Sourcing Liquor in NE

[marty mccabe]

[Moderator's note: this topic was split off from the Good Enough Spirits for an Average Day topic. -- CA]

Yep, Cruzan white is pretty much swill in my opinion. Not too crazy about their gold either. After that the product line is very good.

Look for Brugal or Flor de Caña. I hear Barceló is also quite good, though I haven't tried it personally.

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Cruzan didn't used to be swill. It USED to be a nice 2 year aged rum. Now, it's something like 14 months aged rum. And those 10 months make all the difference...Flor de Cana is my default white.

An aside: it's a complicated, stupid story, but Laird's bonded is available in MA; it's just that some strange company that nobody has ever heard of sells it. If I can find the name, I'll post it. Oh hey, here it is:

J. Polep Distributors

Chicopee, MA 01013

413-592-4141

Edited April 29, 2009 by chrisamirault (log)

[David Santucci]

Laird's bonded is available in MA; it's just that some strange company that nobody has ever heard of sells it.

Wow, thanks a lot for the information. I will march right down to my local liquor stores with that name.

BTW: Have you seen it for sale anywhere? I noticed Drink has the 7 1/2 y.o., which I've also never seen anywhere -- do you know if that's distributed by the same strange company?

[marty mccabe]

Laird's bonded is available in MA; it's just that some strange company that nobody has ever heard of sells it.

Wow, thanks a lot for the information. I will march right down to my local liquor stores with that name.

BTW: Have you seen it for sale anywhere? I noticed Drink has the 7 1/2 y.o., which I've also never seen anywhere -- do you know if that's distributed by the same strange company?

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I believe the 7 1/2 year is sold to them by either United or Horizon; probably Horizon. SHould be easier to get.

As for a retailer, that's going to be harder, as they would have to probably start dealing with J. Polep. I'd turn it on its head and call J. Polep and ask them who you can buy it from.

[Chris Amirault]

As a RI resident with retired parents in MA who like going for drives, I want to hear the complicated, stupid story, Marty.

[marty mccabe]

As a RI resident with retired parents in MA who like going for drives, I want to hear the complicated, stupid story, Marty.

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Okay, here goes: in MA, there are franchise laws whereby it's VERY hard for a wine or liquor company to change distributors. They can dual the distributor, in effect, appointing more than one wholesaler in the same state to sell the same product. For instance, a couple years ago, it seemed like EVERY distributor in MA sold Absolut.

Anyway, I don't know what the particular order was, but Laird's has ended up assigning three different companies to sell their products in MA. I think J. Polep got involved because in addition to the apple spirits, Laird's also sells what would charitably be called "low end" or rail spirits. And somehow, probably a couple years ago when the cocktail scene wasn't what it is now, Polep ended up with the Bonded, too. Why Laird's doesn't offer it to one of the bigger houses they deal with, I have no idea!

[David Santucci]

Oooh, this is a great idea for a thread. I will try to list some notable finds I have come across in my travels in Boston, but probably the most useful thing would be for people to post what they are looking for, then anyone can all reply if they've seen it somewhere.

I drive fairly often between Boston and southeastern CT (Mystic), so I am interested in things I can find along the way (RI, for example). I'd be willing to pick something hard-to-get up for someone and drop it off on my way, too -- in exchange for a nice cocktail, of course.

Anyway, here are some cool things I've seen:

At Liquor World in Porter Square:

Angostura Orange Bitters

Bitter Truth Bitters (aromatic, orange, lemon, celery, Jerry Thomas)

Peychaud's/Regan's

Blume Marillen apricot eau de vie

At The Boston Shaker in Union Square:

Bitter Truth Bitters (aromatic, orange, lemon, celery, Jerry Thomas)

Peychaud's/Regan's

Tovolo ice cube trays, vintage books, and lots of other accessories

Now, for my wish list:

Bols Genever

Old Forester Signature

Santa Teresa 1796

[Chris Amirault]

Okay, here goes: in MA, there are franchise laws whereby it's VERY hard for a wine or liquor company to change distributors.  They can dual the distributor, in effect, appointing more than one wholesaler in the same state to sell the same product. 

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Sigh... reminds me of that "Bewildering State Liquor Laws" topic...

Oooh, this is a great idea for a thread. I will try to list some notable finds I have come across in my travels in Boston...

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Here's the group of stores I visit most often:

Joyal's Liquors, West Warwick: Best store in the state: huge scotch, rye, and whisk(e)y selection includes Rittenhouse, Sazerac, and Wild Turkey ryes, lots of rhum agricole and hard-to-find industrial rums (Lemon Hart, e.g.), plus Junipero and Boomsma gins, Taylor's velvet falernum, cachacas, lots more. Comparable to the best in NYC and elsewhere, and worth a special trip.

Town Wine and Spirits, East Providence: Second-best store in the state. Rittenhouse BIB, Sazerac, and Wild Turkey ryes, Luxardo maraschino, some MB items, good sherry selection, titanic single malt selection. Oddly weak on rum and gin.

IM Gan, Cranston: Peychaud's and Fee's bitters, some Marie Brizard items, Plymouth gin (at $14/bottle!), a few ryes (including Sazerac, JB, and Overholt lately). My local store.

Gasbarro's, Federal Hill, Providence: The original store, it has Italian stuff, mostly, like Luxardo products (including maraschino), Punt e Mes, Fernet Branca, Aperol, etc. Be warned: like many wine-centric places, they think cocktail people are weird, but the staff is fantastic nonetheless.

Quisqueya Liquors, Providence: La Botija piscos, decent selection of low- to mid-range rums (esp Brugal and Flor de Cana). Not worth a trip but interesting if you're on the south side.

Campus Wine & Spirits, Providence: Punt e Mes, good sherry and port selection, most of the basics but few select items. If you're on the east side and need something fairly common, it's here.

[marty mccabe]

Has anyone seen Foursquare Spiced Rum in the greater Boston area?

Thanks!

[John Rosevear]

Coming late to this, but I wanted to add a rec for my current go-to store, Julio's Liquors on Rt 9 in Westborough. I discovered them a few months ago and I've been floored by their selection. I was standing in their rum aisle the other day when I realized... they have (I think; I was going from memory) every rum called for in Jeff Berry's books. Every one. Their other spirits offerings are similarly comprehensive, and they have a huge selection of bitters (all the Fee's offerings, Regan's, etc) and Monin syrups and other cocktail-geeky things as well as fine beer and wine departments.

[vice]

Does anyone carry Alpenz products in Rhode Island? I've been all over today (Campus, Town Wine & Spirits, Gasbarro, Joyal) looking for Dolin and Cocchi to no avail.

Incidentally, I scored a couple bottles of Rhum JM, the VSOP and the 1997 (last one!), at Joyal's for $34 and $30, respectively. Absurdly low prices, especially for the 1997. I had seen Chris recently mention the VSOP elsewhere and figured I knew where he had picked it up. So excited.

[Chris Amirault]

The Alpenz stuff is slowly trickling out of MS Walker right now. If you ask specifically for things, you should be able to get them (save the Allspice Dram, which they don't have).

Ain't that J.M amazing??

[Chris Amirault]

I've been hesitant to declare this until I was dead certain, but now I can say it for sure: Bottles on Pitman St in Providence (next to East Side Marketplace) is the best store in RI, and the best store I've ever been to period, for cocktails. The Haus Alpenz line (including Allspice Dram!), piles of rye, gin, tequila, bourbon, Fee's and Bitter Truth bitters, Luxardo cherries on the way.... I had been asked by manager Eric Taylor a while back for my dream list of cocktail ingredients, and as far as I can tell he's gotten everything I could think of and much more. What a gem!

[vice]

Is that the same Eric Taylor who used to be at La Laiterie? I wondered where he had gotten off to.

[Chris Amirault]

That is he.