Ever wonder about value in the Virginia ABC store? WaPo writer Tom Jackman has reviewed a new app for iphone and android that compares prices and value in the Virginia ABC stores.
How many times have you wondered, just what is the difference in price AND quality between different types of tequila at the Virginia ABC store? And can you really get a straight answer from the ABC clerk? And where’s the closest ABC store to me RIGHT NOW? I know, many times.
These are the questions that Ben Katz, a recent Virginia Tech graduate from Oak Hill in Fairfax County, set out to solve for those with a smart phone and a thirst for immediate alcohol knowledge. So he created the “VABC” app for the iPhone and the Android, now available in their various stores for the low, low price of 99 cents on iOS, and free on Android. It does not allow you to compare prices between ABC stores, because ABC doesn’t reveal which specific types of alcohol are sold in which stores, but it does allow you to compare between 2,300 types of drinks, and it also incorporates review ratings of the various brands from both the Beverage Testing Institute and the Wine Enthusiast, which apparently has expanded its enthusiasms.
This sounds like a great app, especially the free or inexpensive part. The review ratings should also come in handy. I don’t know much about tequila. I would value someone else’s opinion. I also don’t drink gin. It makes me perspire heavily. (Don’t even ask how I found this out.) I would probably just buy Beefeaters if I needed gin for something, only because I know the name. but is it a good buy? Probably not.
What are some of the great apps out there and why? Let’s share some of the good things we like and know about.
I’m more of a wine drinker, so I have the Vivino app on my iPhone, and I love it. It’s free, and you can scan wine labels to find out prices, where the wines are sold, and ratings/reviews. It’s interesting to see how much the markup is in bottles of wine you buy in restaurants–and then find out you can get the same wine at Trader Joe’s for $12.
I saw someone buying Gray Goose in the alphabet store the other day. I thought of you. @Emma
Nice to see my favorite Scotch Whisky front and center (second from left) in the graphic.
Which scotch is that, Scout? I can’t read the labels. What is in that neat bottle, far left? Something clear it appears.
Far left is Belvedere vodka. It is a Polish product, I think. They use these lovely bottles with reverse images that are seen through the liquid. The Scotch is The Balvenie, first recommended to me about 20 years ago by a transplanted Scotsman who lived in Texas, but whose thick brogue seemed to get even thicker with time. The image is a little blurry, but it appears to be an edition that is stored in port casks and it looks to be a 21 year old product (old enough to drink). It would be a very pricey bottle. Third from left is Tito vodka, a Texas product that is quite good quality and that is a relative bargain compared to, say, Grey Goose or Ketel. I have had Russian acquaintances comment favorably on Tito and express surprise that is Texas born and bred.
Balvenie Doublewood is also very good. Age first in old bourbon barrels and finished in sherry barrels. I’ve only had it once or twice but The Macallan 30 year old is perhaps the best whisky I have ever tasted. When I can I buy The Macallan 18–very smooth. Aged in sherry barrels. Tanqueray is a very good gin. Gray Goose–yes–ice cold–straight up. If you want to see what prices could be in a world outside ABC stores, take a look here: http://www.statelineliquors.com The prices will knock your socks off. Plus they have coupon sales. Bailey’s Irish Cream for example is $17 and change right now. If you’re in the neighborhood of Elkton,MD, you should give it a try. If you do, you may want to come back and burn down the ABC store for how much they are ripping us off.
A Beefeater gin Gibson straight up = my choice of pre-dinner drink.
One is enough.
@Scout Belvedere is an excellent vodka. The bottle depicts the beautiful Belvedere Palace in Warsaw, which I visited in 2009.
Moon, I still think Grey Goose is the best, but Costco actually carries a less-expensive and excellent premium vodka, if you don’t mind the “Kirkland” label in your liquor cabinet.
Is there really a Kirkland labeled vodka or are you kidding me? Shoot, I would reuse a Grey Goose bottle in a heartbeat.
@Moon-howler No, I’m not kidding. It’s a French vodka and pretty good.
http://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature™-Vodka—Imported-from-France.product.100040739.html
Although I’m not touching the stuff these days–spending more time at the gym to get rid of the winter sloth.
@Moon-howler
Not sold in Virginia COSTCO–remember we have ABC stores that continue to rip us off. See my note above. Bought a half-gallon of Wild Turkey American Honey for a friend–$29.99 plus tax. Don’t know what it is in the ABC store but I can promise you it is MUCH more. Grant’s is my everyday scotch–around $36 in ABC store, can be had in DC for around $29.
Here is the price list:
http://www.abc.virginia.gov/Pricelist/price.html