Was by far the best local Maine beer selection I could find in the downtown area. The entire front…read morearea of the store has shelves loaded with Portland made and Maine breweries. The mix of styles was also impressive. I found stouts, Imperial Stouts, IPA's, barleywines, quads, pale ales and barrel aged brews. There was just about every style you could think of represented and I filled up a case up quickly. I walked into the humidor to see their selection and noticed it was looking pretty empty. If your looking for wine and spirits you could spend a lot of time in here searching. I gave a quick gander, but was on a mission for local brews. The staff was helpful and friendly. They boxed everything up nicely for us and we left happy. Mission success! Thanks guys!

Another great pairing from Jacques.Claide Riffsult 2020 La Noue Sancerre with grilled sworfish…read more#HarborFish, tomatoes corn and spinach from SoPo farmers market.

Went on adventure today to pick up some Jameson Black Barrel a favorite of hubby and I. Parking was…read moreeasy, in front on Forest Avenue or in adjacent parking lot. Entrance is on Forest and is clearly marked. You walk in and there is sooo much to see! Cue the candy store memories as a child. I quickly lifted my jaw and stepped to the side and started taking pictures. This store is nicely set up with wood, glass, and some brass accents for a nice look. They truly have a VAST selection of all spirits offered. Some items, that are rare, or higher priced are locked in glass cases. All the information you need is right there in the open. There were two clerks working the front. When no one was waiting to check out, they walked the floor looking in on all to see if we had any questions. Saw one man go to counter and ask questions, the clerk was friendly and knowledgeable about the offerings he was looking for. I found my Jameson with a few variations to choose from. Cask-mates stout is a favorite but not always available. Black label was on the shelf with two sizes to choose from. Now for a beverage for a holiday gathering. Looking for something on the berry side but not loaded with sugar. They had a huge of beers, seltzers, ales, and ciders to choose from. Wasn't feeling the seltzers which I do enjoy, today I was feeling a cider. I chose the BRLO Berlin Cider "Dark and Wild" mixed berries. Then an Ale caught my eye in a tall off white bottle with a swivel cork top. Delirium Red; Belgian ale with cherry and elderberry!! Yes please! They have other flavors too. Checking out was easy. A few registers with last minute adds for review. Best one; they had an Advent calendar of Beers and Ales genius! If you are looking for a special gift, a tried and true, or up for an adventure; head to Bow Street beverage on Forest Ave. in Portland, minutes from 295 too!

This is my go to store in Greater Portland for my alcohol. Actually, if we're being totally honest,…read moreit's part of my weekly grocery shop. I always end here before heading home! Why do I like it? + It's really clean. + The staff is knowledgeable to an extent and usually pretty forthright when they don't know something (although, over the past year I've been told a few times they "don't carry" a particular brand when I had literally purchased said brand a week ago - actually, it just happened today. I asked about a specific thing, I was told "we've been out of that for months", only I bought two bottles of it just last week, and my partner would end up going back the next night and getting a few more bottles. Sooooooo?); they've also been very willing to check with distributors for something specific when asked! + They do tasting events and in-store sampling (check their online schedule FMI). + The prices are competitive to other places. + They have parking. + They don't linger when they see you spending an hour standing in the whiskey section combing through reviews online to find your new favorite bottle, AND ALSO... + They will talk to you about whiskey if you ask/want the help/they've got the time. + They don't judge you (at least not externally) for your horrible taste. + The staff is really good at time management. Is that a strange observation? Sometimes it gets REALLY BUSY here. It has seemed to me they drop what they're doing stocking/cleaning/inventorying and get over to the cash registers ASAP to keep the queue moving. I've come here just for a single can of diet Gosling's ginger beer, I've come here to restock my home bar entirely, I've come here to be one of those fancy people who gets something from the locked glass cabinet. With that... Dear Bow Street in Portland, Thanks for always having GlenX available! And thanks for carrying Edinburgh Gin (Seaside), it's my fave! Please get more Lagavulin. I won't ask about Weller anymore. Your Suntory Whisky rec is your best so far.

Maine & Loire has become my go-to spot whenever I need a special bottle of wine, or something fun,…read moreor just something reliably high-quality. It's the kind of place where I can walk in and say, "Hey, I'm making haddock chowder tonight, my budget is $30," and immediately get a handful of thoughtful recommendations plus a mini wine lesson, which I always appreciate. Wine can get pretentious and intimidating so fast, and I never feel that way at Maine & Loire. I also really love their sales and loyalty program. Getting those emails with 10% off codes (which they send out pretty often!) always makes my day. Lastly, I think you can choose to drink bottles on site, but in the past their policy seemed to change a few times, so I've stopped trying and just treat them as my go-to wine shop.

Portland is in desperate need of chic wine bars, and Maine & Loire fits the bill…read more It's fun to peruse their tastefully curated wine collection (not overwhelmingly massive). Knowing a decent amount about wine, it was fun to chat with staff to find something new. I didn't feel pushed to purchase anything, although, I happily walked away with three bottles and a few more fun facts about geographical areas than I did before. Regardless of your knowledge of wine, this is *the* spot to grab a bottle. They also offer wine tasting sample events!

I love this store for many reasons. Average is 4.5 Staff -…read more5 Stars Beer Selection/Layout - 5 Stars Social Media Saavy - 5 stars Parking - 3 The staff here is knowledgeable and friendly. They will help you with a smile. They will answer questions for you with a smile. Bottom line, they smile and I love that. If you think you know what you might like, just start listing adjectives and they will make amazing recommendations. They also understand the patterns of beer releases. For example if there is a stout you remember as being amazing and you know the name, they will most like know when or if it will be released again. The beers have a great amount of labeling with helpful details, especially if you aren't familiar with a particular brewer or style of beer. But again, don't hesitate to ask if you have additional questions. Social Media - I love the beer tastings!!! They bring pretty great brewers here - They announce new and / or rare beers being sold Parking - meh -small lot that fills quickly during rare beer releases. With that being said, if you don't mind parallel parking on Forest Ave, there is plenty of short term parallel parking on the street and it is easy parallel parking (i.e. pull right up to the curb). I highly recommend this location but please leave some good beer for me. :)

Welcome to the craft beer cage death match. If you are looking for a beer that you can enter into…read morethe fighting competition this is the place to go. You say you do not know much about beer? Well then let me point out one such fellow "Greg"(store owner) and ask him. Looking for a sour lambic, what about a smokey, bacon-y rauchbeir,maybe a solid hefeweizen would win. My point is there are just so many different beers here that it would beseech you to try more than just the regular. The shop is large and very open. Shelves with plenty of beer and in the back, coolers of beer already chilled. You can get also get small kegs of stuff like Oxbow. A great deal that he offers as well is discounts on mix and matching beers for 4 packs and 6 packs and if you sign up for the email list he will track the amount that you purchase. Once you reach a 100 dollars he will give you back a 5% off. You can spend it then or you can wait and save them up so you could get 10%, 15%, or 20%. A nice thank you to the customer. They do a lot of beer tastings during the week and they have great music playing as well. The biggest knock on the place is the small and awkward parking lot which can get very tight. Plus, where it is located you have to be traveling North on forest ave to get to it. Stop by, say hi to Greg if he is working, get a six pack and sign up your email. Be prepared for enter the craft beer death match!

Small but mighty, this darling store has so much you don't expect. And the staff? Friendly, witty,…read moresharp and just plain gorgeous. Thanks for the Moxie!

They need to be more visible with prices, I got a few things and my son wanted a Pokémon pack. Our…read moreorder was $65 which felt steep, but I figured imported stuff. I checked my emailed receipt after the pack had been opened. Not very considerate having the packs at eye level without transparent pricing. I expected it to be the usual price of $5 bucks.

Visited Novare Res twice in early June. It is tricky to find so walk up Exchange Street and take a…read moreleft onto Canal Plaza. They have a large outdoor space with plenty of tables. The draft list is impressive. I had the Meteor Pils from France, which was very good. They hosted the Portland Pub Sing (first Monday of the month) in a very packed room inside. It was standing room only but I briefly stood outside and heard a few sea shanties.

Novare Res is a convenient and inviting space to get beers with friends while out in Portland. I…read morealways enjoy my time drinking at Novare. The menu is expansive and inclusive, but ovewhelming and the food that I've had the few times I've ventured that far has not been as good as I was anticipating. I have heard good things about their food from other people though, so I guess I'll just have to keep trying!

Incredible selection of Maine beer - the highlight of our experience was the exceptional…read moresuggestions and knowledge of the gentleman that helped us make our selections.

They were quick and took the time to call me to clarify my wishes The driver teased my son in law…read moreabout his Birthday delivery.