BC Liquor Store

I think I know this place. Like, I’ve been here a long time ago few times… Maybe couple of decades ago, along the line.
I was fresh then, both ways, just off the plane, knew little English, still on Second-​handed English. And I was, Young!
My family’s friend of, related, knew the son, on my side first, then my family, and his family, somehow, new all each other. Both fathers’ worked for Hyundai, not the auto part — hyundai, a huge congromate whatever, you-​name-​what-​making-​money-​4-​whatsoever. His father was still working for, and my father just freshily retired, both on construction part, I remember. My father used to be middle man-​engineering all sorts of things, and his father was higher, and lucky, he didn’t get fired yet.
His mother owned a gift-​shop at very Kingsgate mall, so her son, my then-​best friend, always took care of the shop too. We are kinda relaxed, worried both times living in new country, and always tried to smile all our smile all the time! I would get off from my work around part-​time, then would see him, usually on the weekend.
Then, sometimes, we get beers and share at his place, relaxing watching stupid-​horror movie then. Maybe second time of visit on the very liquor store at this mall, I remember one clerk, working on his shelf, looking at us at sideway, and very slowly, and quite in low, husky voice, said word
Ching — - Kie — –
We looked at him, he just went on his work.
We picked our 6 pack, and went cashier, and he came along. Like, nothing happened. Very Like!
So we paid for the beer, and, like, watching that horror movies again at his place. That’s what tweener do, I guess. And nothing happened.
Coming back here, after all those years, is like, fun. I always loved beer, not even joints, although I’m not against legalizing it… So been here more than a couple times again. Then, WoW, I see that guy again, still here, working same, after all those years, and He doesn’t even look aged, maybe he wasn’t not much older than us, back then. Except his got huge bulge on his upper right (?) eye, with some black spots spreading on… So that guy calling us the name is still here, hey, hahaha! So weird! I thought.
Like, being in that place, seeing that guy, again, isn’t quite not very nice feeling, I guess… living in Hongcouver, now is this Chingoover? Chingoo, Amigo, very Friend… Always there, when you been there. Maybe he is homekeeper.
This place, like any other BC Liquor Stores in Vancouver, isn’t very nice place for an immigrant. Somehow, I guess, they, don’t like immigrants’ precence there. Unless you dress very nice, or dress different just like foreign visitors, or newcomers do.
Especially this place, isn’t very not nice one. Thatt lady there, standing there for a minutes, grinning her grin, just for asking for direction for, while her shelving, and throwing away her utility knife away, finally to help me to give me direction… and how about it was wrong direction? I’m serious.
Plus 2 point for Nostalgia, and her kindness

I came here to get the beer advent calendars during Christmas. The man on the phone was very nice and put one on hold for me.
When I got there, another man snapped at me and said I couldn’t have one even though I had put it on hold. It was so weird how rude he was even though he wasn’t listening to my story.
3 stars because the guy on the phone swept in and led me to the calendar. He even helped me carry it to the car! Too bad he has to work with such a grinch!

I came in here to get some vodka to make some home made mint vodka with hot chocolate holiday packs for a friend’s company Christmas party as party favors. The lady at the til was really sweet and nice.

One of 2 things happens to me EVERY time I go into Kingsgate liquor store.
1– I get hit on. The pick up lines are usually pretty slurred but I catch their drift.
2– Someone gets kicked out for being way too drunk.
Or if it’s my lucky day, both!
Overall this is a decent liquor store. The selection is good, the staff are always friendly, and the entertainment can’t be beat. I’ll be back soon I’m sure.

I had several bad experiences with this store regarding their beer «on sale» (about 15% discount). About 50% of the bottles had absolutely no carbonation left in them on opening and a few had only some remnant of carbonation.
I never have any problem with these beers when I buy them at their standard price (not «on sale»).
The beers involved are both 750ml bottles from Unibroue (Quebec) brewer and are the «Maudite» and the «Blanche de Chambly».
I brought back a couple of these defective bottles on two occasions to the store Customer Service Desk. Each time, the staff there never apologized even slightly for the bad product (the second time, it was a «supervisor»). They never inspected the bottles either. However they immediately proposed, on both occasions, to replace the bottle with one from a «newly arrived batch».
That tells me that they are perfectly aware that a large % of these «on sale» bottles are indeed defective products that were kept for too long on their shelf, probably long passed their date of consumption. I suspect that for economic reasons, they prefer to take a chance and get rid of them «on sale», opting to abuse a few customers, rather than returning or disposing of these stalled defective products.
Not a good business practice in my book.
(I tried to reach the Liquor Distribution Branch to make them aware of this situation but could never reach anybody there).
Edit (Sept. 10): I just opened yet another bad one (a Blanche de Chambly) from that same Liquor Store. I contacted the brewing company in Quebec. They did apologize and proposed to reimburse the bottle by mailing a cheque.

Turns out this neck of the woods does have a government liquor store indeed.
Parking is plentiful in the included mall lot. Just for the record, this store is in the W side of the mall. This is where you want to park.
The selection here is typical, with wine, beer, and liquor all separated into their own sections.
One special mention here is that the staff are extremely helpful. I was looking for some seasonal booze, and the staff knew exactly where to direct me, without batting an eye.
Where would we all be without liquor.

Located in one of my favourite malls (don’t judge) in all of Vancouver, this liquor store is far busier than it really should be. The lines are always there, and the staff will always take the time to ask me for a THIRD piece of ID (thank the combination of good genes, a second-​coming of adult puberty and daily over-​hydrating for that one), and the selection is what you’d expect from any government store — limited, but there. Thank gahd they renovated though, ‘cuz it was looking like a mighty sad hole for a long while.
Also, think about it: chips n’ dip from Buy Low, eyeliner from Shoppers, hooker boots from Scalie, off-​cut, hole-​filled teeshirt from the gangster store, and a bottle or two from here, and you’ve got yourself a party, son.
Not my first choice for liquor stores in the neighbourhood, but easy when in a pinch.

this store gets very busy and they often seem understaffed. their stock is average, you’ll find all of your popular beer, wine, spirits here, but the selection isn’t great if you’re looking for something unusual.

I’m not a huge alcohol drinker, and the types I like are all expensive (got a thing for super sweet liqueurs). I’m shocked at how much even a small bottle of Baileys costs here, why? Also, where are the small bottles of red wine? I can never drink a whole bottle of Merlot on my own, think of us non alchys please!
Still, this place has a large choice, and my American boyfriend is shocked at how all the vodka is near enough the same price despite the differences in quality. So that’s good I guess! Queues move fast in here, and it can be fun people watching in here, there are definitely some types on the prowl ;)

The staff here make the difference. Sometimes they’re awesome and other times, not so much.
The selection leaves something to be desired, but it happens to be incredibly convenient, so I end up here a lot.

Be warned this is a busy store, but the selection is much larger than the neighbouring liquor stores.
GREAT selection of beer, wine and spirits.
Avoid going to this store (or any liquor store for that matter) between 4:30−7pm.

You expect to wait in line this time of year at a liquor store… it’s the holidays and everyone and their dog is drinking… especially on New Years Eve…
So.I went to pick up some bubbly today and knew it may be a bit of a wait… what I wasn’t expecting is that I would have to wait to even get into the liquor store… that’s right. a line up 25+ people deep down the hallway of Kingsgate Mall… hmmmm…is it really worth it? Uh.ya.of booze is always worth the wait!
What surprised me was how quickly it moved. the store was super prepared for the crowds and ran an efficient and strategic operation to get everyone in and out as painlessly as possible. and it worked!
Shocking to me though was how little Champagne was left… only Baby Duck and some other crappy brand at $ 5.99 a bottle… so Baby Duck for New Years it is!