North Star Liquor Store

3 ½ years after their first review… this place is pretty much the same, less the angry little dog.
The man and woman working there are very friendly. It seemed like a very, very small business. So much so, I wondered if they might actually live in the back room. But there was something about their cheerful demeanour that made me want to buy something from them. Me in a liquor store = Kid in a candy store. This shouldn’t be hard…
But it was!
The shelves are half stocked and dirty. It looked like a closing sale with bare places on the shelves. It was also interesting to see them make use of the cool room with plates of food kicking around in there…
There is no rhyme or reason to the booze they have. There’s no craft beer selection except for this super rare STOKED beer from New Zealand. Most beer stores have an insane selection before you’d but something like this. But at North Star, this was their one, single venture into the craft world. Huh.
Still wanting to support them, I bought a 15 pack of PBR and left.
I really liked my quick conversation with the man — our meeting made me really happy! Unfortunately I probably won’t be back because, well, pretty much every liquor store I know of is better than this one.
I’m sorry, North Star.

This place is operated by an elderly couple who appear to treat the store like their own house. There are dishes, food and other items left on the shelves alongside the liquor bottles. There was a little dog roaming around as well, which I assume is also normal practice for them. I was okay with it following me around until I was jumped on. The wife called the dog to her so it stayed behind the counter, but then it just growled. Awesome. Not a welcoming feeling, that’s for sure.
The beverage selection is kind of bizarre. Who carries six 750ml bottles of Lemon Gin? Maybe there’s a demand for it in this neighborhood. Who knows.
The atmosphere seemed awkward and I wasn’t in the store for long before leaving empty handed. Presentation is everything these days and North Star Liquor does not offer a pleasant shopping experience.
April Challenge: The Underdog ¹⁵⁄₃₀