Jacksonville/St. Augustine store recommendations needed

Beukeboom · Post by **Beukeboom** » Wed Feb 10, 2016 3:47 pm

Cap'n Jimbo, since you are also a Floridian you might be able to help but anyone with some recommendations would be more than welcome.

Hopefully sometime this upcoming fall I am hoping to spend a long weekend in St. Augustine. Since I will be going that way via I-10 I will be going by Jacksonville as well.

I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for decent liquor stores in the area that carry a variety of rums (hopefully with premium rums and perhaps ultra-premium rums and hard-to-find brands). The obvious one that I know of is Total Wine & More in Jacksonville. Are there any others worth checking out? I want to avoid stores that carry almost only the cheap brands.

Thanks in advance.

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Wed Feb 10, 2016 3:58 pm

Both St. Augustine and Jacksonville have multiple locations for Total Wine and also ABC Wine & Spirits. TW is notably better. But better yet?

You're on your own. South Florida is famous for proprietors originally from India - excellent businessman, who are very educated and willing to carry a notably larger selection than the big boys. I'd look for names like "Discount Liquor" and the like, particularly those that have a few locations (say two to four or so).

These smaller, Indian run outlets are fantastic. If you find any please do share the wealth...

Beukeboom · Post by **Beukeboom** » Wed Feb 10, 2016 4:15 pm

I appreciate the advice. Sadly, this region is mostly rural and with the exception of the ABC and one other store chain (locally owned -- three stores in the area) most of the stores are ones with bars on the doors and windows that sell cheap rums. Their idea of premium rum in Bacardi Black or Capt. Morgan in a fancier bottle for $19. I've given up on those long ago. I've been limiting myself to the ABC stores in the area and the specialty one with three local stores. Otherwise the only other options are either in south Georgia (Thomasville has a few very nice stores all locally owned) or down on the coast (Apalachicola and Panama City Beach). I am hoping to find some nice surprises when I finally get the chance to go to St. Augustine (gotta do so in the cooler fall months since my wife has zero heat tolerance -- can't do it now 'cause my leave time is low) but my time will be limited so I wanted to try to map out the locations most likely to garner me some hits.

The Black Tot · Post by **The Black Tot** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:58 am

Do you have friends in Alabama? If you do, Alabama is a shipping state for K+L Wines, one of the best spirits etailers that does ship at all.

Florida isn't a shipping state, and neither is Texas, so I feel your pain.

But Alabama is a lot closer to you than Missouri is to me, which is where my closest friends who can receive KL shipments for me live.

You might be able to set up a receiving service in Alabama if you're willing to do this regularly. Possibly split with friends who will share the logistics?

That's just an idea.

St Augustine doesn't look that far from Jacksonville on the map. You should do well with a retailer there if you can get to know one as Jimbo suggests.

Also, don't turn your nose up at the stores with the bars on their windows. Some of those stores have managers who would love a premium customer, and also, sometimes distributors make liquor stores buy tons of cheap cases in order to be allowed to buy better limited cases. The stores with the bars on their windows buy exactly the types of cases in quantities that might give them access to the better stuff.

You never can tell, and you might have to be prepared to buy by the 6-case. Again, find some friends to go in with you, and maybe find a good Jacksonville bar where you can try the stuff first and then order your case.

Getting the hard to find bottles in this hobby definitely takes some hustle, there's not much getting around that, especially these days. But most people who are willing to push a little bit will still get results.

Good luck.

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:34 am

Agree with the Tot re "bars on the windows" outlets. When we first got into rum, we'd stop at any and all outlets, some of which were in transitional locations but which turned out to have tremendous selections.

These "transition" area outlets are shopped by a wide variety of customers, from poor to well to do. They tend to be on high traffic streets that connect the community. Many are standalone, are relatively large, but NOT the hole in the wall small shops that carry only the basics.

Not to worry, you'll find them. Again a tip off is that these owners tend to have say 3 or 4 locations. But - now its up to you and please do report what you found, for the benefit of others...

Beukeboom · Post by **Beukeboom** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 12:14 pm

The Black Tot wrote:Do you have friends in Alabama? If you do, Alabama is a shipping state for K+L Wines, one of the best spirits etailers that does ship at all.

That's been suggested. Sadly, I know of no one in Alabama.

I do live within driving distance of Dothan, AL and will daytrip there on a Saturday and check out the few stores there.

Beukeboom · Post by **Beukeboom** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 12:22 pm

Capn Jimbo wrote:Agree with the Tot re "bars on the windows" outlets. When we first got into rum, we'd stop at any and all outlets, some of which were in transitional locations but which turned out to have tremendous selections.

Unfortunately I have visited all the stores in my immediate area and without exception the stores with the bars on the windows all have just the basic cheap rums. Another pet peeve of mine are the stores that keep all the inventory behind the counter so you have to ask the clerk who is usually the only one there to get you a bottle. Not only is it inconvenient but adds pressure to purchase when you just want to look.

In this region I've scouted out all available liquor stores. Tallahassee, Monticello, Crawfordville, Apalachicola, Eastpoint, Panama City, Panama City Beach, Callaway, Parker, Springfield, Lynn Haven, Quincy, Bonifay, Chipley, Crestview, Steinhatchee (all Florida) and Thomasville, GA. Coming back from the annual visit with my sister-in-law in Biloxi I got off the interstate in Pensacola and drove on U.S. 90 from the west side of Pensacola all the way to Crestview stopping at all the stores along the way. Eventually I will check out Dothan, AL and Valdosta, GA.

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 3:53 pm

How depressing. We are spoiled in south Florida and the Keys where - with the exception of the independents, we still have one of the best, and most economical selections in the world.

If you even come down this way, let me know and I'll send you to my favorite outlets...

Beukeboom · Post by **Beukeboom** » Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:28 am

Capn Jimbo wrote:How depressing. We are spoiled in south Florida and the Keys where - with the exception of the independents, we still have one of the best, and most economical selections in the world.

If you even come down this way, let me know and I'll send you to my favorite outlets...

Thanks.

Tallahassee is just a limited market. With two universities (FAMU & FSU), a community college (TCC) and a lot of low-wage state government jobs being the overwhelming majority of employment in this region (with very few major manufacturing businesses in the region) the buying public isn't interested in premium rums. Premium bourbons, whiskies, and scotches do have a market in this area but rums and tequilas are limited for the same reasons. Very few buy them. And I am now finding out special ordering is not going to happen either. Gave a list to the two biggest stores in town and they couldn't get any of them. And it wasn't like I was requesting rums not sold in the U.S. or no longer made or whatever. They were rums currently in production or recently ended (like some of the C. Ferrand Plantation rums) and they couldn't get any of them. What's frustrating is that I initially emailed ABC Fine Wine's corporate office about ordering rums they didn't have on their website and even included 5 examples of what I was looking for. Corporate emailed me back with something like "we can get those for you...just go to your local ABC store to make a special order". So I did. And they couldn't.