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There are many places tucked away in the heart of Victoria to get a little bubbly. Here's a bunch of shops listed in order of being really close to the hostel to being a bit further away.
The one at the Douggie (Oak & Barrel Cold Beer and Wine Shop)
Just a block away at the Hotel Douglas, this places sells everything to do with alcohol, at good prices, but don't goof off in here, it's like they hired old washed-out bouncers for staff. They hate you. For some reason this is the most likely spot you'll get asked to boot for under-age girls. Watch out though, there is actually a security dude at this one.
1450 Douglas Street (map) 383-4157 or 1-800-332-9981, open 'til 11pm
Liquor Express
A nice little store right near the theatres. This store carries cold beer and wine (no hard alcohol) and the prices are slightly higher than liquor store prices. Located at the Dalton Hotel.
759 Yates Street, at Blanshard Street (map) 384-4136 or 1-800-663-6101 then press 3, then 670
Monday-Saturday 11am-11pm
Sunday 1pm-10pm
Swan's Beer and Wine Store
Definitely the classiest place to buy alcohol in the city. They're mostly beer and wine but they've got a modest selection of real alcohol like Vodka and Gin and whatever. Next to Swan's restaurant and pub.
- Head down Pandora Street a few blocks. It'll be on your right.
506 Pandora Avenue (map) 361-3365
Harris Green Liquor Merchants
I think it's the best liquor store in town. Open 'til 11pm, right next to Market on Yates (also open 'til 11), so you can get some juice for that screwdriver you're craving, and they stock Monarch Vodka, which is this bizarre 50% (100 proof) vodka made in Oregon. After Monarch, other Vodka just leaves you with that "why am I not wasted? I just chugged this whole thing of Smirnoff" feeling. Screw real Russian vodka (unless your in Russia), those americans have got it figured out.
930 View Street (map) 361-1469
The Strath Ale Wine and Spirit Merchants
This one's open 'til 11pm, they have pretty much everything, and the guys there are actually funny. One time after getting some Vodka here, my friend was chatting with an SUV-limo driver and he gave us a ride to the Boom Boom Room for free. Which sounds lame if you know how close the Strath and the Boom Boom Room are to each-other, but he took like 15 minutes to get there, during which time I was yelling out the window and we took about a million pictures of us being very gangster.
Oh and they offer a downtown delivery service!
919 Douglas Street (map)
370-9463, open 11am - 11pm www.strathliquor.com
The one in the mall (BC Liquor Control Board)
The cheapest place in town to find beer, wine and every other kinda alcohol. Probably the best selection too.
- Walk down Pandora to Douglas Street.
- Turn left on Douglas and walk a few blocks.
- Go into the Bay Centre.
- It's on the bottom floor.
1150 Douglas Street, bottom floor of the Bay Centre (map) 953-4544
Mon-Wed 9:30am-6pm; Thu-Fri 9:30am-9pm; Sat 9:30am-6pm; Sun & Holidays 11am-5pm
The one in the trailer behind Food Country in Cook St Village (Cook St. Village Wines)
The cheapest wine I've found, at $7.39 a bottle, available both in red and white, can be found in this ridiculous little store. And they have a decent selection of actual decent wine. But I can't taste the difference between this and anything up to $50.
  
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