La Bodega

I love La Bodega.
It reminds me of the bottle shops I used to frequent in Portland, OR… except with way more friendly service!
But I don’t often go to La Bodega. One is in Girdwood and one is out-​of-​they-​way for me on busy Benson Blvd.
Then, I saw that they have one close to me in Spenard!
Yep, in the same plaza as Title Wave Books, Yak & Yeti, and REI; you’ll now find a shiny new Lab Bodega!
I’ve heard it described as the «city loft» location, and that is quite apt.
It’s tiny. It’s like a tiny house. All non-​essential functions have been stripped and the space has been optimized.
At least in concept.
When I came here it seemed like they were still trying to get their feet underneath them. Despite having a much smaller space… there was still lots of room in the cooler and some empty shelves.
Of course, they still had the nicely curated selection of things you want and things-​you-​never-​knew-​you-​wanted, I just wish they had more!
My vote goes to: more canned IPA’s and limited-​edition beers, please!
I know they are new, so I’ll be sure to update this review once they are more tightly-​packed.
P. S. they still have growler fills! I counted about 4 taps.

Brand spanking new branch of the locally owned Bodega «chain.» I say chain because this is store number 3; there’s one in Girdwood at the Boardwalk and there’s one on Benson heading into East Anchorage. Talking to the gal at the counter, she explained the owner acknowledges the East-​West commute along the Benson-​Norther Lights is a PIA and most folks prefer to shop on their side of town. This west side location has been in the works for a couple years and finally came to fruition this week.
The store won’t be completely running on all cylinders for a couple months, so if you visit, expect to see some significant changes forthcoming. The coolest thing pending is MiddleWay Café next door is opening a pizza place so you will be able to grab an adult beverage from Bodega to enjoy with your pizza. Can’t wait to see how that plan works out.
In its current state, the offerings are much smaller than the other locations. This is sort of a Bodega express, with their best and most popular items available. They do still have the growler refill station with 5 beers and 1 cider. I scored some reasonably priced rhubarb cider thar I can’t wait to try when I get home. Good times, baby.