The Bar Towel

Just wanted to throw a quick kudos to the Parkway Mall (Vic Park and Ellesmere) LCBO. They have really stepped it up on selection recently and ordered every beer. The beer guy is intent on getting everything he can. They even had a bunch in stock tonight that Laird didn't even have out yet (like Bolshevik 4-pk, La Resolution, Nickelbrook Cuvee, etc...).

Up and coming store for sure.

ercousin wrote:Just wanted to throw a quick kudos to the Parkway Mall (Vic Park and Ellesmere) LCBO. They have really stepped it up on selection recently and ordered every beer. The beer guy is intent on getting everything he can. They even had a bunch in stock tonight that Laird didn't even have out yet (like Bolshevik 4-pk, La Resolution, Nickelbrook Cuvee, etc...).

Up and coming store for sure.

+1

Best location within a reasonable distance of my office. Much improved lately, and vastly so since they were located in the strip mall there.

ercousin wrote:Just wanted to throw a quick kudos to the Parkway Mall (Vic Park and Ellesmere) LCBO...

Cool! I'm Vic Park/Kingston Road so I can get behind that - even though there are two or three LCBO stores close to me that *should* be great, sometimes I still have to go to all three or more just to cover one release. Arg.

Sometimes driving to one well-organized store is less time & effort that checking on several others.

I got a notification from DrinkVine that Rochefort 10 is at my local, 31 in stock.

With the shelf empty I ask one of the staff to scan it and check the back. She finds that 24 of them have been put aside with someones name on them. That's totally fine and I understand how that works as I've done it before.

That was a week ago.

The annoying part is that the 24 on hold are still there a week later.

kafercrazy wrote:I got a notification from DrinkVine that Rochefort 10 is at my local, 31 in stock.

With the shelf empty I ask one of the staff to scan it and check the back. She finds that 24 of them have been put aside with someones name on them. That's totally fine and I understand how that works as I've done it before.

That was a week ago.

The annoying part is that the 24 on hold are still there a week later.

I wish they could at least get the bottles to not show up as inventory if they're on hold for someone. I hate being tricked into going in to buy something.

Craig wrote: I wish they could at least get the bottles to not show up as inventory if they're on hold for someone. I hate being tricked into going in to buy something.

+1 million. Cannot stand this practice. And staff seem completely oblivious that the drinking public actually go to the website to check inventory.

kafercrazy wrote:I got a notification from DrinkVine that Rochefort 10 is at my local, 31 in stock.

With the shelf empty I ask one of the staff to scan it and check the back. She finds that 24 of them have been put aside with someones name on them. That's totally fine and I understand how that works as I've done it before.

That was a week ago.

The annoying part is that the 24 on hold are still there a week later.

Look at the name on the case and then walk up to the cashier and pretend you are that person and that your are here to pick up your case of Rochefort 10.

If someone hasn't picked it up in over a week thsn this is a legit move to pull IMO.

BakaGaijin wrote:

kafercrazy wrote:I got a notification from DrinkVine that Rochefort 10 is at my local, 31 in stock.

With the shelf empty I ask one of the staff to scan it and check the back. She finds that 24 of them have been put aside with someones name on them. That's totally fine and I understand how that works as I've done it before.

That was a week ago.

The annoying part is that the 24 on hold are still there a week later.

Look at the name on the case and then walk up to the cashier and pretend you are that person and that your are here to pick up your case of Rochefort 10.

If someone hasn't picked it up in over a week thsn this is a legit move to pull IMO.

I wouldn't do this... yet. What I've done, twice now, is ask for the manager. Explain that you understand putting items aside but that they've been put aside for X days and that you're ready to buy now. Unless there is a future pickup date, they will sell it to you.

dale cannon wrote:

ercousin wrote:Just wanted to throw a quick kudos to the Parkway Mall (Vic Park and Ellesmere) LCBO. They have really stepped it up on selection recently and ordered every beer. The beer guy is intent on getting everything he can. They even had a bunch in stock tonight that Laird didn't even have out yet (like Bolshevik 4-pk, La Resolution, Nickelbrook Cuvee, etc...).

Up and coming store for sure.

+1

Best location within a reasonable distance of my office. Much improved lately, and vastly so since they were located in the strip mall there.

I can tell you personally that the beer guy there is among the best in the city. He is entirely dedicated to getting everything and anything and prides himself on his selection and knowledge. In fact, he's a fellow BarToweller. I'd rank this store on par with Brock/Highway 2, Summerhill, Queen's Quay, Wilson & Dufferin, and any other ones worth mentioning. Moreover, the manager for that store is one of the best in the province hands down.

biegaman wrote:

dale cannon wrote:

ercousin wrote:Just wanted to throw a quick kudos to the Parkway Mall (Vic Park and Ellesmere) LCBO. They have really stepped it up on selection recently and ordered every beer. The beer guy is intent on getting everything he can. They even had a bunch in stock tonight that Laird didn't even have out yet (like Bolshevik 4-pk, La Resolution, Nickelbrook Cuvee, etc...).

Up and coming store for sure.

+1

Best location within a reasonable distance of my office. Much improved lately, and vastly so since they were located in the strip mall there.

I can tell you personally that the beer guy there is among the best in the city. He is entirely dedicated to getting everything and anything and prides himself on his selection and knowledge. In fact, he's a fellow BarToweller. I'd rank this store on par with Brock/Highway 2, Summerhill, Queen's Quay, Wilson & Dufferin, and any other ones worth mentioning. Moreover, the manager for that store is one of the best in the province hands down.

You'd almost have to know of BarTowel to even know what the LCBO makes available such as the full winter release. I suspect a typical LCBO beer consumer's experience is very much trick-or-treat and he's not usually being given the options in a forthright manner as anyone deserves.

So that's good stuff. Let's support this store's efforts.

Brock and highway 2 has a great selection, now only if they would refrigerate the craft selection rather than letting the light and warmth kill all these great releases especially IPAs and double IPAs

I wouldn't do this... yet. What I've done, twice now, is ask for the manager. Explain that you understand putting items aside but that they've been put aside for X days and that you're ready to buy now. Unless there is a future pickup date, they will sell it to you.

+1 I played it this way. Even gave my name and number and said when you are fed up waiting, give me a call. I had beer within two days.

mgmoney wrote:Brock and highway 2 has a great selection, now only if they would refrigerate the craft selection rather than letting the light and warmth kill all these great releases especially IPAs and double IPAs

Keep in mind though that these beers are not refrigerated during transit... or in the main warehouse... or in the store's warehouse so not sure if it would make a big difference overall. I agree though, it would be ideal.

Agree also bugs me when I see IPAs that are over 6 months old...saw some Smashbomb on the shelf unrefrigerated that was a year old...I'm sure Peter or any other brewer dies a little inside when they hear about this

mgmoney wrote:Agree also bugs me when I see IPAs that are over 6 months old...saw some Smashbomb on the shelf unrefrigerated that was a year old...I'm sure Peter or any other brewer dies a little inside when they hear about this

Sadly I see this kind of thing all the time. There are stores that until very recently had cans of Denisons next to Side Launch wheat. Unfortunately this simply reflects the subpar knowledge and indifference of the LCBO and its employees, even the "beer ambassadors".