If Trader Joes had a better selection, I would...

I'm in MD, but I'm jumping on this bandwagon, too...

 

I will..... Still shop at wholefoods

 

...I still wouldn't go out of my way to shop there.

The locally owned liquor store two blocks away from my place owned by a guy who knows shit about all beverages is good enough for me.

 

The Trader's in Costa Mesa's selection is pretty good. They carry Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome which, for some reason, HiTimeWine has dropped.

 

Yeah, it's a bargain!

 

I came here to say that...

 

I tried the Holiday Vintage this winter and I found it delicious at first, but towards the end it had a strong molasses flavor.

 

Then it wouldn't be as cheap. The savings on electricity allows them to sell things cheaper. Regardless, I always snag a few beers when I shop at TJs (quite often). Gotta love a place that let's you pull single beers from packs.

 

Wife loves it and I think it's great too. Great bargain.

 

Clearly the original poster has not had the exquisite opportunity to try anything out of the uber premium Boatswain line of finest ales. Who could forget their IPA with no discernible hop flavor,but with the intoxicating aroma of a gym sock?

 

I keep wanting to try this and it keeps never showing up in Dallas.

 

Goose Island used to brew it for them, I am unsure if they do. Firestone walker does their Mission Street IPA and it is a bargain too

 

If Trader Joe's had a better selection, I would .... still buy more beer at Whole Foods Market because it is A) geographically closer, and B) would still have a better selection than TJ without even trying that hard.

The closest TJ to me doesn't carry much in the way of beer... wine on the other hand... you'd think we were living in a damn vineyard.

 

Since Goose Island stopped brewing their own Oatmeal Stout, Gordon Biersch started brewing it for TJ's -- and it's still pretty good.

I love the TJ's German-style beers brewed by Gordon Biersch -- great beer, great value.

 

That's where your expertise and this site comes in handy

 

I completely understand your wish that Trader Joe's had a better selection (me too), but I think they're doing just fine for what they are - which is not a beer store, but a market that mainly sells contracted store-brand items. And if they can keep putting out their Unibroue beers at $5 and $6, they can't be beat!

I also agree that Total Wine & More has some high markups on beer, but that's where the money is right now. If everyone balked at the prices and sales dropped, the prices would drop as well. In their defense, there are a lot of smaller shops near me that take an even higher mark-up!!!

As to Whole Foods, which wasn't mentioned originally but was brought up later, they offer some of the best prices around! And they have a much wider selection than Trader Joe's. Wegmans Market does the same thing.

 

I am not just interested in purchasing a beer. I am interested in supporting a small, craft beer centric business that takes the time to train its staff. When I buy from a small local business the money stays in my community. When I buy from a large chain my money goes to Potomac Maryland. The blind pursuit of the best deal is what helped create the domination of adjunct industrial lager. Do we really want to go through all that again?

 

I have no reason to complain about my local TJ's. They always have, among other things, 750 mls of Chimay blue, Chimay red, and an offering from Unibroue (leaving aside their own Unibroue-brewed Vintage Ale), as well as 6-packs of Jai Alai and 4-packs of Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout. Always.