In Praise of Big Bin Stores Part III – Bevmo

Establishment	Beverages and More (Bevmo)
Address	925a Camino de la Reina San Diego, CA 92108 619 295-3171 www.bevmo.com
Type	Big Bin Store
Hours	Mon-Sun 9:00 am-9:00 pm

We wrap up our three part series on big bin stores by looking at CA Scotch Chix local favorite, Beverages and More (Bevmo). Bevmo is a huge chain spread throughout Southern California and Arizona, and there are seven branches within 30 miles of where CA Scotch Chick lives – pretty sweet.

Despite CA Scotch Chix jealousy when she visited the Chicagoland big bin stores, Bevmo is an excellent resource. Not only do they have a decent single malt whisky collection, they will search for special bottles on request. They may not always be successful, but they will always try. Like Sam's and Binny's, the selection changes depending on the branch, so if one does not have time to ask them to hunt down a certain bottle, they can always check the computer and steer one to the store that has it.

Upon returning from Chicago to San Diego, CA Scotch Chick made a pilgrimage down to her local Bevmo. The selection is definitely smaller than at the Chicago big bin stores (sigh). Her Mission Valley Bevmo's single malts take up about 3/4 of a fairly short aisle. The only Independent Bottler (IB) on hand was Signatory, and Bevmo does not specialize in a high number of offerings from one particular Original Distillery Bottler (OB). They do have a large range of various OB's, however. 

And, one of the most attractive features of Bevmo is their prices. Take, for example, the bottle of the Glenlivet 18 CA Scotch Gent noticed in Chicago. Sam's sold it for 72 dollars, and Binny's offered it at 69 dollars. Bevmo's price is $53.99 - not quite as low as one can find it at Costco ($45), but still pretty darn good. Moreover, Bevmo offers an excellent club card program. Not only does it give in-store price breaks, but it allows one to collect 5 percent off coupons for every 250 dollars one spends, much more valuable than Sam's five dollar off coupon or Binny's 2 percent on wines. 

In truth, CA Scotch Chick has nothing to complain about. She is really lucky to live so close to such a great resource. Still, she cannot help but being a bit jealous of the Scotch Colonel's access to fine single malts in Chicago. Maybe she'll take her 5 percent off coupon down to Bevmo and make herself feel a bit better.