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.
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