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.
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