by Brennan H.
A working man's liquor store tucked into the little huddle of businesses on Verdugo opposite Montrose proper. However, Verdugo Liquor definitely deserves some respect in the face of such competition as the bizarre-ass ex-gas-station Palace Liquors just a mile or so down Verdugo. If you are into creepy old ladies behind the counter yelling at their cell phones and babysitting their kids in a musty, hot store with weird old dudes hanging out outside, skip this review and head for Palace.The staff at Verdugo has always been completely chill, certainly not giving out the common paranoid watcher vibe of many liquor stores. They leave you to browse, but are helpful and cool if you've got a question. The first thing to see entering the store is usually a massive display of hard liquors currently on sale, and while I've only been here looking at beer, a curious look through the sales have always shown some really nice bargains. Before Halloween they were selling a Vodka that came in a glass skull for fifteen bucks or so, which was completely rad. I kick myself for skipping that hilarity.What really gets my thumbs-up here, though, is the beer selection. Unless I'm being the occasional fancy dude and drinking wine, I pretty much stick to beer when I want a grownup drink, and Verdugo Liquor has a really damn decent selection of imports and smaller breweries. Where a lot of stores in the area seem to go rabid-nuts over having a good wine selection and then toss up a cooler full of domestic beers and some lackluster imports in a dark corner, Verdugo has a full wall of beer cases, with enough to keep both the beer snob and Jim the Pipe-Layer happy. Humboldt Hemp Ale, which has been impossible for me to find outside of Santa Cruz county, is always in stock. The full line of Stone brewery beers is available (excellent stuff). It's the sort of selection that has room to try a new brew each time you go shopping.The store also has a respectable wine section, your usual cases of energy drinks, sodas and other non-alcs, and what looks like a pretty good assortment of hookah and other tobacco accessories, if that's your thing.Overall, a laid-back, friendly staff, a fine selection of usual and unusual beers, and the proximity to other places I like to be (read: my house) earn Verdugo Liquors a solid four stars.
by matt h.
This is the #1 place to go for Cigars! Stop going to the overpriced Cigar stores and lounges and pick up the same cigar with the same freshness right here at Verdugo Liquor! They have a great selection of cigars in their walk in humidor. I am in there at least once a week to pick up a cigar or two. I also have to give it up to the great staff they have working there. If something new comes in they let me know and if I have a question about a cigar it can usually be answered. Dia and Eddy are the Best! Thank you guys for everything!
by Claire H.
I've got a number of friends who live up here in the Foothills, and whenever I go to barbeques at their houses, THIS is the liquor store I hit up on my way.All those years I worked in La Cañada, I often overlooked this liquor store because they didn't carry my brand of cigarettes. Now that I am a boring grown-up who has quit smoking, I can clearly see that this is a superior liquor store. If this place was down the street from my house, I'd definitely be a regular. Verdugo Liquor has a crazy selection of the hard stuff, and they sell it at decent prices. But what keeps me coming back is the beer. Every time I come here I see some neat, new craft beer that you don't see every day (like He'brew) or is just hard to find (like Leinenkugel amber ale.) They have yuppie craft beers like I enjoy, but they also carry good cheap-o beers, like Hamm's.They have a lot of wine, too, if you're into that.
(8.5) 4 Votes 104