As you may or may not know, I am a beer drinker - some might dare to say enthusiast, but that's not a word I often use to describe myself. I don't drink liquor, I wish I did, the thought of going from zero to drunk in eight shots is brilliant to me, but for some reason I just can't handle it. Wine also eludes me. It's something about the taste, I'm not really sure yet, but I'm working on it.
As a beer drinker, I often purchase copious amounts of it (with the desired end result of drinking it) and I would like nothing more than for this habit to continue. Now, I'm in a country where beer distributors do not exist, and you just don't get 30 Natural Lights for 13.99. Through great searching and a citywide quest to find the cheapest beer in Auckland (not at Craig's across the street) has led to one beautiful, disgusting thing: Ranfurly (colloquially Manfurly), which tastes roughly like failure in a can - in layman's, 'the Milwaukee's Best of New Zealand'. At $15 NZ for 12 pints, compared to $16 for your average six pack, it's really my only option. And where is the absolute cheapest place in Auckland to obtain this aforementioned hangover-inducing beverage: Super Liquor.Super Liquor, conveniently located by the corner of Queen St. & Karangahape Road, now has total exclusivity over all my beer purchasing and is graced with my presence multiple times each week (sometimes even twice in one day). Admittedly, alcohol is one in my triumvirate of vices alongside gambling and fried food, and yet I keep hemorrhaging colorful money into it. Its close proximity to Huia merged with its low prices and my penchant for binge drinking create a Mark Wahlberg-like 'perfect storm' of sorts for your everyday alcoholic/uni student.
Yet, for as much harm as Super Liquor does to both my body and wallet, it brings so much joy into my life at the same time. Chiefly it serves to sate my alcohol-related desires. But more than that, it serves as a beacon of hope and encouragement.
You see, when we go out at night, the walk to the bars is a benevolent 20 minute downhill trek full of wonder and patriotism and merriment (oft tinged with a little light singing) and almost always includes a wee break at the Wendy's restroom. The walk back on the other hand is a bitter and sloshy 25 minute uphill battle between you, the 8-14 pints you just had, and gravity. As a doughy individual, gravity kicks my ass on a very regular basis, so I don't look forward to these walks with much more than disdain.
At some point in these walks though, something beautiful happens. By some great providence, a sign appears (quite literally). A glowing, almost angelic red, white and blue (purple?) sign. Quite simply, it reads "Super Liquor", and I know I'm almost home. As I fight exhaustion, inebriation, and self-deprecation, the Super Liquor sign shines boldly in the dark of night. Perhaps it was the wind, but I could swear it whispered "you can do it" as I passed it less than 24 hours ago. Alas, what can you do? Sometimes the things you love the most can hurt you, kind of like women. But at the end of the day, you still love these things, for not only their low prices but also the way they make you feel, inside and out. Thus, I thank and commend you Super Liquor for always being there for me.
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