Hops, Cask & Barrel to Replace Wagner’s

There’s a sign on the old Wagner’s Liquor store announcing the coming of a new liquor store named Hops, Cask and Barrel.

GM could find no information on the store other than the regulatory materials transferring the license over to the new entity. But based on the name, it would seem likely that it will continue to be a full service liquor store.

Wagner’s has gone through high’s and low’s over the years. As late as a few years ago it was a reliable, if not particularly great, liquor store. It has always relied heavily on the student keg market, but it nonetheless had an acceptable array of finer beers, wines and liquors.

Unfortunately it’s ownership changed and the quality plummeted. The eventual closing last year was not a terrible surprise.

For what it’s worth, the name Hops, Cask and Barrel does sound fancy to GM. Georgetown has plenty of great wine stores like Bacchus. And those shops typically have a good liquor selection too. But there aren’t any great beer stores. Safeway and Georgetown Wine and Spirits both have above average beer selections, but neither is excellent.

So hopefully this new store will fill that hole. GM also hopes they keep the vintage neon signs, despite the name change.