I really really love this wine shop. They have a wide variety of excellent wines at low prices, including an entire table for less than $10-12. The owners are very knowledgable about their merchandise and extremely helpful about getting you the perfect wine for any occasion. They also hold frequent tastings and events...for FREE. Also, they just bought the space next door and are turning it into a wine bar. Get excited about that! I know I am! read more

There's nothing wrong with the store, but it didn't impress me or anything. There was a small selection of wines but a decent variety. We were looking for ice wines, of which they had none, but instead showed us late-harvest wines. We walked out with one cheap wine and one mid-range. Good enough. It was a Saturday afternoon...a sample or two would have been really nice. Seemed like the other stores on this stretch of Clark were doing the sample thing. I'll give it another try within the next few months. read more

Please Note: 4 stars is for the wine/craft beer shop. I did not dine at the restaurant. A Moderate Selection with affordable wines and a solid craft brew selection. It was a pleasant store to be in. The staff were attentive but not annoying. I had questions about a beer that I have never seen before and one staff member took the time to look up all the details I needed. I like genuine service. I learned they have free wine tastings, if im in the neighborhood....I will be back! read more

Nice dim atmosphere, fine wines & cheeses, and adults! I visited In Fine Spirits last weekend and it was a really nice change to not have to elbow my way to the bar through a sweaty pack of post-college frat boys. It was already packed at 7:30, so I would advise going early. My friends and I were lucky enough to get a table and soon after, the lights were dimmed down to a very intimate level. But not in a creepy way. Red and white wine flights are your best bet at $12. You will have a nice wine buzz going after 3 glasses, and then you can order a glass of your favorite pick. I was disappointed because I really enjoyed this Rioja from Spain, but they said they only had 1 bottle left, so they couldn't pour me a full glass. Sad. I settled for a red from South Africa, which was also delicious. The waiters were very attentive, and they also have an eclectic food selection. We ordered the cheese plate for $28, and were a bit shocked when we were presented with 6 very small pieces of cheese and bread. Whatever, it was good anyway. My only reservation is that In Fine Spirts is a bit pricey...but you have to pay for quality right? read more

From wines to amazing craft beers, this place is the real deal. The staff is very knowledgeable, and are able to recommend a myriad of wines and beers for whatever the occasion. I am a hophead, and this place carries some of the best local and semi local brews out there. There are tastings every weekend, and the wines from the pacific northwest are amply represented. I recommend going with a Gilbert or Jigsaw. read more

A year or so ago, I asked one of the owners of In Fine Spirits if he had heard of Uruguayan Tannat, a hard-to-find wine in the States. He had, and he was impressed that I had. I asked him if he'd consider ordering one, and he said he'd try and find one. I went in last week just to grab a bottle of something red and Spanish to have with dinner, and what did I see on the "Under $12" table, but a great Uruguayan Tannat. Not only did I buy the Rioja I came there for, but also two bottles of the Tannat--one for me, and one as a Thanksgiving gift for my future in-laws, who are very knowledgeable about wine. They were impressed, and delighted that they could finally sample the stuff that my fiance and I have been bragging about since returning from vacation in Uruguay three years ago. That's the type of service you can expect from the intelligent, friendly, knowledgeable people at In Fine Spirits. And if you're looking for affordable yet interesting wines, there's no better place in Andersonville to find it. Did I mention the tastes? It seems like every time I am in there they are having a tasting of some sort! That's how I found my favorite Pinot Noir, and I will not serve anything else with my steak! read more

This review is specifically for the wine shop (the restaurant has closed and reopened as Premise). I had always been hesitant to go inside, thinking the wine would be out of my price range. I'm usually a Trader Joe's wine girl, but needed something a little more impressive for a wine party. I walked in, described what I usually like and braced myself for sticker shock. He immediately pointed me towards three choices, all under $12. Apparently the table in the middle is all between $10-$12! I was in and out with my bottle in under 3 minutes. His suggestion was fantastic, I definitely brought the best wine of the night. Andersonville Wine & Spirits is overwhelming and smells funny, and the complexity of the wine convinced me to up my wine game from my standard Trader Joe's. I definitely know where I can buy my wine locally in the future. Thanks IFS! read more

I found my favorite wine here, Scott Harvey 2006 Barbera Mountain Selection, and will be coming back often for more. And if you ask for a little nibble plate, they whip up pure deliciousness. The atmosphere is great and all of the employees are very friendly and helpful. Definitely one of the best wine bars in the city. read more

I really like this place. We went on a Friday night and, although it was busy, my husband and I still managed to have a really nice date. We ordered lots of different things (pick-your-own meat/cheese platter, beet carpaccio, short-rib flatbread, and the tartiflette). I loved the meat/cheese platter the most (spek, manchego, and ricotta with honey and truffle--amazing), though I wish the portion sizes were a little larger. I wasn't a fan of the tartiflette ("bubbling crock of bacon, potato, and cheese with thyme")...it was so SMOKY it tasted like I was eating something that was cooked over the campfire. It was smoke-overload and I am glad we got it last because it destroyed my ability to taste and smell anything else. Great wine selection and interesting drink concoctions...will definitely go back. read more

There's more negatives than positives on my last experience with this place, trumped mainly by a really helpful and informative bartender. First off, this place is crowded and noisy. I'd guess that the atmosphere would be pretty neat if it was less stuffy. Problem is, they seem to stick people wherever they might fit, which more often than not isn't comfortable. I got stuck sharing a chair with a friend, not my idea of classy nor comfy. If you're with a group over 4, avoid. Second, the waitress was terrible. As my friend put it, she's like one of those that complain that she's getting too overwhelmed. She literally ignored me and a few others a couple times (served my friends instead?), never offered us a drink menu, even when I had a drink menu trying to make it obvious I wanted to order something, she walked away. An hour later, she STILL never asked for our order (those that didn't get to order anything). If you're worried you might get her, she's about 5'5" blond wavy short hair with I believe glasses. This led me and a few others to the bar. The bartender didn't seem friendly at first and super busy but when I stopped him to ask a few questions about their drinks and spirits selections, he was very helpful. He was frank about their whiskey selections and cocktail recommendations. He did a great job serving me and my friends, his whiskey recommendations were great as well. The cocktails themselves were OK, I was hoping for more distinct flavors but the few I ordered had a little too much going on. I didn't mind paying about $10 per cocktail, I'm sure I just have to try something else next time. All in all, the place isn't bad, personally I'd stick with the bar if I can for a better experience. The food looked all right, but for a place called "In Fine Spirits," I'd think you'd vie for the drinks. read more

I read about this place in the New York Times travel section and thought it would be a good place to find regional beers. My mom is more of a wine person, and they claim to have an unusual wine selection. Overall, I was impressed with their focus on local/regional and unusual. The staff person was a little distant and didn't seem like she wanted to engage in conversation about their selections. However, she did answer all of my many questions thoroughly and was helpful in making recommendations about their products as well as suggesting a nearby lunch spot. I was a little disappointed in the beer selection, although she did say that their stock was a little depleted. Perhaps they usually keep more on hand. I was happy with the couple of interesting beers I chose and, if I weren't flying home, would have bought more. My mom, as promised, did find some unusual wine. I would have loved to try some of the regional liquors; darn those TSA regulations! However, they did have BitterCube bitters, a Milwaukee company, in one ounce jars. Hooray! And they also had Big Shoulders Coffee, a Chicago roaster. So I walked away satisfied. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would come here regularly! read more

In Fine Spirits - An interesting selection from an Illinois brewery. A good place for an "out of towner" to try seething new. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Damn do I love this place! Cocktails are hand crafted with batch distilled liquors and the new world wine list changes every few months. If your a bourbon lover try their Manhattan with Templeton Rye. The Gin they use is great and is much more complex than Bombay and I think better than Hendricks. The service is great and staff is very knowledgeable about wine, beer and spirits. A great place to grab a pre dinner drink or just settle in for a good night of wine and conversation with friends. The best part is that its right up the street and a good enough attraction to pull friends in from all different hoods within the city. Update from 10/20/08. Went in for a drink last night and discovered that they had bacon infused Bourbon! Bacon (awesome) + Bourbon (also awesome) = heaven in my mouth. I've always liked this place, but my respect just went through the roof. If you go, ask for it. Its not listed on the menu, and its not always available (not that i'm a drunk and go here everyday, its what they told me) but it is amazing. read more

This review is for the store, not the wine bar. This is my favorite place to buy wine and beer in Chicago. A very nice selection of inexpensive vintages and the staff is always willing to help out with suggestions and information. I've never bought a bad bottle of wine from this place. I don't know much about wine, but I can definitely taste the difference between what they put on sale and the stuff I used to get from grocery stores. I would recommend this place to anyone! read more

I am struggling to give this place 4/5 stars. But the food is just to good to give them anything less. Here is why I am struggling. I came here before for wine, and the staff inside the bar was just wonderful. Even for $8/glass of wine I felt like it was a great deal! Not so much last night. We came here for dinner on Monday, because they have specials on drinks. Anyway, we ordered asparagus with cheese, short rib flat-bread and scallops. While the scallops were great, there were only two for $16. This is a little bit ridiculous. Trust me- I do not expect Applebe's style portions ,but at the same time $8/per scallop is a little too much. All in all the bill was over $60 and we still felt hungry. Had to go home and eat some tuna sandwiches to get full. Not to mention the atmosphere outside, is casual. This is great for a typical restaurant, but not when you spend $60 on a meal and do not get hardly any food. The waiter staff, did not make you feel too welcome or make it ok to spend so much money on "diet" meal. anyway- my suggestion is to go here for whine and some appetizers on a special occasion like a 1st time date. Or a special out of town guests. The Food is great, but the price to food ratio leaves a lot to be desired. I would actually rate this place as Ultra High-end Price range for what you get. read more

This is a review of their store, which is pretty fantastic. The selection of beer and wine is very good for such a small shop. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. You can go in, tell the employees what you are having for dinner and have several recommendations for a wine pairing. They make an effort to keep a good selection of delicious wines and beers at very reasonable prices ($8-$15). I haven't been to the bar area or tried their food as of yet. I have a feeling I might be missing out if the rest of the establishment is anything like the store. read more

LOVE this place. wine flights were fabulous. i got the pinot noir flight, and my boyfriend got the sparkling wine flight. i didn't want a heavy dinner, however expected the flatbread to be a little bigger. i definitely got the buzz i wanted to get :) but, probably needed a little more food. my boyfriend, however, got the cowboy sandwich (or something like that) and he thoroughly enjoyed it. i WILL be back!!! read more

went here last night with a friend and was really blown away by the approachability of the staff. VERY friendly. Benjamin the bartender's a class act. The wine selection is great, and they even had my favorite--Fiddlehead Fiddlestix Pinot Noir. Food was awesome; nothing too heavy, just healthy stuff to munch on while getting respectably sloshed. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is that the patio wasn't wheelchair accessible (doorway too narrow for my wheelchair to fit through) and that was disappointing, as i was looking forward to hanging outside (although there may very well be an entrance from the alley or something). i didn't ask, and if it does exist, it wasn't offered. unpretentious, minimalistic, and fun; i really loved this place and will most definitely be back. highly recommend it. read more

Easily the best small wine shop in the city. Every time I come to In Fine Spirits I get what I need. The lady that works there is incredibly knowledgable about the many interesting wines they carry. I have been steered to try grapes and regions I didn't even know existed. They also offer free tastings every saturday, which is a great way to kick off a jaunt through the neighborhood. read more

I like a nice little neighborhood wine shop. I wish I had a better impression, but to be honest, I just wasn't that impressed with both the selection, layout and customer service. Small store, small selection, but also not a super interesting selection. Meh. Layout is OK... Kind of a hodgepodge. Customer Service was non-existent. No one helped me at all. So yeah... I'll go back because I live around the corner. But with a small, boutique wine shop I expect to be wowed. read more

This place is fantastic! Very nice, upscale scene without the upscale prices. Very affordable, incredibly good. I had a glass of Malbec for $7. It was so rich and flavorful, I could almost eat it with a spoon. It was an excellent accompaniment for the cheese tray we ordered. Don't get me started with the cheeses either. YUM! You get to create your own cheese flights that come with figs, a drizzle of aioli and a small bread. Heaven on a plate. I can't wait to come back and also hit the wine shop next door to take home some of my favorite wines at a reasonable price. read more

After being a dedicated customer since In Fine Spirits opened, I had an unfortunate experience today trying to use a Groupon that was given to me as a gift. Although the particular deal was no longer available, I was told by Groupon that the certificate could still be used for its cash value. Well, IFS refused to honor it, despite the clearly written terms on the face of the certificate. Very disappointing. From now on, Shane, I'll just head to Andersonville Wine and Spirits for my wine needs. I hope it was worth it to IFS, as they lost a customer today. read more

Our first encounter with In Fine Spirits was at their wine shop. Not being a "wine" person some places I have walked into can be intimidating and not very friendly when asking questions. I never felt that when walking into their shop and they were always extremely friendly and informative. Fast forward to our first chance to try out their new wine bar where some other Yelp people were gathering before the holiday. The space is very inviting and is much larger that I expected. At one time some years ago this building was our vet, so all we ever saw was a small lobby and cramped rooms. They did a great job long banquet booths and high top chairs along the side opposite of the bar. The bar is laid out well and seats probably 15 people. After meeting the other Yelpers, we were handed a large menu. The menu was certainly informative and the first page highlighted some new items of specials. Since neither one of us is into wine, I had a beer and my partner had a cosmo. The beer was very good (I had 3) and the cosmos I was told was also very good. The service I found to be perfect. The server took her time explaining a different beer to me after the one I asked for initially was out. Also, the server took the time to explain that they work with small vendors and some types of alcohol weren't available. I found this to be a nice touch as some bars on the Clark strip would give you a snotty response if you asked for something they didn't carry. We will certainly be back and I have already mentioned it to some other friends who really do enjoy wine. Great addition to the neighborhood. read more

Love this place! Went to the bar here last night and it was like love at first sight:) I actually didn't have any wine....but had an amazing drink, I think it was called a Rodeo Highball. It's basically a Whiskey/Ginger....and it was amazing! I don't drink Whiskey or Ginger Ale.....but wow. Yummy. We also had the cheese plate which was rather tasty too. The service was great and the atmosphere very warm, cozy and inviting. This makes for a great date place or drinks with friends! I will for sure be back! Cant wait! read more

I really like this place. It's close to home, and has a good selection of wines that vary from inexpensive but good table wine ($7) and midrange to the fancier stuff. It took me about a year of walking by before I decided to go in, and I wish I had gone in earlier. It's been a few months now where this is my wine go-to as Trader Joe's is far and always seems to be packed. It's not stuffy and you never feel pressured into buying anything. The staff is very helpful, and they also have a selection of spirits, bitters, and different specialty beers. read more

This is a lovely wine shop with knowledgeable staff and a nice selection! A great place to grab a bottle en route to a local BYOB!

The patio here is lovely. Its nice to find a place where you can relax and actually hear what your friends are saying across the table. The wine list provides plenty of options and you might even scope out some power lesbians if you take the time to look. read more

This is the most professional bar that I have been in this fine city of ours. Very nice atmosphere and whole place has very inviting vibe to it. Benjamin is one of the friendliest and most knowledgeable liquor coinsures that I have ever come across. I had an off the menu whiskey and sour mix. Where's the pitcher. Very good indeed. I would come back here in a minute. I will have to try the patio next time as it was full tilt. read more

Great place with local sourced food! This is a really lovely place. We loved the small plates and service. I cant wait to go again.

Cute little wine shop, with a variety of wine, beer, and liquor. We wanted to find something locally made to take home, and we found it! We purchased a locally made gin for my father-in-law for X-mas. It wasn't cheap, but it was great to find something made nearby. The staff was helpful, and friendly. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would definitely come back. Also, free wine tastings!!! Gotta love that! I ended up buying a very reasonably priced dessert wine that I tasted! read more

This place is a great neighborhood wine shop. The staff is friendly and knowlegable. You can ask whatever wine/beer questions you have and they answer, and they make great suggestions. Can't wait until the place next door opens! read more

This is a review for the liquor store. I love this place. I love that they support local growers. They are always willing to make recommendations and help me decide on a wine. I like supporting the local community. They also have wine tastings. You can also sign up for email updates on when they have special events and tastings. read more

I am writing this review as a professional oenophile and therefore, downright outlandish when it comes to all things wine. After frequenting In Fine Spirits Wine Bar, I finally came to check out the wine shop, adjacent to the bar. After a thorough perusing, I concluded that it's a great shop with a decent selection, but rather poorly organized. Upon walking in, you immediately feel the bright light and warm vibe of the store. Bottles glisten as they line the walls of the small shop. I noticed that they have two small tables featuring value wines. One table with whites and one with reds. Both tables had a really nice selection of value wines and QPR's (Quality-Price-Ratio). Nonetheless, there was nothing on the tables that I haven't seen in most other shops in the city. That's not so much a criticism as an observation. After all, they all buy from the same distributors with the same deals. But I always like to find a store who has dug through the portfolios and close-out lists for the truly unique value wines. Upon perusing the walls of wine, I certainly found a fairly good selection. Nonetheless, in my rather anal nature, I found the organization to be really confusing and unapproachable to the common customer. They seem to adhere to a [very] loose organization by grape varietal. Don't get me wrong, this type of organization is fine, when it is done right and rigidly adhered to. But I felt like the organization at In Fine Spirits fell way short. For example, I saw a Spanish Grenache-Based wine on one side of the shop and a Chateauneuf du Pape (Also grenache based, but French) on the other side of the shop. Shouldn't they at least be near each other? As well, a Barbera in with the dessert wines...even though it's a lighter, tarter styled Barbera, why not just put it over with the other Italian wines? All in all, I don't know why most shops don't make it easier on their customers and themselves by just sticking to a geographical organization. I mean, wine is so tightly woven in geography and terroir, why not honor it's origins, rather than varietal? It makes organization so much easier, since you always have exceptions, especially with more and more winemakers blending more and more of their wines. As well, my second complaint is that the actual wine selection was heavily "New World-Biased." I happened to be a big fan of old school French and Spanish wines and their selection was pretty weak. My last complaint is that I felt like there was a lot of empty space on the shelves which they could be utilizing with more bottles and thus, a bigger selection! Hey, rent can't be cheap over there, so at least use all of the space to your advantage and stock the walls with more stuff in the $15 to $30 range! All in all, despite my random wine bitchings, this is a great little shop. Even thought i'd like to see a better and bigger selection of stuff, they did have some really nice small production and delicious stuff, like 'El Nido' from Spain and the 'Lang and Reed Cab Franc', both of which you don't see just anywhere. As well, the craft beer selection is really great, although once again, heavily biased on Domestic beers. Nonetheless, I hope to stop in on occasion to pick up a bottle or two and check out the selection. read more

OMG the wine at this place tastes really good. I especially like it with food. I'm not sure I have to many brain cells left really - I've been flying on their "three case a month discount alcoholism incentive campaign". Really like the wines though. We're in the database. read more

Sometimes, it only takes a really poor attitude to ruin a minutes-old experience. My hubby and I have really wanted to check out this place, and on the afternoon of July 4th, after a great lunch at Jerry's, we decided to head across the street, since it was less traffic and we could really enjoy our visit and pick out something nice to take to our fireworks party in South Loop later that evening. That didn't happen. It is unfortunate that the two females who were working had to work on a holiday. Unfortunately, sometimes that happens, particularly in retail, but it is not the customer's fault. We walked in and weren't even greeted. There was one other couple who was finishing their transaction, but neither of the females even said hello to us, a simple gesture I'm sure would not have offended the other couple. After the couple left, neither of them still said a word but rather launched into a very vocal conversation about what a pain the last patrons had been. Out of amusement, I set my timer on my iPhone, just to see how long it might take for either of them to acknowledge us. One walked past us without even a "hello" and headed to the non-salesfloor area of the store. At almost 9 minutes, the other headed off the sales floor, too, but managed a "if you want anything let me know" in a manner that cemented no commerce from us in this store. Present or future. The thing is, the hubby and I buy a lot of wine, hence the three cases we just brought back from our last visit to northern California, and we like good wine and good regional choices. (One of us even trained to be a sommelier.) We weren't even looking for tasting. We just wanted some guidance and good experience here. The shop itself probably lost a sale of 300-400 dollars that day with us and many future sales. Pretentiousness is not cool. I like small local businesses and want to support them, but I first want to know they do not eliminate or offend any potential customer. My review probably won't make a difference to them, but it will influence where I choose to spend my money and the suggestions I make to friends as to where to shop. This place will not be on either list. read more

This is one of my favorite shops in Chicago! Not only does this shop have a great selection when I'm looking for something new/unique, the staff is so knowledgeable and friendly! I was worried about feeling dumb when I didn't know much about wine and wanted to pick up a nice gift (but not too expensive) but the employee was great and I never felt judged. I've been back a few times when I'm in Andersonville and I always leave with a new gem that fits my budget. Plus the free tastings are so much fun! read more

Best wine shop in the city! Unpretentious, great selection, fantastic and friendly knowledgable staff and wonderful free Saturday tastings.

stock the walls with wine bottles and ill be there, its like they are marketing to me directly!! Get in on some tasting (both beer and wine) on most weekends and make sure and check out their basement beer cellar... shhh there's trois pistoles down there (save some for me!!). They usually rotate in their wines so you're always bound to find something new and good. And if you are looking to get me something (oh you shouldn't have) they offer gift certificates and nice gift bags. cheers! read more

Frequent wine tastings and a great selection of wine and beer. Affordable price range. AND they have the best selection of Unibroue I have seen in a long while. read more

I was with friends who were purchasing wine and met the owner. Cool guy and very informative. The store was well stocked and there was a lot of variety. I will be back, eventually. read more

A friend and I visited In Fine Spirits for her birthday about a month ago. We definitely enjoyed our meal. We ordered about a million of the small plates and they were all delicious. The cocktails we sampled were also really tasty. The server was really nice and definitely knew the menu offerings well. We were dealing with a gluten intolerance at our table, and the kitchen was willing to accommodate that need. We did not find the place crowded or noisy like other reviewers, but I guess that is completely dependent on how busy of a night they are having. The only weird part was that, after stating many times that everything should be gluten-free, a few of our dishes were served with a big hunk of bread. It wasn't a HUGE deal, we just placed it on the table next to us, but it made me worry just a bit about the gluten content of the rest of our food if the kitchen didn't know not to serve us bread. In the end it was fine, and my very gluten-sensitive friend did not get sick. This place is a bit pricey (our groupon barely made a dent in the feast we ordered), but it's worth it. All in all, I'd say this is the perfect place to bring your friends with more refined tastes to relax with good food and good booze. read more