Great alcohol store selling a wide range of wines and beers, there is always great deals on crates…read moreof lager that often compare to the deals at Tesco's and other supermarkets. They also have a great selection of snacks that go perfectly with your drinks- crisps, dips and sweets. Always a great place, due to the late closing, for grabbing a quick bottle or some beers on your way to a party without the big cues at supermarkets.

South Birmingham is spoiled at the moment for beer. Cotteridge Wines has been the Best Bottle Shop…read morein England for 4 years running and just down the road you have the second best, Stirchley Wines. You can see why when you walk in to Cotteridge Wines. Two long aisles rammed full of beer, bottles and cans from all over the world. There's apparently more than 1400 beers on site. They also have a taproom at the back of the shop with seating and a patio area for warmer days. I met some friends there before we headed on to Akram's for dinner. I had time for a couple of beers before we had to leave, and I had time to pick up a few more for the road too. In the taproom I tried Brew By Numbers 08|07 Stout Coffee & Milk and Magic Rock Brewing Sour Passion. Both of these beers were great in their own way. The BBNo beer was great for a cold evening. The Magic Rock could easily keep you going for a session sat in a hot beer garden during the summer and I could happily have sat there all night trying the remaining taps but we had to be off for our reservation at Akram's.

What does the word 'Beer' mean to you? If its 6 cans of Becks Vier for a fiver, you probably arent…read moregoing to be particularly plussed about Cotteridge Wines (though they will happily provide such tipples). If on the other hand beer means wierd, rare and wonderful brews from breweries around the world from Double IPAs to Saisons to Chocolate Imperial Stouts, then Cotteridge Wines will be your Nirvana. A choice of 12 cask ales to be taken home in your 'growler' (or sampled on site in their tasting room / speakeasy), a wall of american, belgian and scandinavian beers and a huge selection of british ales make this possibly the best off license in the UK. They stock beers from brewers such as The Kernel, Mikkeller, Evil Twin and Siren Craft, some of which are seriously difficult to track down in the UK. The beer here isn't cheap (limited quantities, import tax/costs, high quality ingredients, but the prices are very reasonable for what you get, they often beat many mail order companies on price, which is an impressive feat for a 'bricks and mortar' shop (they even sell bottles of certain Brewdog beers at lower costs than the brewery themselves!).

Drinks World is a surprisingly well stocked off-license on Harborne High Street that sells a big…read morerange or real ales, foreign beers, luridly coloured liqueurs and Cuban cigars. They also do a large selection of ciders, perrys and cheap to mid range wines. Although if you opt for the latter I wouldn't rely on the advice on the staff who work there - asking for a Rijoja the other day resulted in much confusion, but in the main they are helpful. I also like the minibar sized spirits they do at the till and the range of premixed drinks - gin and ton, vodka and coke etc - haven't seen those for ages.

There's something a bit weird about an off-license on a high street. They tend to be more of a…read more'local' thing, tucked away at the end of your road, rather than next to travel agents and health food stores. These days I suppose there is call for a more specialised booze outlet selling high end goods like whisky or wine (and for specialised you can also read expensive, of course) so it's a further surprise that Drinks World keeps going as it is pretty much just a standard outlet selling a bit of everything intoxicating - much like the old Victoria Wine chain of stores used to do. There's a fair selection of wines and beers on offer here and the prices are ok - neither cheap, nor expensive - and the staff are friendly and willing to help, which is pretty much all you need if you're nipping in for a 4-pack. Fair play to them, then, for making this work when Vic Wines clearly couldn't - they are clearly doing something right.

Manor Wines - Your typical local newsagent? Correct…read more There is always a stereotypical newsagent around every corner you turn in either Halesowen/Bartley Green, all pretty much selling the same products at similar prices. The service in a lot of these places is sub standard, as if the staff don't want to be there. The majority may be family and tied in to the shop, making matters worse. Regardless, Manor Wines is a fairly decent place to go, if you're looking to buy a few beers or a cheap bottle of wine, then I would recommend swinging by if you're close enough, I wouldn't say it's worth a journey though, I must admit.

Manor Wines is the best place to go for alcohol without getting in the car. They carry most types…read moreof alcohol and the prices are hard to beat. Would definitely recommend as it has been owned by the same family for at least 15 years and there are always good deals, especially with the usual drinks like fosters, carling, strongbow etc.

If you are looking to buy drinks at reasonable prices then this is the place to come to…read moreparticularly if you are local. Oscar Wines has a wide selection of drinks to choose from including beers, wines and soft drinks. This shop is similar to being an off license and you will find European foods, chocolates and some household products here. Being next to another shop that sells more or less the same items means the competition between the two is fierce. I have only been here once and to be honest I have no plans of coming back here since I am someone who doesn't drink that often. But there is no denying that there are loads of drinks you can purchase from here. Staff are friendly and you can talk to them about anything. Having a conversation with the shop owner felt good and you can have some banter with them.

Open from 10am-10pm every single day and offering an impressive selection of lagers, ciders and…read morespirits from across the globe, this handy local off-licence is a great place to stop by whenever you need to stock up on booze. The store's range is remarkably extensive considering its limited size and space and loads of great offers are available (Strongbow, Tyskie and Carling cans are all on offer for either 4 for £3.99, or 8 for £6.50!) The store's main pitfall is its cleanliness, but there's also a big problem with its layout. The floor inside is filthy, wine bottles are caked in layers of dust and it's difficult to browse the store comfortably when any more than 3 customers are present, as shelving is limited and cans of beer are haphazardly stacked in awkward piles in the middle of the room.

Want reasonably priced drinks until late in the Kings Heath area....look no further. This is one of…read morethose off licences that are always well stocked with many more beers, spirits and wines than you would expect for a shop of its size. The shelves are literally PACKED with products....mainly booze/alcohol based but there are some household and kitchen supplies should the local supermarkets not be open. The shop keepers are always really keen to help and know the stuff they have in stock well which is always a real bonus.....dont be afraid to ask for what you are after and I guarentee they will save you a fair bit of time scouring the shelves.

This well-priced off-licence is a great place to visit to stock up on a few spirits and wines…read morewhenever you're passing through Great Barr. 70cl bottles of Smirnoff Vodka are priced at just £13.99 each and various bulk-buy offers are available on wines and bottled beers. The only real problem with the place is its small size, which makes for very limited stock. Large crates of beer are unavailable here, so if you're planning on partying, you'll have to buy your cans in 4-packs. Additionally, there's a very strange smell inside and many products looks as if they've been standing a long time, thanks to layers of dust and dirt.