You can hardly drive a block in Bloomington without spotting a Big Red Liquors storefront, but I can see how someone might overlook their outlet location at 2nd and Walnut (especially when zooming through a yellow light at the intersection). And now that it’s swamped with construction equipment, it’s especially tricky to get there these days. But on a recent round of errands, I used on-street parking just east of the store and tiptoed in, surrounded by a symphony of backhoes and jackhammers.
A friendly staffer named Levi informed me that what makes the building an “outlet” is that when the larger Big Red Stores purchase the last of something – particularly wine – from a vendor, it usually ends up at this location. That’s why the variety in their wine room changes so dramatically from week to week, and why most bottles are rarely priced above $8.
So while it might not sound glamorous to shop at an “outlet” for your wine, let me assure you: it’s worth the trip. What it lacks temporarily in convenience, it makes up for in affordability and variety.