47 Comments:
I was already "of age" when I first arrived in the Twin Cities, but I do recall the first time I ventured inside the friendly confines of the Depot. I was expecting half-pints of Winsor sold behind bullet-proof glass, and corner stacks of MD ("Mad Dog") 20-20.
Instead, I found a great selection -- the wine collection was unusally good and very cheap. Not at all what I expected at a downtown liquor store.
RIP, Liquor Depot.
»» Submitted by »»» alamn at 11:27 AM on March 23
The staff actually had a clue too. As much as I've joked about its ghetto qualities over the years, it was actually a pretty impressive place.
»» Submitted by »»» richg at 11:36 AM on March 23
I buy about half of my liquor there. You gotta love the sheer size of that place. I assumed they were going to reopen in another location, but the article doesn't mention that at all.
»» Submitted by »»» alexis at 11:38 AM on March 23
RIP indeed. Unexpectedly varied and good wine selection will be missed.
»» Submitted by »»» TBartel at 11:43 AM on March 23
If I got a $6 million buyout, I might not feel the urge to jump right back into retail either.
»» Submitted by »»» richg at 11:46 AM on March 23
Heh, yeah, before I turned 21 we used to go there and pick stuff out, and then I'd slip out the door under the eyes of the cops while my friends did the buying.
I read that the owners are going to open a wine shop, so that is cool.
»» Submitted by Luke at 11:50 AM on March 23
I remember my first and only visit as a 19-year-old college freshman. I was with a group of friends in the Twin Cities, one of which was a 34-year-old with an urge for Corona. In a move I have never seen before or sense, I was asked to provide my own ID as my friend bought his beer, then asked to leave while he made the purchase. It was bizarre and exciting.
To quote James Blunt:
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
»» Submitted by Kevin from Minneapolis at 12:01 PM on March 23
The loss of a decent liquor shop is about as traumatizing to a community as the loss of a neighborhood church. And, in my case, moreso.
But I'll swing by this week to see if they're having any close-out sales. Enough liquor should kill the heartbreak.
»» Submitted by »»» hipmn at 12:14 PM on March 23
Speaking of closeouts, don't forget the garage sale this weekend.
»» Submitted by »»» richg at 12:20 PM on March 23
I'll definitely miss this place. They have a large wine selection and I can always find my Hoegarden. I was in there last week and they do have close-out sales going on (if there's anything left). And they said they do plan to reopen.
»» Submitted by »»» mel at 12:33 PM on March 23
So where are the people who will (supposedly) live in the condos buy their liquor? Maybe an MGM will be on street level.
»» Submitted by »»» hooha at 1:06 PM on March 23
on the way to work this morning, i saw a huge tree that used to be in between the lots of the liquot depot and the apt next door uprooted. i'm not that big of a tree-hugging eco warrior, but it was sad.
damn you gentrification!! i know my friend jim who lives a few blocks away will be very sad.
Yeah, this kinda sucks.
»» Submitted by »»» moe at 1:26 PM on March 23
Oh, come now.. what about Surdyk's? Or the wine shop in the warehouse district -- I don't remember the name offhand.
Surdyk's doesn't carry Malt Liquor!
I can't count the times we parked in $2 Ed's for a Twins Game. (The guy that took the money drove a crotch rocket and didn't always seem on the up and up but we never got towed) Walked over to the Liquor Depot and got some St Ides Malt Liquor (I think it made my Jimmy thicker) to drink behind the grain silos to avoid having to pay $5 for a plastic bottle of beer at the Metrodome.
»» Submitted by Mpls Simpleton at 2:07 PM on March 23
Supposedly the condo development will include a new wine/liquor store. Likely a bit more upscale, but it'll have one.
»» Submitted by »»» richg at 2:17 PM on March 23
Cheap, heartless bastard speaking here: Does anyone know if there is a clearance sale?
Wondering that myself. If only we knew somebody in the media who could make calls and then inform the public.
»» Submitted by »»» hipmn at 3:20 PM on March 23
With LD and the Jaguar dealership going my very first memories of downtown are disappearing as well....RIP.
»» Submitted by »»» Chul at 3:22 PM on March 23
HipMN, good point. I'm the only guy on this board with a phone.
Remaining wine is 25% off. Beer is 15% off, and liquor a resounding 30% off. You can repay me by clicking on my blog page and driving up my hit counts.
Whoops. Just kidding, Jason! You're not the only local media member who uses this board, are you?
But thanks for the info. Consider your hits driven up. I'm also going to watch your kid on YouTube again.
»» Submitted by »»» hipmn at 4:25 PM on March 23
Or by buying me some discounted liquor. In fact, screw the blog. Buy me some booze.
And I'm not the only one in the local media on here. I'm one of the few who uses my real name... And posts, rather than just lurking. Wimps.
Yeah, wimps.
»» Submitted by »»» taylor at 4:43 PM on March 23
Surdyk's doesn't carry Malt Liquor!
bullshit! I buy sparks from there all the time!
»» Submitted by trigonalmayhem at 4:49 PM on March 23
Hey, I post, too. Don't I count? Wait...I'm not on TV, so I guess not. Rick Kupchella, if you're reading this, it's time to ditch the pseudonym! We know your skin-care regime by now, so you can hardly hide behind that "Taylor" mask anymore. DeRusha, is it wrong/lame of me to sing "DeRush, DeRush, DeRush is on fire" in my head almost every time I see your name?
»» Submitted by Molly P. at 4:49 PM on March 23
Surdyk's doesn't carry Malt Liquor!
bullshit! I buy sparks from there all the time!
I'm talking about 40's!
Not girl drinks, technically Zima and Smirnoff Ice are a Malt Liquors but I don't think that will add to your street cred. I can't remember the last time I saw someone pouring some Zima or Sparks into the ground for their dead homies.
»» Submitted by Mpls Simpleton at 5:00 PM on March 23
Given the fact that Sparks is a perfectlly acceptable BREAKFAST malt liquor, I think it deserves more street cred than your Zimas or Smirnoffs. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, grasped roughly by the DT shakes, a can of Sparks will kick start my addiction and get me out of bed and down the street to the liquor store. Zima can't get the same job done.
»» Submitted by Nater at 5:04 PM on March 23
Just wondering if you guys bother to read previous comments. Jderusha asks if there are clearance sales and the next person says they're wondering that too, when several posts earlier someone says that there are (but doesn't give specifics).
»» Submitted by duh at 5:09 PM on March 23
I prefer Olde English 800 for breakfast.
It has a distinct banana flavor that I like to believe means is chock full of Potasium!
Ezay-E F'ed Up and got the 8 Ball Rolling!
»» Submitted by Mpls Simpleton at 5:13 PM on March 23
Duh- you are right. I missed Melissa's comment that there are sales. I apologize to her, to you, and to the rest of the MNSpeak community for being so stupid.
I actually had OE800 for breakfast one morning. The day did not end well.
»» Submitted by mike s at 5:20 PM on March 23
And Molly, you do count. Big time. I'm just waiting for your gushing profile of me to appear in City Pages. I can swear if that would help. I can't stop pimping myself today. I need to be controlled.
I'll plug the new guys on the block. They have a great wine selection, not much in the beer or booze department tho...
Know everybody knows!
»» Submitted by »»» taylor at 6:31 PM on March 23
Jason -- I know Strib scribe Tony Lonetree is a blog lurker (he reads our American Lung Association of Minnesota blog), but is (was) tragically unhip -- he had not heard of MNspeak until I steered him here. Consider him another new convert. I hope he starts posting soon -- we did a fun story on hookahs some time back.
»» Submitted by just plain Bob at 7:28 PM on March 23
Jason -- I know Strib scribe Tony Lonetree is a blog lurker (he reads our American Lung Association of Minnesota blog), but is (was) tragically unhip -- he had not heard of MNspeak until I steered him here. Consider him another new convert. I hope he starts posting soon -- we did a fun story on hookahs some time back.
»» Submitted by just plain Bob at 7:28 PM on March 23
Of course, I used to be a theater critic of some reknown, back before I became a bum, which, let's face it, is what I am.
»» Submitted by »»» hipmn at 8:46 PM on March 23
You coulda been somebody.
»» Submitted by cp at 12:12 AM on March 23
That trackback is a post on my blog. MNSpeak should've picked that up first. I noticed the Aggregator's been screwy lately, too.
»» Submitted by »»» alexis at 12:33 AM on March 23
sp: "inexorably".
»» Submitted by scatman at 12:42 AM on March 23
A lot of good people are losing their jobs and I for one want to salute them and wish them all the best of luck in the future. I don't know most of their names, but I will definately miss Randy's smiling face.
»» Submitted by Why-J at 12:02 PM on March 24
Anybody else go today? I went late in the day -- already pretty picked over. As I entered, two employees were leaving, and one was quite teary. At least they left with bags and bags filled with liquor.
»» Submitted by »»» hipmn at 8:59 PM on March 25
Yeah, I went in around 4:30 and most everything was gone. A few bottles of rum, some cognac, and a bunch of mixers. What a sad day.
»» Submitted by »»» moe at 11:38 PM on March 25
The Bottlehouse is going to gain from the Liquor Depot closing. It's not as well known, and not on Washington, but is within walking distance for anyone who'd walk the Liquor Depot walk.
That sucks. The Liquor Depot was even better than Surdyk's... I was wondering what that gaping hole was when I was riding down Washington Avenue recently.
Thanks to edkohler for the Bottlehouse link-- I'll check out when I'm in the neighborhood.
»» Submitted by Marko at 3:39 PM on May 3
So it's true. We drove over there a few weeks ago and bought some wine. Then, last week, we drove over (no sense dealing with the shitty parking at Henn/Lake likkers if you don't have to, right?). The place was just frikkin' GONE. What a shock. A big frikkin' hole in the frikkin' ground.
Do I REALLY have to shop at Surdyk's? The only time they have decent prices is when they're having a wine sale. And, contrary to their hype, there's not a decent bottle of sake in the place. F*ck namazake. Frikkin' chick beer.
»» Submitted by Bob Dobolina at 7:50 PM on June 16
»»» = registered user. click on it to see the user's profile.
1 Trackback:
Cheap Booze: Here's a quickie. Liquor Depot (my favorite spot) is closing this Saturday to make room for more urban dwellings, and all remaining stock is marked down as follows:. Beer is 15% off Wine is 25% off Liquor is 30% off ...
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