170206 Fri Apr 16 13:25:02 -0700 2004 12 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 912027 Living as I do in Virginia, I miss being able to go to a liquor store and buy pretty much anything you want. Admittedly, I am looking for something which may be rather obscure, apricot eau de vie, preferably Hungarian, also known as Barack Palinka. One well known maker is Zwack. Regardless of whether your favorite liquor store carries this tipple, which store do you think is the best, and why? Fri Apr 16 13:25:02 -0700 2004 0 Ilaine 1 912030 I've seen obscure Eastern European liquor at Potomac Wine and Spirits at 31st and M Sts. It's a tiny store, but they have a bunch of wine and liquor from Eastern Europe. Zwack Unicum...oh those were the days. Actually, I didn't like Unicum at all. But I do like the name Zwack. You made me nostalgic for Eastern Europe, so here's the link with all the Eastern European liquor info... Link: http://www.ceualumni.org/usa/resources/beerandwine.html Fri Apr 16 14:07:48 -0700 2004 912027 0 merry 2 912042 Yes - Eastern Europe is very good for such a small retail space. They have a lot of good international offerings. I go there for good-quality Chilean pisco, which is hard to find elsewhere. Gotta have those pisco sours! Fri Apr 16 15:07:20 -0700 2004 912030 0 chownut 3 912047 Sherry's liquor store in Woodley Park also sells pisco (don't know what kind -- the bottle with the yellow label with a mission on the front), although now that my Chilean roommate departed our group house I haven't had a pisco sour in ages. I tried to make one on my own once and it tasted like shoe polish. Fri Apr 16 15:36:44 -0700 2004 912042 0 merry 4 912050 Gotta have the good stuff, not the Capel brand with the red label (which you find in most places that sell pisco, like calvert woodley). I'm not sure which one is the yellow one. My general recipe for gooooood stroooong pisco sours is 1 part fresh squeezed lime juice 1 part good quality pisco 1 to 1 1/2 parts ice 1 part powdered sugar (or to taste - could use simple syrup but I usually don't have it on hand) Blend till ice dissolves. Yum. A friend mixes it with lemonade concentrate and that is another approach. Fri Apr 16 16:30:06 -0700 2004 912047 0 chownut 2 912057 Thanks for the recommendation for Potomac Wine & Spirits. Called them and they did have the Zwack Barack Palinka, at a very reasonable price. Also Old Rip Van Winkle bourbon. They have an incredible selection! Just got back from the trek into DC and back to Fairfax - the traffic was horrible and I am having a small one of each. Ambrosia! Thank you. Fri Apr 16 17:34:00 -0700 2004 912030 0 Ilaine 1 912031 I am partial to Pearson's (Wisc). On the other side of town, Schneider's (Mass--the Hill). Both seem to have everything. Schneider's has a fun bargaining system and the closeouts bin. Pearson's has their email specials, though, and I have generally liked my wine suggestions from the Pearson's staff better. The Schneider's staff can be overly helpful at times, but both are very good and knowledgeable and have deep inventory. I also like the liquor store at the corner of Conn. and Q--Chris, the guy with the ponytail, has good suggestions and they deliver. He'll also do tastings at your house. They have a good wine stock smushed in there. The Total Wine in McLean is also very good. They don't have liquor, but their wine selection is fabulous. I don't know where you'll find your liqueur. But I will keep an eye out as I shop. Things like that can show up in the most unlikely places. Fri Apr 16 14:11:16 -0700 2004 912027 0 Sallie 2 912041 I second Pearson's--for exotic liquers and the like it is hard to beat them. I don't shop there much at all, but once a year they send out (via e-mail) an incredibly long list of liquers, normal and bizarre, for sale. Fri Apr 16 14:44:27 -0700 2004 912031 0 PoolBoy 1 912032 calvert-woodley for wine/spirits chevy chase liquors for beer Fri Apr 16 14:11:35 -0700 2004 912027 0 br 1 912036 I really like Fine Wine\Corridor Liquor in Laurel. (BW Parkway & 198) I realize Laurel is no where near you, but I regularly travel there for large and obscure purchases. The store is huge and they also have the lowest prices I have encountered. I bought a 750 of Grand Marnier there for, I believe, $29.99. Fri Apr 16 14:24:01 -0700 2004 912027 0 Nattiboh 2 912043 Ditto on Corridor. If they don't have what you want, they can almost always special order it, with quick turnaround. Also check out the Montgomery County Stores website for specials (link below). They often have some really good deals on both spirits and wines Thanks, K Link: http://montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/dlc/liquor/index.asp Fri Apr 16 15:16:33 -0700 2004 912036 0 Kok 1 912039 You should just inquire with an ABC in VA. The one in Oakton I know special orders many things. They actually end up with a small shelf of things ordered that were never picked up. Very good and very diverse. I bet they'd get close. Good luck. Fri Apr 16 14:34:55 -0700 2004 912027 0 Dennis S 1 912201 Perhaps because of Congress, the relative wealth of the D. C. area or just basic competition but some of the best stores anywhere are here: Calvert Woodley, MacArthur, Schneider's, Pearson's, Chevy Chase, Paul's, Total (in Virginia) and on and on. They are also some of the most competitive on price. I would also note that if it is a wine that you can't find you can now order it directly from the country it is produced in and have it delivered to you. As I type this I am drinking Fox Creek 2001 Shiraz Reserve. Parker raved about this and, when I couldn't find it here, I ordered it from a store in Sydney. I live in Virginia and it showed up two weeks after I ordered it in perfect condition without any delay in customs. I would also note that a number of D. C. stores import directly. Mon Apr 19 17:36:08 -0700 2004 912027 0 Joe H.