Comments on: Miracle on McGrath Highway http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/ Bars, bartenders and imbibing in Beantown. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:11:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: james http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-17053 james Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:15:14 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-17053 Thanks for the link. that is in fact what I'd found out from our tasting "professor." Two affirmatives mean I can't go wrong! Thanks for the link. that is in fact what I’d found out from our tasting “professor.” Two affirmatives mean I can’t go wrong!

]]> By: ljclark http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-17044 ljclark Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:16:27 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-17044 I'm pretty sure it's the place next to the Fresh Pond Whole Foods -- Mall Discount Liquors & Wines, aka Cambridge Wine & Spirits: http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&q=discount+liquors&near=Cambridge,+MA&fb=1&cid=0,0,15945399307683354081&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A I’m pretty sure it’s the place next to the Fresh Pond Whole Foods — Mall Discount Liquors & Wines, aka Cambridge Wine & Spirits: http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&q=discount+liquors&near=Cambridge,+MA&fb=1&cid=0,0,15945399307683354081&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A

]]> By: james http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-17030 james Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:37:05 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-17030 I'm not coming up with anything on Cambridge Discount Liquors in terms of location. Obviously, cambridge. Can you help me out with an address? Thanks! I’m not coming up with anything on Cambridge Discount Liquors in terms of location. Obviously, cambridge. Can you help me out with an address? Thanks!

]]> By: Br. Cleve http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6666 Br. Cleve Mon, 24 Dec 2007 19:16:05 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6666 Ah, Sav-Mor -- that was my main packy when I lived in Union Sq, which I did for well over a decade. There was a clerk I named Whoopsie Goldberg, who ranted one night after she had carded Peter Wolf, who responded with a 'don't you know who I am' to which she replied 'pull out the ID and show me the picture, honey, just show me the picture!'. But I digress. Sav-Mor has always had a large and varied selection due to its warehouse size, with lots of good wines, hard to find liqueurs, and good variety of spirits, esp Portuguese and Brazilian ones. But I think Jerry's Liquors probably has a better cachaça selection. Jerry was the first (and, for awhile, only) game in town for it; I remember buying Pitu from him back in '89, when he warned me to 'be very careful with this' (I wasn't). Liquor World had a decent wine selection, but nothing unusual in the spirits world. Cambridge Discount Liquors has always had some hard-to-find selections : right now, they're one of the few places carrying the Rothman & Winter spirits. Atlas Liquors over the border in Medford is renown for their selection and prices, as is the giant Kappy's on the Fellsway. Even though I now live on the other side of the river, I find myself back at these places fairly often. All I can get here in the ghetto is phosphorusly colored fortified wines at Hancock Liquors and, my personal favorite, Old Dirty Bastard Liquors II. Ah, Sav-Mor — that was my main packy when I lived in Union Sq, which I did for well over a decade. There was a clerk I named Whoopsie Goldberg, who ranted one night after she had carded Peter Wolf, who responded with a ‘don’t you know who I am’ to which she replied ‘pull out the ID and show me the picture, honey, just show me the picture!’. But I digress. Sav-Mor has always had a large and varied selection due to its warehouse size, with lots of good wines, hard to find liqueurs, and good variety of spirits, esp Portuguese and Brazilian ones. But I think Jerry’s Liquors probably has a better cachaça selection. Jerry was the first (and, for awhile, only) game in town for it; I remember buying Pitu from him back in ‘89, when he warned me to ‘be very careful with this’ (I wasn’t). Liquor World had a decent wine selection, but nothing unusual in the spirits world. Cambridge Discount Liquors has always had some hard-to-find selections : right now, they’re one of the few places carrying the Rothman & Winter spirits. Atlas Liquors over the border in Medford is renown for their selection and prices, as is the giant Kappy’s on the Fellsway. Even though I now live on the other side of the river, I find myself back at these places fairly often. All I can get here in the ghetto is phosphorusly colored fortified wines at Hancock Liquors and, my personal favorite, Old Dirty Bastard Liquors II.

]]> By: Adam http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6636 Adam Sat, 22 Dec 2007 22:18:15 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6636 And another report from the field: The liquor store next to the Fresh Pond Whole Foods (I can't tell if it's a Kappy's or Cambridge Discount -- both signs are there) has quite a large selection of stuff. Mostly standards, but they also have quite a few of the more "obscure" choices, if you look carefully. And it was nice to hear someone in the next aisle ask where she could find Benedictine and applejack, and the guy immediately replied "follow me..." :-) And another report from the field: The liquor store next to the Fresh Pond Whole Foods (I can’t tell if it’s a Kappy’s or Cambridge Discount — both signs are there) has quite a large selection of stuff. Mostly standards, but they also have quite a few of the more “obscure” choices, if you look carefully. And it was nice to hear someone in the next aisle ask where she could find Benedictine and applejack, and the guy immediately replied “follow me…” :-)

]]> By: ljclark http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6619 ljclark Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:22:21 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6619 Thanks for chiming in, Adam. Ah yes, Imbibe! is on my Christmas list. Thanks for chiming in, Adam. Ah yes, Imbibe! is on my Christmas list.

]]> By: Adam L http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6618 Adam L Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:39:11 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6618 I was actually at Sav-Mor today picking up items for a party I'm going to tonight (and Bartending). Last time I got that Guide I tossed it w/o even looking at it. I'll hold on to the second one I got due to your post, Lauren. In regard to the cachaca - I can't say it's the best selection, but I can say I was blown away at how much they had there. More then I can ever remember seeing anywhere. I've been surprised by the beer selection at the Porter Square shopping center liquor store. Last time I was there (a long time ago) I didn't browse the liquor selection, but I did ask the woman there if they carried Maraschino and got "We're out, I'll need to order more" as opposed to "Is that cherry?" which I got from Kappy's on Rt. 16/28. [BTW - for those who care: The "specialty" drinks I'm planning to make tonight are the El Splendido (B-Side's) and the Whiskey Smash. Plus the Rocky Mountain Punch from David Wondrich's new book "Imbibe!"] I was actually at Sav-Mor today picking up items for a party I’m going to tonight (and Bartending).

Last time I got that Guide I tossed it w/o even looking at it. I’ll hold on to the second one I got due to your post, Lauren.

In regard to the cachaca - I can’t say it’s the best selection, but I can say I was blown away at how much they had there. More then I can ever remember seeing anywhere.

I’ve been surprised by the beer selection at the Porter Square shopping center liquor store. Last time I was there (a long time ago) I didn’t browse the liquor selection, but I did ask the woman there if they carried Maraschino and got “We’re out, I’ll need to order more” as opposed to “Is that cherry?” which I got from Kappy’s on Rt. 16/28.

[BTW - for those who care: The “specialty” drinks I’m planning to make tonight are the El Splendido (B-Side’s) and the Whiskey Smash. Plus the Rocky Mountain Punch from David Wondrich’s new book “Imbibe!”]

]]> By: ljclark http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6617 ljclark Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:45:22 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6617 Interesting, Adam. I haven't been in that Porter Sq store (Liquor World?) in ages; will have to check it out. As for your cachaca question ... I'm sorry to say I don't know. Interesting, Adam. I haven’t been in that Porter Sq store (Liquor World?) in ages; will have to check it out. As for your cachaca question … I’m sorry to say I don’t know.

]]> By: Adam http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6608 Adam Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:21:07 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6608 I've had extremely bad luck with Ball Square. They never called me back the two times I asked them to special order something (both times after giving me enthusiastic, "of course we can get that" answers), and I don't find their selection of spirits to be very good. Much, much, better, in my opinion, is the store in the Porter Square shopping area by Shaws. They carry a wide variety of interesting spirits, including every one mentioned in this post (except for the bitters, if that counts as a spirit). Plus, their prices are lower than Ball Square. A win-win situation, aside from the horrors of that parking lot... I've heard that Sav More has the best selection of cachaca in the area. True? I’ve had extremely bad luck with Ball Square. They never called me back the two times I asked them to special order something (both times after giving me enthusiastic, “of course we can get that” answers), and I don’t find their selection of spirits to be very good.

Much, much, better, in my opinion, is the store in the Porter Square shopping area by Shaws. They carry a wide variety of interesting spirits, including every one mentioned in this post (except for the bitters, if that counts as a spirit). Plus, their prices are lower than Ball Square. A win-win situation, aside from the horrors of that parking lot…

I’ve heard that Sav More has the best selection of cachaca in the area. True?

]]> By: Craig http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6594 Craig Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:29:42 +0000 http://drinkboston.com/2007/12/19/miracle-on-mcgrath-highway/#comment-6594 Forager- I didn't know about Ball Square Liquors. and that's not too far from where I am. I'll check it out, and thanks for the tip! Forager- I didn’t know about Ball Square Liquors. and that’s not too far from where I am. I’ll check it out, and thanks for the tip!

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