My partner is more of a drinker than me, so he's the one who found this gem. But we couldn't be…read moremore in love with the space and the selection. Don't miss this spot

We found this place by sheer chance. One day I was sitting around on Facebook and I stumbled upon…read moretheir page because they had a sponsored ad with a White Merlot tasting. Intrigued, I dug further and found out they are local in New London, and offer free beer and wine tastings every Friday night! Excited, I put it on our calendars, and counted down the days. Located in the heart of downtown new london, walking distance from the amtrak station and the city center, Thames is the only craft liquor store for many miles. Parking on the street has never been a problem for me, but may become so if their popularity increases. The store itself is well organized, with an entry area with a deli feel, stocked with craft cheeses and meats. This area is also where they taste their beers, and provide wonderful food pairings. Behind the food area is a boutique area with a case of chocolates and gifts surrounding it, along with cigars and a cold case of rosés. Alongside this area is another long room with the spirits, beers and wines. This is where the wine tasting is located, and features vintages from all over the world. I have been very pleased with the suggestions from staff on our purchases, and have yet to leave with a bottle of something that I dislike. They do have some amazing items we return for repeatedly, like the Tonic syrup to make custom gin and tonics, and many not-to-miss California reds. Downsides are price, which seems high comparatively across the board, and sometimes selection, which rotates constantly. If you're trying for something specific, they may be out and offer something similar which I think is fun but may be annoying to some.

They solely market alcoholics, they open at 8am and close at 8:30 mon-thurs. Then Fri and sat, they…read moreclose conveniently at 9:40pm (EVEN THOUGH ITS 9PM MOM-THURS AND 10 PM FRI-SAT and forget sundays, just be there before 5, even though its legally 6pm.. Even though they advertise 9pm mon-thurs and 9:40pm fri-sat.and 6pm sunday (Do not fall for internet times and they will lie to you if you call- they don't make tips and have no desire to please their customers. Like all package stores in Connecticut, they became "necessities" after Covid. Which gave them the permission to treat their customers however they felt. We are -promised income- to them so they can do and charge whatever they want. They have roaches in their store, not surprised between George Washington Carver and the crazy folks home behind the store they found a highway to spread. Ask them to turn the lights off for five minutes and see how many roaches are caught off guard. The prices change daily with your commitment to their store. They play games with the prices to see if you are paying attention. Trust me, PAY ATTENTION. they refuse to clean their store and also do not keep up with expired items in the non-alcoholic cooler. When you do speak up against wrongful treatment, they ask you to leave. The fact that they don't kick you out, because they want your money tomorrow is a great example of their corruption. Do yourselves a favor and avoid this garbage can. There are extremely cleaner stores the exact distance in both directions from this store. Also, Wine Merchant on broad St opens at 8am as well to the alcoholics!. (Both buildings are very infested with bed bugs- BE CAREFUL!)-

I've lived in New London for many years so I've been familiar with the staff changes over time at…read morethis store. I hadn't been there in a while and stopped by en route to running errands etc. Walked in, spoke to the cashier and got a stone face in reply. "Ok" I said to myself. In comparison to the former owner he leaves much to be desired. The former owner, who was also the manager, was always pleasant and helpful. This person, never. This person has never been what I call "cordial", ever. I also don't see other employees so it appears this place is another one of those establishments run solo. Anyway, I'm good patronizing a place that appreciates my business with a friendly demeanor. I miss the former owner and his lovely employees.

Great selection! Very helpful staff and friendly. In a good location as well and easy parking lotread more

This is pretty much your average big wine and liquor shop. Like the other shops in the Grand Wine &…read moreSpirits chain, the vast majority of what you find here is wine that you can buy pretty much anywhere. However, like the other branch I've been to, there are some gems to be found. There is a small area of higher end selections and they do have sales on this. I was able to get a bottle of 2008 Dom Perignon and a bottle of Caymus on sale, as well as a bottle of Opus One (not on sale, but still delicious). If you want every day wine, you can find it here. If you want higher end wine, the selection is rather limited but there are bottles to be found here as well.

I had to bring something with me to a gathering and this store was the perfect place to get Liquor,…read morebeer or wine. It is huge, there is an amazing selection and the people were very nice to me. There is an overwhelming amount of inventory there!

Large selection, variety and many speciality beer. Good prices and helpful staff. Recommended.read more

If you are looking for a good selection of wines, this is your stop…read more Highly recommend. They used to host wine tastings here not sure if they are still doing those. Friendly staff.

The very angry lady refuses to take cans for deposit return, even when buying product. Very rude…read moreand a violation of the law. Several people have reported this to the state revenue dept.

Visiting my mother and step dad who live in New London. Bought an Islay scotch whisky for the old…read moreman and he loves the smokey taste. I was worried at first not sure if they carry it, but they have a great selection of different liquors! The staff is also very knowledgeable and helped pack the bottle up. I will definitely buy more from here. It is conveniently located in the shipping plaza next to citizen bank.

Just passed by this weekend. Consistently polite, helpful and professional. Amazing selection !!read more

Where do I begin.. I ordered wine with 1 day shipping on 9-14-2020. 3 days later I contacted this…read morebusiness to inquire about my delivery and why I have not even received a confirmation (other than my bank statement) or a tracking number. Whoever I spoke with was of no help and even continued to lie and tell me that the shipping I selected was 3-5 day shipping. (Images attached below). Not only that, they told me the package left and that I'd receive a tracking Number later that day. Well today is 9-18-2020 and I still don't have a confirmation of purchase from the company or a tracking id. The only thing I have is an email response from the company saying the package has left their facility?!? What kind of business is this?

I ordered a extremely high quality whiskey for a decent (yet approprately high) price. It was meant…read moreas a special birthday present. When it arrived, the top had broken off during shipping. They had wrapped it well enough, so I have to assume the shipping company had handled it a bit too roughly. When I carefully emailed Universal Package Store to inform them of the problem, they responded right away and sent a new bottle with a return label for the old one. I was very relieved to get this special whiskey in time for the birthday. They really handled the situation professionally and with care. It was a refreshing to be treated so well. Maybe living in a big city has jaded me, but I was truly positively surprised how they took responsibility and quick action to rectify the situation. I will definitely be ordering here again.

Nice quiet mom and pop package store. Decent selection of beer and wine. Seemingly had a nice…read morespirit selection and will return to take a closer look. The charm of the store is the location and the overall local vibe. There was a nice wine tasting on property when I went in to grab some weekend adult beverages and the lady was super friendly and informative (almost got me to purchase a bottle). Had I not had planned beverages I would have sprung for a bottle of red. Can't go wrong with a nice bottle of dry red. All in all a very pleasant purchase. Between the vibe, selection, and interaction with what I believe to be ownership at check out, I would recommend a visit for all your adult beverage needs!! Cheers to the weekend!!

We found a reliable amount of cold beer and cider, and an impressive amount of chilled wine (and…read moreroom temp beer and wine of course), plus some local beer and wine offerings to extend the range of our small-town vacation. Since our little one was patient with us, the kind clerk gave her a lollipop when we left. Carmine's isn't large as Total Wine or CBM but isn't exactly a shoe box either, and seemed well-stocked for its size. Perfect!

After the last liquor store that I went to, I stopped in here. And was very impressed. This store…read morewas well lit, clean, organized and they had the skinny margaritas! They have a huge selection of wines liquors beers and so much more. Definitely would recommend this liquor store to anybody that is looking for a good experience while shopping for their favorite spirits.

Stayed at the Marriott down the road and looked up nearby package stores. Found this little gem and…read morewas pleasantly surprised! Friendly staff and nice layout. Excellent craft beer selection for all of the beer snobs out there (myself includes). Wine selection and liquor looked good too. Hearing Motörhead over the speakers while shopping was an added bonus. Will definitely come back if I'm in the area again!