Savemore Discount Liquors

It occurred to me the other night when I was having my once a year Vodka craving that the nearest place to purchase any of this sinful item is at this out-​of-​the-​way liquor store one exit up from where I live.
So, roughly on an annual basis, I will visit this strange store which is virtually the last tenant in a shopping center that saw its «heyday» about 25 years ago. The parking lot is abandoned and dark at night, and weeds are about to take over the last of this complex. When I make the drive, I even wonder if THIS store will be there, considering the ongoing discussion of leveling the shopping center for a new, more relevant sort of development.
Alas, things don’t EVER change or develop too quickly in Marin… so sure enough this «mom and pop» store still exists at the end of this strip mall.
Granted, they don’t have the *best* prices compared to a place like BevMo… but for a pint of vodka that I only buy on a limited basis… it is not worth it to drive another 15 minutes up or down the freeway to go to a warehouse liquor store.
What else is interesting is that there is a really nice couple that work there every single day… day in and day out. They are friendly and are pretty good about having a good selection and occasional specials. And the icing on the cake? The lady who runs the counter always hesitates before she rings me up for a second, alluding to the possibility that I just *might* be under 21!
HAHAHA. I’ll drive through a dark, weed-​grown abandoned parking lot in the middle of nowhere anytime for that!

Our little neighborhood liquor store. The owners couldn’t be sweeter always helping you find a great wine on sale or offering to package it in a gift bag for you. I wish the developers would get on with revitalizing this shopping center b/​c it has so much potential. I highly recommend this liquor store for friendly service, good selection (although I wish they had fresh lemon & limes more often) and easy access from the freeway.

As you drive past the Marinwood exit off Highway 101 in Marin, you’d never know that in a mostly-​abandoned shopping center just a few moments off the freeway, there is a truly excellent liquor store.
The overgrown vacant lot adjacent to the derelict shopping center gives way to a cracked and weedy parking lot that is being reclaimed by vegetation. There is an empty Bell grocery store and an abandoned Chuck E Cheese. The only places still in business here are a dry cleaner and the truly excellent Savemore Discount Liquors.
Now, the name of the store is a little misleading, as this is not a discount liquor store, and you are likely not going to save money going here. However, the prices are not unreasonable, and the selection is terrific.
This is a very good liquor store with a great selection of beer, wine, and liquor. Also, much to its credit, it is stocked with an abundance of supplies for the not-​so-​casual home mixologist. You’ll find things here you might not expect: Torani crème de menthe, Trader Vic’s Orgeat, Tomolives, Mandarine Napoleon, pretty much the entire de Kuyper line of liquers (including orange & blue curacao — which can sometimes give you fits to track down), the list goes on and on and gets increasingly impressive.
It’s got the standard convenience store items, too. You can snap into a Slim Jim, buy a lottery ticket, get corn chips, a bag of charcoal, a bottle opener, a lighter, etc… Sometimes they even have a little basket of fresh limes at the checkout counter, which, to me, is a little flourish that pretty much defines liquor store perfection.
The owners of the store are there every day — no matter what. These are two of the most friendly people you are ever likely to meet, too.
All in all, this store is a gem. It’s a shame that it’s stuck in an out of the way location, and even more of a shame that they probably won’t be there too much longer since the ghost town shopping center will likely be razed and rebuilt in the next couple of years. But, while it’s here, I consider myself very lucky to have such a superlative and pro-​styley liquor store nearby.