Best liquor stores (selection/price)?

[sidecar]

Hi, I'm a cocktail enthusiast about to relocate from Boston to Chicago. I'd be grateful for tips on where to buy liquor in town. Specifically, what places carry a wide range of liquors and cocktail ingredients? Also, where do you find the best deals?

I'll be living in Logan Square but am happy to drive anywhere for the occasional stock-up.

Thanks in advance!

[gleam]

Sam's and Binny's both have multiple locations with a wide selection and good prices.

[delk]

Di Carlo's
Grand & Western
515 N. Western Ave. , Chicago
Tel: [phone]

[CJT]

I've always found Binny's to be the better store except for the downtown location of Sam's when they have a real sale. On a day-to-day basis. Binny's wins out

[sidecar]

Thanks for the tips!

[Querencia]

The vicinity of North & Clybourn has been developed as a shopping mecca in the last 15 years (before that it used to be light industry). The Sam's there is huge and has a big selection. There's also a nice WholeFoods, a Container Store, and a ton of chain stores like J Crew and Borders. There's a big Home Depot on North just west of the intersection. There's a Trader Joe facing on Clybourn but with a ramp up to its 2nd story parking lot on Marcy (same street Sam's parking lot fronts on. While you're in the neighborhood you might want to nip just west to North & Elston to Stanley's Produce, which usually has some very good buys (see Yelp Chicago for discussion). Welcome to Chicago.

[xaphoo]

I moved to Logan Square a short while ago, and we are lucky to have a liquor store with perhaps the most amazing selection of beer I have seen in any retail establishment: VAS FOREMOST, at Milwaukee and California. It has hundreds of beers of all kinds, from rare American microbrews to a decent array of Belgians.

However, the beers are a bit more expensive than they should be, to the extent that I don't shop there often. But just know that if you don't mind paying a premium, you have a top-notch store in your neighborhood.

As for non-beer beverages, I am not equipped with the knowledge to judge their selection.

[sidecar]

Great tip - thanks! I don't know how I've managed to miss it so far...

In the meantime, I've been hitting up the Sam's in the North & Clybourn area, based on previous posts. True to the recommendations, they have a great selection and very reasonable prices (made better with their store card).