[Closed] old style Off-licence

Oh yes, Sparkles in Lye, full of all kinds of delights, dirt cheap, down the road from a lot of curry houses, next to a bike shop and opposite a brewery. What more could you ask for?

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Edit, forgot the brilliantly named Gill's Fags and Booze.
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'Cheapest cigs and booze' (actual name of the shop) still in belper!
And come to think of it there's a proper off licence as such, that I frequent once a year to buy the bosses cognac from for Christmas, it's called liquid treasure. It's singly the most middle class shop in the whole town!

A few round by me in Wollaston. They are far cheaper than the supermarkets for beer. They sell bigger cans for lower prices.
Annoyingly I have one about 100 meters away making it far too easy to pop out for more.

I always think that this one is a particularly appealing architectural and commercial proposition.
https://goo.gl/maps/fDR31abRLUy

edit: Not to forget this one, clearly the owner is a graduate of Marketing 101:
https://goo.gl/maps/QddwkrX1iwE2

I can walk to 3 independently owned fairly scuzzy looking offies, (one is even called the offy) but can't think where the nearest chain store version is. I think this means that I may have failed in life.

There's one on the Donegall rd in Belfast (least there was last time I checked) and it has a counter all the way around the shop. You can't access the booze at all. You stand in an empty shop floor and look around at what's on the wall. The one time I went in I asked for some beer...the old hag trots from one side of the shop to the other. I ask for another.....back she goes. Then back to the the till. Then I ask for a bottle of vodka, that's okay because it's right there.

Then I ask for a 2ltr bottle of coke....off she trots muttering the whole way. I'm just about to pay and I ask for ice. "NO ICE" barks the old crone.

I don't think we've even got a chain, never mind a proper offy. Its all bloody Tescos or believe it or not- the garage, how is that right.

Jimjam - the glass box inside a booze shop is 'normal' for most of Liverpool and some South Yorkshire cities...

cotteridge wines, every beer you can think of and then some...and a small shelf with wine 😆
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I used to stack shelves in one up the road from where we lived when I was a kid, Bell Court Wines in Astwood Bank - it's now Manor Wines and owned by a lovely woman called Elaine who started there just after me, always makes me happy that it's still going. The pubs around there have died on their collective arses. 🙁

I remember when off licences were really off sales. A pub would have a window that for the most part dispensed flagons of beer for consumption away from the premises. Complete shops as off licences were very few and far between.

Ah we are lucky round here Rocketdog, just round the corner you have Stirchley Wines too! 😀

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This gem in Brighton. Has a ridiculous selection of beers although the owner has the charm of a warm can of stella.

Most offies you see now are independent the the chains went a few years ago with the exception of a few. We were supposed to get a Majestic Wine but as they're struggling now too they pulled out.

'Proper' off licences were the ones where they had a separate door to the pub 'OFF SALES' with a small room behind it and a little counter off the main bar.

The brave kids used to go in and try and buy 'the right' bag of peanuts off the cardboard display...

...or believe it or not- the garage, how is that right.

Not everyone buys alcohol for immediate consumption as soon as you leave the shop. Really don't see buying alcohol from a garage is any different from buying from anywhere else - it's just a shop.

The Discount Supermarket in Cardiff has the finest selection of beer you'll find anywhere.

There was a proper offy in Sale Moor when I was younger, "The Anvil", run by the fantastically named, "Kessel William Augustine Gent".

I just Googled him. He died in January 🙁

I love this one in Northallerton - the owner helped me choose all the wines for my wedding 🙂

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This is probably the closest independant offie to home, might be a little too middle class for some though -
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This however is just down the road from work and has the most spectacular selection of ales, complete with a bierkellar style bench seat down the middle of the shop floor.
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Just a shame they had to use the word 'Artisan' on the front.

This one is close to my work.

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I forgot about the wine emporium of Nickolls and Perks, been there since the 1700's, the cellars underneath have to be seen to be believed and the quality of wine and whiskey is top class. Awesome place.
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The Dram Shop in Commonside, Sheffield deserves a mention as an oasis of liquid adventure. I hope it's still going, not been in those shores for about 3 years or so.

In Salford, we called such a shop "the outdoor." No idea why. Typically, they'd sell beer, tobacco, and sherry by the schooner from a barrel. Under the counter would be a display fridge with cold meats, cheese and butter. And at the side, a meat slicer and a ream of greaseproof paper. We used to return grandad's brown ale bottles and get a tuppence each for them. Fond memories .

We had one in the village until recently which was part of the chemist, the owner was a big fan of real ales so half the shop was a super twee chemists and the other was stacked with good beers and wines etc. unfortunately the new owner doesn't have the same interests so apothecary ales is no more.... 🙁

I live 5 mins up the road from beers of Europe. A huge warehouse full of every beer you can imagine and spirits.
Even does delivery and online shopping, give it a Google

One at the end of my road closed earlier in the year. Completely erratic opening hours, odd mixture of drinks, always some out of date sweets going cheap and fond memories of walking in at gone midnight on new years eve more than once, shouting "GIN" repeatedly and walking back out with gin.

mugsys_m8 - Member

The Dram Shop in Commonside, Sheffield deserves a mention as an oasis of liquid adventure. I hope it's still going, not been in those shores for about 3 years or so.

still going, yes.

it never seems to get 'busy' but i'm never the only customer.

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I was in that Brighton one on Saturday ,very good selection,

Oh for the days of the jug and bottle where they took back all the empties that you had nicked from round the back