Beer Spot No. 1

This is the first in what I hope will be a weekly series on the blog. Each installment of "Beer Spot" will highlight a different establishment and its selection of malted, brewed beverages. Sometimes that'll be a grocery or convenience store, sometimes a restaurant. Sometimes it'll be local, and occasionally it'll be where I shop or eat when I'm traveling. Always, it'll be about the the selection of beer available.

We'll kick it off with the place I believe has has the widest selection of beer available in Calhoun County for off-premises consumption.

Establishment: BP Grub Mart
Type: Convenience store
Location: Jacksonville, Ala.
Address: 420 Pelham Road N. (Corner of Pelham Road & Mountain Street)

Likely owing to the presence of thirsty & enlightened Jacksonville State University (the campus is a block away), there are beers available at this Grub Mart that I've not seen anywhere else in our relatively beer-deprived region. There are two cooler panels devoted almost solely to microbrews and imports, and of course there are all the major-label offerings from the macrobreweries.

Among the brands on hand: four offerings from Abita Brewing Co., two from Terrapin Beer Co., three from Brooklyn Brewery, and three from Flying Dog Brewing. Four of Boston Beer Co.'s Samuel Adams varieties were available when I stopped in this weekend. Despite the cool address, there is no Sweetwater available. I picked up a six of Abita Amber, and another of Flying Dog's Road Dog Porter.

As luck would have it, the Grub Mart is also the closest place to my house to buy beer.

If you've got a suggestion for the Beer Spot feature, let me know with a comment here on the blog, or by e-mail at bcunningham@blogspot.com