Langley’s Otter Co-op joins the liquor business early next month, opening what they’re calling B.C.’s largest private liquor retail location.
A Fraser Valley staple for more than 96 years, the Otter Co-op is jumping into the private liquor business with a new 10,000-square-foot liquor retail space, said Brett Hertzog, manager of the new Liquor on 248th.
Unlike any other private liquor store in B.C., this location is designed to provide guests with a first-rate shopping experience.
Purpose-built with a tasting bar, private wine lockers, private tasting room and a walk-in cooler that rivals the size of some homes, the Co-op has set the stage for a destination liquor store that will deliver a service experience most customers aren’t used to receiving, Hertzog said.
“We will be providing our guests with a well-curated selection that includes local and import wines, craft beer, and hard-to-find spirits,” he added.
With two sommeliers on staff, himself included, and team members with WSET, and a craft beer and spirit knowledgebase, the goal is to provide educated, personal recommendations that pair with a customer’s interests and budget.
Once fully stocked, the Otter Co-op’s new liquor store will have more than 1,000 wines and a wide variety of craft beer to choose from.
Hertzog underscores the importance of providing a platform for customers to have access to a great selection, “we want our customers to have access to the best that our local and international market has to offer.”
Liquor on 248th will be opening its doors on Thursday, Feb. 7.
There will be an opening event at 11 a.m., featuring speeches and a ribbon-cutting. Following that, the store will be open for business.
Otter Co-op is a retail co-operative that has been serving the Fraser Valley and Interior since 1922, starting with facilities in the Otter neighbourhood of Langley. It still remains the company’s flagship, with the retail operation, a feed plant, and now the liquor store.
But since those early days, it has expanded, and Otter Co-op now operates 19 locations and serving more than 50,000 members and many more customer..