No matter the size of your wedding or the tastes of your guests, booze is a pretty important part of wedding planning. Here are a few of the best spots to buy large amounts of wine, beer and liquor. Most places offer discounts and don’t forget to ask if the store will let you return sealed leftovers. Some liquor stores can also assist with the necessary AGLC permits.
At a local brewery
Rent a few kegs or buy flats of your favourite local craft beer straight from the brewery. If you need enough for a few hundred people, your best bet is one of the bigger breweries like Brewsters, Wild Rose or Tool Shed. Prices for kegs generally start around $100. If you’re buying several flats from a small brewery like The Dandy Brewing Company, ask if they’ll offer a discount.
brewsters.ca, wildrosebrewery.com, toolshedbrewing.com, thedandybrewingcompany.com
Willow Park Wines and Spirits
Willow Park is the crown jewel of all things booze in Calgary and offers a 10 per cent discount when you order for your wedding. Ask to meet with one of their beer, wine or spirits experts (“Dave the Beer Guy” is basically a local celebrity) to help you make some decisions. You can even sign up for the store’s gift registry if you need some new cocktail shakers.
10801 Bonaventure Dr. S.E., willowpark.net
Co-op Wine Spirits Beer
Co-op offers a 10 per cent discount when you buy six bottles of wine or when you spend $500 on regular priced items in a single transaction. Meet with one of the in-store sommeliers who will help you pick your wine for the night and decide how much you need.
Liquor Depot
Go to Liquor Depot’s online drink calculator to figure out exactly how much wine, beer and spirits you need to buy. Enter the number of guests, the length of the event, guests’ drink preferences (based on percentages) and voila. The store offers 10 per cent off purchases over $1,000 or five per cent off purchases over $500.
Zyn
Make your purchase online as prices on the website are usually several dollars less than in-store prices. There’s also a larger selection online including kegs from brands like Guinness and Blanche de Chambly. You can pick up your order at the Inglewood location or have it delivered right to your house. You can make an appointment with one of the Inglewood shop’s experts Monday through Wednesday.