Liquor Stores near Chicago Union Station

[Guest]

Can any veteran Amtrak travelers direct me to a liquor store near Chicago's Union Station?

I will be traveling to Chicago Midway Airport with carryon baggage and then take the Orange Line to the Loop.

Any advice would be most appreciated!

 

[the_traveler]

Stores in Chicago (like drug stores) seel liquor. There is a Walgreens on Jackson a block away from Union Station and a CVS 1/2 block away on Canal.

Be aware that if you are a sleeping car passenger that you can consume your own alcoholic beverages IN YOUR ROOM only (not in any public area - including the lounge and Dining Car)! If you're in coach, you can not consume your private stock on board.

 

[BuffaloBoy]

Easy one! Just head up the Canal Street escalators to the street, look right and you will see a CVS pharmacy! They have quite a selection of spirits.

 

[Manny T]

Depends what you're looking for. Chicago's drug stores are fine for liquor purchases, have all premium and non-premium brands, but not so fine for wine--tend to have ordinary domestic wines in the $10-$20 range mostly. If that floats your boat fine, if not try the Whole Foods Market at 1 N. Halsted for a better wine selection, domestic and imported, at Whole Food prices, of course.

Regarding where you can consume your alcoholic beverages, answer--if it's in an Amtrak cup with a plastic lid, you can consume it anywhere on the train, including dining car, cafe car and lounge. I do this on 100% of my trips and have never had a problem with anyone, fellow passenger or Amtrak staff.

 

[BuffaloBoy]

Depends what you're looking for. Chicago's drug stores are fine for liquor purchases, have all premium and non-premium brands, but not so fine for wine--tend to have ordinary domestic wines in the $10-$20 range mostly. If that floats your boat fine, if not try the Whole Foods Market at 1 N. Halsted for a better wine selection, domestic and imported, at Whole Food prices, of course.

Regarding where you can consume your alcoholic beverages, answer--if it's in an Amtrak cup with a plastic lid, you can consume it anywhere on the train, including dining car, cafe car and lounge. I do this on 100% of my trips and have never had a problem with anyone, fellow passenger or Amtrak staff.

Well, the secret is out! I personally don't imbibe when I'm traveling coach as I have seen enough people over the years get put off the train for just that reason. I have also seen plenty of people sneak a drink or two in coach and get away with it. The risk to me is just not worth it.

 

[HighBall]

Regarding where you can consume your alcoholic beverages, answer--if it's in an Amtrak cup with a plastic lid, you can consume it anywhere on the train, including dining car, cafe car and lounge. I do this on 100% of my trips and have never had a problem with anyone, fellow passenger or Amtrak staff.

It appears you don't need an Amtrak cup. I read in here in the past two were in a Cascade dining car with a small cooler drinking their personal cans of beer - brands not sold by Amtrak. A Conductor walked by several times without saying a word.

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

If I'm traveling coach (or in the dining car, cafe car, or lounge) I would not appreciate someone sneaking their personal booze in violation of Amtrak rules.

It amazes me the number of posts I've seen here over the months from people concerned about where and how they can drink their personal stock of alcohol enroute.

If someone can't take a train ride without their liquor, maybe they need ask why that is.

Just my humble opinion, of course.

 

[Triley]

Regarding where you can consume your alcoholic beverages, answer--if it's in an Amtrak cup with a plastic lid, you can consume it anywhere on the train, including dining car, cafe car and lounge. I do this on 100% of my trips and have never had a problem with anyone, fellow passenger or Amtrak staff.

It appears you don't need an Amtrak cup. I read in here in the past two were in a Cascade dining car with a small cooler drinking their personal cans of beer - brands not sold by Amtrak. A Conductor walked by several times without saying a word.

That's because conductors have no idea what brands we sell in the cafe.
I tell people to not do it in my cafe, and leave it at that. The more brazen ones (coming up and asking me for a wine opener, even offering me a $20 to open it for them) get read the policy from memory.

 

[Ryan]

If someone can't take a train ride without their liquor, maybe they need ask why that is.

Who says that they can't?

 

[Manny T]

Well it is a given I would not condone any untoward or disturbing behavior. That would warrant appropriate action. But without untoward or disturbing behavior to fellow passengers, I don't think there is a problem, despite Amtrak's nominal rule. Of course, Amtrak must have this rule--to protect revenue, I would guess. I am talking about non-enforcement where there is no visible violation to anyone.

For example, I HATE loud raucous rock music. And it's probably against Amtrak rules to play it on a train (in a manner that disturbs other passengers). But if someone is listening to loud raucous rock music through headphones and I hear nothing, why should that bother me or anyone?

About the "need to ask why that is," really it's a question of different lifestyles and there is no need to ask. On some trips we give 12-24+ hours (or even days) to our train travel. If you can't retire after dinner to the sightseer lounge car with some Frangelico that you just happened to bring along, what's the point of boarding in the first place? I realize this will not be understood by all.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

I don't even notice what my fellow travelers are drinking. Unless they become drunk and obnoxious, it's none of my business.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I don't even notice what my fellow travelers are drinking. Unless they become drunk and obnoxious, it's none of my business.

Ditto!

 

[Medic981]

Well it is a given I would not condone any untoward or disturbing behavior. That would warrant appropriate action. But without untoward or disturbing behavior to fellow passengers, I don't think there is a problem, despite Amtrak's nominal rule. Of course, Amtrak must have this rule--to protect revenue, I would guess. I am talking about non-enforcement where there is no visible violation to anyone.

For example, I HATE loud raucous rock music. And it's probably against Amtrak rules to play it on a train (in a manner that disturbs other passengers). But if someone is listening to loud raucous rock music through headphones and I hear nothing, why should that bother me or anyone?

About the "need to ask why that is," really it's a question of different lifestyles and there is no need to ask. On some trips we give 12-24+ hours (or even days) to our train travel. If you can't retire after dinner to the sightseer lounge car with some Frangelico that you just happened to bring along, what's the point of boarding in the first place? I realize this will not be understood by all.

Besides protecting revenue, I believe that limiting private stock to the sleeping car is so that the cafe car crew can monitor the consumption of alcohol and cut off a passenger who is becoming intoxicated. Probably an issue somewhere when a passenger gets drunk from drinking alcohol purchased in the cafe and is tossed off the train. It is a whole other story when a passenger gets tossed off the train from drinking alcohol they brought on board.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Besides protecting revenue, I believe that limiting private stock to the sleeping car is so that the cafe car crew can monitor the consumption of alcohol and cut off a passenger who is becoming intoxicated.

If it was really about limiting consumption Amtrak could simply require that you hand it over and have them serve it to you. Amtrak will happily get you drunk on their own supply so long as you keep handing over money.

 

[Medic981]

Besides protecting revenue, I believe that limiting private stock to the sleeping car is so that the cafe car crew can monitor the consumption of alcohol and cut off a passenger who is becoming intoxicated.

If it was really about limiting consumption Amtrak could simply require that you hand it over and have them serve it to you. Amtrak will happily get you drunk on their own supply so long as you keep handing over money.

Yet just like any other server of alcohol, Amtrak is responsible for the unintended consequences of intoxicated passengers, especially when Amtrak is the one supplying the alcohol. I wonder who will be blamed when an intoxicated passenger opens a door and jumps from a moving train?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Besides protecting revenue, I believe that limiting private stock to the sleeping car is so that the cafe car crew can monitor the consumption of alcohol and cut off a passenger who is becoming intoxicated.

If it was really about limiting consumption Amtrak could simply require that you hand it over and have them serve it to you. Amtrak will happily get you drunk on their own supply so long as you keep handing over money.

Yet just like any other server of alcohol, Amtrak is responsible for the unintended consequences of intoxicated passengers, especially when Amtrak is the one supplying the alcohol. I wonder who will be blamed when an intoxicated passenger opens a door and jumps from a moving train?

I've read about a half dozen people "falling" off Amtrak trains, almost always to their death, and never heard about Amtrak being held even partially responsible for any of them. In fact the initial law enforcement response seems to be little more than a shoulder shrug and an eye roll. I'm genuinely curious how enforcement of state level laws regulating alcohol sales is handled on an interstate transportation service like Amtrak. The alcohol sales violations I've seen were part of locally operated sting operations. Not sure how that would translate to Amtrak or who would be tasked and funded to conduct such a sting.

 

[MikefromCrete]

If you buying by the drink -- at Amtrak's prices -- you're probably not going to drink as much as when you bring a supply with you.

 

[Palmetto]

I'll drink to that!

 

[Manny T]

^^ Truer words were never spoke!

 

[Radvlad]

It's also not cool insinuating that anyone who wants to enjoy a few alcoholic beverages must be an alcoholic. Consuming a bottle of wine over the course of four days is nothing. If it makes the trip more enjoyable then so be it. Too many people in this world judge others.

 

[HenryK]

Prosit!

 

[NW cannonball]

It's also not cool insinuating that anyone who wants to enjoy a few alcoholic beverages must be an alcoholic. Consuming a bottle of wine over the course of four days is nothing. If it makes the trip more enjoyable then so be it. Too many people in this world judge others.

I've drunk a half bottle of LaPhroiag going from MSP to SEA, in my roomette.

I've also been annoyed by boozers on several trips. YMMV.

The most instructive case I've seen was, an oilfield worker and his 3 buddies got cut off at the bar on the EB eastbound from Seattle, those clowns tried to keep me from taking a free seat in coach - why, dunnno - I just sat there, and the drunks backed off. Hehe. Next morning the only one of them that was awake asked the conductor about the "severe swaying" of the train.(it was clear that the problem was not the train)

BUT - when an elderly geezer tipped over in the aisle, that hung-over a**h*le was the first to assist. He sprinted down the aisle to help - beat me out totally, and competently.

The geezer (coulda been me a few years down the line) wasn't hurt, but the guy I thought was just an a*ole drunk did real good helping.

YMMV