The Liquor Store

I finally broke down and hit one of the local liquor stores. I went to Chilie's on Hwy 82. It it the biggest in town and was recommended by a number of folks. Well it appears to have a pretty decent selection of wine and an okay selection of liquor. I was a bit stumped though. I worked for 2 years in a Liquor Wholesaler and have a better than average understanding of how a liquor store is arranged. I quickly located the liquors (very few) and the clears (vodka, gin, tequila) and around the corner from that was an adequate selection of Irish Whiskey and Scotch. By adequate I mean they carry Jameson, Bushmills, and Blackbush. I looked around but did not find bourbon. I was on a quest for bourbon, I keep a very nice bottle or two of Scotch in the apartment as well as Irish Whisky but was out of bourbon. Mike hooked me up with a bottle of Maker's Mark when I moved here and I knocked that off a few weeks ago. I was hoping to find a bottle of Booker's which is my preferred brand (although it is more then a little pricey). I blame Grover, he got me hooked on it.

Anyway, the bourbon, Canadian, and sour mash whiskey is all behind the counter for some reason at this place. I had to wait for the owner to finish talking to a customer about how the guy's son got popped in the face by his rifle scope while deer hunting and therefore took 3 shots to hit a deer (perhaps deer in these parts are a bit dumb thanks to the brown water). I asked for a fifth of Maker's Mark as it was the top brand they carry and the guy asked me if I needed anything else. I said that was it and as he rang it up he asked where I was from. He did not believe I was from NO....don't know why. What happened next was a 15 minute conversation about where I went to college, why was I in Greenville, how big was UNO, was it a private school, how did I like LSU, how big is LSU's graduate school, and was I really from NO....bizarre, but friendly. Remember, it is important to be friends with your liquor suppliers. After all, Grover and I still get great service at Elio's.

If you are in NO and need a drink, especially a keg, check out Elio's. Check out the list of kegs available on the website, it is the most extensive list I have seen anywhere!