Buying Bourbon in So. Calif.

[bluesbassdad]

I have been reliably informed that there aren't many folks from SoCal who frequent this forum, but just on the off chance...

Does anyone know a store that sells a wide selection of top quality bourbon at reasonable prices anywhere in the L.A./Orange County area?

Today I drove several miles out of my way to stop at a huge store that I remember from about five years ago, and it wasn't there -- not where I remembered it, anyway.

So far, I've usually bought the really high-priced stuff from either a nearby gourmet food store or at a small, wine and spirits store down by the beach (the high overhead district). Blantons was $54.95. WT Rare Breed was $37.95 ($32.95 at Sav-On Pharmacy). Knob Creek was $23.95 ($19.95 at Trader Joe's). Elija Craig 12 y/o was $17.95. To all these prices add 8.something% CA sales tax.

At those prices it almost makes sense for me to order from a mail-order house I saw mentioned here and forgot to bookmark (Sams?). The killer there, of course, is the shipping -- $10 for the first bottle. It starts to get reasonable, though, for several bottles in the same shipment. At six bottles I think the charge was under $20 -- less than CA sales tax on the high-priced stuff. (Another advantage of mail-order: I can procur liquor while not wearing pants.)

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

Retiree, Musician, Dog-Lover, Whiskey-Drinker

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

Oh Man Dave! You're gettin' royally screwed! Grab the yellow pages and let your fingers do the walkin'. Make enough calls and eventually you'll hook up to the best source for low prices and the best selection. With any luck they might actually be the same store.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

[cowdery]

Hopefully, someone here in the forum will have a few suggestions, but you might also want to look through the newspaper. Any large "Liquor Barn" type place should have a fair to good bourbon selection at good prices.

As for Sam's here in Chicago, the URL is

<A'>--Chuck Cowdery

[tdelling]

>Does anyone know a store that sells a wide selection of top quality bourbon at

> reasonable prices anywhere in the L.A./Orange County area?

...

>At those prices it almost makes sense for me to order from a mail-order house...

You want to hear something funny? Even though I visit Sam's (near me) in

Chicago about six times per year, I also mail order from a place near you!

The Wine and Liquor Depot in Van Nuys has always had a great selection

and decent prices, so I recommend that you go visit, but I also recommend

mail ordering through Sam's.

For me, where I buy depends on (1) price, and (2) whether they have what I want

in stock right now. Sometimes 2 overrides 1, but I like to comparison shop.

Wine and Liquor Depot is on the web at

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.wineandliquordepot.com>http://www.wineandliquordepot.com</A>.

Advertised prices (the website says christmas 2001, oddly enough):

Blanton's $42, Booker's $44.50, Knob Creek, $20.50.

It's been a while, but last time I called, they had an assortment of Old

Rip Van Winlke bourbons and ryes in stock... I highly recommend... well,

all of them.

Tim

p.s. be forewarned that the Depot, and its website, do a lot of business

in sin*** mal* sco***.

[Blackkeno]

I order from both Sam's and Wine & Liquor Depot (too) frequently. I usually order half a dozen premium bottles so shipping cost less than the Nevada sales tax. W&LD has the lowest consistent prices I've seen (and they ship cheaply). Ask for Howard. I doubt he is able to keep his web site up to date. Sam's has a massive sale about once a year with unbeatable prices. Be sure to order from them at least once and ask to be on their mailing list.