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midwest cities?


steven s
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Hi Folks-  I am making the drive from SW Colorado to Georgia to see some family. I've seen this question elicit very polarizized responses on other forums, but thought I would try here anyway. I'm looking for good bottles along the way, and know nothing about what states/cities have better selections than others. I have options on my routing, so if anyone would be willing to point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated. I am not a hoarder or flipper, just want to get some good bottles to share with my Dad and some friends while I am there. I could drive through parts of Kansas, Missouri, Little Rock, nashville, knoxville, memphis, tulsa, amarillo, tupelo MS, Atlanta. Does anyone know very generally which of these cities get better product than others? Anywhere in particular to not spend time looking? Thanks for any info anyone is willing to share. 

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If you are going through Mississippi, Lincoln Road Package Store in Hattiesburg has a good reputation for store picks.

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What do you consider to be good bottles?  There are a lot of good bottles that are not allocated and found in almost any bottle shop or liquor store.

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agreed there are many good bottles available. My current faves (especially considering cost) are OF100, ER, and WT101, but certain things are hard to find in my area. Stagg jr., ECBP, new OF barrel strength, various store picks including knob creek, FR, and RRSiB, any CEHT, RHF, ETL to name some. I enjoy these, but rarely have access too them, and enjoy looking. 

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1 hour ago, steven s said:

thanks. Does anyone know if you have to be a costco member to shop for liquor there?

 

Supposedly you don’t have to be a member to buy alcohol at Costco. However, you might want to call the specific store first just in case. I’ve heard stories. :mellow:

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2 hours ago, steven s said:

thanks. Does anyone know if you have to be a costco member to shop for liquor there?

 

In Georgia, you do not.  I think it’s an individual state law thing that ultimately determines if a non member must be granted access, or can be denied.  

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28 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

 I think it’s an individual state law thing that ultimately determines if a non member must be granted access, or can be denied.  

This is correct to the best of my knowledge, I think it has to do with state laws requiring alcohol sales to be available to the public vs a “private membership”
 

I can confirm Illinois does require the membership, but believe that is the minority position amount states.

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thanks guys, I appreciate the info. Looking at my routing, It now may make sense to drive through louisville and lexington KY. 

 

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1 hour ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

This is correct to the best of my knowledge, I think it has to do with state laws requiring alcohol sales to be available to the public vs a “private membership”
 

I can confirm Illinois does require the membership, but believe that is the minority position amount states.

There definitely are state by state differences. I’m in Minnesota and here you don’t have to be a member. But I’ve been to other states where you did have to be a member. Texas? Can’t remember for sure off hand...

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4 hours ago, flahute said:

If you are going through Mississippi, Lincoln Road Package Store in Hattiesburg has a good reputation for store picks.

As long as they aren’t removing factory seals at the store? I don’t have any personal experience with this store, and have heard they have a good history with lots of barrel picks. But, I still can’t believe they removed factory seals on those WFE bottles. And the price on those was insane. Of course I don’t know what they had to pay for the bottles. But, seems like they were gouging, in addition to the absolutely stupid idea of altering the bottles

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18 minutes ago, BottledInBond said:

As long as they aren’t removing factory seals at the store? I don’t have any personal experience with this store, and have heard they have a good history with lots of barrel picks. But, I still can’t believe they removed factory seals on those WFE bottles. And the price on those was insane. Of course I don’t know what they had to pay for the bottles. But, seems like they were gouging, in addition to the absolutely stupid idea of altering the bottles

Absolutely a fair point. Thanks for reminding me of that. 

Outside of WFE, I still think their barrel picks are fairly priced and solid. I hope that's still correct!

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20 hours ago, steven s said:

thanks guys, I appreciate the info. Looking at my routing, It now may make sense to drive through louisville and lexington KY. 

 

Not a bad idea, but you may be just as well off going through TN, then into GA.  Plenty of selection and store picks in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and/or Chattanooga.

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40 minutes ago, Paddy said:

Not a bad idea, but you may be just as well off going through TN, then into GA.  Plenty of selection and store picks in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and/or Chattanooga.

I can second what Paddy said. Memphis has quite few stores with SP's and brands that are hard to come by in other markets. Taters a plenty in Nashville, so most stores in the area stay picked. You might try different routes coming and going to increase your picking opportunities. I40 coming and I20 going? Oh, and by the way---MidSouth. :) MidWest is yankee country eh Joe?

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State laws come into play, but don't neglect some of the larger grocery stores that sell liquor.  Some states may still have no Sunday sales, or particular hours.

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On 10/18/2020 at 10:00 PM, BottledInBond said:

There definitely are state by state differences. I’m in Minnesota and here you don’t have to be a member. But I’ve been to other states where you did have to be a member. Texas? Can’t remember for sure off hand...

Definitely not TX. You can’t be a publicly traded company and sell liquor in TX. The Costco locations in TX are not owned/operated by Costco. They are on the premises, but owned and operated by WB Liquors and Wine out of San Antonio.

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Costco cannot sell liquor in Mississippi or Tennessee. Lincoln Road Package In Hattiesburg still has more single barrel picks than most any store you’ll ever go to. I think they tend to put a bit of a premium on some of the picks these days, but I’d still say that the prices are reasonable. I’ll second FacePlant’s comment regarding plenty of good options for barrel picks in Memphis, and some other places too. If you haven’t started your trip yet, you can send me a PM, and I can recommend some specific stores to check out. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

As the O.P., i thought i would share my experiences shopping in some of the cities I drove through.

Thanks for all the input above, I appreciate it.

Here goes, apologies for the ramble: 

Didn't see much of interest in the Kansas City area. Some WSR, but passed at $35.

I stopped at one of the St. Louis Total Wines, forget which one, and saw shelf space for an Elijah 18, and an OF barrel proof store pick. Those were definitely high on my list (still are unfortunately), and I was told I just missed them. Grabbed a New Riff BiB to try.

Louisville KY was good for bottles of VOB100 and HH6, as well as some store picks of Russels Reserve SiB, and Knob Creek SiB. I also got a four roses pick somewhere as well.

I went by Buffalo Trace, and picked up a Blanton's in the gift shop for a friend who had never had one.

Lexington was good for a couple woodford double oaked picks, as well as some more bottles of HH6 and VOB100 that I could not pass up because they were 13.99 and 11.99. Also grabbed a couple more RR SiB store picks, and a couple 1792 full proof store picks, as well as some Old Bardstown BiB, and a different Old Bardstown estate bottled, mainly out of curiosity, and because they were each $19. 

Knoxville yielded a few 15 year knob creek single barrel picks, and a SAOS 6 year store pick.

Asheville NC was where I first saw any ECBP. I got a few of the C920's, as they were retail, 55.99. Should have gotten a Rare Breed Rye or 2, but passed.

North side of Atlanta yielded a couple more Four Roses store picks, a few EHTsmb, and another Knob Creek 11.5 year pick. I also overpaid for a couple Stagg Jr's ($69). 

In a small town in middle GA near my Mom's house, I found another (3) Knob Creek 15 year pick, and the same store had Four Roses small batch select marked at $34. I asked if this was correct, and was told no, but they would honor that price if I wanted one. YES.

I skipped Alabama abc stores (probably should have checked).

In Memphis I got a Dewers double double 21 (great price, and the only non-bourbon bottle I bought on the trip). I bought a couple Old Forester single barrel picks and a Blue Note single barrel pick, and met forum member Jeff (lcpfratn) at 901 spirits. (Thanks for the info Jeff, great store you have!)

I found OKC and Tulsa to be swimming in Weller, so I bought a case of 1.75's for $38 per 1.75. Also got an OWA, and a couple ECBP B520.

Last stops were in Albuquerque, where I got another OWA from a guy at Total Wine, and another Woodford Double Oaked store pick, as well as another Old Forester single barrel store pick from another shop. 

Finally starting to build the bunker was a really fun (but costly) exercise, and broke up the 4000 miles of driving nicely. I smuggled the 5 or 6 cases into the garage under the cover of darkness; the better half none the wiser.

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On 11/23/2020 at 6:57 PM, steven s said:

As the O.P., i thought i would share my experiences shopping in some of the cities I drove through.

Thanks for all the input above, I appreciate it.

Here goes, apologies for the ramble: 

Didn't see much of interest in the Kansas City area. Some WSR, but passed at $35.

I stopped at one of the St. Louis Total Wines, forget which one, and saw shelf space for an Elijah 18, and an OF barrel proof store pick. Those were definitely high on my list (still are unfortunately), and I was told I just missed them. Grabbed a New Riff BiB to try.

Louisville KY was good for bottles of VOB100 and HH6, as well as some store picks of Russels Reserve SiB, and Knob Creek SiB. I also got a four roses pick somewhere as well.

I went by Buffalo Trace, and picked up a Blanton's in the gift shop for a friend who had never had one.

Lexington was good for a couple woodford double oaked picks, as well as some more bottles of HH6 and VOB100 that I could not pass up because they were 13.99 and 11.99. Also grabbed a couple more RR SiB store picks, and a couple 1792 full proof store picks, as well as some Old Bardstown BiB, and a different Old Bardstown estate bottled, mainly out of curiosity, and because they were each $19. 

Knoxville yielded a few 15 year knob creek single barrel picks, and a SAOS 6 year store pick.

Asheville NC was where I first saw any ECBP. I got a few of the C920's, as they were retail, 55.99. Should have gotten a Rare Breed Rye or 2, but passed.

North side of Atlanta yielded a couple more Four Roses store picks, a few EHTsmb, and another Knob Creek 11.5 year pick. I also overpaid for a couple Stagg Jr's ($69). 

In a small town in middle GA near my Mom's house, I found another (3) Knob Creek 15 year pick, and the same store had Four Roses small batch select marked at $34. I asked if this was correct, and was told no, but they would honor that price if I wanted one. YES.

I skipped Alabama abc stores (probably should have checked).

In Memphis I got a Dewers double double 21 (great price, and the only non-bourbon bottle I bought on the trip). I bought a couple Old Forester single barrel picks and a Blue Note single barrel pick, and met forum member Jeff (lcpfratn) at 901 spirits. (Thanks for the info Jeff, great store you have!)

I found OKC and Tulsa to be swimming in Weller, so I bought a case of 1.75's for $38 per 1.75. Also got an OWA, and a couple ECBP B520.

Last stops were in Albuquerque, where I got another OWA from a guy at Total Wine, and another Woodford Double Oaked store pick, as well as another Old Forester single barrel store pick from another shop. 

Finally starting to build the bunker was a really fun (but costly) exercise, and broke up the 4000 miles of driving nicely. I smuggled the 5 or 6 cases into the garage under the cover of darkness; the better half none the wiser.

Dang nice run, Bandit!  ?

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Funny- my wife is program director for a film festival. she got a kick out of this.

21 hours ago, parksmart said:

This would’ve made a fun short film.  Congrats on the scores!

If that was going to be the case, I would have spent much more time trying to write a proper "screenplay".  There were many funny, hopeful, disappointing, and satisfying moments and experiences at stores (and at rest areas that I slept in my car at when not at a friend or relatives) along the way.

Edited by steven s
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Found some, that wasn’t hard. Seen it at the first stop and every stop there after..... no “red” Weller tho only the green one ? seen some EC c920 But passed 

E92DE0C0-CF69-4451-97A6-756AB01BBF44.jpeg

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  • 1 month later...
On 11/23/2020 at 6:57 PM, steven s said:

As the O.P., i thought i would share my experiences shopping in some of the cities I drove through.

Thanks for all the input above, I appreciate it.

Here goes, apologies for the ramble: 

Didn't see much of interest in the Kansas City area. Some WSR, but passed at $35.

I stopped at one of the St. Louis Total Wines, forget which one, and saw shelf space for an Elijah 18, and an OF barrel proof store pick. Those were definitely high on my list (still are unfortunately), and I was told I just missed them. Grabbed a New Riff BiB to try.

Louisville KY was good for bottles of VOB100 and HH6, as well as some store picks of Russels Reserve SiB, and Knob Creek SiB. I also got a four roses pick somewhere as well.

I went by Buffalo Trace, and picked up a Blanton's in the gift shop for a friend who had never had one.

Lexington was good for a couple woodford double oaked picks, as well as some more bottles of HH6 and VOB100 that I could not pass up because they were 13.99 and 11.99. Also grabbed a couple more RR SiB store picks, and a couple 1792 full proof store picks, as well as some Old Bardstown BiB, and a different Old Bardstown estate bottled, mainly out of curiosity, and because they were each $19. 

Knoxville yielded a few 15 year knob creek single barrel picks, and a SAOS 6 year store pick.

Asheville NC was where I first saw any ECBP. I got a few of the C920's, as they were retail, 55.99. Should have gotten a Rare Breed Rye or 2, but passed.

North side of Atlanta yielded a couple more Four Roses store picks, a few EHTsmb, and another Knob Creek 11.5 year pick. I also overpaid for a couple Stagg Jr's ($69). 

In a small town in middle GA near my Mom's house, I found another (3) Knob Creek 15 year pick, and the same store had Four Roses small batch select marked at $34. I asked if this was correct, and was told no, but they would honor that price if I wanted one. YES.

I skipped Alabama abc stores (probably should have checked).

In Memphis I got a Dewers double double 21 (great price, and the only non-bourbon bottle I bought on the trip). I bought a couple Old Forester single barrel picks and a Blue Note single barrel pick, and met forum member Jeff (lcpfratn) at 901 spirits. (Thanks for the info Jeff, great store you have!)

I found OKC and Tulsa to be swimming in Weller, so I bought a case of 1.75's for $38 per 1.75. Also got an OWA, and a couple ECBP B520.

Last stops were in Albuquerque, where I got another OWA from a guy at Total Wine, and another Woodford Double Oaked store pick, as well as another Old Forester single barrel store pick from another shop. 

Finally starting to build the bunker was a really fun (but costly) exercise, and broke up the 4000 miles of driving nicely. I smuggled the 5 or 6 cases into the garage under the cover of darkness; the better half none the wiser.

Awesome!  Where did you stop in Tulsa?  Heading there next week.

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