My husband's favorite haunt for craft beer. He is always stopping by when he's in Kingston. I…read morefinally got the chance to go with him- I'm no much of a beer lady but they do have a few lovely red wines that satisfied me while he carefully selected his craft beer from the choices offered. The barkeeps have been friendly, knowledgeable and amiable. Always ready to chat about the selection of beers and the origins of them. There is indoor and outdoor seating- a lovely vibe in the heart on Kingston. For an American- a rustic bar in an alley is the prime UK experience.

Drink Junction is definitely the smallest off-license I have ever seen. There's barely room for…read morefive people to walk around comfortably within. But the owner rules his miniscule roost in a jovial manner and enjoys the odd arbitrary conversation about anything from relationship dynamics to how strange the weather is that time of year. Drink Junction also offers tobacco, lotto tickets and a small selection of sweets. Situated in the heart of a triangle of clubs in the Wimbledon area, I've noticed that Drink Junction is usually the only shop around that's open into the wee hours. It's also a great place to buy drinks at the last minute if you'd like to continue the party elsewhere. Warning: only two party animals at a time!

These guys know what they're doing. The selection of beer here comes from across the world, with an…read moreuncanny knack of picking out the very best of beer to be found near and far. There are bottles of excellent local brews Sambrook Wandle and Junction, German alcohol-free beer (the best on the market, in my opinion) Erdinger Alkohol Frei and, (voice aquiver) two bottles from star Danish brewery Mikkeller. Plus a good selection of beer from Belgium, England, Austria, the Czech Republic and more (much of which I didn't recognise), all at reasonable prices. The shop itself is worth a mention too: wood panels everywhere, with the beer bottles presented neatly on shelves. Throw in the friendly service and slow trumpet jazz sountrack playing softly in the background and it's very difficult to leave the shop without buying something. Which considering the quality of the produce on offer here, is no bad thing.

Came across this place as I walked through Putney. Amazing amount of international beers for every…read moretaste. Just grab your beer of choice from the fridge and take it to the till for some good chat with knowledgeable staff as the crack open your bottle. All that's left for you to do is watch the nectar flow then grab a seat, or grab a few to take away!!

The name is a little grandiose given that this is pretty much your typical corner shop. As with…read moreothers of its ilk, it has its uses when you run out of something unexpectedly, or don't fancy a full-on trip to the supermarket. This shop is probably most popular for its off-licence selection although there is also a reasonable, if limited, choice of household goods and store cupboard items - along with dried fruits and nuts for snacking, or midnight munchies. It's usually open until around 11pm. I enjoy popping-in here when the charming owner is around but his other businesses keep him too occupied for that on a regular basis.

These guys are excellent, and I'm not just saying that because they let us taste 21 wines in one…read moreevening last week... (yes 21!!! Ahem). A friend of mine has an exciting new restaurant venture in the pipeline and asked for my help in choosing their wine menu. You don't get too many requests like that in life, so obviously I was more than happy to help! We were guided through the tasting by Tom, who was friendly, knowledgeable and just so down to earth it was like having a drink with someone you'd known for ages. He'd picked us out 8 whites and 8 reds to whittle down to 3 of each, plus 3 rose and 2 fizzy to reduce to 1 of each, that fitted within budget. We could essentially try as much as we wanted of each then spit or pour away (or finish an entire glass) as we liked. Despite an initial urge to finish everything, I only finished the glass of the ones I liked best, as I wanted to stay useful! Tom was great at drawing out our tasting notes and opinions, even if I seemed to be in the minority on a few! I think we were probably the first group to bring in samosas to see how spicy food went with the wines too :) If you've got a big event coming up I'd definitely recommend coming for a Majestic tasting - they'll give you some great pointers and work to a budget (plus we got to take away the rest of any of the bottles he'd opened which was a nice bonus too!).

Craft beer heaven!…read more You won't find any Budweiser, Heineken, Fosters etc, this is a off licence dedicated to craft beer from all over the world. Wide selection of US beers, a good selection from Sierra Nevada, Rogue Ales, Stone Brewing and Goose Island , decent brew's from Mikkeller, TO OL, Nøgne Ø & Brewdog and a whole new breed of London brewery's, well worth a visit for all craft beer lovers.

Fantastic real ale shop (what a great concept!!) that sells a massive range of ale out of their…read moreTwickenham shop (just over the Richmond bridge), but also delivers to the UK via their website. If you're fed up of paying pub prices, or your local has closed down, here's the solution! Unfortunately due to tax/documentation reasons and shipping costs it's not possible to deliver outside of the UK - boohoo for us (now) expats. Keep up the good work chaps!

This seems to be one of those smaller, quaint, neighborhood wine shops crowded with boxes and bins…read moreof wine. It is, and it's much more. Looking around, you'll find 2 intimately arranged seating areas (for tastings) and a piano. Either the store manager or owner will introduce themselves assist you with finding that perfect wine for your occasion. The shop stocks a wide variety wines, often from the smallest of producers, and he knows them well. We sat around the table and tasted a selection of delightful and luxurious wines while enjoying a bit of charcuterie ("Sorry, it's January and we haven't stocked our cheeses after the holidays."). My favorites were an Assyrtiko from Santorini and a luxurious Pinot Noir from a small producer in the southern Burgundy region. Whether you are looking for a "drink now" or something for your cellar (they will also cellar your wines for you), I highly recommend this delightful shop.

If you are like me, and are interested to learn about and appreciate good wine, and are willing…read morespend a little extra to do that, then this is absolutely the best place in town. That is not to say the folks here don't sell good value everyday drinkers, they do; what makes this such a great place is if you want to get a nice bottle of wine, whether you are willing to spend £15 or £150, they will have a bottle for you. And rest assured, it will be very, very good. Their selection of New World wines is not vast, but we've never been disappointed with any selection. Of their European wines, they have a typically diverse and unpredictable selection from Italy, and some lovely alternatives from Spain and Portugal. But it is their spread of French wines that is the big selling point. They source from all the main regions, and they have exceptional local expertise, having discovered a number of hidden gems - producers without the big-name recognition but still selling very high quality wine. Whatever it is you want - a one-off special purchase, a mixed case, a selection of keepers, pre-release classics, some everyday wine, they will point you in the right direction. It is guaranteed to keep you going back for more, and it is no less than they deserve for the way they look after their customers.