Victual - a visit to the smallest liquor store in Minnesota.

Hockey has taken me to Crosby, Minnesota three times this season. It holds a special place in my heart. 

It was the first solo trip I took the kids on by myself over Memorial Day the year after Adam died. I’ll tell you about that trip later.

Today, I’m talking Victual. The smallest liquor store in Minnesota.

But so much more than a liquor store.

This unique space has ice cream and cheeses and the prettiest pottery and mugs and greeting cards you’ve ever seen. It’s more than a gift store. Thanks to Erica, this place is an experience.

The kind employees want to share the amazing products with you. We first bonded over cheese.

She was serving a group of gentlemen a bourbon cheese and said she’d be happy to help me try anything. There were nice Merlot cheeses, cheddars, you name it.

I said, “Oh no, the bourbon cheese is right up my alley.”

We got to chatting about life and the loss of Adam and why I own 150+ bottles of whiskey. She actually grew up in the neighboring small town to where Adam did.

Once we got on the whiskey train she asked if I’d been in their liquor store.

I saw it in the back corner and was definitely intrigued.

I could tell this was no average liquor store.

Hilarious that Minnesota law requires it to have its own entrance so while employees can slip under the chain that separates the liquor store from the rest of the space, customers must walk out and around to enter.

Truly a fun experience to marvel at the rare and interesting collection of liquors. What is even more amazing is the sampling! Victual is happy to let you taste test any item on the shelf before purchasing. We tried multiple whiskeys, paired it with our bourbon cheese samplings and then because of how rare the other bottles were, we also tried an outstanding tequila, gin and a too- sweet-for-me corn liquor that just had to be tasted.

I left with a store pick bottle of Mayor Pingree. Did I need more whiskey? No. Did the smallest liquor store in the state deliver an incredibly fun experience for us all that I wanted to memorialize on my whiskey shelf - absolutely.