Love this place. Have had two really great experiences here: First was at a wine tasting, with different people stationed all over the store. Found a bunch of incredible wine including a really perfect rioja. The staff was really friendly. Second was today, when I went in to try some new stouts. These two awesome guys helped me out (ended up w a Bozo by Evil Twin, an aged Southern Tier Choklat, and something else for my husband). These guys are tangibly passionate about what they do. The guy who helped me find the awesome aged Choklat (whose name I didn't catch) recommended me to the other guy, Stefan, who was totally one of those beer genius types and took the time to discuss different stouts at length with me and guide me around the store :) This also reflected really well on the first guy, who went out of his way to be helpful from beginning to end. Even when I checked out, one of my beers rang up for something different than they had originally told me, and they honored the original price with no issue. Really a model of great & passionate service--thanks, guys! read more

Excellent selection of all Bourbon from high to low end. From Pappy to Old grand dad, your choice.

Biggest complaint: No air conditioning during this extra hot summer. The wines are surely suffering from the heat, but I can't tolerate even being in the sauna temperatures inside long enough to shop to confirm the wines are going bad. Second biggest: non-existent customer service, just clerks at the register. There have been a lot of changes here since the new owners took over. Most have been fine. They did clean up and mitigated the smell, which probably took an enormous amount of work, so that was good. Prices seem only slightly higher than before. I'm not going back. No one wants hot wine. read more

I'm so overjoyed right now, I can't stop smiling. I'm going to let the couple of pictures I snapped paint the picture for you. Then, because I already wrote about this in my personal blog, I'm going to reiterate my thoughts. Ready? Ok, here goes: Just when I thought my day couldn't possibly get any better, it did. I walked into Downtown Wine & Spirits in Davis Square and, behold, my eyes did see the glory of the brewing of the beer. Seriously, anyone who knows me, even remotely, knows I have an affinity for beer. But, as I stood in the middle of the gigantic beer selection, I felt myself buzzing with glee. And that's when I realized, wow, I have more than an affinity for beer. It's a true, bonafide, deep and unadulterated love for it. Especially, and friends can vouch for this, certain West coast breweries, who, up until now, had eluded by pint-tilting grasp. Ok, Ok, Ok. I'll say one negative thing; then, be forewarned, this blog (AHEM. I mean Yelp Post) is oozing with delight. Negative: No Dogfishhead Chicory Stout. They had the customary IPAs, though, which is good. But still! At the check out, I was beside myself. I would have reached over and kissed the girl behind the counter, but I think she would have liked it, even if I wasn't her type. She had huge, black plugs in her ears and half her head was shaved clean to the skull. But, in that moment, I was in love. I spewed un-Bostonian delight onto her, too, and, like a sport, she took it, expressing acknowledgment in none other than the standard monotone that is familiar around here. Whatever. Nothing could taint how I felt. Not even the brisk, post-rain sky as I walked, carrying my happy brown bag, toward the Davis Square T station. What was in the brown bag you say? None other than my favorite Great Divide St. Bridgete's Porter. I hadn't found it anywhere in Boston, until now. They also had a HUGE selection of Rogue and had, as a far as I could tell, the best of the Left Hand Brewing Co. We're talking, this place was amazingly stocked. Sure, one guy complained that they were out of PBR, but I stood there, surrounded by six packs and single bottles of some of the most amazingly divine beer my tongue has ever tasted. The aisle was wide enough I could have down a cartwheel. I thought about it. Really. Take a look at these pictures and tell me you're not amazed. That was just two of the sections. That's not counting their refrigerated section with six-packs or their walk-in freezer with 20 oz bottles. read more

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It's big, boozy and beholding to boundless Belgian brews betwixt Bordeauxs and bottles of Beefeater. Wipe the spit off the screen. This is important shit, especially if you're a packie with prime real estate in Davis Square. But it's not why I go. I go because they have the best locally crafted small batch beef jerky I've found in Massachusetts. Heidi Jo's Peppered variety marries the spicy bit of piper nigrum with the wet smokiness of, well, Liquid Smoke. Molasses and other goodies build up a little complexity, and the process leaves it with the dry and leathery texture I love in my jerky. I buy two $8 pouches a week. They also carry Pocket Shots! I'll let that faux pas slide. Other notables: the REAL laid back staff will order whatever you want at reasonable case prices, seeing as how they're in bed with every distributor imaginable. And when Icing was relevant, I once saw an employee get forced to take a knee while they were working. Unless their boss is reading this, in which case I didn't. Strongbad. read more

Beer, beautiful beer! Quick, think of a beer. Guess what? Downtown Wine & Spirits probably sells it, along with 382 other beers you've never heard of before (Werewolf Beer? Really?). Their beer selection is so good that I find myself brushing past wine displays unaware, transfixed by the oasis of shelves of beer at the far end of the store. And guys, I LOVE wine. True story: We were browsing the cold cases one evening and taking our time to whittle down our choices to what we could carry on the T. An employee rounded the corner, saw us, and freaked out. It turns out the store had been closed for several minutes and we had to skiddoo. But fortunately, the cool dudes at Downtown had no problem ringing up our beer first. I think they didn't want to break our hearts. read more

I found them with yelp when I was in search of Stone Vertical Epic 080808. This is a long story about their Staff and Service. I had a very odd request- I just wanted to bottle (08/08/08 is my anniversary). I was so happy I found a place that still had this beer. I was even more ecstatic that they were so willing to help me get it. However, they couldn't ship it to CA with the beer. ( I wanted the bottle more than the beer) After many calls back and forth- I awaited an email to complete the transaction/arrangement. Just when I was about to call again and check up again on the bottle- there it was IN THE MAIL!!!! When we end up in MA- WE will come by and buy the crew drinks =) Super helpful! Great communication! There should be more business like this one! read more

I call this place Beer Heaven/Beer Cave-esque, like back this one store in Hartford County, Connecticut. Extensive beer collection. I think the prices aren't so bad either. read more

Liquor Hub - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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I still love this place- Recently the introduced my roommate to Q Tonic (speaking of which, does anyone know if there are any adverse health effects of too much Quinine?) The store has really committed themselves to doing more tastings. Fun place to check out. Oh and David D (see his previous 1 star review), you're bashing a place for following State Laws? Seriously? Mass requires anyone with an out of state ID to show a second form of VALID Id (an expired New Mexico ID, not being valid.) This can include a credit card. This is a far cry better than the previous law requiring a Mass ID or Government and no exceptions. I also have to note that this store happily accepted credit cards and student ids as second ids to polite customers long before that was technically legal. read more

Downtown is the place to go for all your drinkin' desires in Davis. I typically roll by on Fridays after work to stock up for the weekend, and they always have at least one wine/beer/liquor company giving out samples! Their variety is great, especially for beer, as they stock numerous brands, local crafts, and seasonal offerings. In April they had this mega wine sampling event during which the entire store was transformed into a wine tasting with about 20 different brands doling out mini cupfuls of grapey goodness. They also had some free cheese and crackers to nom on and discounts for buying cases of the wines featured (which you're obviously going to want to do after downing 30 samples of wine). Daydrinking at it's finest. The prices are also pretty reasonable considering the store's location and size. A staple of our weekend drinking routine is Don Q rum, a handle of which will run you about $26. I can do that. So come on down to Downtown and drink on. read more

Downtown Wine & Spirits has a good combo... - Laid back but helpful staff - Original Sin Cider & Scrumpy's Organic Cider - Affordable Ice Wine - Dog treats! The location is great, right in Davis - so pick stuff up after you hop off the T and head home! If you are driving, they have three different lots pretty much connected to them, plus some street parking right there (just remember to bring your quarters for the meters). The staff is knowledgeable and nice - a killer combo! Too often, the only option for cider is magners....booo. If you are lucky, you can usually find a strongbow type or two as well - but Original Sin...that is a rarer find. The only reason this is not my favorite liquor store and not a 5 star review - they don't carry Hornsby's. :( While they do not have an extensive ice wine selection - not many people do. They do carry a local one...Still River Winery Apfel Eis Apple Ice Wine. So go Ice Wine and Go Local! Some of you might remember this from our Yelp Elite event on the boat (the Odyssey). Very good, very afforable. Lastly - making the visit complete - my four pawed sidekick was allowed to come into the store with me AND they had treats for him! How cool is that?! read more

The ultimate beer buying experience: spacious store, loud rockin music, and a stylin' awesome knowledgeable staff... It's all here at Downtown Wine & Spirits in Davis Square. What could possibly make this place any more badass? "I LOVE BEER" spelled out in tiny ceramic tiles in front of the beer cooler, obviously. Is this the most premium package store in the area? An absolute 1 million percent yes. read more

Having spent the last three years in Coolidge Corner, I got a nice healthy exposure to the Publick House. Thanks to this amazing little Brookline bar, a whole amazing world of awesome beers was laid out before me. Only a matter of time passes before one realizes that the awesome beers you are drinking at the Publick house could probably be purchased from a liquor store. Most people take about 8 years of legal drinking, on average, before shifting their focus from the 24 pack of (insert your crappy beer here) to "the good beer section". And then their alcoholic experssionism begins anew, transcending space, time, and bottle size. Moving to Davis Square recently brought on a new fear of "Where to procure the goods, beer-wise". So with Marty's liqors and Blanchards now an entire river-crossing away, I was super pleased and excited to find that Downtown Wine and Liquors has an amazing section of imported and indie beers. They just aren't refrigerated. But that don't matter, I got a refrigerator at my house, sucka! Problem solved. The staff is also very cool and they seem knowledgable. Their liquor selection is delectable. You can pick up ice, lemons, whatever. There will be a few beer tasting parties in my immediate future, and we can thank Downtown Wine and Liquors for that. Word. read more

This has to be one the nicest liquor stores I have been in. And it was open when I needed it to be! And it is pretty big and spacious inside, has a decent beer selection, and hard alcohol selection too!! So why only three stars you ask? Well...they carded my mom.....and my mom always thinks it is weird when she gets carded because she knows she looks over 21, so it just made the situation kinda awkward ha ha. But the cashiers there were friendly and talkative...but their snack selection there is too minimal for me...pretzels and those french fry cheeto type chips? that's it? I guess the alcohol is the important part, but their prices were a little higher than I'm used to, but then again alcohol tax is going up in August I just learned so stock up now!!! read more

For my 99th review, I thought it would be fitting to review my favorite place to buy a 6-pack.. you know... 99 bottles of beer on the wall? Stay with me people. So Downtown totally rocks. Why? Because the staff is rad and approachable and knowledgeable and also just plain old cool. You want to talk to these people, and if you're lucky, they might want to talk to you too! This is the kind of place where you end up getting into a funny conversation with the people you're in line with, and then another one at the counter, and sometimes they'll chat you up about what you're buying. This sometimes backfires when I buy bottles of pink Andres-- I don't need a spotlight on me for that, thanks. This also happens to be the best selection of beers in the area, as far as I can tell. They never disappoint me here. They have all kinds of Belgian ales, interesting/ obscure imports, and old stand-bys that I would occasionally die without, like Rogue Dead Guy for example. The Oregonian in me sometimes just needs a Rogue, and these guys deliver. Amen. The wine selection rocks too, and they even do wine tasting events from time to time. I love stopping in for a bottle, and getting samples and cheese while I shop. Yay for impromptu wine and cheese pairing. Oh, and they have sake! I live in Porter, so there are closer places for me to buy my libations, but I come here for the selection, the service, and the downright awesomeness. I suggest you do the same. read more

When you're alone And life is making you lonely, You can always go - downtown When you've got worries, All the noise and the hurry Seems to help, I know -downtown So, maybe I'll see you there We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares... Everything's waiting for you read more

I was strolling around Davis Sq and saw a sign for a wine tasting at Downtown Wines.....Yeppy! I walked in and browsed the aisles of wine and shelves of beer looking for something new to take home. The store is pretty clean and organized but noting out of the ordinary. The wine tasting started a few mins after I walked in. The wine was really great and the rep was very informative....lets say it was a good educational experience. They have a good selection but also that their prices are higher other store for fairly common bottles. One of the employees suggested a great bottle of Pinot Noir which I really enjoyed and was also reasonable priced. They have a huge selection of beer which is really great. Lots of 6 packs including some hard to finds. However even the regular beer (Heni, Sam, etc) was pricey compared to most places. I don't mind paying for good wine but I would rather spend my money at Ball Square which is a charming little wine shop. Bottom line= knowledgeable staff, fast service, nice wine tasting, but pretty expensive for weekly shopping. I guess they can charge more since they right in Davis Sq and people don't have many options. read more

Whether you're in the market for a bargain wine, some pricey celebratory bubbly, a six-pack of something to get you drunk, a specialty beer in a fancy pants bottle and anything in between, Downtown Wine & Spirits will be able to help you. Friendly knowledgeable, the staff has the 411 on the latest trends in wine, the best vintages and the brands that boast the most value. Having been to Downtown several times for purchases and tasting events, I chose to use their services for a cool promotion we set up for Yelp Boston & Wine Riot. Essentially, we gave away a few cases of wine through a live twitter contest and called Downtown to help me put together a few good bottles for the winners, wine of value but still taste stuff. Dan was able to help me, no problem. He found the price points I was looking for, set the cases up for me so that the winners were able to pick up their prizes from the store and on top of being so helpful, he hooked me up with a 20% discount 'cause I bought so much! If you live in Davis or the surrounding area, support a great local business buy your booze at Downtown! read more

Years ago someone once said to me "I bet you'll grow up to be a wine drinker". I was probably 14 at the time. Well here I am over a decade later and guess what: I have a crush! Yes, a crush on those perfectly fermented grapes that rush through my mouth and make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Mostly I had been drinking based on trial and error but that is quickly changing as a crappy bottle of wine is becoming harder and harder to stomach. Then I found Downtown Wines & Spirits. I had been into this shop several times in the past but I guess I just wasn't sold since I don't venture out too far for my liquor fix but that is all changing. They have an excellent selection of wine, beer, and liquor that will keep me experimenting for quite a while. When compared to the closest packie, Woody's (or, gulp, Paul Revere- I feel dirty just saying it), its no contest. So what changed me? A little wine tasting. They have them regularly and the Second Glass did one I attended as well. The wine buyer was present and was very knowledgeable and friendly. It was a fun environment where the sole purpose was to further the enjoyment of the nectar of the gods. I know all I have to do is speak up and they are more than willing to help. I will be making this a regular stop in my quest to further develop my palate even if it is a bit out of the way. Don't take my word for it though, go see for yourself! read more

You know that whole cliche about breaking the mold? Well, this place melts it into a million tiny particles that then roll slowly across the floor towards an agreed-upon center to again meld together and create an entirely better and indestructable mold--ala Terminator... You'd think it's just a run-of-the-mill liquor store, especially given its shabby exterior and even shabbier window display, but it's oh so much more. The wine selection is fantastic. And the staff is so freaking knowledgeable about it all. The fianC is a big fan of asking for suggestions and not once have we walked away after such an experience and been unhappy. I especially like the little cards displayed in front of some of the wines that give you a little more information on vinyard location, taste and pairing. It's awesome. Oh, again on the knowledgeable staff...the fianC and I had a great pinot noir from Sonoma Valley and wanted to find that, and not only did the guy go to the back to see if they had any, but when he didn't return with any, he explained to us why it's so rare and when we could expect a new shipment in the store. Awesomeness! The beer selection (honestly don't frequent this too much) is awesomeness too. Check out their selection of local beers! Man I'm spoiled by this place.... read more

Strongbow and Original Sin in bottles!! I'm such a cider whore, and I strongly dislike Magners. If you want to stock up for a rowdy night in, swing by this place, for a great selection of all things alcoholic. It's close to the action in Davis Sq. so you can grab some takeout, pick up a couple of sixer's and head back to your place (or someone elses...rawr) and drink the night away. Drink Responsibly. read more

I don't drink anymore (I'm not all rah rah straightedge or anything, but I developed this sort of allergy type thing that has restricted my diet and indulgences somewhat for the time being) but when I did drink, no matter where I lived this was always my liquor store of choice. They have a ridiculously huge imported beer selection which makes me very happy, as when I lived overseas I got to sample all sorts of beers, many of which I could find here. The staff is super knowledgeable and very passionate about what they do. I remember having a discussion with one of them about the potential negative ramifications if the whole "Let's sell alcohol everywhere" bill was passed, and it really made me think about the fact that it's difficult to find service of that caliber in most liquor stores, let alone a 7-11. Seriously though, I love it when you go into any store and the staff truly seems invested in what they are doing vs. simply glaring at you while ringing you up. All in all, a great store and well worth checking out. They also have wine tastings, which I'm guessing you could call to inquire about. read more

On the upside, this place has a great selection of beer. On the downside, its customer service is miserable. This place can't even get the basics right. For example, they don't put prices on product. And store workers don't know prices. Just yesterday I asked for the price on a 4-pack of Jack's Abbey; the response was, "ten-ish." I found out at the register that the real price was $13. A few months ago I asked for the price on a 12-pack of Narragansett; the response was, "$10". The real price was "$18". Next, this place is a rathole. It's so cluttered it's easy to trip and difficult to maneuver around the store. Good beer selection. Terrible service and atmosphere. read more

Great selection, and they deliver, which is why we chose them to bring us the booze for our wedding. Unfortunately, they failed to deliver it. My wonderful friend ran back to our apartment (fortunately we were getting married a couple blocks away) and got the receipt, and spent a half hour on the phone with them. They were apologetic and sent over two cases of beer free, but still. A major screw up, so I wouldn't recommend trusting them with with large orders in the future. Still, as a local liquor store, their selection and easy layout gives them 3 stars. read more

I'm not sure how it is that I never reviewed this place. It was my local liquor store for a year. . then I moved. . now I'm back and it's pretty much my local liquor store again (just not as local as I'd like). . . Point is that I love the art that is booze and all of the sub-genres of the booze art, and Downtown does this up proper. The beer selection is PHENOMENAL. It's about the only place I've ever found one of my most favoritist beers eve, horny devil, and in fact, is one of the only places I can go and say "Huh. . I haven't tried that" But what REALLY sets this place apart is Jeff, the wine buyer. Great selection reasonably priced and he's happy to blow around the store with you pulling bottles off that you *must* try. Well, I gotta tell ya. I tried some of his must try's and shit fuck damn is he spot on with what I like. Love it. . . LOVE IT! So stop on by to Downtown and give Jeff a big JELLO! and ask him what you should drink, you'll be happy that you did. read more

Empire records called and asked Downtown Wine and Spirits for their clichéd 90s emo employees back. The staff here is just not versed in proper customer service, or maybe their parents peed in their cornflakes when they were growing up. I don't really know, but I wish they would just lighten up. I've stopped going there, Ball Square Fine Wines has a much better selection and a wine club. We now get 5% off our purchases there. Another favorite is Crowley's liquors who also owns Pescatore, one of my favorite restaurants. Luigi and his family run the liquor store and restaurant. If you're interested in buying local, try a place like this instead. read more

By far, my favorite liquor store in the area. The guys here are very chill and super helpful. They always have some nice featured stuff and I find myself walking away with a different kind of wine every visit (and I'm more of a beer girl these days). As mentioned in many of the other reviews, they have a good selection of staple beer as well as some random kinds that are really great for us adventurous types. Hmm.. this kind of makes me look like I'm there a lot. Well, I'm not.. you know.. I mean.. I'm there enough to give it 5 stars.. but I'm not an alkie or anything. I am a very respectable lady Yelper after all. :X read more

Hands down the best liquor store in Somerville, perhaps Cambridge, too. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to help you find just the right wine for your budget, or the best Oktoberfest brew from a local microbrewery. The wine selection is well varied in region, variety, and price. Trust the staff to suprise you with their top picks; I've never been disappointed. A pat on the back for their well-rounded selection of Massachusetts brews, as well as a fair share of select foreign bottles. Also stocked with the usual hard liquor suspects. read more

I find my weariness with Downtown growing greater and greater every time I go there. I understand they have to be diligent about IDs, but my fiance has been in there probably 400 times, and myself maybe 150 times, and not even a familiar glance. I go to buy beer or wine pretty much every other day and they STILL don't recognize me. I didn't mind the prices so much in the beginning, but when you go to liquor stores as frequently as I do, it's painful when you know you're getting ripped off. A bottle of Stoli that's $18 at Kappy's is $25 there, and they don't even have handles of my favorite vodka. It irritates me because I KNOW I could save money if I went somewhere else, but this is the only liquor store in Davis, and thus, the only one close to my apartment. I can't even buy wine there without cringing - even the Sutter Home is overpriced. They have a really good selection of craft beers, I must say, but, I don't drink it so I don't really care. I do, however, care about the hard liquor, which there isn't that much of. read more

BEER Now that I've got your attention, let me tell you a story about Downtown Wines & Spirits, an amazing bottle shop with a deceptively bland name. I go in. I'm nervous. I've been here before, but I know what I'm in for. Actually, this time, I didn't. I live in New York but visit Boston periodically. When I do, I stay in Somerville with friends, and this is where they take it. The beer culture of New England probably rivals that of the NYC area, so I know I'm walking out with more brew than I can afford. That's a given. This time, however, it was different. I took a right instead of a left, deciding I would start browsing at the far end of the beer section, in the rear, against the back wall. I normally skip this area, because it's devoted to European beers, most of which I can get at home. And I'm here for what's local. But then I saw them. A whole row of Stone Vertical Epics. 6.6.6. 7.7.7. 8.8.8. 9.9.9. 10.10.10. 11.11.11. All there. And not only them. This is a beer store with a vintage section. I don't often stumble on this. Almost never, in fact. I expressed my amazement and appreciation to an employee. He reciprocated by showing me the Founders Bolt Cutter he had a few bottles of in his beer safe. Wow, I thought. But then I met his coworker, who asked if I was looking for anything else. Well, I said, anything vintage is cool. I didn't know what I was in for. He said, we have a lot. Maybe you should be more specific. Can I look, I asked? He thought for a moment. Sure, he said. And into the basement we went. I don't want to say any more, but what I saw down there rivaled the treasure of a dragon's lair. At least for me. But maybe you don't care about this. In which case, get your six pack and move on. If you do care, however, I don't think I've ever encountered a better beer selection more lovingly curated by a friendlier or more helpful or more genuinely beer loving staff. 10 stars. read more

Update: This is overdue - the owner was kind enough to reach out and say they started posting their beer prices on a clipboard in the beer section. That was in response to my complaint that they don't have price tags. It's not a perfect fix, and I recall the prices not being listed in alphabetical order, but I definitely appreciated it. For beer I do still find them to be on the expensive side, similar in price to what you'll find in small Somerville conveniently-located package shops. But they are in the heart of Davis Sq....making them fit the pricing I suppose. Even so, it's not uncommon to find yourself checking out with an $18 6-pack of a beer you can get elsewhere in the area for $14. My only issue with that, you don't get anything different when you buy booze at a store...just the booze. Sometimes the lines are very long, but they move quickly. read more

My local liquor store, and I love it. The selection of beers is great, as is the liquor. The staff is pretty cool and friendly. Really, you can't go wrong with this place. They even deliver! I've never had my liquor/beer delivered, because that makes it seem too easy, but I can see the joy in such a thing, especially if you're planning a big event. There are also wine tastings here pretty regularly, and one evening my roommate walked in to find a vodka tasting. How can you beat that? read more

Whether you are an alcoholic, an amateur mixologist or the average Joe looking for a beer, this is one of the places that you can rely on. You could be looking for some top shelf vodka, some foreign wine, some obscure, fancy microbrew or a 12 pack of Miller and chances are... they'll have it. They carry everything from Geary's Summer Ale to Chimay. Their selection is phenomenal and doesn't stop at beers. They also have quite the selection of wines and liquors. Downtown Wines & Spirits is in my neighborhood and I'm very thankful for that. Their selection is incredible and the service is both friendly and prompt. They are knowledgeable too - I grilled one of them about wine and he was able to help me out. He knew his stuff. The prices are pretty good and this place has pretty much become my default liquor store. Hell they even have beer cookies near the checkout counter! And they taste awesome. read more

+ Wine and beer tastings on a near-daily basis. + Unrivaled beer/wine location for the immediate area, save for possibly Ball Square Fine Wines. + Stellar employers eager to make suggestions and help you find something specific. + If you ask nicely, you may be able to tap into their secret back storage room full of rare beers. SHHH. + Dat location. + Mix and match six packs are a go. + Beef jerky by the register. + Piano at the front. + One time they gave me a free Narragansett tie. - Pricey. - Poor liquor stock/variety. - Stop complaining, me. read more

I started coming to Downtown Wines and Spirits haphazardly just because it was the closest liquor store to me, had a decent beer selection (eschewing the wines and spirits for now), and was on the way to other places. I wasn't impressed by the prices, which are a little bit high, but willing to shell out because of the location. However, I really started seeing the stand-out brilliance that is Downtown when I began to attend Second Glass crash courses there. Quoth Sunny M., "THE PLACE IS AWSOME." And, more importantly, "THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE ARE KOOL TOO." I couldn't have said it better. The courses were great on their own merits, but what gave the bump to the store in general is that it got me recognizing faces (Dan, manager, and Jeff, wine buyer, specifically), and recognizing faces got me asking questions. More and more, I'm realizing that knowledge trumps. And these guys know their shit. You want a port or a sparkling rose? Ask away. Maybe it's a whiskey night instead? Go right ahead. Beer for you? They got that too. What's best is that they're also entirely without pretension when it comes to booze. Ask for a bottle of wine under $10, and you won't feel like a barbarian. "Are you looking for good tequila or bad tequila?" Bad, thanks. And despite some price woes, there are deals here, especially around events. Free tastings are pretty frequent, are always of impeccable stuff, and often carry a discount with them. Forget about complaining about your wallet when you're walking away with a case of $8/bottle really solid vintage wines. This isn't a place to pick up a 30-rack of PBR, but whatever. You can do that anywhere. Take my advice and chat up somebody working the floor. You won't regret it. read more

If I could give this place a hundred stars, I would. Honestly, I've never experienced better service from a business. For Valentine's Day, I really, really wanted to send beer to this awesome kid in Somerville. Unfortunately, I live in NYC and it's surprisingly tough to order good beer online and have it delivered. (I certainly didn't wanna pay $75 bucks for an Amazon.com "microbrew" gift basket full of Sam Adams and gross cheese.) After scouring the web, I found this place and saw that they delivered. I called two weeks before Valentine's Day and asked if they could deliver Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye and Victory's Golden Monkey, and they were able to make it happen seamlessly (and were very, very friendly and kind through the whole process.) I'm telling my all of my Boston-area friends to never, ever shop anywhere else. Seriously. read more

I want to give Downtown a 5th star, because it's my favorite booze shoppe in the area. Their beer selection earns 6 stars, wine selection 3 1/2, liquor selection 3, service 3 1/2, prices 4. I'll assume that averages out to 4. The beer selection is the star attraction here. Local brews? Check. Micros? Check. Belgians? Check. English, Irish & Scottish beers? Check. Hell, if you want it, you also have your choice of beers from the usual suspects (Mexico, Japan) to the less usual (Lithuania, France). I can save you some time by recommending you pass on the Lithuanian beers (they taste like a less-fresh PBR with shittier ingredients), but the Polish brews are some unappreciated treasures. I first tried Polish beer down in Williamsburg, and found it to be flavorful and drinkable, albeit not the most complex thing I've ever drank. You can't go wrong with Okocim and Zyweic (sp?). Most are under $3 for a large (16-22oz) bottle. If they don't have a beer you want, they'll either special order it or put it on the list of things to ask their distributors about. While they've yet to track me down some Shiner Bock, they did come up with Allagash Black and Ruddles County Ale per my request, both pretty rare in the area. The liquor selection is a tad lacking here, but they've got all the essentials. The wine selection is alright - some hits, some misses. Still, it's better than most in the area, and some come with amusing reviews by the staff. One read "this wine is an excellent cure for sobriety" and a review for a Wine By Joe bottle read "this wine is really great. - Joe". Service is always acceptable, sometimes friendly. They host tastings here from time to time, though I signed up for an email list for Scotch tastings and never got any emails. read more

Dear beer lovers and boozaholics of Cambridge and Somerville: THIS IS NOT MECCA. An average beer selection with a few one-offs thrown in for credibility. A "so-so" selection of scotch. And did the cashier just card me? I'm not one to dock a liquor store for doing due diligence on the IDs, but I'm 30 going on 45 and can count the number of times I've been carded in Boston on one hand. I'll overlook this and pretend it's because I'd just presented him with a credit card for the liquor he'd already rung up and bagged for me. Take note: because it's within stumbling distance at 11 p.m. on a Friday night does not a 5 star liquor store make... read more

Anything short of 5 stars is an affront to the gods of beer. Best beer store ever. Wine and Liquor section is small, but pretty good for what is there. read more

This is the first liquor store I've found that has Labatt Blue in stock. For a Buffalo girl, that's the most wonderful find EVER. And just to top it off, the one clerk spent a couple of minutes with me talking about football and cracking some Buffalo jokes with me. I think I'm in liquor store love. read more