In the USA, different states had different liquor laws. In California, I could buy wine, beer and hard liquor at grocery stores and drug stores. In Minnesota and Oregon, I could buy wine and beer at grocery stores, but liquors were purchased at licensed liquor stores. I'm still getting used to Ontario, where one can buy wine at 'wine shops', either stand-alone or in certain grocery stores (separate from the rest of the store), beer at 'The Beer Store', or everything at the LCBO.
Heck, I'm nothing if not adaptable.
On the wine side of things: I like the way the LCBO has organized the wines by region. So far, the local wines fall into two categories for me: affordable but not really drinkable, and drinkable but not really affordable. Which leaves me with imports, which aren't that affordable after paying for importation and -- oh yeah -- the egregious taxes here.
Liquor selection: OMG, where the heck is the TEQUILA?! The best stuff they have is Patron Silver! I got so spoiled at Trebol, with somewhere between 80-100 high-end tequilas, and developed such a palate for it... good thing I don't really have the time to drink, these days. *Sigh.* Maybe some kind soul in the U.S. will take pity on us and send us something decent for Christmas...? At least they have Bulleit bourbon, because I haven't liked the Canadian whiskeys I've tried. I miss the Oregon locals: 12 Bridges gin, Crater Lake vodka, all of the beautiful SakeOne sakes... to say nothing of the delicious and affordable local wines and craft beers.
Beer, which I didn't learn to love until I moved to Oregon, microbrew capital of the continent, has become a highly limited experience here. Mostly, there are lagers in cans. Yuk. So far, the Stone Hammer dark ale, the Wellington special pale ale, and the Harvest 'taste of Ontario' all meet my standards, but you can't get those just anywhere. (You can get them at Borealis... which is just another reason we end up there so often.) Even the LCBO selection is limited: of the beers I just listed, only the Wellington SPA is available.
And then, on the back wall, on the top shelf... Aha! Is that an old friend I spy? It is! Come to mama, Rogue hazelnut ale! Wait, what's this I see? A price tag of... TWELVE DOLLARS?! Really? *Sigh.* I just cannot justify it, and sadly put it back.
Being a loquacious beast, I talk about the terrible sorrow of the twelve-dollar beer at the checkout stand. "Twelve dollars?" Asks the woman helping us (Cynthia). "That cannot be right." And she calls the manager over about it, even though I didn't ask; he shrugs and wanders off. She gets annoyed with him, and grabs someone else to do a proper price check -- it's only SIX dollars! Huzzah! I get to go home with my prize -- thank you, Cynthia. That kind of service really deserves to be rewarded; one of the stars above is for you specifically. I'd love to see you promoted to manager! read more
