Barrel House

This quaint little slice of Heaven on earth which cometh in the the form of a quasi-exotic liquor store is virtually the only place in El Paso I can find Chardonnay flavored Korbel champagne. And even though this place is about 20 miles from my house, it's worth the drive if it means picking up my favorite celebratory and rare liquor of choice. I can't even begin to explain how difficult it is to find Chardonnay Korbel Champagne. Back when I was still living on the east coast, you could find that stuff in several different stores. In El Paso, it's practically an endangered species or damn near a myth...just like the unicorn.With that being said, I can explain why this liquor store is pure intoxicating awesomeness. Because it's like the go-to place for exotic, impossible to find wines and spirits. The lady that runs the shop is adorably helpful, too! If you have trouble finding a particular vintage, all you have to do is ask her what she has in the back and she'll be more than willing to get it for you. She even offers to quick chill your wine of choice on the spot, if so desired.The first time I navigated my way to this store, I hated the location. After having found that I can pretty much get to this place from the east side at lightning speed thanks to the 601 loop, I don't mind it at all. It's actually really easy to turn into and out of since it's barely even a mile away from the highway.I can't promise that you'll find the rarest wines in the world at this place. But I do feel this place deserves recognition on our benevolent yelp. Best I could tell you is...call ahead and ask if they carry a particular stock. Even if they don't, I'm sure the lady running the place will go out of her way to order it and make sure she does carry it in the not-too-distant future. And overall: I'm giving this place 4 glasses of sparkling Chardonnay champagne out of 5.