needed from Berbiglia's.

Royal Liquors is probably my favorite place to go looking for beer in Kansas City.  They rival Lukas Liquor in selection and price, but they seem to have more helpful and knowledgeable people who like to tell you about their favorites.  I stopped at the downtown location off of I-35 on Southwest Boulevard when I was in town recently (see map).  They categorize their beers in two levels - domestic and imports.  Actually, all the domestically brewed specialty and craft beers - including Boulevard, which is located just down the street from Royal Liquors - are classified as imports.  I have to say that Royal Liquors has the largest variety of EACH beer to choose from.  You can buy the different beer by the cases to kegs to 6-packs, 12-packs, singles, whatever.

They had a large selection of the Bell's Oktoberfest beer - one of my all-time favorite marzen style beers.  I had to get a couple sixers of that while I was there.  Plus, I was told to try the Ayinger Oktoberfest beer.  Ayinger is a German brewer and their Oktoberfest beer - although a little expensive - was very good.  I got a six pack of the beer and it was gone within days of getting it home.  I should have gotten another. 

Any one of the above places is very good to visit when you're on the hunt for beer in Kansas City.  Royal Liquors and Lukas Liquor are probably the best in terms of variety and price.  But you don't want to pass up the other places as you'll never know what you find. 

The Still - Lincoln, NE

While in Lincoln, NE recently, I was talking with one of the guys at The Sound Environment about wine and eclectic beers.  I was asking him about a place called The Still that used to be open down the way from the store.  He said The Still had moved to a new location further out off of Nebraska Highway 2 (see map).  He said, "If you're going to Kansas City you'll pass right by it on the way out of town."  He gave me directions, saying that when I see the Home Depot store I've just gone past it.

I really didn't know what I was looking for when I went into The Still.  They've always had a great selection of wine.  But I really didn't need to stock up on any wine.  Plus, I had a case of beer from a previous stop at Beer Crazy and I was planning on picking up more beer when I got to Kansas City, so I really didn't need beer.  Still, I like going into places like The Still to see if there's anything that I absolutely cannot live without. 

The "new" Still is definitely larger than the old location.  I'd say it's about four times larger.  They always had a great selection of wine, but there's an even larger selection at the new place.  Longtime manager John Barker always has good recommendations on wine and also features his monthly "Barker's Best Bets" in The Still's monthly newsletter "Still Stats". 

And The Still boasts over 300 different types of domestic, import and micro-brewed beers.  They had a great selection of beers from smaller breweries in the Midwest.  I actually ended up buying some of the Boulevard Irish Ale beer knowing full well that I'd get more in Kansas City.

The Still also has an impressive selection of over 100 single malt Scotch whiskeys.  Even though I was a little too early for the sale, they have an annual single malt Scotch sale each Spring.  It's rare to find a liquor store that will have advertised sales on single malt Scotch. 

The Still will be one of those places I'll be stopping into each time I go to Lincoln on business.  It's one of the growing number of "superstores" for beer, wine and liquor that seem to keep popping up around the Midwest.  I'd put the selection at The Still up against any other liquor store in much larger metropolitan areas.  You can easily spend an hour looking through the place without buying a thing.  But I'll bet you'll always find something to buy.   

Beer Crazy - Urbandale, IA

I was traveling through Des Moines calling on a couple of my dealers a while back.  I was at Technology by Design in Urbandale (see map) looking over the remodel of their store.  I noticed a store in their same little strip mall by the name of Beer Crazy.  I asked Brian, the owner of Tech by Design, what that was all about.  Being that Brian isn't much of a drinker, he said, "I don't know.  Some sort of beer shop or something." 

After I left and before I drove out to Omaha, I had to stop in and take a look for myself.  What I found was a little retail location with two rows of shelves fulled with specialty beers.  Behind the shelf area on the north side of the store was a number of products with which to make beer at home.  Although it wasn't a huge place, it was still pretty impressive with the selections they had.

I met and talked with the owner, Mark Naumann (right).  He said he's been a home-brewer for about six years and he's always had a fascination with owning an eclectic beer store, offering beers from around the world as well as beer making supplies.  Mark told me he opened in October of last year.  He told me, "My wife thought I was crazy enough to start a business like this, so I decided to call it 'Beer Crazy'."

Beer Crazy is similar to other stores I've been at that allow you to "Pick a Six" of different beers.  And he had some that I wanted to try. 

The Dixie Brewery was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has just reopened.  It was the first place I'd seen the Dixie Blackened Voo Doo and the Dixie Lager since it had been reissued, so I had to pick some of that up.  I also found some of the Bell's Lager and got some of that.  He also had a good selection of Summit beers out of St. Paul and I got some of the Summit Pilsner.  And I found some of the Tiger beer out of Indochina.  I haven't had Tiger beer in a long, long time.  I was thrilled to find it.   

All in all, I picked up about a case of different beers while I was there.  Each six pack was $6.95.  What a great deal when you want to give different varieties a try.

I make it to Des Moines and Technology by Design about four or five times a year.  I told Mark that I'd definitely be back.  I hope an operation like that can sustain momentum and stay in business.  He's definitely living his dream.   

The (Temporary) Return of Northwoods Lager

As I write, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Milwaukee enjoying a Leinenkugel's Northwoods Lager.  In an earlier post here, I lamented the demise of Northwoods Lager when the Leinenkugel's brewery decided to discontinue the beer in favor of some of their newer varieties.  Even though it was brewmaster John Buhrow's favorite beer, Leinenkugel's management decided to stop production of the beer because they didn't have the capacity to brew the Northwoods Lager and the other "froo-froo" beers they've come up with over the past few years.

Northwoods Lager has a distinctive taste kick to it compared to most American Lagers.  It's especially good on a hot afternoon or after doing a vigorous chore.  It's very smooth and doesn't leave a chippy aftertaste.   

When the decision was made to phase out Northwoods Lager, it was met by a public outcry of beer fans who thought the same as me - it was the best beer Leinenkugel's brewed.  I was one of hundreds - perhaps thousands - of people who wrote the brewery protesting the decision.

I got an e-mail back from Jacob Leinenkugel - a form letter, no doubt - that said it was a difficult decision to drop the Northwoods Lager beer from the line-up, but they didn't have the brewing capacity to keep brewing the beer since they had come out with the new Sunset Wheat, as well as couple of their fruit beers.  Fruit beers, yuck.  I was destroyed.  Leinie's Northwoods Lager was one of my favorite beers.

As a member of the "Leinie Lodge", the special group of Leinenkugel's beer enthusiasts, I get a tri-annual newspaper on all things Leinenkugel's called "The Legend".  The January 2008 "Legend" announced that the brewery would be making the Northwoods Lager available in six-packs only on a limited basis for the month of February and only in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota.  I was just ecstatic at the news. 

Well, I had a dilemma.  We've had a pretty harsh winter in the Midwest and it's been tough to travel.  I don't travel to Minnesota or the Dakotas from November until April 1, at the earliest.  And I'll only travel to Wisconsin if I know there's no weather heading in.

Actually, when we had the big storm in early February I was supposed to go to Milwaukee the day before it hit.  When I found out that it was supposed to be worse in Wisconsin than what we were forecast to get in Iowa, I canceled the trip.  But I couldn't get to Wisconsin until the final week of February.  I was hoping that they hadn't sold out by that time. 

Armed with a long list of stores that were selling Northwoods Lager in Wisconsin, I set out for a four day trip across the state.  Well, actually, my trip was for work as I did need to call on some dealer accounts.  But I had ulterior motives to go to Wisconsin, as well.  I was running out of beer, and Northwoods Lager was available. 

My first stop was at Steve's Wine and Liquor in Madison - both locations, as a matter of fact.  I was somewhat horrified to find that they had only one six pack of Northwoods Lager at one location, and only two at the other location.  I bought them all.  That was the last of the batch Steve's would see.

I went to the two Woodman's locations in Madison.  They were out of stock on the Northwoods Lager.  Gone.  Completely out.  I was starting to panic.  On my way to Green Bay, I stopped at a couple locations in Appleton.  Both were sold out.  I went to three locations when I was in Green Bay - all sold out. 

As I was heading to downtown Green Bay to get some lunch, I passed a liquor store.  Even though it wasn't on the list, I thought I'd stop in and give it a shot.  The place, West Side Liquor (see map), looked like it was a good place to find some good beer.  I wasn't just looking for Northwoods Lager, as I was beer hunting for other brands as well.  My uncle Jack would have been proud of me.  I have to stock up the beer fridge for the upcoming Spring. 

I pulled in and went in to check out what they had.  To my surprise, they had three six packs of Northwoods Lager.  I got to talking to the owner, Mark, and he said he thought he had more in the back.  He went back in the cooler and looked.  He came out with one more sixer.  He said, "I didn't get any at first, then I bitched at my distributor and they brought me over about six cases a couple weeks ago."

OK, so I had 1 3/4 cases in my possession.  I thought I had enough.  Hell, it had been a couple years since I had a Northwoods Lager.  I was happy to have what I had.

Of course, the story goes on.  You didn't think you were going to get off THAT easy, did you?

When I got into Milwaukee, I was driving down Brown Deer Road and passed a place called Otto's Wine Cask (see map).  It looked like a large store and since I was still on the beer hunt, I went back.  Otto's is a very nice wine and liquor store.  I looked around for a while and perused the beer selections they had in the cooler.  They had a good selection of beers, but no Northwoods Lager. 

I didn't feel like picking anything up, so I headed for the front door.  I almost tripped over a large floor display of cases of Northwoods Lager.  I circled around the stack of Northwoods Lager like I'd found the holy grail.  There had to be 12 to 15 cases there. 

I picked up a case and took it to the counter.  The lady who checked me out called for a price check on a case of Northwoods Lager.  I said, "I think they're only available in six-packs."

A manager came over and said, "They're $23.95 a case."

I said, "I'll take a second case."

The manager helped me carry the second case out to the car.  He looked at my plates and said, "Iowa, huh?  Stocking up?"  I opened my trunk and he looked inside.  He said, "I guess you are." 

I said, "I've been hunting all over the state for this, getting a sixer here, a couple there.  I wish I knew you guys had a bunch.  It would have saved me a lot of time and stops."

He said, "We just got these in a couple days ago.  This is the last we'll see of it."

I said, "Has it been selling well?"

He said, "We've sold out of all we've gotten in."

I told him that maybe Leinenkugel's will look into bringing it back on a full time basis.  He said, "As well as it's sold, I think they'd be stupid not to bring it back."

Well, I've got quite a few Northwoods Lager beers to keep me happy for the time being.  I'm really hoping that sales during the limited availability period were through the roof so Leinenkugel's will bring it back full time.  I just love the stuff.      

John's Grocery - Iowa City

An Iowa City institution, John's Grocery at the corner of Gilbert and Market streets (see map) is one of the most unusual stores around.  It's been a renown source for cheap beer for thousands and thousands of University of Iowa students over the years.  And in recent years, it's transformed itself into having one of the most eclectic selections of beer and wine not only in the state of Iowa, but perhaps in the Midwest or even the United States . 

Housed in a building that was built in 1848 in the old Czech immigrant area of Iowa City, the grocery store was purchased 100 years later by John and Erma Alberhasky.  (Here's a picture of John seated behind the deli in the late 70's.) A classic corner grocery store in a neighborhood just to the east of campus, the Alberhasky's continued the tradition for residents and college students living in the area. 

As time went on, the Alberhasky's went away from primarily being a dry goods store and offered deli items and, most importantly, beer. 

Affectionately known as "Dirty John's", the nickname isn't because the store is dirty or dusty.  As the story goes, in 1957 John's Grocery was one of the only places in Iowa City where you could buy a Playboy magazine.  One day, a stack of Playboys were stolen by a group of Central Junior High students and passed around to classmates.  When confiscated by school officials, the principal at Central Junior High called over to John's Grocery to see if they sold Playboys.  He said that he did.  The principal then accused Alberhasky of selling the magazine to minors.  John vehemently denied selling the magazines to the under-aged boys.

Alberhasky remembered receiving a stack of new Playboys earlier in the day and went to see if they were still there.  Nope.  Alberhasky explained to the principal that they were, indeed, stolen and he would have to make sure they were placed in a more secure area in the future. 

From that point on, teachers and school officials at Central Junior High began to refer to John Alberhasky as "Dirty John".  Even the nuns at nearby Mercy Hospital called him "Dirty John".  I understand Alberhasky took the nickname as a badge of honor.

Today, John's Grocery is run by John Alberhasky's grandson, Doug (right), who worked in the store while growing up.  Doug has overseen a number of changes to John's Grocery over the past few years, first by creating a wine department staffed by local wine expert Wally Plahutnik.  And then creating one of the most comprehensive selections of beer anywhere in the United States.   

At any given point, John's stocks over 2000 different variety of beers from over 40 countries around the world.  They feature over 130 different Belgian ales, alone.  They also keep over 100 different types of beers in kegs in the store, as well.  If a beer is available through one of their importer/distributors, they'll have it. 

After an extensive remodeling of the business in 2002, John's now has an enormous "beer room" along with a cold storage walk-in"cave" that keeps the beer at cellar temperatures.  Doug Alberhasky, known as the "Beer Guy", said that even with the new space they're still busting at the seams with the selection of beers they have.

The wine department was also expanded and is now housed in the main part of John's Grocery where the beer used to be placed.  (The beer department is now in an area called "The Annex" which was an old house attached to John's Grocery.)  They now feature over 1500 wines to choose from.  While I value Wally's expertise, I find him to be somewhat abrasive, arrogant and dismissive - very much the quintessential wine snob.  Still, they have some of most interesting and value priced wines available anywhere.      

John's Grocery has been featured in a number of articles over the past few years touting their beer selection and their promoting of beer tastings and festivals in the area.  John's Grocery will also ship beer all over the United States - where it's legal to do so.  They've been getting the word out that they'll ship Bell's Brewery beers to Illinois residents who can no longer get the beers in the state due to a problem brewery owner Larry Bell has with an Illinois state law that ties micro-breweries with distributors.  (Read about that here.)

In addition to the wine and beer departments, John's Grocery also maintains a little deli area that offers sandwiches, meats, salads and cheeses.  In the wine department, an assortment of eclectic cheeses from around the world is offered, as well.  And they continue to stock most of the basic necessities you'd find in most major grocery stores.

On my last visit a couple weeks ago, I picked up a couple sixers of Bell's Pale Ale to add to my collection.  Every time I go in, I feel somewhat obligated to buy something from John's Grocery.  Whether it's a bottle of wine or a six pack of beer, I want to support the Alberhasky's and show them in my own little way that I believe in what they're doing.  And based upon the amount of customers in the place each time I go in, I think they've found the right formula.   

John's Grocery is worth the visit if you go to Iowa City.  Whether you've never been there before, or if you frequented the place while a student at the University of Iowa, you'll still be amazed at the selection of beer and wine they have at John's.  And, undoubtedly, you'll wonder, "How in the hell do they squeeze all of this in here?"

Surdyk's - Minneapolis

Surdyk's near downtown Minneapolis (see map) bills themselves as the largest liquor store in the Midwest.  If they don't count Illinois as being part of the Midwest, that may be true.  But Sam's Wine, Binny's and Famous Liquors all in the Chicago area are much larger than Surdyk's.  They might not even be the largest in the state of Minnesota - Westside Liquor outside of St. Cloud may be as big or even a little larger.  But, still, the selection of wine, liquor and fine beers appears to be the best I've found in the Twin Cities.

Since 1934, Surdyk's has been run by three generations of the Surdyk family.  Joseph Surdyk's first store was a small corner shop just a block away from the present day location.  When his son, Bill, joined the company in the 1940's, the business began to expand.  Bill moved the business to a larger location near the original Surdyk's in 1967.  With a vision of the future, Bill Surdyk turned the liquor store into a "discount" style store, complete with supermarket-style aisles, great service and some of the lowest prices in town. 

In 1979, Surdyk's moved into an even larger building at their present location.  Bill Surdyk added a gourmet grocery store that featured cheese, oils, vinegars and fine foods in an atmosphere styled after an old time deli.  When Jim Surdyk took over in the 90's, he expanded the wine department and added a 200 sq. ft. walk-in humidor for cigar aficionados.  Today, Surdyk's offers a number of services including wine classes and frequent wine tastings, including a number of seminars put on by some of the biggest names in the wine industry.

The selection of wine at Surdyk's is very impressive.  One hot May afternoon I had some time to kill so I stopped in to lose myself in the wine aisles for a few moments.  I can't say the prices on Surdyk's wines were all that great - every wine and liquor store I've been to in the Twin Cities have higher prices than I see virtually anywhere in the Midwest.  But compared to some of the other places I've been to, their prices are "reasonable". 

The beer selection at Surdyk's was very good, as well.  They featured a number of the finest beers from the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as a great number of imported beers - especially from Belgium.  There wasn't really anything they had that I didn't have in my collection already, so I passed on picking anything up.  But they certainly did have an impressive inventory.

I stopped into Surdyk's Gourmet Cheese shop and deli for a few moments just to look around.  The amount of cheese from around the world was just unbelievable.  It was the biggest selection of fine cheese I've ever encountered under one roof.  They have cheese experts on hand all the time to answer any questions, and to give out small bites to sample.  Surdyk's also rents Raclette melters and fondue pots for a true French cheese eating experience at home.   

Surdyk's deli area also has a meat counter where they'll slice up premium lunch meats for sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres.  They also feature a number of daily sandwich specials, as well as meals and soups on-the-go for busy people who would like a great home-cooked-style meal after a long day.

I have to say that Surdyk's concept of selling fashionable upscale deli items along side a large selection of wine, liquor and beer isn't the first encounter I've had with a store like this.  But it may be - pound for pound - the nicest store of this time I've ever been in.  The next time I go to the Twin Cities, I'll be spending more time perusing Surdyk's aisles and deli area.

Woodman's

Woodman's is a chain of super-sized grocery stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.  I was first introduced to Woodman's by my cousin, John Wehrle, when he was living in Milwaukee.  He said, "If Woodman's doesn't have it, they probably don't make it."

The layout of Woodman's stores is one of a massive warehouse style store.  While most grocery stores are in the range of 50,000 to 75,000 square feet, Woodman's stores range in the area of 200,000 square feet and larger.  Cindy hates to shop in the place.  "It's too friggin' big and you can't just go in there and get something and get back out." 

Woodman's began in Janesville, WI, when a young meat cutter, Willard Woodman, opened his first store in 1918.  Over the years, Woodman expanded his store and opened a second location in Janesville.  After Willard Woodman retired in the 60's, his sons, Phillip and Daniel Woodman, expanded Woodman's to a third Janesville location.  This time, it was the warehouse floor lay-out all Woodman's Food Markets employ today. 

Woodman's began to branch out in their selections of food items.  They began to carry ethnic and international foods on their shelves.  Their meat department was four times the size of meat departments you'd find in a normal grocery store.  And being they're based out of Wisconsin, each Woodman's has at least two large cheese aisles.      

In the 1990's, Phillip Woodman orchestrated the purchase of Woodman's by their employees.  There are now 11 Woodman's employee-owned locations, eight in Wisconsin and three in Illinois.  They're planning new stores this year in suburban Milwaukee and in far southwest suburban Chicago.  Phil Woodman remains as the CEO of the stores.    

To me, Woodman's is two stores in one.  There's the huge grocery store that literally has every food stuff available to buy, but they also have one of the most massive selections of beer, wine and liquor in the Midwest. 

Actually, the liquor stores at Woodman's operate separately from the main store.  The keep their own hours and you can't go into the liquor area and pick up beer or wine, then take it to the main Woodman's check-out area.  You have to purchase it before you leave the liquor area. 

As I said, they have a large selection of beer, wines and liquor - and all at a good price.  But be forewarned, they don't take credit cards at Woodman's.  So if you're going to a Woodman's to stock up on some good deals on beer or wine, take cash.  Actually, they do have an ATM in the liquor stores if you do forget your cash, but Woodman's takes a percentage fee from the transaction.

Now, I told you that story to tell you this one -

As I wrote earlier about the demise of Capital Brewery's 1900 beer, I asked the girl at the Capital Brewery if she had any of their Winter Skal seasonal beer on hand.  Since they only brew it from November 1 to February 1, she said they'd long since sold out of it.  However, she was nice to pull a bottle out of the cooler in the brewery's bier stube and she gave it to me. (It was a nice little gesture, considering I just bought four cases of beer from her.)

Last week, I was in LaCrosse, WI, to meet with a dealer.  The dealer was at a job site and was late for the meeting at his store.  So while I waited, I decided to trek down the road to the Onalaska Woodman's store (see map) and check out what they had for beers on their shelves. 

As I walked in, I looked at a cart full of discounted and priced to move wines and beers.  And to my amazement, there were seven six-packs of the Capital Winter Skal.  And even more amazing, they were $4.99 each.  Considering that a six pack of Capital beers run any where from $7.69 to $8.99 a sixer, $4.99 was a significant deal!

Not to be too piggy, plus the fact that I'd just brought home close to 10 cases of beer from Wisconsin the week before, I grabbed a case box and loaded up four of the six-packs.  With tax, the case cost me $21.06.  That's significantly better than paying close to $29 bucks a case at the Capital Brewery or $32 bucks most every place else for a case of Capital Beer.  Plus I got some Winter Skal.

In both 2005 and 2006, Winter Skal garnered the award and designation of a Grand Champion beer in the United States Beer Tasting Championships.  It is amber in appearance, and has a forceful and flavorful hoppy taste with a smooth finish. 

When I told one of my beer snob friends that I had picked up a case of Winter Skal last week, he sniffed, "Aw, it probably isn't going to be any good.  It's well past its prime selling time." 

I told him that because the Winter Skal is such a hoppy beer, it will still be good tasting for months after it's been brewed.  It's very similar to Boulevard's Irish Ale in texture, body and taste.  I've had Irish Ale in my beer fridge for up to six months after they've brewed the last of it and it's still good. 

Woodman's always has nice little surprises when I walk into any of their liquor stores.  The Winter Skal was another of many great buys I've found over the years at Woodman's.  Woodman's is highly recommended if you're ever hunting for beer in Wisconsin. 

Brown Derby International Wine Center - Springfield, MO

As I've been on the road a lot lately, and with Spring now here, I've begun to do some "beer-hunting" to refresh our fridge in the garage with a supply of good beers.  One of my favorite seasonal beers is Boulevard Irish Ale and it's available from January until April.  It's somewhat heavy compared to most Ale's that I drink, but it has a rich caramel/toffee toasty taste to it that I like.

Finding Boulevard Irish Ale can be sort of tough.  I usually only find it in the Kansas City area and parts of Missouri.  During a recent trip to Springfield, MO, I stopped in to a Brown Derby store to pick some up. 

Brown Derby's history dates back 60 years when Mr. John A. Morris began to sell beer and alcohol in a small place in Springfield.  Given the area was smack dab in the heart of the Bible Belt, Mr. Morris had a rough start in gaining a foothold with all those pious tea-totalers in the community.  In order to "class up" the liquor store, he named it after the famous upscale restaurant in Los Angeles.   

Here's a little bit of interesting trivia.  In the late 50's, John A. Morris' son - Johnny Morris - began to sell bait and tackle out of the back of his father's liquor store.  His little business also began to take off and in 1972 he incorporated the Bass Pro Shops company.  Yes, it's the same Bass Pro Shops in Springfield that I've written about here before.

As time went on and Springfield grew - along with the tourism that came to the Ozark area - Brown Derby opened a larger location near their original location on S. Glenstone in Springfield (see map) in 1969.  They also began to address the exploding wine business that was taking hold across America.  In 1971, Ron Junge - who married John C. Morris' daughter - joined the business and helped transform Brown Derby from a sleepy liquor and beer store into the present day "Brown Derby International Wine Center".   

Today, Brown Derby's International Wine Center sports a 5000 square foot atmospherically-controlled wine cellar that has over 70,000 bottles of wine from all over the world. Brown Derby has won a number of awards, including an award from Food and Wine Magazine as one of the Top 10 places to buy wine in the U.S.

From their humble beginnings in the Ozarks to the International Wine Center, Brown Derby has seen tremendous growth in the Springfield market.  They've also expanded in the number of stores in the greater Springfield area.  They're now up to 14 locations around the city.  That's pretty impressive in an area of 150,000 where a lot of the people disdain alcohol and everything it stands for. 

The other Brown Derby's do sell wine, but don't have the selection the main store has.  Their beer selection is very good - and very pricey.  A six pack of Boulevard Irish Ale was $8.49.  (I've since found more at Friar Tuck's in Bloomington, IL and it was $7.49 a sixer.)  I wasn't going to bitch, however.  Finding Boulevard Irish Ale outside of Kansas City is a tough proposition on it's own.

I didn't have time to check through the wines during this visit, but their prices are a little higher than what I find in Chicago.  But with such a great selection and a captive audience in SW Missouri, they can get by with adding a couple three bucks on to a bottle of wine. 

Along with Bass Pro Shops, the Brown Derby International Wine Center is always a "must stop" when I'm in the Springfield area.   

Binny's Beverage Depot

Almost reluctantly, I have to tell you about Binny's Beverage Depot with 18 locations in the greater Chicagoland area.  Reluctant, I say, because Binny's may have the best selection of beer - domestic, imported and micro-brews - in the Chicago area.  And with that, they also have the highest prices. 

Binny's has been in business since 1949 and was one of the first liquor stores in the Chicago area to feature wines from around the world.  As they grew over the years, Binny's became synonymous with wine, beer and liquor to thousands of customers. 

As I said, Binny's doesn't have the best prices in town.  Their wine and beer prices are higher than you find at Sam's Wines or at Famous Liquors, but they certainly have, arguably, the best selection of beer in town. 

We were recently invited to a "Mardi Gras" dinner party at the house of a co-worker of Cindy's.  I wanted to take a Louisiana beer to the dinner, but couldn't find any at a number of places I looked previously in the Chicago area.  As a last resort I went to the Binny's Superstore in Schaumburg.  I was looking for either a Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager or something from the Abita brewery. 

I will say the guys at Binny's are very helpful.  I was told by a very knowledgeable beer guy there that the Dixie Brewery didn't survive Hurricane Katrina, but was scheduled to start shipping beer that was brewed under contract with another brewery in Louisiana.  And he found a couple different kinds of Abita beer for me - Abita Turbodog and Abita Amber.  But they weren't cheap - $8.49 a six pack. 

Even a six pack of Old Style that is usually $3.99 in most places is $4.59 at Binny's.  I don't understand how they can sell beer for those prices and get away with it. 

The guy told me the Schaumburg Binny's location had beer tastings for members of their beer mailing list on Friday and Saturday nights.  He told the guy who checked me out to get me signed up for the mailings.  When I told him that I lived in the Quad Cities, he said, "That's all right.  There may be something that you may want to come in for.  Let the wife shop at Woodfield (mall) and you come over here for the tasting." 

Like I say, Binny's may have the best selection of beer in Chicago, but if you can find your favorite beer elsewhere I can almost guarantee you that it will be much cheaper than what it is at Binny's.  The only thing is that Binny's has the hard to find stuff, and with that, they've got you over a barrel.

Gendler's

(Note - Gendler's has, indeed, closed their doors)

The oldest wine store in the Quad Cities may be shutting their doors soon.  Gendler's Wines and Spirits has been in business since 1916 when Russian immigrant Max Gendler opened a grocery store at a location near downtown Rock Island. With the repeal of Prohibition, Gendler began to sell beer and liquor at his grocery store in 1934. 

Over the years, Gendler's daughter, Rosalyn, and her husband, Jerry Zeffren (right), ran the business from the little building that seemed to be bursting from the seams.  In the late 50's, Jerry and Rosalyn took a trip to Europe and were told to drink wine and not the water.  Jerry had some interest in wine before that, but really began to learn about wines after that trip.

In 1963, Jerry began to sell wine in addition to beer and liquor.  Eventually, Gendler's ceased being a grocery store that sold liquor.  The Zeffren's then changed the name to Gendler's Wine Cellar and began to sell gourmet food items along with the ever growing stock of wines from Europe and eventually California. 

When I first moved to the Quad Cities over 15 years ago, I was told Gendler's was the place to go to get beer and wine in the area.  Jerry, and his longtime manager, Jim Stephens, were great guys to work with.  Jerry taught me a lot about some obscure wines and could special order me Capital Brewery products.  He ended up stocking some varieties of Capital beers because I was ordering a case or two a month from him.  I honestly miss Jerry.

In 2001, Jerry and Rosalyn, both well into their 80's, sold the business to local businessman Tom Getz.  Getz, who owns Moline Forge, a long-time local foundry that makes forged steel parts for John Deere, moved the business to its present location in Moline in John Deere Commons (see map) and changed the name to Gendler's Wine and Spirits. 

The new location was definitely a step up from the old building Jerry and Rosalyn were in.  It was easily two and a half times larger than the old location, with double the amount of parking.  The display racks were easier to get to and they added more wine to choose from. 

But it didn't have the same charm of the old building.  Even though Jim Stephens was still on hand, it just wasn't the same as Jerry greeting you, taking you by the arm and showing you some obscure wine that he just got in from California or South America.  Jerry never steered me wrong on a wine. 

About a year and a half ago, Tom Getz and his wife, Karen, were driving home from Chicago when Tom Getz fell asleep and lost control of his vehicle.  Karen was seriously injured and has been in constant need of medical care.  Getz recently announced that Gendler's has been losing money and the stress of his wife's slow recovery has been taking a toll on him.  He said that they were looking at closing the business because of the number of competitors in the market, most notably the Hy-Vee Food Stores that have an extensive wine and liquor department in many of their stores here in the Quad Cities.

I have to admit, I don't go to Gendler's like I used to.  Even though they do have a good selection of wines, I don't know if it's because I shop for wines while I'm on the road, or if it's because the old time charm is gone in the new location, or if it's because Jerry Zeffren is no longer around.  It's probably a combination of all three. 

Getz said that he'd make his mind up sometime in the next few days as to the fate of Gendler's, but he's leaning toward closing.  And it's sad.  To me, it's another instance where new owners took the charm out of a business by trying to make it bigger and better.   

Steve's Wine Market - Madison, WI

I've said in a couple of recent posts that I've been on the hunt for good wine deals lately, and that means stopping at some of the better wine stores in the Midwest.  One of those happens to be Steve's Wine Market in Madison.

Actually, my stop at Steve's was two-fold - to look for wine, and to look for Leinenkugel beer to take to one of my dealers in Missouri.  He's a big Green Bay Packers fan and he loves every thing to do with Wisconsin.  And he certainly loves Leinie beer. 

There are two locations for Steve's in the Madison area - the original Steve's Wine Market in Madison near the University of Wisconsin campus (see map); and Steve's Liquor and More in the suburb of Middleton (see map).   

Steve's Wine Market is celebrating 50 years in the business this year.  Steve Varese opened his store in what was the house that he and his wife lived in on University Ave. in Madison.  He kept his main job working on the railroad while his wife ran the business 12 hours a day.  After five years, Steve Varese quit the railroad full-time to work at the store. 

In 1970, the Varese's opened up a second location in the town of Middleton on the west side of Madison.  Because of the growth of population in the area, Steve's opened a new and larger location in Middleton in 1995 at its present day site. 

In the mid-80's, his son, Joe Varese (left), returned to the business and now runs the day to day operations.  What was Joe's boyhood home when he left was a fully converted liquor store when he came back.  And in the early 90's, Joe built a bigger store on the property that houses the present day Steve's Wine Market.   

Joe has two partners in the business - Randy Wautlet, who manages the store in Madison; and Kathy Eigenberger, who manages the store in Middleton.  I like to go in and talk to Kathy and Jan at the Steve's in Middleton from time to time because they really do know their beers.

The beer selection is more extensive in Middleton than at the location in Madison.  Kathy told me one time that even though both stores are under the same umbrella, the Middleton store has a tendency to be more of a "beer and liquor" store than a wine store, hence the "Steve's Liquor and More" name. 

But both stores have an impressive wine selection.  The wines at the Madison location are a little more eclectic and varied.  I was told they have over 3000 different varieties of wines at the Madison store, with over 200 different types of burgundy wines. 

The one thing about Steve's is they're not cheap.  But they've got, by far, the best selection of wine in a town that has a number of good wine and liquor stores throughout the area.  The sales help is knowledgeable and willing to help with the selection of wines.  For that kind of service, I'm willing to pay a little extra to make sure I'm getting what I want. 

In addition to the vast selection of wine, liquor and beer at the Steve's location in Madison, they also have a gourmet deli area that features cheeses from Wisconsin and Europe, eclectic meat selections, and high-end chocolates from Europe.  It's quite new and it's something to see.

Steve's is one of those places that I can go into and just look around for an hour before I realize I've been in there that long.  Like I say, I go to the store in Madison for wine and go to the store in Middleton for beer.  Even though they're owned by the same people, they're two different identity's, that's for sure.

Westside Liquor - Waite Park, MN

On my recent trip thru Minnesota, my dealer in St. Cloud was telling me about a wine place in called Westside Liquor.  Knowing my love for wine, good beer and great Scotch, he told me I had to check the place out. 

Bob Feuling gave up the life of being a dairy farmer and selling dairy equipment in the late 70's. With his wife, Linda, they bought a small bar called the West Side Bar in Little Falls, MN that included an inventory of off-sale liquor products.  Bob noticed that people didn't like to come into the bar to buy liquor, so he opened an adjacent liquor store in the early 80's and he called it Westside Liquor. 

Bob moved to a larger location in Little Falls in the mid 80's and then bought a spot in the St. Cloud suburb of Waite Park in 1991 and opened a second store there.  Today, that location is the headquarters for the now 8 Westside Liquor locations across north central Minnesota. 

I went to the one in Waite Park on the advice of my dealer (see map).  It's the largest of the Westside Liquor stores (20,000 sq. ft.) and promised to have a large selection of wines and beers to choose from. 

By the way, each Westside Liquor store features special lighting and cool temperatures to help keep the wine and liquors lasting longer on the shelves.  Some of the workers were walking around in light-weight jackets in the store. 

And the selection at Westside Liquors was impressive.  There was a large area of wines from all over the world.  And the prices were very good, as well.  I picked up a bottle of the Ferrari-Carano 2003 Cabernet for just over $30 bucks.  It's around $36 to $39 dollars back in the Quad Cities. 

The beer area had a number of the typical domestics, but also had a large number beers from upper Midwest small breweries such as Summit, Capital, Schell and Lake Superior.  Actually, I have a lot of beer in my garage that I have to drink up, so I didn't see anything that I absolutely needed. 

But, true to what my dealer told me, Westside has a large selection of premium Scotch whiskys (he's a BIG Scotch aficionado with over 25 bottles of premium Scotch in his bar at home).  Once again, I found myself drooling over some of the 18 and 25 year varieties, but couldn't bring myself to buying anything more at this time. 

The prices were good, the selection was impressive, the presentation was excellent.  Westside Liquors was one of the best overall wine and liquor stores I've ever been in in the Midwest.  And seeing that my dealer in St. Cloud continues to grow his business, I'm sure to be back there.  But only when the weather's warm.    

Famous Liquors - Lombard, IL

The wine drinking season is upon us - although some people may say that year-round is the wine drinking season.  But I like to drink a lot of full-bodied red wines during the winter months and keep to my beer during the warm time of the year.  I've been checking out a lot of wine/liquor stores recently and one that I found in the Chicago area was Famous Liquors in suburban Lombard (see map). 

Famous Liquors is a pretty good sized place - their floor space is about 8,000 sq. feet.  They have a large area for their wine selections - many of the labels I wasn't familiar with.  In fact, I had a lot of trouble finding ANY wines that I was even familiar with.   

I talked with Jeff Sukowski, the wine department manager, and he explained to me that Famous Liquors doesn't use the normal distributors that Sam's Wines and Binny's use, mainly because they don't want to have to compete with them.  "Those guys buy so much wine that they can undercut us on price," Jeff explained. 

One of the wines that he showed me was an Ironstone 2002 Reserve Cab Franc that they were featuring that month.  He said, "This is a great wine that no one knows about."  He said the Ironstone vineyards provide a number of wineries around the U.S. with their grapes. 

The price on the Reserve Cab Franc from Ironstone seemed reasonable - $16.99 a bottle - so I grabbed one to try. 

Jeff also showed me a Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay 2004 that they had on special.  I'd heard of the Cambria wines before, but hadn't drank any.  He said, "You'll like this.  It's fruity, but not sweet.  Wholesome, but not overpowering." 

Cindy's been drinking a lot of white wine lately, so I grabbed a bottle of the Cambria at $12.99.  I thought I'd give it a shot. 

Actually, the beer department at Famous Liquors was pretty impressive.  I thought the prices were a little high, but the selection - both domestics and imports - was broad and varied.  And they actually had a bottle of the 2005 Samuel Adams Utopia beer there - the first time I'd actually seen the ultra high-end 24 proof beer (that sells for around $400 a bottle).   

And they also had a good liquor department at Famous Liquors.  Their vodka selection was one of the biggest I'd ever seen.  It included the Luksusowa potato vodka that a friend had turned me onto.  And they had it in three sizes - 375 ml, 750 ml, and 1.75 ml.  Plus, they had a pretty good selection of Scotch and bourbons on hand, as well. 

And they also had a very good party area that included a number of glasses, shirts, premium goods and other items from a number of breweries.  They had some pretty nifty novelty items on sale in the little area. 

I didn't think the prices at Famous Liquor were all that great, but their selection rivaled many of the wine and liquor stores in the Chicago area.  I'll keep checking back with them when I have the time. 

Wine Discount Center - Chicago

Earlier this year, one of my dealers in downtown Chicago was telling me about this place that sold wine even cheaper than Sam's Wine (see my earlier blog post on Sam's here).  He said that this place - Wine Discount Center -  wasn't as big as Sam's, nor did it have the selection, but it did have some great prices on wine.  He told me that I really did have to go there some time. 

I recently went to visit a dealer who moved to a new location just northwest of downtown.  As I was driving away from the store, I looked over and saw Wine Discount Center on N. Elston.  I had to go in.

Founded in 1984, there are four locations of the Wine Discount Center in the Chicagoland area.   At first, the size of the store is particularly underwhelming.  Definitely not as big as Sam's, nor does it have the selection.  But what they had for variety was very good.  They had a bottle of the 2003 Duckhorn Merlot for $44.99 - its $49.99 at Sam's.  Their featured wine under $10 this month was the Columbia Crest 2003 Cabernet that normally sells for $8.99 or $9.99 in some places in Iowa, but Wine Discount Center had it for $6.99.

Their selections of foreign wines were impressive not only in terms of what they had to offer, but their prices were very reasonable, as well.   I'm trying to learn more about French wines since my visit to France this past spring and they had a good number of wines from the Rhone Valley at a very good price. 

The wines from Australia, Chile and Spain were also represented well at Wine Discount Center - many of them I wasn't familiar with, but they had a helpful staff on hand to answer any questions.  I didn't have the time to look too deep into what they had or to ask many questions.  And I only had room in my car for a couple three bottles that I picked out and took home with me.

Wine Discount Center is a great alternative to the Sam's Wines and Binny's Beverage Depots (which are usually very high priced compared to both Sam's and Wine Discount Center) in the Chicago area.  They're sort of out of the way, but worth seeking out if you would like to get a good deal on some good wines.

Van's Liquor Store - E. Dubuque, IL

There are two places that I have to stop every time I go through East Dubuque, IL.  The first place is Mulgrew's for a foot long chili dog, and the other place is Van's Liquor Store to pick up some good bargains on beer and wine. 

Van's has been around since the mid 30's, started by John Vanderah.  Vanderah's family sold the store to Ron Jansen in the late 80's.  Van's was originally on the infamous Sinsinawa St. until about 7 or 8 years ago when they moved to their present and much larger location on Highway 20 just over the Mississippi River bridge from Dubuque (see map).

(As an aside - Sinsinawa St. is known for the number of strip joints and late night bars that stay open until about 4 a.m.  Here's a picture of Sinsinawa Street looking north with Mulgrew's on the left.)

Van's has long been known as being a great place to get good wine at good prices.  I've bought a number of bottles of wine at Van's over the years, but I usually gravitate more toward their beer selection when I go in. 

Van's has a large selection of both domestic and imported beer, along with a good selection of regional and micro-brewed beer in stock.  They usually have great prices on hard to find beers from the Capital Brewery and on Special Export bottles. 

For the "do-it-yourselfer", Van's carries a large amount of home brewing essentials.  I've always wanted to brew my own beer, but it's somewhat messy, smelly and time consuming.  I'm not certain that Cindy would let me use our hot tub in the basement bathroom to brew beer in. 

Their wine selection - for an area the size of Dubuque - rivals some of the wine and liquor stores I've found in much larger cities.  Ron Jansen's son (whose first name escapes me, I want to say it's Jerry) has turned me on to some pretty good wines, including the B.R. Cohn Cabernet, the Meridian Merlot, and the Hess Select Chardonnay, which is a very good value for a crisp white wine. 

They usually have wines available at any time for tasting.  The younger Jansen is always there to help with wine selections and I thoroughly trust his judgment because he's never steered me wrong.

And their prices on wine are extremely reasonable.  They usually have some of the lowest prices on wine (outside of Sam's Wine in the Chicago area) in the Midwest.   

Van's also has a large selection of liquor including a great selection of vodka's and tequilas.  They have mixers, snacks, cheese and a number of items for the weekend boaters who come in by the droves to stock up before they hit the river. 

And Van's also stocks high priced cognacs, brandies, and liqueurs.  They had a $1000 dollar bottle of cognac on display in the case one time.  I once asked if they ever sold a bottle of that stuff and I was told that, yes, one time a guy won a ton of money on the Diamond Jo Casino boat over across the river in Dubuque and came over and bought a bottle.  I suppose if I had money to burn, I'd give it a shot, too. 

Van's is large and spacious, it's clean and well-lit.  There's a very small parking lot up front that is very had to maneuver around in if you have a larger car, but they have a larger parking lot across the street.  They have guys that will help carry out cases of beer or wine to your car.  I always flip 'em a buck or two for their help. 

Van's is great, one of the better liquor stores in the Midwest - both for selection and for price.  It's worth the stop if you ever get through the Dubuque area. 

Friar Tuck's - Peoria, IL

One of the best wine and liquor stores I've ever been to is the Friar Tuck's store in Peoria, IL (see map).  Friar Tuck's is the size of most grocery supermarkets and they have an extensive wine area, a great liquor selection and a huge area for beers - domestic, micro-brews and imported beers. 

When you walk into Friar Tuck's you'll see a large wine section right in front of you.  They have wine from all over the world and I would have to say that it rivals the selection at Sam's in Chicago.  They may not have as many bottles of a given wine as Sam's does, but they do have a very large selection of wines to choose from. 

But their beer selection is one of the best I've ever come across.  They have one whole aisle with imports, domestics, regionals and micro-brewed beer on either side - the aisle is, I'm guessing, about 100 plus feet in length. 

And one of the cool things about Friar Tuck's is their "Mix a Six" area that allows you to take one or two of a given brand and make a six pack out of them for $5.99 a sixer.  This is great because it allows you to give a beer a try without having to commit to buying a full six pack.  If you don't like that beer, you don't have another five you have to drink. 

Friar Tuck's has a large liquor selection including a lot of great Scotch whiskeys and eclectic vodkas. They have ingredients on hand to make your own beer.  They also sell all the accessories to outfit a bar in your house. 

The staff has always been friendly and helpful.  There is a Scotch connoisseur at the Peoria Friar Tuck's and he's turned me on to a number of good Scotch's over the past couple of years.   

There are three other Friar Tuck's in Central Illinois - the original one in Springfield (see map), one in Champaign (see map), and a new one in Bloomington at 2401 Maloney Dr. (so new it doesn't come up with a map site).   

If you find yourself in anyone of those cities, it may be worth the time to stop in and see what they have to offer in libations.  I'm always spending at least 30 minutes and $50 bucks every time I got to Friar Tuck's.

Discount Liquor - Milwaukee

Every time I go to Milwaukee, I have to make a trip over to the south side of town and stop in at Discount Liquors on W. Oklahoma (see map).

Discount Liquors is a great liquor store with a great selection of beers from Wisconsin and other micro-breweries around the Midwest.  They have an adequate wine department and they have a decent liquor selection. 

But the key to this place is the price - I can buy Capital Brewery products for a dollar or two cheaper than what I can get them in Iowa.  They have cases of Wisconsin Point Special beer in bottles for $10.99 - six packs in Iowa are $4.99.  Old Style 18 pack bottles for $7.99.  Special Export 12 pack bottles for $6.99.  You can't get Old Style or Special Export in bottles in Iowa, period.  And they have good prices on Leinenkugel beer, but they are sporadic as to the flavors they carry. 

It's always a $50 dollar bill when I go to Discount Liquor.  The place is kind of cramped, but that's only because they have a huge selection to choose from. 

Sal's Beverage World - Addison, IL

I first went into Sal's Beverage World on Lake St. in Addison, IL about two years ago just looking for a six pack of beer to take back to my hotel room after a long day calling on dealers in Chicago.  I was pleasantly surprised. 

Sal's has a great selection of beer - domestic national and regional brewerys, as well as a number of foreign beers, including a large selection of Mexican beers.  One of the keys for me - they have Special Export in bottles, which has become hard to find outside of Chicago or Milwaukee.  And their prices are good, too. 

But they also have a good selection of wines, both domestic and foriegn, to choose from, as well.  And their prices I think are very reasonable. 

Sal's has more of a warehouse-type feel to it, it's definitely not as big as Sam's Wine and Liquor, but they have an impressive selection of beers and wine. 

They aren't as well known as some of the other liquor stores in Chicago, but they are more than competitive on price. 

Sam's Wine and Spirits - Chicago

No place that I've ever been to can beat Sam's Wine and Liquor superstores in Chicago's Bucktown area and in suburban Downer's Grove.  Sam's is not to be confused with Sam's Club whose wine, liquor and beer selection - and pricing - pales in comparison to Sam's Wine.

I was turned on to Sam's by my friend, Steve Weiner, who told me if it's a good wine from any where in the world, Sam's has it.  I went to their Bucktown location near North and Sheffield Avenues for my first visit and I was literally in awe of the selection - and prices - they had on their wine.  They had wines from all over the world, including some hard to find wines from California such as Judd's Hill and Albini wines.

I was equally impressed with their selection of Spanish wines and their great prices on very good table wine such as one of my favorites, Santa Rita out of Chile.  In fact, I've seen Santa Rita sold regularly at $9.99 to $10.99 a bottle at Sam's (I find it in the Quad's at $13.99 a bottle), and on one occasion, they had it on sale in their Downers Grove store for $4.99 a bottle!  (Not surprisingly, they were sold out!)

They had a great domestic and imported beer selection, as well.  I was just amazed at the selection of beers they had from all around the world.  I must have spent 30 minutes just looking at the beers they had for sale.

The one thing that sets Sam's apart from a lot of other liquor and wine stores is that they have a staff that is among the most knowledgable about ANYTHING they sell in their store.  The staff just isn't a 25 year old girl working the cash register and a bunch of pimply faced kids stocking shelves - these guys are seasoned veterans who have worked at Sam's for a number of years and they taste the wine, they know the story behind the wine, they probably know the name of the guy who corked the wine.  And if someone doesn't have the answer, they can usually find someone running around who does. 

The only problem I have with the Sam's in Bucktown is that there's not enough parking and the store is rather cramped.  The Downers Grove location is more spacious, both in the parking lot and in the store, but they don't seem to have the selection the Bucktown location has to offer.  Maybe it's just that the store is so much bigger in Downers Grove and it doesn't appear that it's as full. 

Both Sam's locations have a gourmet market - Marcey St. Market - that has eclectic cheeses, condiments, vinegars, oils, pasta, olives, teas, tons of neat things to look at and to buy for any ocassion. 

It's always a 100 dollar bill every time I walk into a Sam's.  I just can't get out of there without If you're in the Chicago area at any point and time, you've got to go check out Sam's.