Saturday 29th of November 2014 11:09:08 AM

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First off, let me be clear....I do not like Arizona.

I do not like their politics. I do NOT like the oppressive heat. I do NOT LIKE their gun-fighter mentality.

Yet, I find myself returning often for a variety of reasons...and I just found one more!!

Tops Liquors!

Bar none, the best damned beer store in the west, par'ner!

In my little beach town, there is a simliar store that I walk by often...and I emphasize, walk BY! I do not stop. I do NOT go in! I do NOT GIVE them any of my money...because they ask too much. Beers I've seen and bought in Arizona at Tops (and other stores, including AJ's market!) are typically priced at least $4 higher at my beach store...oft times, the price is doubled.

So you can understand how, even though it's 350 miles away, Tops has grabbed my attention and dedication. I can not begin to itemize the number of beers available (or that I've purchased!)....there are just too many. Suffice it to say that is you've got your heart and dollars set on a beer, chances are Tops will have it, did have it or has it. (Can you beer geeks say Bourbon County? THAT'S wht I'm talking about!)

Located right next door to the U of A campus in a small strip mall, Tops is crammed...and I do mean crammed...with beer. In 6-packs, singles, bombers, cases and yes, you can look through the stock. (Found one long-sought beer after removing 4 cases and then another in the hidden "middle" row!) An extra added bonus is Tops Tasting Room, a short jaunt thru the store's small "closet" and you gaze upon a menu of 2 dozen hard-to-come-by brews. Spend the day because there is also Tessio's Pizzas at the end of the building! In one of my reviews, I wrote "there is nothing wrong with this" about Bourbon County's Backyard Rye. Let me repeat that phrase here;

Reading one of the reviews above lamenting the fact that it's hot in here and too cramped and the buyer got spoiled beer either from the weather or bottles sitting out, I can see and understand how that might happen. My answer would be, "Sport, you live in 115 degree heat year - round. Expect some beers to go bad." If you decide to live by a river, at some time in your life, you're probably going to experience a flood. Don't piss and moan about it. Deal with it or move! This particular critic like many of us, remembers and time fondly of years gone by when it was simpler and nobody knew about our secret treasure place. Again, understandable but in this technological savvy age, impossible to regress.

There is an old song that goes, "You're the tops, the Eiffel Tower. You're the tops, you're Tyrone Power." (Look it up!)

Tops Liquors is!

Monday 4th of May 2009 12:43:16 AM

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This person needs 3 or more reviews on the site for their scores to start counting.

Hot indoor temperatures and most beers are not refrigerated. While I give them props for having a lot of choices, I've decided long ago to only purchase the recently released beers here. I've had many, many spoiled beers from here (from heat and/or light).

Expired beers is also a persistent problem here. The owner is a nice guy and I've shopped here for over ten years, but often his college aged staff know nothing about good retail customer service.

This was the only place in town for great beer selection back in the early 90's when I first started shopping here, but things are different now.

Monday 16th of February 2009 05:10:02 PM

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This person needs 3 or more reviews on the site for their scores to start counting.

Tops has a GREAT selection of beer. They have hundreds of microbrews. It is not the easiest place to get in and out of. Expect to spend some time finding a parking place and some more time standing line.

The store has been very busy everytime I have been there. The folks behind the counter are helpful and hard working. They do the best they can with limited amount of space they have. The store could use twice as many cash registers as they have, but there again... limited space.

Tops is located in a strip mall with only one row of parking that runs along the store fronts. There is a residential neighborhood behind the store with some on street parking.