Luekens Liquors

While I am glad to see the former Lazzara Liquor store occupied once again I am going to miss the drive-​thru window. What’s classier than purchasing a bottle of bourbon without stepping a foot outside your car? Seriously Luekens, bring back the drive-​thru!
If you are seeking your bar basics Luekens Liquor stocks all of your commercial brand liquors and the prices are extremely competitive. Rare and unique liquors are stored behind the register. Luekens also carries a great selection of craft beer and they have a huge beer cooler in the back of the liquor store.
While Luekens Liquor carries a great selection of beer and liquor their wine selection could use some improvements. The Prosecco selection was extremely limited and the Champagne selection wasn’t much better. The majority of the wines downstairs are under $ 20. Upstairs, you’ll find a slightly more impressive selection of wines, but the nice bottles are shelved next to bargain bottles under $ 10 so it was a little difficult to find the hidden gems.
My husband and I did find one of our favorite red blends, «Baby Blue», from Blue Rock Vineyard in Sonoma, Alexander Valley. We haven’t seen this bottle in a while so we purchased the last five bottles that were available.
The guys behind the cash register couldn’t have been cooler. When they saw that we were wine drinkers they made a suggestion to purchase a bottle of wine that they just brought in. (Just tried the bottle this week and it was pretty good!) They also invited my husband to check out the unique rums behind the counter when my husband mentioned he was impressed that they carried a hard to find rum.
A++ on customer service, but I’d like to see a slightly more impressive wine selection at Lukens Liquor!

I asked for a beer. Orange Blossom Beer 2. They didn’t carry it. They kind of passively took my phone number and said «yeah I’ll ask if I can get it for you.» Sometime later I got a call letting me know my beer came in! Wow! Thanks guys! They really make you feel welcome and truly have the best prices in town. This isn’t a yucky hole in the wall liquor store. They are knowledgeable, friendly and it’s really a treat to shop there. PROTIP: Don’t forget to walk up an almost hidden staircase. There’s a beautiful selection of wines (and some great deals on nice champagnes if you need a fancy gift at a good price fast!) Keep it up! Oh, and the beer cooler is at about 33 degrees. It’s gotta cost them a fortune to run it but it’s the coldest beer in town. (I can barely stand to be in there)

Their customer service is absolutely amazing! I was looking for a specific burbon and that location was out. They had a bottle brought over from a different location. It was a big deal for me and really helped me out. Not your typical service… exceptional service! They even called me to confirm when the driver arrived. Check them out!

Dropped by just to see what Luekens Liquors is all about. Have long noticed their print ads for wine, beer and liquor in their Pinellas County locations but never felt motivated enough to make the drive to any of those sites.
I no longer have to. The Kennedy Boulevard location is easy to get to and has parking in the front and along the side. The inside of the store is packed to the rafters but the layout is a little quirky.
There is a large main room then a little corridor with a chilled selection of cheese, a smaller back room mainly filled with wines and then a second story primarily dedicated to more wines.
Upon entering, the person behind the counter quickly gave me the rundown of the layout. That was really helpful because I probably would not have thought to go upstairs where the imported wines are stocked.
Since I was mostly focused on wines, I can’t speak to the entire inventory but the prices seemed quite nice. There was a good mix of familiar brands and a few new-​to-​me bottles. Space is limited so the selection is not as comprehensive as it is in competitors’ stores but what I found I liked and what I paid for my selections I liked even more.
Service was friendly and helpful. The space is quite cozy so I wouldn’t want to try to squeeze through when it was busy (except for the second floor area which is spacious) but this is a nice spot to shop and a great way to find new wines without breaking the bank.

So having been here twice, I guess I should review it. This is an offshoot and smaller version of their main store I’m told by the friendly lady who works here. While they pack a lot of selection into this small location, they are able to and do bring in stock from their larger store as well (daily if needed/​requested I believe, as she stops there on her way here). An example of this was the Good Gourd that I purchased yesterday (after calling ahead) and a popular Russian stout by Cigar City, which they keep in boxes behind the register and you have to ask for. During my latest visit I noticed them assist walk in customers as well as those over the phone with various request. The liquor is in the front, and the beer is in the back. The cooler has the common stuff as well as (mostly)craft brews, while the shelves outside only have craft and unique beers. I saw a few here that I have never seen before. I don’t know if you can build your own 6 pack like some places let you do. Their liquors come in a variety of brands, flavors, and sizes. Being a lightweight that doesn’t drink much (especially liquor), I like how they have small bottles of each flavor of ciroc (specifically the pineapple and peach among others), which I’ve wanted to try. Oh yeah, there is wine too. While I don’t really notice prices when I buy beer, I did catch that their Good Gourd was $ 1 less than total wine, as the lady gave me the price over the phone (but there is a per person limit on GG). I like the people and what I’ve seen in this place so far, which is why I’m considering myself a fan.