Barley & Grapes Liquor Store

In a valley that grows its own wine, a liquor store is a slightly different proposition than it is elsewhere. The local shelf can run deep, with bottles from the benches on both sides of the lake and from the vineyards south toward Oliver and Osoyoos, and customers often walk in knowing more about what they are after than the average shopper anywhere else does.

Selection is the real variable from one store to the next. Some carry a broad international wine list, others weight the shelf toward what is made within an hour of the door. Craft beer ranges swing from a token cooler door to a wall of singles, and spirits selections differ more than most people notice until they need something particular. Cold stock is not the same as shelf stock, which matters on a hot afternoon heading for the water. For an event, ask about case pricing and special orders early.