Sunday, January 25, 2009

R.I.P. Lil' Jug



I'm not sure how I missed this, but I regret to announce that the Jug liquor store has gone under. Once a North Minneapolis stalwart, the Jug didn't accept credit cards and kept it real with a shitty Tae Kwon Do dojo attached to the back. One of the employees would often be seen wearing his Karate uniform while working behind the counter.

One of the greatest things about the Jug was that it was the only liquor store in North Minneapolis that delivered booze directly to your house. That's a pretty risky business decision, and hence likely the reason the employees were bona fide martial arts ass kickers.

The Jug shut its doors because they failed to pay $900 in false alarm fines.

While the Jug was a personal favorite, it had a criminal past of its own. In 1995 two men sitting in the parking lot were filled full of lead in a drive-by shooting. In September of last year, an employee was beaten over the head with a beer bottle “by a customer who had returned to the store to complain that he had not received the correct change after a purchase.” I'm sure the employee practiced Buddhist like restraint as he was getting whomped over the head repeatedly with the bottle. That, or his high kicks couldn't clear the counter.

R.I.P. Lil' Jug.

8 comments:

theryanburk said...

Historically, I think booze and cigs are practically the only two goods that are impervious to a depressed economy. So you know times are tough when the liquor stores - even this liquor store - can't even stay in business.

Anonymous said...

My goodness, $900 in false alarm calls? $900 is what that place made in a month! That is too bad, maybe they replace it with a Starbucks? Wait, no. That isnt going to happen.

R. Falch said...

in my one year residency in north mpls, i may have made acquaintances with that linebacker-looking prostie and the occasional dealer while walking Kubs, but i sadly never went to Lil Jug...

Casey Brewer said...

You ain't lived unless you bought booze at Lil' Jug.

austin said...

At least you can still get some sweet rims next door. And there's BJ's across the street. It's practically a vibrant community over there.

Anonymous said...

i'm gonna miss that ol soggy carpeted 10 X 10 shit box. if i remember correctly, the refrigerators actually warmed up the beer. killer.

Anonymous said...

I never had the honor of shopping at Lil' Jug but thay may have been due to the consistent line of hobos waiting to get in.

Neerland said...

thankfully Stand Up Franks is still shilling the swill.
If they ever make "Escape From Minneapolis" it will be shot on that corner, methinks.