Best selection of whiskey (by the bottle)?

For a bar with a good whiskey selection, I go to Delilah's. What is the liquor store equivalent? I've been going to the Binny's in Lakeview but the selection was never great and has been getting worse. They have even stopped carrying my standby Rittenhouse bottled-in-bond rye (criminally underpriced at $16 or so), which is the last straw. I swear half their American whiskey aisle is filled with the ever-multiplying variations of Jim Beam and Jack Daniels. There must be somewhere better in the city, but so far I have had very little luck.

I think the Binny's South Loop location has the best selection around. They have a separate room dedicated to "collectors" items as well as all of the usual suspects on the shelf.

Binny's
1132 S. Jefferson Street (just north of Roosevelt)
Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 312-768-4400
Fax: 312-341-9361
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9:00-9:00
Sun 11:00-6:00
Email: southloop@binnys.com

Binny's on Grand in River North has a nice whiskey selection.

There's also Drinks Over Dearborn, which always has some cool stuff.

enn wrote:I've been going to the Binny's in Lakeview but the selection was never great and has been getting worse. They have even stopped carrying my standby Rittenhouse bottled-in-bond rye (criminally underpriced at $16 or so), which is the last straw.

There are frequent shortages of Rittenhouse, I wouldn't assume the store stopped carrying it... Wild Turkey Rye is also one that tends to disappear for weeks at a time (it might not mean a thing, but they were even out at the distillery's tasting room on Friday). Having just returned from a bourbon/rye buying trip to Kentucky (and my wife thought we went for the horse racing!), I was floored by the selection of some of the corner stores down there. Binny's has a long way to go, but it's about the best we've got...South Loop isn't bad, but the newly remodeled Lincoln Park store is probably the best bet in the city. If you're looking for something in particular, you can always ask at Drinks Over Dearborn to see if they'll special order it for you.

I love DoD, but their whiskey selection is not up to snuff. Actually, the person who was working there the last time I was in referred me to Warehouse Liquors in the South Loop for whiskey selection -- I still have yet to see for myself.

If anyone has a source for Pappy Van Winkle 12 yr at this time of year, let me know. I cannot find it anywhere!

I saw both Van Winkle 12 year and 3 different brands of rye (not really high-end ryes--Old Overholt, the standard Rittenhouse and one other, don't recall--but I understand even the lower-end ryes are sometimes hard to find currently) at the Oak Lawn location of Kenwood Liquors Saturday afternoon.

Kenwood Liquors
10750 S. Cicero Ave.
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
Phone: 708-424-3580

I thought pretty hard about getting the Van Winkle. Kenwood's prices tend to be substantially lower than other places around town, so it was very tempting, but I already had several bourbons at home. I can always go back some other time.

I spoke with a guy in the liquor department at Binny's on Grand about the bonded Rittenhouse, and he said that there was a distribution/supply problem, but it will be back. I have read elsewhere that there would be a shortage through October 2010, so hopefully more will be hitting the shelves soon.

On the Van Winkle, two folks at Binny's have now told me that they have heard that the Special Reserve (12 year) and Family Reserve (15 and 20) will no longer be bottled. (I have not seen this verified elsewhere, so take this for what it's worth -- and note that this recent article seems to suggest that reports of the death Van Winkle are exaggerated, and there often seem to be stories swirling about Van Winkle's long-term viability and availability.) All of the Binny's I have been to (4 city locations) are sold out of everything but the 20 year, and some of the stores are now out of the 20 year. The 10 year Old Rip (90 and 107 proofs) are still available (and the two aforementioned Binny's employees told me this would still be bottled), and I know the Binny's on Grand recently received at least a couple of cases of the 107.

Matt wrote:On the Van Winkle, two folks at Binny's have now told me that they have heard that the Special Reserve (12 year) and Family Reserve (15 and 20) will no longer be bottled. (I have not seen this verified elsewhere, so take this for what it's worth -- and note that this recent article seems to suggest that reports of the death Van Winkle are exaggerated, and there often seem to be stories swirling about Van Winkle's long-term viability and availability.)

The word on the street in Louisville last week was that the Van Winkle would be in short supply until January...I have nothing to support this but hearsay and conjecture. I saw plenty of Van Winkle (Bourbon and Rye) in the stores in the vicinity of the BT distillery in Frankfort, however.

Gold Eagle in Libertyville has 12 year old Pappy on the shelf as well as both 10 yrs., 20 yr., and 2 bottlings of the 23 year old.


Gold Eagle Wine and Liquor
255 Peterson Rd.
Libertyville, IL 60048
847-367-6000

I appreciate the suggestions here.

I will check out the South Loop Binny's. I stopped by Warehouse Liquors this evening and the selection was really pretty respectable. They did have the Van Winkle Special Reserve Rye, but I can't say in particular whether they had the 12 year bourbon -- there were a number of Van Winkle products, though. They also had the Rittenhouse. The scotch selection also seemed strong, though I only looked at the Islays.

Not sure if it is back in mass quantities, but Binny's (Grand location) had a fair number of bottles of the Rittenhouse bottled-in-bond rye yesterday ($20/bottle).

Matt wrote:Not sure if it is back in mass quantities, but Binny's (Grand location) had a fair number of bottles of the Rittenhouse bottled-in-bond rye yesterday ($20/bottle).

As does the Binny's by North & Clybourn (as of last night). I asked about Old Potrero and the manager said they have an impossible time getting it, but recommended the Rittenhouse and said that the shelf was full, but it sells out very quickly.

-Dan

Matt wrote:
Not sure if it is back in mass quantities, but Binny's (Grand location) had a fair number of bottles of the Rittenhouse bottled-in-bond rye yesterday ($20/bottle).
As does the Binny's by North & Clybourn (as of last night). I asked about Old Potrero and the manager said they have an impossible time getting it, but recommended the Rittenhouse and said that the shelf was full, but it sells out very quickly.

-Dan

Binny's gets first crack on the stuff that is hard to get these days and takes most of it. Some restaurant groups have taken to buying everything that Binny's doesn't take. I can't remember the exact details but I'm pretty sure Paul Kahan bought up everything on the market a few weeks back of a certain rye (I can't remember if it is the Rittenhouse, or if it was Kahan or the Boka guys). We're a pretty decent customer of Southern Wine and Spirits and I still can't get my hands on a bottle of Rit Rye for our new place.

Check out West Lakeview Liquors on Addison and Leavitt!
http://www.wlvliquors.com/index.php?target=pages&page_id=NewArrivals

Here are our new arrivals as of Nov. 8th:
# Redemption Rye Batch 007 - Lawrenceburg Distillers, Indiana (750ml)
# West Lakeview Liquors Blanton's Barrel #252 - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (375ml & 750ml)
# Eagle Rare 17y 2010 Antique Collection - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml)
# George T Stagg 15y 2010 Antique Collection - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml)
# Sazerac Rye 18y 2010 Antique Collection - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml) SOLD OUT
# Thomas Handy Antique Rye 2010 Antique Collection - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml)
# William Larue Weller 2010 Antique Collection - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml)
# Old Rip Wan Winkle 10y 107° - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml)
# Old Rip Wan Winkle 10y 90° - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml)
# Pappy Van Winkle 12y - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml)
# Pappy Van Winkle 15y - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml)
# Pappy Van Winkle 20y - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml)
# Pappy Van Winkle 13y Rye - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky (750ml) SOLD OUT

westlakeviewliquors wrote:Check out West Lakeview Liquors on Addison and Leavitt!
http://www.wlvliquors.com/index.php?target=pages&page_id=NewArrivals

Spent about an hour in here today. Had an absolute "kid in a candy store" feeling. The whiskey selection is excellent. However, the beer selection blew me away, one of the best curated I've ever seen.

kl1191 wrote:

westlakeviewliquors wrote:Check out West Lakeview Liquors on Addison and Leavitt!
http://www.wlvliquors.com/index.php?target=pages&page_id=NewArrivals

Spent about an hour in here today. Had an absolute "kid in a candy store" feeling. The whiskey selection is excellent. However, the beer selection blew me away, one of the best curated I've ever seen.

Could not agree more! I also made it to West Lakeview for the first time this past weekend and loved the beer and whisky selections (managed to pick up a bottle of Angel's Share from The Lost Abbey). I wish I had more time to explore the attached grocery section but I'm sure I'll be back soon. The staff was very friendly, too.