I was recently in town for a convention and happened into Cellar Rat the first day in town. While we were looking for wine and spirits, what we got was so much better! While sipping a taster of a great wine, we asked about restaurant recommendations that were not just BBQ, and Kevin took my information and sent over an extensive list of places all within walking or streetcar distance from Downtown. We were invited to come back later in the week for the Tuesday and/or Friday wine tastings. After gathering some work friends, we decided to attend both of those events, and they did not disappoint! I told everyone I met with about Cellar Rat and their personable staff. We will be back next year! read more

Cellar Rat Wine Merchants - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Great service and ambiance. Staff very friendly and knowledgeable. Got a great bottle of wine and having a good time in Kansas City. Hospitality is amazing. read more

One of the most helpful stores around KC for purchasing wine. While out to dinner, we had an amazing wine and wanted to purchase. Cellar Rat was able to procure for us and did so with speed and friendliness. The store is well laid out and I believe they have wine clubs and wine tastings. They have a nice variety of distilled beverages and some charcuterie ingredients as well. Can't wait to go back and explore all the services they offer their customers. read more

This was our 1st visit and Instagram brought us here for a tasting of Basque region of Spain wines! They have an attractive tasting set up with a bar area ( no seats) surrounded by their wine stock. There were 6 wines to try and fit this event it was FREE! Wine experts from the area was available talking to all the attendees. It was such a great experience and we picked up 3 bottles of one of the 6 we tasted! We will be back and following social to learn about more great events! read more

I love this liquor store in the crossroads. They have a ton of offerings. I mainly go for the wine selection but they have a wonderful selection of whiskey, gin, saki, and all sorts of other spirits. The craft beer selection isn't the largest but that's ok. The store is always clean and well organized. Everyone I've ever encountered at this store has been lovely. Super professional, knowledgeable, and always nice. Every month they hold a wine tasting event that samples the offerings of their monthly $100 case. It's $10 but you get that off of the case if you happen to buy one. You can mix and match the offerings to suit your tastes. It's a really great way to try different wines even if you're not sure you want to buy an entire case. I highly recommend watching their social and signing up for their email to see what events are upcoming. They also create wine grab bags with the leftover case offerings. For $48 you get six bottles of wine that are all different styles in a nice wine tote bag. I love doing this for Christmas gifts. It's a wonderful deal. If you're in the area definitely pop in and check them out! read more

My friend introduced me to this lovely place and I always love going there. Today was another day to go and get wine. One of my favorite things that they offer is a case of the month where you get a pick and choose from a selection of wine that they have out. Not least the staff always super friendly. They always answer our questions without any problems. It's a little bit of a drive from independence, but it's always well worth it and I'm always glad to walk away with new and exciting wines that make my mouth happy. read more

We're visiting Kansas City for the weekend, stopped into Cellar Rat for a bottle of wine. The staff were very helpful and friendly and the prices were good. I would definitely recommend stopping in if you're in town. read more

Cellar Rat is an absolute gem in the heart of the Kansas City Crossroads district. A far superior selection over Total Wine &More and a perfect place to find the perfect bottle for any special dinner. The staff were exceptionally experienced and are absolutely capable of finding a perfect bottle for any meal or occasion. My wife and I were visiting from eastern North Carolina and were blown away by the location, staff, and selection. Prices were also reasonable and staff exceptional. read more

Customer Service was fantastic and the wine selection was on point with many different varietals from different regions!!! Way to go Cellar Rat! read more

Mandy is an absolute delight! I am from out of town and needed a specific product. Mandy went to the trouble of researching something for me and it turned out fabulous! I am so grateful for this. This place just has a great vibe all around with great specialty merchandise. I recommend this special Establishment! read more

We're member's of their wine club. Big fans of that. The monthly allotment is always something different and really broadens our pallet. The associates have never changed. Everyone is kind, knowledgeable, and happy to help. They have multiple monthly tastings. Sign up and check their calendar for tastings and classes. They are a downtown treasure. read more

Cellar Rat Wine Merchants - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

So helpful! Brought a host gift and it was very well received, fun in-store experience!

I went in for the "Taste the $100 Case" event and had a wonderful time! The tasting is $10 for 12 wines, 6 white and 6 red. You get your glass and go at your own pace with tasting each wine. You can wander around the store and check out all of their offerings while tasting. There were quite a few people tasting so having the freedom to move around and not have to stay near the countertop was a plus. I enjoyed all but one of the wines and even built a case of favs and took it home with me. If you're looking for a way to increase your wine selection at home and don't want to spend a ton of money this is definitely the event for you. Being able to taste the wine before buying is beyond helpful. Everyone working there was really nice! I will definitely be back for wine, whiskey and mezcal! read more

Cellar Rat Wine Merchants - Our $100 case!! - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Many different kinds of wine, my wife loves it. We are new to town and the owner's we very very nice and let us know about the wine classes they have as well as the wine club and tasting. Once they have a little bigger beer section it will be perfect. They should have beer tasting and a beer club as well, hint hint . So go visit tans get some wine they are very welcoming and make you feel at home! read more

Went to a wine tasting that offered a large selection of wines for only $10. You pay and they give you a glass with a list of all the wines. There's a good amount of people, so it might take a bit to get through all the wines but you just enter a revolving line of people. It can get a bit claustrophobic since the store is pretty small and people drinking wine usually aren't the best at keeping an orderly line, but definitely a great place to spend an afternoon to relax and taste a great selection of wines! read more

Cellar Rat Wine Merchants - Wine tasting - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

These guys and gals really know their product! They have a great selection. If you need help finding the ingredients for the perfect cocktail, they will gladly assist! read more

Friendly service every time I go in. Also, (most recently) Amy was extremely helpful in helping me track down a wine that I had been searching for. 10/10 would recommend. read more

I came to Cellar Rat after expressing my desire to change wine clubs (currently at Coopers Hawk) and a friend recommended I try this place. I came in thinking it was Mediterranean wine night, but I was wrong, it was the previous week. Nevertheless, the flocks were super sweet. We were able to taste the wines that they had open (there were many), the employees were knowledgeable and we met the owner!! They've been here for 9 years, who knew?? Lol There were two ladies there having a drink from their bottle who heard that I loved dry red wine, so they gave us some! So nice. The basic membership is $29 a month, you get 2 bottles and entry to any wine tasting. My mom signed up that night and I bought their cellar bag (6 wines) plus an additional bottle. We enjoyed!! I have one more place to try before changing my membership but they are definitely in the running. read more

I am visiting a friend and wanted to bring wine to dinner. This store is fantastic! They have an excellent selection, a very friendly & helpful staff and a separate room for tastings. The store is large and well stocked. I especially like I didn't feel claustrophobic, as I am prone to in some wine stores. I completely understand why the Cellar Ray is ranked number 1 here! read more

Cellar Rat Wine Merchants - Their mascot is adorable - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

My new favorite liquor store in downtown KC! The Cellar Rat puts on an incredible wine tasting each month that lets you sample 12 wines for only $10. They have a vast selection of bar utensils, beer, liquor, and yes, wine of course! They've got options for every price range from all over the world. read more

I've lived in the Crossroads for a year now and just discovered this awesome place due to Groupon. After looking at their schedule and realizing that a wine tasting was on for a Weds night, I called to see if it was an RSVP or Groupon sort of thing and they said it was FREE. No time requirements besides it just happening between 5 and 7 and no RSVP necessary. Showed up around 5:30 to very friendly wine lovers and tasted 5 different wines. It was quite interesting, I felt like I learned a little something and we got a wine that perfectly paired with our pizza that we made for dinner. We walked out with 2 bottles of yummy wine for $45 and I felt like the place was not only cool on the inside but the people who work there could not have been more friendly and helpful. A++ read more

Lovely store and very nice staff who loved talking wine and spirits. I'm going back on my next visit to KC.

I've been here a few times now and I love, love, love the wine choices. They carry a great variety of wines at all different price points. They also offer a very small, carefully curated selection of liquors and wine. The staff is extremely knowledgeable. Cellar Rat also carries a tempting selection of wine accessories and doodads and a small, but enticing case filled with excellent cheeses. A group of friends and I bought a Groupon for one of their wine classes and those too are very fun. They brought in an outside expert for our class which was New World vs. Old World wines. We learned a lot, drank some good vino and tried a few delicious cheeses. Their 100-dollar case deal is not to be missed. I'd be here all the time if I could afford it. read more

I'm going to start this review off on a little different pace by telling you all that I don't really come to the Cellar Rat that often and this really doesn't have anything to do with this establishment. The Cellar Rat is known for its wine and it has a lot of wine. The thing is I'm not a wine drinker. I never really have been and except for a few rare occasions I don't think I ever will be. My friends who are wine drinkers love the Cellar Rat because of its variety and selection as well as some of the wine tasting events they have. Now that we're down here in paragraph three, I know what you're thinking... why the heck are you giving this place a four star review if you don't shop here and you don't drink wine? The reason is the Cellar Rat offers a small (very small) collection of locally brewed beers. This is key when there's a popular beer like the Boulevard Lemon-Ginger Radler (summer of 2015,) some of the Boulevard special releases and other local releases (Free State, Mother's, KC Bier, etc....) Some other stores sell through quickly while The Cellar Rat is almost (well, probably not too much longer) my own little secret. And while I'm oozing some praise, I'll also note that the Cellar Rat offers up a nice little greeting card stand filled with offerings from local stalwarts like Hammerpress and Easy Tiger. It's a nice little touch just in case you need a little something for the special occasion that you're celebrating. read more

I visited here the first time from a suggestion, and since then I've returned several times, in fact I have joined the wine club. The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable about wines and you get to try a large variety of wines. I'm not a big red wine drinker but with all the options I have found a few that I like. I recommend stopping in you won't be disappointed. read more

Cellar Rat Wine Merchants - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

I've been a "cellar dweller" for 4-5 years now, and it's hand down the best $30 I spend each month. I love going into the store each month to get my bottles. It's so much fun to walk with an idea of what I want, to then let the staff guide my visit. I'm never let down, and always pleased with my purchases. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly and always willing to spend time with me. The $100 cases and Facebook tastings are fun too! read more

Amazing wine selection. Amazing staff who knows their stuff and are willing to educate those who desire to expand their wine palate. Love this place!! read more

We've been coming here for about three years now and have been wine club members for 2 of those years (it's very reasonably priced at $30/month for 2 bottles). The staff is extremely knowledgeable and will go out of their way to make sure you find a wine you like in your budget. They have so many decently priced wines (under $20/bottle) - they definitely don't try to push expensive stuff on you. Every interaction here has been great. They also do tasting and events which are super cool. This is truly a gem and would highly recommend to anyone in KC!! read more

I've never walked into Cellar Rat in the past, for fear it would be over-priced and hoity toity. Boy was I wrong! From the cool, casual customer service, to the selection, it did NOT disappoint. I waltzed in on a Thursday evening and was surprised with a delicious scotch tasting. That's right, delicious scotch. I didn't know that was a thing, either. The scotch pourer was super knowledgeable, from Ireland, and really entertaining. I ended up walking away with a (surprise) really reasonably priced, smooth bottle. My original goal was to snag a bottle of red wine, so I let my scotch settle and began to peruse the wine selection. I was stunned at how well organized and fairly priced their selection was. There were tons of options in the $15 and less range, and many more around $20. I walked out with a really tasty cab sav and will certainly be back next time I'm in the neighborhood! read more

Love this place. Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. Always willing to give good advice. I'm more whisky and beer drinker than wine, but this is a good place to learn more about wine. They do also have decent whisky selection. read more

Cellar Rat is my favorite place to get wine! They have an awesome selection at all different price points. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. I have not joined the wine club or done tastings but I definitely plan to! They also have a great beer selection. Do yourself a favor and check it out! read more

Amazing local place with great service. Owner or manager was so nice and introduced me to one of their store pick Irish whiskeys. Definitely worth walking to in the rain. Check it out! read more

In the interest of full disclosure I have to say that while I enjoy a good wine tasting, I know nothing about wine. I've been to Hermann and St. Gen, MO on wine trips a couple of times and visited wineries and tasting rooms in CA, WA, NY, PA, MD, GA and SC while on various vacations. I've paid for tastings and enjoyed many more free ones. I don't understand the flavor and taste nuances that vary from vintage to vintage but I do know what I like (and it's not Oak!) and I enjoy hearing about the wine making process. I was in Cellar Rat this weekend for a cupcake-paired wine tasting. The cakes were good (from BabyCakes) and perfectly paired with the wines. There were 2 dry wines that I would have never thought to pair with sweets but it worked out wonderfully in my mouth. I really enjoyed all of the wine selections and ended up purchasing a bottle. The store is very clean, nicely decorated, well stocked and has a great selection. They also carry a few special beers and cheese. So about those stars... We had to make a reservation for the tasting and we went at 4:00. We started about 15 minutes late because one of our party of 3 got hung up, we wanted to wait for her so we started together about 4:15, last tastings had to be completed by 5 so that the staff had time to clean up before starting their 6 pm class. We were the only people there for a tasting at that time. In fact, we browsed the isles until almost 5 so I know we were the last tasting. The reason I mention this is that we felt a bit rushed by the guy trying to run the tasting. And then there's the fact that the tasting cost $15 per person. That's $15 for less than 5 ounces of wine, these were tiny pours, and a bite of cupcake. By bite I mean they had the tiny mini-cupcakes (that were super cute by the way) cut in half for us to taste. Now I wasn't there for a meal and no one slapped our hands to make sure we just had just 1 but it was implied, at least to me, one-per-tasting. One friend is lactose intolerant and couldn't do the cupcakes, her tasting was still $10. That's actually more than I've ever paid for a tasting. And no, no part of my tasting fee was applied to my purchase. So $10 for less than 5 ounces of wine and $5 for 2.5 mini cupcakes. The guy that was helping us offered up little to no info about each wine, he was pretty much reading the labels so chances are that he knows even less about wine than I do. I'm great with an informal tasting but come on, please do more than open bottles and pour. I guess I left very happy with my purchase but feeling like I didn't get much else out of the experience. Perhaps a more seasoned person guiding us through the tasting would have made me feel more like it was $15 well spent. I'll go back another time because they had such a good selection and it's a neat space. I'll probably think twice about dropping the cash on a tasting and while a class sounds very interesting I can't help but wonder if it will be more of the same. read more

If you'd like to feel like you are not in KC, this is a good way to start. Although the best part is that unlike wine shops with this quality and selection elsewhere, it's neither overpriced nor entirely pretentious. Everyone is welcoming, and you can easily run in for a quick bottle or spend an hour or two perusing and tasting. Pretty much awesome. Not only do they have a pretty phenomenal selection of wines, but their tastings and other events are really fun. The staff is knowledgeable, helpful, and pretty fun to be around. The selection of chocolates and cheeses is also great, and difficult to resist. Even if I am intimidated by the chocolate with bacon in it. Go for the monthly $100 case (or if you're a single lady like myself, go in for it with friends so as not to become the closet wino you've been resisting all this time). The only bad thing I've ever heard about Cellar Rat was from a scotch tasting. Mostly, as far as I can tell, it was a producer-sponsored event, and thus pretty biased. So avoid those. But the nights like their tasting of malbecs and empanadas a couple weeks ago? Pretty much amazing. read more

I love this place! I have been a customer for the past few years and always look forward to a return trip. Their wine club is great and offers 3 levels of membership starting at $30/month. This option provides 2-3 bottles of hand selected wines along with members only tastings and other great perks. The atmosphere of Cellar Rat is urban and open and fits in perfectly down town. Their space is perfect to offer not only world class wines but also amazing micro brews and specialty liquors. I am a huge fan of their cheese selection as well. I highly recommend to sign up for their email list where you get a recipe of the week and a list of all of their upcoming events and tastings. They have a great space for private events where their staff pairs wine with a selection of cheeses and other apps. read more

I hope places like Cellar Rat never go away. Cellar Rat offers a respite from an era of big chains and faceless big box retailers. I stopped in for a couple bottles of good beer, wine, and spirits for the volunteers of an event to share. I ended up spending way less time there than I wanted to because I was in a hurry but I can't wait to go back. The staff wasn't just knowledgeable - they were on the inside of the beer, wine, and spirits culture. They know things you just don't need to know. They won't try to school you but you get the feeling that their recommendations are very calculated. I was expecting to pay a premium for the knowledge but everything I bought was completely in-line with what I'd paid elsewhere. Again, can't wait to go back. read more

Wine freaks, the Mecca of wine is in your own backyard. . . . . . Wine, champagne (PROPERLY racked at that! ! ! ), cheese, pate, foie gras, ice wine, down to earth employees, this place has got everything but Pepe Le Pew popping his stuff on a stripper pole. Again let me emphasize. As David A mentioned, no wine snobs and yuppy police working here. Everyone's down to earth and actually EXCITED to help enlighten you on anything in the store. And they will gift wrap your bottles for free too. That's a far cry from the usual crap. Two of my favorite wine's are told here. Altosur (Organic Argentina Malbec) is available here and so is Odisea Melt Down (Ice wine) Such a shame I don't smoke anything but i'd have to say the variety of Dominican cigars here was impressive for a non-cigar establishment. It brings a tear to my eyes (Hey, I am Dominican after all!) They also have a $100 grab box of 12 wines where you can pick from a selection of wine bottles hand picked by the staff. A great way to diversify your wine experiences and add to a collection if you have one. they also have a monthly membership where depending on the fee (from $29 and up) they select a few bottles of wine for you and have them waiting for you. there's also free wine tasting and VIP invitations for special gatherings. If you are a wine fan and you have not been here, it's time to give this place a try. read more

This is by far my favorite place to grab a few bottles of juice here in KC. I've been a wine club member and regular at Cellar Rat since they opened their doors a few years ago. Doesn't matter who you talk to Ryan, Natalie, etc, they all know their vino and are more than willing to help you find something you would like or that they would recommend. They do staff picks each month which are also a great deal. For the Wine Club, I've never had a bottle I didn't like and they are great about sending out emails for great wine they think will run out quickly. Sure, I'm partial since they are a customer of mine, but even if they weren't, it would still be my go to place in KC for wine. Awesome location, killer vino, cool people. read more

It's exactly what you would expect from a wine and select merchandise establishment in the art driven area of town. The employees are full of hip knowledge about wines, they have a nice selection, and their other merchandise has a small but nicely hand picked inventory. I recently stopped in to look at their selection of flavored bitters, and I picked up a wonderful bottle of Celery for my Bloody Marys. I was promptly greeted, directed to what I was looking for, and checked out without a wait. Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am! And THAT alone is enough reason to return. read more

Walked in a few weeks ago looking for a wine from a specific region of California. The gentleman working knew exactly what I was referring to and even made several other great recommendations based on the type of wine I was looking for. The selection of French wines at the cellars rat is the best I have seen in the area. Not just a large a amount of them, but a quality selection. To add to the wine, there are also varieties of local beers and liquors. Something for everyone. :) I will most definitely be back... soon! read more