This has recently re-opened and seems much better for it. Im not sure if its under new management…read moreor not but certainly the shelves are better stocked now than they used to be. There is a great selection of weird and wonderful beers, local brews, real ale etc and you can pick up some good wine too on 3 for £10 offers and the like. Very convenient for the Indian takeaways across the road and there is usually parking outside too. They sometimes have bottles of champagne and nice bottles of wine ready gift wrapped and often they are quite competitively priced.

This small, high street off-license stocks a decent range of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes,…read moreand benefits from impressive prices and friendly staff. The store's owner is polite, welcoming and talkative and the shop's interior is remarkably clean and inviting, making every shopping experience here a pleasant one. On my visit, I purchased a large bottle of Jack Daniels for £19.99, which I felt was very reasonable, especially as the Sainsburys Local just opposite was charging £23.99 for the exact same product. Boldmere drinks store may be small, but what it lacks in size, it certainly makes up for in value!

To view this off-licence as a handy, pre-curry port of call is fair but doesn't entirely do the…read morebusiness justice. Boldmere Drink Store is, unto itself, a well-stocked outlet fronted by friendly staff - a nice combination that is unexpected, thanks to the rather bland name. Beer-wise it has plenty more than the usual supermarket-friendly brands and, while it may not have the widest range reflecting all the corners of Europe and Asia, a deep chiller makes up for it, full of competitively-priced tinnies and bottles. A tenner goes far, perhaps encouraging you to splash out on a curry after all. To top it off, where similar establishments branch out into crisps inside garish pipes, this place sells tomato-flavoured Snaps. Its booze may be bang up to date, but it must get its snacks via a rip in space-time. Even if the prices can't be 70s, this is surely the next best thing. All in all, this should be your booze-bet ahead of the national stores just doors away.

This shop opened this week and boasts a fantastic range of fine wines, friendly service in a…read moreconvenient location on the High Street. Well worth a visit

Vicarage Wines was the stop off for the Friday night session over at me ole muckers place…read more What I like about Vicarage is the wide selection of beers on offer. And I believe it is the first place that I came across a banana beer. I know, a banana beer, what an idea. It's moments like that, when I stop and start to question just how far things have gone in the world of beer making. I mean i'm all for a wide range of beers, but what person in their right mind is going to sit and drink a beer made from bananas? Can you imagine, returning to your mates place with a couple of Banana beers? Imagine the looks you would get. Now, I know, if I was out and someone said, try this banana beer, I might say ooh, go on then, what's it taste like? Just for the sheer novelty of course, but you wouldn't want to get a name for that sort of thing. Granted, it's nice to have a choice when it comes to your bottled beers, but there is a line. Good job there are some more sensible beers on offer and I came away with a couple of tried and tested brews to keep the evening swinging.

The best thing about the stretch of shops along Vicarage Road is that you can get most of your…read moreessentials without having to go into the middle of madness that is often Kings Heath proper. There is also a large area of pavement outside the front of these shops that makes it easy to park off road without blocking the footpath for pedestrians. One such shop along this stretch specialises in one of life's more essential essentials....booze! If you're heading into Kings Heath for a curry, or to visit friends, then this is one of the best places you can stop off at to pick up some drinks. They have various deals on at all times, so you'll probably pick up a bargain if you are buying in anything like a quantity. Beyond that there is a good selection of wines, beers and spirits and all at fairly reasonable prices.

If you were to pass by Drink Stop, you'd be immediately attracted to the copious amount of beer…read morethey have stacked up against the window, crates after crates for all to see. The stock available at this particular shop is unrivaled by many if any around this Halesowen/Blackheath area. Not only do they have large amounts of drink at their disposal, they also sell the majority of it in bulk, with numerous crates being made a much worth purchase than say four or eight. The policy there makes Drink Stop the ideal destination if you were to be having a party or if you were in need of large amounts of beer/wine, fast. The friendly staff there are always accommodating and even give you a hand carrying your heavy load out to the car, which is always a plus. The deals are plastered across the window, in what make seem tacky to some, but genius to others.

There is parking outside the shop but not much and they do not have a dedicated car park…read more They sell all kinds of alcohol and have a good selection of lagers and beers. Most stuff is on the shelves, but there is a fridge with beers, wines an alcopops in if you want something chilled. There is a wide variety of white, red and rose wines including wine boxes. In addition, there is also an aisle with snacks, chocolates and soft drinks so everybody is catered for. If you want spirits you need to ask as they are behind the till with the cigarettes. Beware that they do charge you for a carrier bag so take your own bags in to carry your goods!

In case you're wondering no this place isn't owned by someone called Michael, but maybe it was some…read moretime ago? Either way this is the usual place my friends, family and I purchase alcohol and soft drinks. Mainly because there's a wide range for a good price, there are always deals on plus it's right on the high street in Shirley. For example, on my most recent visit, there was a deal for a crate of bear for £15.00 pounds. Not bad eh? I don't encourage consuming large amounts of alcohol or sugary drinks but if you're planning on purchasing a lot then handily there are baskets and those trolleys you have to put a pound in to use and there's street parking right outside. On the other hand I know the Government are clamping down on the drinking age but sometimes I get a suspicious vibe from them. Or maybe they're just being careful because (and don't take this the wrong way) I look quiet young. Either way, what keeps me coming back here to stock up the cupboards, fridges and cater for guests and parties is the range of drinks and the value of money for them.

Burton Bridge Brewery is situated just after the 'old' bridge that leads you into Burton on the…read moreA511. A real drinkers pub, they brew their own ale on site and hold regular events, like beer festivals. The bar is well stocked with real ales including the famous 'Porter', as well as a selection of strong fruit wines. Be careful of the bar itself though, it is sloping, so if you put your pint on it, you will soon be wearing it! The lounge area has a good range of comfortable seating, as well as large roaring fire. A great place to sit with a good pint and debate the ways of the world. Upstairs is a traditional pub skittle alley which you can hire out, which we did as parts of a work's do. The alley is housed in a large room away from then main pub. A little on the rustic side, with old doors to protect the room from any errant bowls, but comfortable nonetheless, with an area to seat about thirty. The room was extremely cold though, the two coal fires were welcome but failed to really heat the room hardly at all. The bowling was entertaining though, as we split ourselves into two teams, it became very competitive, with anybody with a modicum of skill being applauded loudly! The food was truly great as well, chicken curry and cottage pie, mushy peas and chips, never tasted so good. A great venue, a great night, to which I would recommend to anyone. At the end of February there is a 'Beer and Bangers' event!

Used this place only a couple of times with friends. Lively and friendly atmosphere seems a nice…read moreplace to enjoy a beer or three. Sadly my personal taste doesn't enjoy the beer selection so I wont be a regular. I would say it is a traditional beer drinkers pub and quoting from my uncle who is a regular it's a mans pub

The service was good, the food was decent but it's not the best so yeah decent place to be fairread more

Going on names alone, you pretty much know you're in for an authentic English pub experience…read more The setting reinforces the point. You approach over a lovely little bridge, which spans one of the areas many canal arteries. The canal runs alongside the pub, and is dotted with beautiful barges and venerable vessels. Clearly then, the pub caters for boating folk, however there's plenty here for us land lubbers to enjoy too. In fact, although the pub lies next to the canal, its elevated position means the garden doesn't benefit as much from the location as other pubs in the surrounding areas. We just popped in for a cheap and cheerful pint of lager, and the pub and the friendly staff, dutifully obliged. But, don't get the wrong impression of this place. This pub does traditional new England just as well as it does traditional olde England. Instead of pies, scratchings and pickled eggs, this boozer provides bhajees, balties and samosas. Yes, the Bulls Head does a range of authentic Indian cuisine to go with its authentic range of English ales. Curry and a pint - it's the norn!