I sometimes spend my lunch hour at Specs, a large beer/wine/liquor store that also stocks cigars and specialty food items and is situated about five minutes from my office. 
I’ve spent more time there during the summer as I’ve been trying to stock my fledging home bar. It’s a nice place – cool and dark, stocked with interesting bar gadgets, boasts an excellent Men’s Room, and most importantly, it has a massive variety of alcohol from around the world with relatively low prices to complement the selection. 
But lately, some of the other patrons are starting to depress me.
When it’s 11 a.m. on a Tuesday, and several people are using a grocery carts to hold all the liquor they plan to buy, it seems like a little much, like you might have a bit of an alcohol problem – especially when I saw you in here last Tuesday doing the same thing and I bet you didn’t host a party during the interval.
I sometimes carry a basket, but I vowed to stay away from carts after witnessing such actions.
There are also a lot of people who purchase Jagermeister. I figure if you’re still drinking Jagermeister more than 5 years outside of college, then you probably have an alcohol problem or at least an alcohol judgment problem. 
When I was there yesterday, a prominent sign had gone up on the front doors reading: “You must wear shoes and a shirt to enter here.” I’ve seen variations on this sentiment at businesses for years, and although I have yet to see someone running around barefoot and topless at Spec’s, I guess it’s only a matter of time before I catch a half-nude person pushing a shopping cart up and down the aisles.
It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that you find frequent indulgers at a liquor store. It’s like complaining about being surrounded by perverts at a peep show. I should probably just find different places to visit during my lunch hour anyway because I always worry about a co-worker driving by as I walk outside to my car, carrying a bottle inside a brown paper bag at 11:45 a.m.
It’s hard to explain that one away.
-BDS
Mind if I steal the Jager reference for my book about Generation Yo?
Some of my friends drink Jagermeister and I just don't get it. After I've dumped several out, they figured out I was never going to drink it. ha
Just don't make that "different place" for lunch the peep show, then people will REALLY start to talk ;)
wv: opikup
Troll Y2K - Go for it. Yo.
Jlee - Flew by you in Cyberspace . . . and smart move dumping the Jager as it doesn't signal a party to me, only piss-poor taste in booze. Ha. And no promises on the peep show - they have cheap buffets at lunch. :)
bwahahahaha I had already copied this line:
"alcohol judgment problem"
and then I read Troll's comment.
Mr. Boxer is into collecting bourbons and Washington is over CONTROLLED so it's too bad we don't have a Specs in our State.
On the Island's liquor store I recently witnessed a taxi pull up outside and an elderly woman get out. The clerk immediately ran to the back of the store and grabbed two gallon jugs of vodka and said "Good day Mrs. Jones."
apparently, she's there every week.
note to self; don't become that.
I think that's a pretty cool shop, actually. You owe no one any excuses.
When I lived in the Northern Territory we would be fined an enormous amount of money if we were caught buying booze for the Aborigines. Their elders had made it law that they couldn't drink alcohol but I guess laws are made to be broken and there wasn't anything they wouldn't try to get you to buy it for them. There also wasn't any time of day that was off limits either.
I'd go into that store every lunch time just to escape the heat. It looks dark and cool, just how I like my shops.
Boxer - I think Specs are only in Texas for now (originated in Houston I think). I am just now venturing into Bourbon and can't say that I love it - yet. Ha. And yeah - I think it's probably a good thing to be friendly with your liquor store, but when they know your name and that much of your order, it's probably time to cut back. :)
Heff - I'm not that ashamed. Ha. It's a cool place. Loads of beer too.
KayDee - That's crazy. But definitely an interesting story as I had no idea nor would have guessed that would be illegal. Seems like you could make some side money buying booze for them I guess. And I completely agree about dark and cool places as they are usually my favorites too, especially in the summer.
Wish a place like that was around the corner from me! I'm amazed at the number of folks that buy 30 packs of lite beer. I almost say "ewwww' out loud when they put it on the counter. Then there's the old ladies with the jug wine, "ewwww" again. For the record, last time I had Jager was on a flight back from Europe in 1977. I was in college, we were out of money and couldn't buy drinks on the plane. The Jager was a gift we were bringing back for someone's Dad. My friend cracked the bottle in flight and 3 pretty drunk students got off the plane @ JFK. I still think of flying anytime someone talks about the famous Jagermeister. Haven't touched a drop of it since. BTW the image of shirtless, shoeless people "grocery cart" shopping for liquor cracked me up. Thanks for the laugh.
I've always thought liquor stores in the States where kinda sketchy compared the one liquor store in Ontario. You see, in Ontario, the only place that sells liquor is the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. It is a government owned store chain. Most of the stores have a classy feel nowadays and I think that classy feel keeps away the low-lifes and degenerates. I don't think I've ever seen people "loading up" at the LCBO.
Or maybe I've never been to a liquor store in a sketchy part of town. Why would I? It's sketchy.
Actually, the LCBO near my work is pretty sketchy, but even there, I've never seen raging alcoholism.
Linda – Both of those scenarios sound like an eeewww from me too. Ha. Jug wine and cheap beer have their place (very, very occasionally), but when it’s all the time, that is a different story. And I had to smile about your Jager story as that makes perfect sense and that is the exact type of scenario in which drinking that stuff is reasonable and even a good thing (although it goes down better when it’s cold). The last time I touched it was in college myself . . .
WIGSF – That’s interesting. I didn’t realize it was a controlled thing like that in Canada. Wonder what that does for the prices . . . no idea. As for the States, it really runs the gamut as far as liquor stores as some places are as seedy as it gets, but lately, the trend in the larger cities is for these superstores which are well-lit and have good food too. I like it.
The drink that grosses me out the most is a "Jager Bomb" which somehow also includes Red Bull. Yuck!
But there is nothing wrong with making frequent trips to the liquor store. There is a huge liquor store not to far from my office, and durring those stressful moments at work, I often say that I'm going to Byrons. Or that we need I margarita machine under my desk. So far, neither threat has come true, but the stressful moments haven't gone away. Maybe I should get a little mini bar for under my desk. Hummm....
I think I may have a problem.....although the people at my liquor store don't know me know me but they pretty much know me. ut oh.
I actually have a bottle of Jager that has been in my fridge for 4-5 years. Does alcohol go bad? I have no idea how we got it, if it was a gift or what? It is definitely a shot thing at a bar for the beginning of the night when out when you know you are not driving home. Not at someone's house. So I have not had one of those nights in years. The mystery of the jager in my fridge??!!!
Thanks to Kmw, I now have a way to shorten interviews with Generation Yo! applicants:
First question, have you ever consumed a "Jager Bomb" ?
Jager seems like one of those drinks that you're just asking for trouble once you start partaking. Same goes for tequila (unless it's sipping tequila - but does anybody really drink that?).
the jager reference is a real good one. I never even really liked it during college; but still drank it:
Im a sale shopper; I always buy the alcohol thats for sale
Kmwthay - Uggh, the Jager Bomb sounds worse than Jager itself. Red Bull & Vokda is OK if you are dead tired and need to stay out anyway. As for under your desk, I think you should dedicate an entire drawer (the biggest one) to stocking a few items and then keep the cold mixers in the office fridge. That would be a fun project.
Nobich - Well, I guess you have to take into account the size of the liquor store too. If there was a small one by my house, then I would probably be known there too (after awhile at least). Even at the big one, there's one cashier girl who recongizes me, but I think that's OK. Ha. As long as you're not there every week with a big shopping cart full of liquor, then you're probably just fine.
Vivavavoom - That is an odd thing to have in teh fridge. Surely Mr. Viva recalls how it got there . . . yes? Ha. You should get to the bottom of it (not literally, I wouldn't drink it). I don't know the shelf life of Jager, but putting it in the trash is still probably the best option. Ha.
Troll Y2K - That is a good litmus test for applicants. Quick and to the point, and don't let them fake you out by pretending not to know what you're talking about.
Native Minnow - Yeah, Jager was always like that in college. Bad nights. And most people have an awful tequila story that keeps them from drinking it once they're adults. I still like it in Margaritas and Palomas, although I keep reading that there is a lot of good tequila flooding the market that you're supposed to sip versus slam. Maybe I"ll try some one day.
Slopmaster - Me too as far as the Jager. Drank it in college here & there at parties, but it was never worth a damn. I watch the sales myself as Spec's is good about those too, which is another good thing about the place.
I recently went to the liquour store on a break. I arrived before it opened and had to sit out on the curb like I was desperate for it to open. I didnt feel so bad cause there was another man waiting as well....
Then I grabbed a cart and loaded it up with 4 two fours (cases of 24) as they were impossible to keep on the shelves. I felt like a lush but I really wanted that beer.
Miss Ash - Ha. This whole story makes you sound like a full-on lush. :) But I got a kick out of it & you got the beer. I would add that if you're waiting on the curb or in the car for the liquor store to open, that might be an issue too. Ha.
I'm currently in Utah, the only place I have ever been told "we don't judge here" when I bought a bottle of Captain. Um...hm. Thanks.
This is only loosely related to your post but somehow I thought you would appreciate it and wanted to share.