The Bar Towel

Blasphomet wrote:It'd be great if people could share where they've picked up Aromatherapy in the GTA, as I'd love to grab some.

It's been available at the Leaside LCBO for the past couple weeks. Their stock is listed at only 4 left, but I see lots available at Summerhill and Queens Quay.

dale cannon wrote:

lister wrote:Zehrs in Barrie on Big Bay has got a beer and wine section now, most of it refrigerated. My first Ontario grocery store beer purchase! It had a pretty decent selection.

TBS on Bayfield at the north end actually has an employee (not sure if he was a manager or not) that's been working on bringing more interesting stuff in which he has been doing slowly. He was pretty enthusiastic about it.

Did they have Aromatherapy at Zehrs on big bay pt? The loblaws on bayfield also has a beer area now.

I don't remember. I don't live up there but visit every month to two months due to family.

I have been in the Metro here in Belleville a few times for beer. The selection is quite good, although nothing particularly exotic. Boneshaker is usually what I pick up. They do seem to be doing a fairly brisk wine and beer business, however, which is not surprising given the relative locations of our two LCBO's.

Anyone notice price differences between the grocery stores and LCBO/TBS?

The other day I bought some Side Launch Pale Ale and DAB (Dortmunder) - both 500ml - at Sobey's. I think I glanced at the prices below the cans before picking them up but didn't notice any price difference from the LCBO where I buy 95% of my beer. But when I was checking my receipt later I noticed each SLPA was only $2.70 + 0.10c deposit and the DAB was 1.77 + 0.10c. At the LCBO SLPA is $3.15 and DAB is 2.15 both with deposit included.

Philip1 wrote:Anyone notice price differences between the grocery stores and LCBO/TBS?

The other day I bought some Side Launch Pale Ale and DAB (Dortmunder) - both 500ml - at Sobey's. I think I glanced at the prices below the cans before picking them up but didn't notice any price difference from the LCBO where I buy 95% of my beer. But when I was checking my receipt later I noticed each SLPA was only $2.70 + 0.10c deposit and the DAB was 1.77 + 0.10c. At the LCBO SLPA is $3.15 and DAB is 2.15 both with deposit included.

I think they can put slow-moving stock on sale, just like individual LCBO stores occasionally do. You might want to check the date codes.

Philip1 wrote:Anyone notice price differences between the grocery stores and LCBO/TBS?

The other day I bought some Side Launch Pale Ale and DAB (Dortmunder) - both 500ml - at Sobey's. I think I glanced at the prices below the cans before picking them up but didn't notice any price difference from the LCBO where I buy 95% of my beer. But when I was checking my receipt later I noticed each SLPA was only $2.70 + 0.10c deposit and the DAB was 1.77 + 0.10c. At the LCBO SLPA is $3.15 and DAB is 2.15 both with deposit included.

2.70 + HST = $3.05 add the .10 deposit and you're exactly at the LCBO price
1.77 + HST = 2.00 add the .10 deposit and you're within 5 cents of the LCBO price

Unlike the LCBO, Loblaws do not include tax on the shelf prices - at least that was the case a few months back when i last bought beer from Loblaws. Perhaps its the same at Sobey's (and all other grocery stores?)

I believe the private sellers are explicitly banned from competing on price and hours of operation vs. the LCBO & TBS. Gotta love competition!

So, the LCBO practises tax-rounding and nickel-rounding the grocery stores do not.
This means that if at Sobeys you buy multiple units, your total without rounding could save you a few cents.

Therefore grocery stores ARE competing with the LCBO as they offer a potentially lower price.
It is the end.

I understand there is a Farmboy Grocery store coming into Leslieville, unlinked page is already on their website. https://www.farmboy.ca/locations/leslieandlakeshore/ and this story: http://www.goodhood.ca/whats-good/farm- ... lake-shore.

I've never heard of this chain but people are mentioning it in another thread and the website suggests that some stores have craf tbeer.

Is something to be interested in or it will it have the typical Grocery store selection. As that's a bit of a subjective statement, the only grocery store that I've been in that had a decent selection was the Loblaws in the Empress Walk Development? (North York Centre Subway) where it has twice the product of the LCBO in the same area and most is Ontario craft. Most of the time its Coors light and Mill St Organic etc.

The Loblaws across the street from that farm boy location has a pretty respectable selection. Way more craft than macro and it's almost all refrigerated. Better than an average LCBO, I'd say.

As for farm boy, I don't know what they are like for beer. Anyone from Ottawa on here know what the ones out there are like? I imagine if they have a license to sell beer it will skew towards craft offerings, since that fits in with the MO of a fancy grocery store.

That actually reminds me, has anyone looked for beer in the upscale grocery stores in town? I thought they might have good selections like in the US. Not just whole foods, but what about places like Pusateries or McEwan?

I don't think Pusateri's or McEwan sell beer. For it's part, my local Real Canadian Superstore in North York has a decent selection of craft. Nothing surprising but a nice breadth of styles, relatively fresh and all refrigerated.

My wife and I occasionally shop at the Farm Boy in Etobicoke. It has a decent selection of craft beer, all of which is refrigerated, but nothing more than what you see at your average LCBO or Loblaws. Beers like Nickelbrook Equilibrium, Wellington Brown Ale, Steamwhistle, etc. The best grocery store selection I've come across is at the Burnhamthorpe Loblaws, but to be honest no grocery store has blown me away, and AFAIK everything they carry still has to go through the LCBO.

Exactly.

At the Hoggs Hollow Loblaws (since we seem to be creating a mini-database of local grocery stores here) I can't think of any beer they carry that isn't available at one of the better-than-average LCBO's within a km. or so on Avenue, at Bayview Village, etc. They seem to have lots of shelf space for Collective Arts and Nickelbook (perhaps because those breweries have loads of capacity now at the new brewery). For convenience, I might pick up a couple cans of Life in the Clouds or Lunch Money, or Side Launch Mountain Lager if I'm there anyway, but as someone said above, only after carefully checking the date code. And nothing is refrigerated at this store either.

Starsky Polish Foods in Stoney Creek, ON (another one in Mississauga) had a good selection. I saw a beautiful display with wooden crates, hay, bottles of cider I haven't seen at the LCBO before. I saw Chimay Red and several beers that failed tastings or never made it to the LCBO.

One place I would like to check out but haven't is a Walmart with alcohol.