Darren Oleksyn
Over the past decade, Darren has become captivated by wine, and the people who make it. He has traveled throughout North America’s wine regions and is pursuing WSET certification.
Alberta Welcomes Massive Liquor Stores
Guinness record attempt signals opening of two Wine & Beyond locations
With the pop of 355 corks two massive new liquor stores entered the Edmonton-area market.
Wine and Beyond, part of the Liquor Depot group, joined the retail fray with a Guinness World Records attempt on Thursday. A host of guests including Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel TV host Kevin Brauch (The Thirsty Traveler, Iron Chef America) helped with the record bid to have the largest number of people uncorking bottles simultaneously.
“We knew we had to do something special to launch Western Canada’s largest liquor store so upon arrival, every guest received a bottle of wine and 30 seconds to pop the cork,” said Jim Dinning, chairman and interim CEO for Liquor Depot GP.
The current record is 308 bottles was set this past February in Las Vegas, Nev. Wine and Beyond must now wait for their bid to be certified by Guinness World Records.
The attempt was made at the 19,848-square-foot store in Edmonton, located at 6276 Currents Dr. N.W. The store boasts 6,000 different bottles of wine, 2,500 spirits and 1,800 beer labels. It also offers a “Growler” station where customers can fill a take-home glass jug with one of 32 different beers available on tap.
A second location in Sherwood Park is a bit smaller at 17,082 square feet. The stores both opened to the public on Friday.
“The staff here are very knowledgeable,” said Chief Operating Officer Scott Morrow. “Whether you come looking for a rare, exclusive bottle of wine for a special occasion, a unique spirit to mix custom cocktails or just a case of beer to watch the game with, we will have it in stock.”
The stores’ inventory, all kept on site, totals 100,000 bottles of wine, 30,000 spirits and 25,000 beers. The selection comes from 44 countries and the wines vary in price from $5 to $4,000.
Besides the huge selection, the stores also feature 500-square-foot classroom areas where free monthly events and workshops will be held. Tasting bars also offer customers the chance to try some products before they buy.
Photo by Wine & Beyond
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