Whenever I see the brand Curley's all I can ever think about is the episode of Father Ted where the…read moreauthor lady he takes a shine to signs his book as and continually refers to him as Father Ted Curley! In my book it is good that this sense of mirth goes on to an off licence, the cause of many laughs ( but also much hurt and pain.....Il try to avoid this reality!). This curley's is a pretty good off license, and it needs to be because the Asda is only about 2 minutes away and has the lure of sensational offers to bring customers in through the doors. The store has a good range of special offers and a wide range of spirit. Most goods in here are also chilled which is such a good thing as it means you can get stuff here and be ready to go rather than having to wait to booze or stain your drinks with ice! I hate ice, your beverage should already be cold, it doesn't need diluted!

Hidden away in the sleepy seaside village of Groomsport is Neill Wines and perhaps Northern…read moreIrelands greatest selection of bottled craft beers. Neill wines is unassuming from the outside, located on Groomsport's Main Street it has limited branding and no flashy signs that give any indication of the delights that are inside. Much like a treasure chest it's only when you go inside that you are exposed to the vast bounty. The shelves are stacked high and deep with a huge array of craft beers. From local brews to exotic Caribbean beers this place has it all. Along side the traditional lagers they had a bargain bin with 3 beers for a fiver and being the adventurous type I choose 3 beers I had never seen or heard of before. I ended up with a coffee flavoured beer from Ireland (nice and local) and a pale ale from England that made my taste buds scream for more. That's the beauty of going to Neill Wines, it's a lottery and you might just hit the jackpot and come out clasping your new favourite beer. If you're more of a wine connoisseur then they have a huge selection for you too, not being a huge fan of wine I stuck to the craft beers but I noticed the wines were all shelved by region. Ask the staff for advice if you're not sure what to go for, they seem to know their stuff although I wish the attendant had of warned me that my coffee flavoured beer was more like beer flavoured coffee, anyway you live and learn. If you're a craft fan, as so many people are these days, I would suggest you take a wee jaunt down the coast to visit Neill Wines or look them up online and see what they have in stock you're bound to come across something new.

From the owner: Quality, authentic and great value for money wine. One of…read morethe largest ranges of craft beer in Northern Ireland

This off licence is situated on Millisle High Street and I reckon it could be the busiest off…read morelicense in North Down. There is always someone inside whether it is 11 in the morning or 1 at night. Russell Cellars always runs promotions and there has been many times that I have gone to this off license not sure of my tipple and come out with something completely random. A surprise carryout equals a surprise hangover and I can blame plenty of awful hangovers on Millisle's Russell Cellars. The interesting thing about this off license is that it is all behind the counter, I do not know what this says about the citizens of Millisle? But sometimes this makes it difficult to chose what you want. I think this is because in part there is so much choice with a wall of spirits behind the counter. The staff are helpful and always chatty but the I think they would get annoyed if you kept asking to read bottles.

Besides being in a loyaslist area I stop here for my UK beers. They carry Bucky and the shop owner…read morelooks at you odd when you add it to the pile of craft beers you have at the till. Some of us like to live dangerously...

Generally Off Licenses are Off licenses - nothing interesting or new to report, they sell alcohol,…read morecigarettes and the obligatory mixers and odd few nibbles - this one is slightly different. As mentioned by other people, this is more of a wine merchant. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful, and even stop for a chat with you if you know what you want and don't need any assistance, however if you are going to a party, special dinner, or want to gift a bottle of wine to someone who knows considerably more about fine wines than you do, this is the place to go. The wines are reasonably priced for the quality (quite frankly if you want a cheapo bottle of plonk, then there's always Tesco or Sainsburys!) but they do have a number of offers on any time I have been in, where you can get a few bottles for a reduced price!

One of Bangor's many off licences and certainly one of the best known. This is probably due to its…read morereputation for having wee kids always hanging about the shops and causing trouble, which isn't really the staff at this excellent wee shops fault. The shop is always clean and tidy and the stock is always filled out and with plenty of fridges here you will never have a problem getting a cold beer or bottle of wine. There is a good selection of red wines and spirits and the staff are always helpful if you can't find what you need. There is good parking here and an ATM nearby, but they do cashback if you want to pay on your card.

We discovered the Wine Cellar website a few years ago while looking for a shop that would select…read moreand deliver a mixed case of wine to family to enjoy over the holidays. Their website featured mixed cases at various price points. Wine is the perfect gift, one size fits all and always appreciated. Anne Berry was very helpful with selecting the wines and processing the order. Since then we have continued to make the annual Christmas purchase, we also stop in to purchase wine, beer and spirits when we visit family in Douglas as the shop is walking distance from the house. Their primary focus is wine but they also offer a good selection of spirits, beers and specialty mixers. The shop is conveniently located in a residential area with plenty of parking. If you are a local check see the website for details on their wine club and events.

Sainsbury's Off Sales is the best in Belfast. It has a vast range of wines, beers, spirits and any…read moreother beverage you could possibly want. In my opinion it sells the best wine of all the supermarket chains. I rate it even more highly than some of the smaller independent off licences. The reason for this is that Sainsbury's wines are definitely, by far, the best quality, selection and price. It's also a lovely large, well designed off licence with a bright, clean feel and exceptionally helpful staff. Top marks.

Not the cheapest but by far the best range of everything and best selection of gifts and craft…read morebeers of any big chain . Easy to find well organised store and knowledgeable staff.

There are lots of off licences in Bangor, which is a good thing if you enjoy a drink as you should…read moreget a good slection and a good choice as regards price and service. Unfortunately, Wine World isn't the best for price. You can easily get better deals at any of the other off licences around town. Which is a pity because the staff in this particular outlet are really politek, friendly and helpful. This shop is placed in a small retail complex which is a little bit out of the way for my liking. There isn't an ATM on site and there are no other amenities such as a bottle bank or clothing bank, which is the case at some of the other small groups of shops round town.

Carries a good range of wines and spirits. Beers tend to be the usual suspects, with very few of…read morethe more unusual craft beers. The staff, whilst polite enough are a bit stand offish. Rarely any banter but at the end of the day they probably get tired of putting up with local alcoholics and rude customers. It's in a convenient location and whilst there are better stocked off sales around, this place is handy for me. Rarely has any discount offers that I've noticed.

Located right at the end of my street and usually the way I direct people to my house. This place…read moreused to be the biggest off licence imaginable, a warehouse in fact of beers, wines, ciders and spirits. It is now a lot more modest with the space being split between a small off licence and a large alcohol cash and carry. While this means things are a little bit easier to find, the choice of booze etc is not what it once was and the prices are actually a little big higher than the other off licences in Bangor. If it wasn't for the staff, who are always friendly and helpful this place would probably get two stars, but the effort they always put in makes this a pretty solid 3-star off licence. You will get what you pay for but you may have to pay a little bit more than you would normally.