this place used to be the 'go-to' place. it was the bar that served over 15 beers on tap…read more(interchangeable each night) and rocked from 12pm till 12am (so many people). now they wont serve a beer after 9pm on a Saturday...(now more than half empty). its not the same place it used to be, which is really sad. but why? is. it because rich ppl bought it? why has the atmosphere died so bad? sux, as used to be a staple of high street.

Since coming to Melbourne, I've had some serious no-joking-matter trouble. Maybe I was looking in…read morethe wrong places, but it's been difficult for me to find a good shop that has a wide range for craft beer available in bottles to buy. Sure, there's plenty of bars with local/craft beers on tap, but I was after the good stuff to have at home. Thus, Carwyn Cellars has been a heaven sent solution. There is beer on shelves, there is beer in fridge coolers, there is even beer lined up ready for picking. If your poison is wine, don't be alarmed, there's a fully stocked room filled with wines to delight your tastes. Or if liquor is quicker for you, they have an array behind the counter. The staff is helpful and I appreciate the 15% off discount when you buy a mixed six-pack of beer. That always is a push to buy more beer, as if you need one right? The cellar store leads into the bar in the back. I only got in a glance, from what I could make of it, they've got a nice little setup here. With plenty of good craft beers on tap, and the option of indoor/outdoor seating. Carwyn is the perfect place to come and get your drink on and then without even leaving, purchase a few more to take home. I'm all for it.

Wide selection of craft beer and wine, staff is knowledgeable and friendly, haven't noticed any…read moreunsavory dark individuals lurking up and down the aisles either so that's a big plus as a woman, but I'm only giving it 4 stars because I'm pretty sure the wine guy last time I was in might not have been totally European in heritage.

I've noticed a few of these joints pop up over the last couple of years and I gotta say I was…read morebloody sceptical to begin with. All of this 'Hmmm,' chin rub, 'it's got a real passionfruit texture and a sense a bit of chocolate in the after palette' gives me the shits to no end. So I avoided the joint for want of not promoting this kind of overt wankery and wine snobbery. Then I discovered they have beer inside. Not just any beer neither, Blackhearts & Sparrows stock a wild range of brews from around the world and they actually know their shit. I'm a sucker for the 'big' beers: IPAs, stouts and the likes. These dudes not only stock a huge range of these kinds of 'speciality' beers, but they offer tastings and steer you in the direction of what's good, or new, or, exciting. They don't get pushy if you're on a budget and, yes, their wine selection is pretty impressive. If you're into that kind of shit.

Blackhearts and Sparrows is, by some blessing from a higher power, my local bottle shop. This is…read morevery, very good news for the wino inside of me, but very, very bad news for my bank balance. Blackhearts truly are wine purveyors. It's unlikely you'll find anything below the $15 mark in here, and that is a good thing! Here's what you do... Pick your budget and your occasion, walk inside and within three seconds you will be offered help. The customer service here is NEXT LEVEL. For instance, I set myself a budget of $60 to buy a nice bottle of wine for my mum... I walked in and out in under five minutes with a bottle of wine she still talks about. There are plenty of beers too - locally made and international with outrageous labels and flavours you would never think would work (but they do). This is a craft beer heaven. As mentioned in previous reviews, the spirit selection isn't huge - it is all craft gins and whiskeys, something for a special occasion not to throw into a punch bowl for your house party. Bonus points to Blackhearts for stocking pre-bottled cocktails from The Everleigh! Grab a Negroni, you won't regret it.

What exactly is your policy on charging customers the same price as displayed on the shelf?…read more. Second time I've been charged differently to the advertised shelf price and the response by your salesman was just buy 6 bottles to get a 10% discount. Rude and really not right at all. . Prices are there show the price of a bottle, not as a bloody guide and then be advised it's more. Second time in your stores and your Richmond store has to do much better to keep people like me returning.

This was quite a surprise, a rather small craft beer bar that I discovered as I was wandering…read morearound Armadale. In fact, it turned out that it was opening just as I walked past, which meant that I had the opportunity to step inside and grab a beer, and I tend to do when I discover a craft beer bar. The service here was great, namely because he was more than happy to sell me a beer while he was opening up, and the range that he had was nothing short of awesome. A great discovery where I didn't expect to find one.

Awesome place just to chill with mates and catch up. Excellent selection of beers. Received…read moretutorial on double IPAs!! haha it's been a while. A looong while..

What a fantastic bottle shop!…read more They claim to have a beer from every country but I don't know. Either way, their wall of international and local beers is impressive. I've tried to get a different one every time I go in there but there are a lot to get through. Challenge accepted! It's a bit of an icon this bottle shop as it sits at the entrance to Acland St where it's always some friendly folk working there and, surprisingly, with so many imported beers, the prices are very good. With specials-a-plenty you will no doubt walk out a happy customer.

600 Beers or there abouts from every nation on earth. It's a…read moregreat Glocal Shop - (Global/local.) Again, this is one of those shops i have frequented over the years, sampling a fair amount of their stock. and with good measure. It has a great array of beers from simpleton bogan brews (here's looking at you pure blond, vb, and Carlton draught) to more exclusive, boutique high quality beers. One may also venture into some great and not widely available ciders; I highly recommend the Harcourt apple cider. The stock has quite a slow change over from time to time, and what is available differs slightly seasonally. There's always a strong selection from England, Japan, Germany, and Australia. It's also worth, if not for the intrigue, but sheer volume alone, the beer wall. This is stocked with many beers you've probably never heard of before. There's also some great spirits El patron tequila, Zubrowka Vodka, are prime example among many others. A bottle shop for a great gift idea.

This tiny store is a brew lovers treasure trove in the South Melbourne Market. Mr Sticki and I shop…read morehere almost weekly and have been introduced to the pleasures of some great craft ales, ciders, perry and ginger beer. What I love about it is the availability of Victorian made products with a smattering of interesting overseas offerings. And their table wine is pretty reasonable too. It's always a pleasure talking to the staff as we learn something new each time. Sometimes I feel as though we are following their brew adventures as they hunt down new stock. The pride in and knowledge of their stock makes me feel that Dave, the guy who runs it, is more of a curator than a shopkeeper. There are regular tastings and at Christmas they made up some microbrew mixed six packs so we could introduce these lovely drops to others. Awesome. Now, if only their stall was a bit bigger ;)

Don't hate me, but I'm not really that in to beer. I mean, I understand the appeal and wish I could…read moreappreciate it in the same way I do wine and coffee. But, it just doesn't rock my palate. That said, although Swords is known primarily for its huge variety of interesting beers, they also have a great collection of cider (which I am very agreeable to on a hot day in the sun). The staff here are friendly and knowledgeable about all things hoppy and boozy - they'll point you in the direction of something new and interesting and send you on your merry way with a mixed selection of things to try. One of the girls who works here, Lucy, applies a similar language to beer as one would with wine and it's an absolute treat to have her serve you if you want to geek out. On my most recent visit I went home with three new ciders - an interesting cloudy pear version (Perry), a regular clear apple cider from the Adelaide Hills and a little Victorian number which all went down a treat at an outdoor BBQ.

I'm a bit of a beer nut, so finding this gem tucked away in the corner of Carlton was somewhat of a…read moreMecca moment. Stocking a decent range of beer and wine is one-upped only by their impressive range of craft beers. The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable: a great advantage when you're so spoiled for choice with a wall of craft beers staring down at you. Prices are pretty much on par for most beers. I love to head in and grab one of a bunch of different beers to sample over the next couple of weeks, there's just so much choice! With a rapidly cycling stock, this is my only bottle shop in Melbourne.

This is not your average shitty aussie liquor store on a lazy tired Melbourne burb!…read more The family behind this establishment gave rise to a proper liquor store with a variety of literally hundreds of craft wines and what seems like 200+ craft beers. Here you will find a great selection of craft beer and wines from the region plus some usual suspects from abroad and a good mix of all the styles is usually in stock. I did find some good surprises like Napoleon from up north which is rarely found in the inner city and a few other lesser known goodies. The staff is friendly and non-pushy which I find delightful and the prices are pretty good. If you happen to cross through this area give this place a visit and forgive yourself for the time spent looking through the great selection of beer/wine.