Anything short of 5 stars is an affront to the gods of beer. Best beer store ever. Wine and Liquor section is small, but pretty good for what is there. read more

Maybe she's born with it or maybe she's young, whether it's because I'm young or Asian this isn't the first time I've walked into a liquor store outside of Boston City proper and completely ignored while other customers are asked if they need any help. Downtown carries the one unique bottled beer I've been looking for, Lucky Buddha Beer, $11.45 for a six pack, glass bottles in the shape of the friendly, round Buddha you've come to associate with Chinese culture. They carry a good variety of beer, wine, and a few overpriced spirits. Parking is available but to be honest the small store had only two or three customers and parking lot was packed with cars. So much for reinforcing the customers only policy. Any who, they offer tastings from different hard liqours to wine and beer, every Saturday. Check their calendar for events! Also, 5% off your purchase of said tasting brand of the day. They only mark prices for popular beers. As another fellow Yelper said, you could potentially walk to the cashier with an $18 six pack in hand. I wonder if they don't offer help because they don't know enough to offer it. Also, as another Yelper experienced, they asked about a keg's amount in different measurements and were met with scorn. read more

This is the first liquor store I've found that has Labatt Blue in stock. For a Buffalo girl, that's the most wonderful find EVER. And just to top it off, the one clerk spent a couple of minutes with me talking about football and cracking some Buffalo jokes with me. I think I'm in liquor store love. read more

Came here to buy a bottle on New Year's Eve. I was paranoid that liquor stores might be closing early on account of Sunday, so I made sure to come before 5:00. I was happy to learn that this place is open until at least 11:00 every night of the week, including Sundays. Yay! So I bought a bottle of Beefeater gin here for $21. More than I'd hoped to pay for it, considering you'll see it for like $15 sometimes, but it was the only liquor store around. Then I dropped the bottle on the sidewalk (ARGH) and had to buy it again. The clerk did not make fun of me too badly. Given that I came on NYE, the place was packed with people stocking up on booze. I'll definitely be back again to check out the beer selection when they're less crowded, though. EDIT: So I FINALLY went beer shopping here, and holy cow. I thought I knew a fair bit about New England microbrews, but they had a ton of stuff I'd never even heard of before (some of it not technically fron New England, but...). I have a new project, and it involves drinking more beer. read more

This is such a grand liquor store. On top of the wine tasting events and delightfully funny staff, this place has an incredible selection. My boy and I like to head to the imported beers section and pick a new one to try every time we head in. From Hitachino Nest (try the White Ale!) to O.K. Beer and La Fin Du Monde, you can take a world tour! They also have an immense wine & liquor selection which is well worth browsing. Overall, I feel so lucky to live so close to this gem! read more

Great beer selection, decent liquor selection, slim wine selection. Little pricey but thats the location I guess. I go here for beer when I am in the square - great selection of Belgian and German beers and just about anything local/regional thats regularly available. I don't really go much anymore because the beer buyer guy is always there and just too entirely condescending/know-it-all. Respect what I am looking for, I just might know my stuff too dude (I've worked in the industry). read more

12 pack of the People's BeeR: $8 Bag of random Cape Cod chips: $2 Getting all of your party needs on the cheap: Priceless Downtown Wine & Spirits has a great selection of different beers/wines/liquors/etc. Add in a great staff and a small selection of munchie-related treats, and you've got a great place to grab needed cold ones in the general Davis Square area. read more

Why should you go here? The wine tasting table. You can pregame at the liquor store! It's amazing, and they usually have 6 or 7 wines that you can try. This place also has a pretty boss beer cooler as well as all of the regular liquor store standards. Sigh....booze.... read more

Last night after I picked up a burrito at Chipotle I decided I needed a little cold wine to go with it (preferably Riesling - which I like in the warmer months). I was also hoping the wine would help numb my sore throat. I really like this place and for the most part it's the only liquor store I go to. They are local - so it's convenient, they have a huge beer selection, decent wine selection, they are open pretty late and on Sundays too. What's not to like about that? Last night I bought a bottle of cold Riesling (that was ok - I didn't love it), but the bottle I bought warm (and I'm currently chilling) rates an 88 on wine spectator so I can't wait to try that one. I like that they show the rating of the wine (if it has one). The beer selection is fantastic. Tons of stuff you normally don't see at the average liquor store. Staff is also helpful. I've gone in there before and said I want to try a new beer - what do you recommend (like the guy knew what I've already tried???) but he found some cool stuff I hadn't tried and it was good. Plus there always seems to be some characters shopping in here - which keeps it interesting. read more

So its a big deal that I trekked out here for a Second Glass wine tasting. I live on mission hill, and so this place is about an hour away. The selection is PHENOMENALLY better than anything on the hill. The staff members are fun and knowledgeable and they carry beer, wine and fine liquor, which can be hard to find all in one place. I keep meaning to go here and stock up, because no offense ODB, but you aint got shit on this place. A friend of mine absolutly HAD to find Racer 5 IPA and it was there! We looked all over for an oatmeal stout and it was there too! Hooray for choice and variety! Hooray for fun events and interesting discussions! Boo for me living so far away. read more

If you like beer and have a hankering for something out of the ordinary then I suggest you visit Downtown Wines & Spirits. They have just about any beer imaginable, and if they don't they will gladly place the order and have it within a week. May I suggest: Narragansett Abita Purple Haze Dragon Stout Lefthand Milk Stout Ipswich Ale Not sure about the wine or liquor selection (as I'm a beer fan) but if it's anything like the beer selection, you should be ok. read more

Like a lot of people these days, I'm a fan of the oat sodas (beer). I think the wine thing is completely f*cking overrated and I'm sick of places that treat the beer like bottled paraquat for blue collar slobs. Downtown is not one of those places, man. They have one of the most far out craft beer selections in the Boston area, and their people dig the beer enough so they can help you find what you're looking for, especially if you're looking to try something new. Downtown has beers and breweries that you usually have a hard time finding, and for a beer geek, this makes Downtown a godsend. They also have some aged beers in the cellar that you can peruse if you talk to the right people. The only thing that sucks about Downtown is that you'll dole out a little extra for the superb selection. But the higher price is easily justified by the fact you'll pay more in gas money driving to someplace like Julio's to find that tough-to-find brew. read more

Easy to walk by, as it's tucked towards the end of the main eateries on Mass Ave. in Davis. Windows obscured by seasonal displays block the view to the inside, but treasures await! Don't judge their selection by what they have at the front of the house. Standard mixers, cheap booze, nips, ping pong balls. The store is almost shaped like a T, and the back is where they have the gold. To the right, imports - single bottles, 4 packs, sixers. To the left, American craft brews. I seriously asked the guy to pair a beer with shrimp Alfredo (no shame, people) and his knowledge of their product was impressive. I walked out with a few Belgian Pale Ales in bottles that I can put on the mantle. Trouble finding "that" beer? Want to know if your favorite brewery has released a Reserve? This place! read more

If you have one favorite hard to find micro brew, or just love walking into a liquor store's beer section and picking up something completely random every time without ever having the same thing twice, go here. You won't be disappointed. Plus, they just did some renovations and added a whole new section in the back for even MORE micro brews beyond the huge section of beers from around the world that they already had. I shed just a little tear when I saw it. Pure beauty. Most liquor stores only give wine snobs this sort of kick-ass selection (not that they don't have tons of wines too, if that is your sort of thing). read more

I am in here every day, which says a lot more about me and my problems than it does the quality of DW&S. The place does have a huge selection of microbews and imports. I am [particularly impressed by its Polish beer selection which is unmatched east of 84. However, it is lacking in the crap beers I like and it's small selection of 40's is appalling. Also, It is wonderful to walk into a place playing NMH and GP at concert pitch. I'd like to dj there some day in exchange for beer. Perhaps spin some Robert Wyatt and select compositions from Metal Machine Music read more

Downtown Wines & Spirits is a great place to purchase beer - you can grab a cold 6 pack of something interesting on your way to a party or pull one or two bottles from their selection in the back. Their wine offerings are average. However they offer almost no variety in their liquor (Maybe a half dozen scotches?) and all of it is overpriced. Keeping mid-tier liquors like Hennessy under lock and key feels condescending. The store itself is also drab inside - linoleum floors, wood shelves and metal racks. Ball Square is guaranteed the better choice for wine & spirits, and cheaper to boot. read more

After a nasty bout with tequilla, and a few love hate relationships with some of the other harder spirits, I officially became "a beer guy." Sure it started small... Bud, Coors, PBR... but like every habit, I got caught in a whirlwind of new styles and brews until one day it was too late. If it wasn't brewed under the right alignment of the planets by a blind monk in the mountains of Tibet with yeast from the East and Hops from the end of the world, I wasn't interested. Thankfully Somerville Wine and Spirits knew this. Mysteriously they also knew I would one day move to Davis and come to call their establishment "Beer Mecca". In all of my years, I have never met this store's equal in terms of variety of wacky beers. Three years later, I still find myself in awe like a kid in a candy store wandering around searching for the pick of the evening. Sure, its not for all people. If you were wise in your youth, unlike me, and actually still crave hard liquor? Maybe this isn't the store for you. They have the basics, but you might find yourself feeling a little cheated compared to the blissfully happy beer customers next to you. read more

Yes, they have my precious Ommegang Rare Vos! In the chill chest no less. Heaven. This store is really clean, everything is clearly labeled, and it's huge. The selection is vast too. Tons of wines, beer, and all in between. The beers are either in the two huge wall fridges or a ton at room temp in the back. Amazingly big selection and a TON of local stuff. The import section on the back wall is really nifty too. Tip: I came in looking for champagne. What was on the display looked too pricey (it was $30+ - c'mon now, I know there's some $9 champagne somewhere!) so I kept browsing and found some very inexpensive sparkling wine and prosecco in one of the fridge cases. Score! read more

One of my favorite beer and wine purveyors in Boston. They have almost everything worth drinking: Polish Pilsners, obscure English ales, practically an entire section devoted to Mead, sheez....If you thought France makes no good beer, you will find yourself sorely mistaken when you try the Gavroche. they also have almost every single local craft brew you can think of! The wine section is mid sized but well curated. Lots of affordable wines, esp Southern Rhone wines. You can get your Perrier Jouet or Groth if you really want to. They also host AWESOME tastings. The staff is super knowledgable and will put in an order for almost anything you don't find. read more

Like nearly all the comments here I think this place is great. I have bought some wine and cider here but I don't feel like I know enough to comment on their selection. However, I do know beer. They have a lot of different types of beer and their selection can be pretty amazing when you go in with a particular craving. For example, this summer I had a hankering for some German dark wheat beer (Dunkel Weisse) and they had at least 5 kinds. I wanted a nice reasonably priced IPA last month and they have several to choose from. There are one or two beers I like that they don't have but they have several hundred good beers of many different types. The thing is if you know beer you know that they know their beer. They just don't have a lot of different beer they have the better beers. read more

They have every wine, beer and liquor you want to drink. Really, all of them. Their wine and beer sections are gigantic and well-chosen, their liquor section small but select. Don't try to buy and drink all of it at once, however tempting it may be; I'm sure the hangover would be terrible and I am almost out of beer. The staff is awesome, and the music is bizarre. read more

Aside from being a good liquor store that offers much good liquor, this place is a cool location for classes and events. The Second Glass has partnered with them to do a couple of cool sampler and tasting events, and they have the right kind of atmosphere and attitude for n00bs like me. I brought a date to the "Vino Viagra and the Panty Remover" class. It was held in a sweet basement room, maybe 10' x 10'. When the zombie apocalypse comes, I think I want to hide from it in that particular basement. We tasted about 8 different wines, each of them pretty good (from my completely uneducated perspective), but the better part was the free cheese, chocolate, and hilarity. Much was the humor had by all. One of the bottles had an imprint of the original vineyard owner, a fine 1880s gentleman with muttonchops, and my date yelled "I want to try the moustache ride!" and got a good laugh. That was the type of atmosphere we had going there. Also, the event was only like $10, although the wines they showed us ranged in price from like $15 to $45. I'd definitely come back for an event like this, in a place like this, again. When I'm in Somerville, and looking for booze, this seems like the place to be up at. read more

Warning: Downtown Wine and Spirits is a lot bigger than I had anticipated! Your boozy senses may very likely become overwhelmed with the aisles and aisles packed with both standard and unusual selections of alcohol. Selections are great, prices are average, staff is super friendly. And in case you're jetting into space anytime soon, they carry "space shots." Just so you know. read more

Very solid, strives to do wine, beer, and liquor well without being a warehouse-sized store. They select well and keep things interesting. The shelf of exotic singles (beer) is truly impressive. Prices are not great, but given the apparent collusion among local liquor stores to overcharge, they're not outrageous. read more

Location location location. Davis Square needs a wine and beer shop with a strong selection, because it's a hip and moderately affluent neighborhood. In other words, if Downtown Wine & Spirits didn't exist, another version of it would necessarily appear to the fill its niche. That version could definitely be a lot worse, but it could also be a lot better...and better wine and beer shops do exist in the neighborhoods around Davis Square. Their beer selection is not as good as the selection at Ball Square Fine Wines, a short 15 minute walk from Davis Square. Their liquor selection is very bare-bones, but generally adequate. Because of its prime location, the prices could be a lot higher, but everything is moderately priced, and occasionally you'll find a bargain. So I would never walk out of my way into Davis Square to go to Downtown Wine & Spirits. But if I'm already in Davis and decide I want some beer or wine for dinner, I know I'll have plenty of excellent choices here. read more

To be fair, I have never been inside this store, so this review is about their delightful phone/delivery process, which has been not only effective, but pleasant. Remotely planning an event can be hard, but Bob, Steve & the team here made it easy. I gave them a budget and our event parameters (expected # of guests, length of the event, etc) and they gave us both a preliminary estimate and called to ask about our preferences (which, since I wouldn't be there to enjoy, I didn't have many). Every time I called, it seemed like everyone knew who I was (or was at least super friendly). They even recommended we buy less ice and soda than originally discussed, saving us a bit of money. If I lived in Massachusetts, this is where I'd be stocking up! read more

They got good deals, if you look. Do ask questions and you will get answers. I like the staff too, good service. Plus, if you come to tastings, you get additional discounts. Selection is OK, but again, not like they have lots of space. BTW, import beer selection sucks. But since the inventory turnover of those is low (thank the studentish demo), I can't blame them. read more

A quick rule of thumb when judging if a beer place is poor, genuinely good or just pretentious. It should have plenty of micro-brews and Belgian beer, but it could be genuinely good or just pretentious. The next test is if it has good English, Czech and German beers. This place has plenty, showing it is about good beer, rather than just posing (in which case it would have lots of Belgian and a Finnish beer brewed from reindeer urine). read more

Downtown Wine & Spirits certainly take advantage of their location. It's been said in other reviews, but unless you can't find it anywhere else, don't buy it here, as it's almost guaranteed to be $2-$10 more. I will say that this rule mainly applies to their beer selection. Their spirits are reasonably priced (for Boston), and I cannot comment on their wine. They card all customers and require second ID for out-of-staters. Points for consistency, I guess. Great boutique selection of spirits. read more

Unbelievable, absolutely fantastic craft beer selection! I never knew about this place, and just happened to stop in when I was in the neighborhood. Simon, the beer guy there, must be a real craft beer aficionado (I've never met him). Any craft beer drinker would love shopping here. read more

You poor mother fuckers in the Boston area. YOU DON'T HAVE BEVMO?!! How can you be a proper alcoholic without a Bevmo?! Downtown, much like booze, is the solution. The employees are knowledgeable when we asked for something we could never find back home in SF. Everyone back home was pleased with our selections. The staff was really into giving us what we wanted at not an outrageous price point, (admirable, but i'm willing to spend on good booze) +10pts for no mark up read more

It is a well known fact that a 20-something of some means must be in want of liquor. Normally my wants are so simple. But after living near Downtown Wine & Spirits for two years, to my surprise, I have developed some taste. Not only do they have a fabulous wine selection, but they also offer frequent and enthusiastic wine tastings. And even a wine Luddite like me can only try Riesling so many times without remembering that it's a type a grape and not a province in Germany. So now I know. And it's serving me really well. I am enjoying drinking wine more than I ever have, and I credit it to Downtown Wine & Spirits. And even better, they enable me by supplying cheap and excellent wine (definitely check out their box wine selection! I am a huge fan of the Alandra white). Lastly, it's my mom's birthday tomorrow, and I went over and one of the staffers helped me pick an awesome Chamomile Grappa for her. He even had an open bottle and insisted I try it before I bought it. And you know what? I am sure that she will love it. Thanks Downtown! read more

I can't believe that it's taken me this long to yelp this great place. I love the unusual assortment of beers and wine. Even if you might not need anything, it would be a good idea to stop in and get an idea of their imported beers or wines for that next fancy shmancy dinner party. Who knows, you might be inspired enough to just throw a get-together so that you can serve such great cassis wine! read more

Very good beer selection. Decent spirit selection. The wine sales made me upset. I require guidance from Parker and Spectator when purchasing wines. I rely on a store's posted ratings being accurate,and I meticulously match the post's vintage, producer, and cuvee to the bottle. Tonight's $25 wine is a bore. I didn't see how Robert Parker could have given it a 92. Well, he didn't--he gave it an 86. Spectator gave it an 88. I feel ripped off. read more

They've got lots of different types of beer and wine from all over. The line was huge during porchfest, but it moved so fast I thought my friend might not get to me in time. They allow dogs in! read more

Despite living very close to Downtown, I only recently made it over. It's just a bit farther than I'd really like to schlep bottles of liquid. (Yeah, I'm weak.) That being said, I'm unbelievably impressed with this place. The other two liquor stores that I've been reluctantly patronizing (reluctant due to limited selection and not great prices) ain't got nothing on this place. The selection is phenomenal. And there's a decent selection of relatively inexpensive, but still totally drinkable, wine. I'm a student and I don't really like to spend more than $10, but all of the wines I tried out were decent. Didn't really look much at the beer section, but it seemed impressively large. And the best thing I learned during my trip? THEY DELIVER!! No minimum either. Just a $10 surcharge if the order is under $100. Crazy, right? The next time I'm stocking up before a big party, I'm calling Downtown, that's for sure! read more

I used to always walk by this place and just look at the fabulous window displays. The nostalgic Narragansett ads, the Magic Hat Beach Cruiser Bicycle (which I wouldn't mind owning), and so on. Before moving to Davis Square, I never went in here. Then one night I was watching a Netflix rental Beer Wars and they focus on this lady whom worked for Sam Adams and left to start her own line of beer. It depicts her going to this store the first to sell her product, well since I saw it in a movie that this was a good place to go, I had to check it out right? They do have a nice selection of beer, although most of my favorites are not available here which was a let down. The store could be better laid out, I'd rather have isle after isle instead of isles with dead ends, I barely escaped with a six pack in hand he Minotaur in this maze as I made my way back to the register. Inside this place is kinda dingy, bad lighting, off white floors and shelving (which always looks dirty why people use off white I'll never know.) It could use a makeover on the inside since the outset window displays are very nicely done. Infact their windown display for Hendrick's Gin got me to switch my brand! Downtown Wine and Spirits wants to be the upscale place, not just another packie, so its about time to invest on upgrading the look of their shop. They do free tastings regularly which is nice, the staff are friendly. Since they don't have most beers I prefer, I will probably trek further out for that, and just stick to getting wine and liquor here. read more

An update, Sarah G. hooked me up to the location of Boddington's so I have revised and promoted to 5 stars. They have everything. I love it. read more

We popped in to check it out and omg, by holy, this is a great liquor store! HUGE selection of wines and beers! We didn't get anything, but we would have if we lived closer! Now this is a true liquor store! read more

Good service, quick, and they have quite a selection. Cigarettes as well, typical liquor store but they've done a very good job. I would definitely recommend it if you're in the area. read more