I am such a novice when it comes to anything alcoholic. But the wonderful Ed guided me through my search for the perfect gift. He was patient, knowledgeable, and thoroughly knew his inventory! It is the kind of boutique store that we all wish we could turn to for every eclectic food group out there -- chocolate, spices, fruits... Alas, there is only one Ledger and they only do Liquor, but if you ever need anything from that world, I definitely recommend checking this place first. Thank you, Ed! (They also have a big and cute selection of glasses to make the gift complete.) read more

A wide variety and selection of gluten free beers and hard ciders can be found in the very first freezer closest to the cash register. The staff was friendly and helpful. This place seems to have everything, including a different shaped beer glass for various different kinds of beer. Definitely a neighborhood staple. read more

See all

I'm rarely in Berkeley anymore but when I'm there I stop by Ledger's Liquors. It's an unassuming looking place. Kind of like a corner bodega but it's very different. They have an amazing selection of whiskeys and an extraordinary staff. Every recommendation has been spot on. read more

While the storefront is nothing much to look at, the doors open to a dizzying, floor-to-ceiling selection of liquid gold. When it comes to high octane, boutique liquors and obscure, local varieties along with craft brews from around the globe, this place easily outshines the competition. They also carry the proper glassware and quality mixers, including an amazing array of bitters to boot. The makings of every good Casa Ligaya party begins here. Numerous times the folks at Ledger have saved me and my bibulous cohorts from dreaded sobriety. I've even picked up some lovely wine cases on the cheap. Line 'em with a garbage bag, add ice, and voila, classy beer cooler! Now we're talking Berkeley here, so an interesting cast of characters ambles through feenin' for the 99¢ specials. But don't write off the staff; they know their inventory inside and out and are always up for a chat if you show interest. Oh, how the game has changed; it's not about how much you can drink anymore, it's about refined imbibing. Let's stir up some fun! read more

All liquor stores are NOT created equal, and Ledger proves it. For example: they stock St George Terroir gin & raspberry Aqua Perfecta for the same price you'd pay out at the distillery. Now that deserves a Yelp! It's clear that Ledger Liquor Store caters to the sophisticated drinker vs. the desperate alcy (the sketchy liquor store down the block, with half-empty shelves and generic brands you've never heard of, has the alcy market cornered). The staff are helpful and cheery, and the store is spacious and well-organized. No creepy vibes to be found. The one downside: their hours are a little annoying - they close at 8pm, so you'd better plan ahead for those late-night party favors or bday gifts! read more

Don't be fooled by the run-of-the-mill old corner liquor store exterior. This place has TONS of treasures inside for the cocktail lover. A great selection of bitters along with a whole wall's worth of premium whiskeys/bourbons/scotches. They have what looks like a great selection of wines and beers, too. I went in the other day to find some hard to find rye bourbon that's not found in your typical bevmo and sure enough, they had it. I was helped by a friendly guy at the counter...might have been the owner. Seemed like he knew his stock and knew it well so the people here are probably the ones to ask if you've been hunting for something hard to find or if you just need help choosing something of a certain type. The store is not fancy at all but you'll be amazed by the offerings they provide. A great local spot to find all your liquor cabinet needs. Also, you can park your bicycle inside the shop! read more

I love Ledger's. The liquor and beer selections are fairly deep. The wine selection is not, but is still better than you'll find at most area liquor stores. Prices are good for the quality of booze; you'll find cheaper lower-end beer and liquor at Trader Joe's or BevMo, but mid-to-upper range alcohol is fairly priced. Ed Ledger, of Ledger Liquor Store fame, is just about the friendliest guy of all time, and has chatted me up several times with various stories and anecdotes about the booze I purchase. Recently I walked to the counter with a bottle of red, and Ed talked about how the vineyard only distributed to restaurants, but he happened to know the distributor and acquired some stock at the request of another customer. That's awesome, and I'm glad he shared the story. As a neighborhood joint Ledger's is definitely enjoyable. The store is normally staffed by Ed and his number two guy, and they both came to recognize me over the course of a few months (yes, Mom, the guys at the liquor store recognize me). I think that's the case for other patrons, too, and as a result everyone's generally more friendly. I'd highly recommend Ledger's to other folks in the area. read more

Alright, so, review by a beer lover/connoisseur/enthusiast who has heard a lot of good things about Ledger's: I understand there are some unique and hard-to-find beers here. Great, this place is better than most liquor stores and most every big supermarket grocer. That being said, this place came up WAAAAAY short of being a great liquor store. I asked about two types of beer that I was looking for and the employees there did not know one of the beers (ok that's fine) but didn't know their stock of the other one, without any conclusion to our search, they just stopped helping me. Most beers that were somewhat hard-to-find were outdated. I found a sixer of Jever which was bottled in January and a bottle of Krusovice which was bottled (or expired) in 2008. This type of thing is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE when it comes to quality beers. Not only that, but you're giving otherwise delicious and special brews a bad name just because they're old! I asked about some of the mold that was found on the sides of some bottles of Drake's IPA (surprising THIS brew doesn't go faster, it's quite popular), and the answer I got was that the refrigerator doors don't close all the way so molecules get in through the air. The other point he made was that sometimes the breweries leave a residue on the outsides of the bottles if they aren't cleaned correctly. Well in response to that I must say I've never seen that before in ANY quality liquor store. And on top of all of this the prices were higher than anywhere else I've been in the bay area! So what am I using to compare you might ask? If you're out in Lamorinda anytime soon, check out Monument Wines & Spirits in Concord and its sister store Jackson's Wines & Spirts in Lafayette. These two stores will show you what it means to have a quality assortment, storage, prices and friendly, knowledgeable service. read more

A long long time ago in a galaxy far far away I was once one of five young British lads with no aspirations for living in George W's country and no idea of the future world of Yelping and all it entails. Instead us kids had bagged my mum's car and were doing that classic - the southwest road trip. Complete with Kerry Edwards stickers on our Honda we tackled the back of beyond and the Bush bigots of Utah and finally after a week of deserts mountains and canyons we pulled up late night to a motel in this weird place called Berkeley where our ride looked happily in its place. Too tired to try 94702's nightlife, we toddled down the street to look for booze and fuck me if we didn't find somewhere great. Ledger's was only the 2nd US liquor store I'd seen and it was the first for my co-pilot. While our other 3 young chaps were dealing out the cards back in our motel room, we spent eons longer than we were supposed to browsing the plethora of ethanol-related options. We were impressed. But what really stood out for me was the people-watching. A weird set of people that later in life I would find out to be called 'hipsters' were sulking and skulking around with their selections, intriguing both me and the staff. Why did the staff give a shit? Well the moment the jack-white-a-like handed over his ID they pissed themselves giggling and told him to get lost. Me and my chum were in awe... we'd seen a real-life fake ID turn-down in an American liquor store! Yeah. It was like the movies we see back in England and everything. High-Five. Let's get these Mexican beers and Tortilla Chips and get the fuck back to playing Shithead for the next two hours. Whoever loses each round plays the next game balancing a book on their head and making crow noises. Those are the rules. read more

They have a huuuuuuge selection of beer that makes the boys I come with cry tears of joy. Rows upon rows of bottles in almost any style you can think of. The thing that makes me happiest about Ledger is that they let you buy the bottles either singularly or in the 4-6 packs, so you can mix and match to your heart's desire. No more having to buy the entire pack of beer if you're unsure if you'll like it or not! Their pricing by-the-bottle is a tad high, but nothing so bad as to completely scare me away from trying a new brew every now and again. Hands down, one of my favorite liquor stores. I stop by whenever I'm in Berkeley! It just sucks that it's so out of my way. read more

Ledger has probably the highest "quality" to "outside appearance" ratio of any liquor store in the East Bay. What looks to be a basic corner store is the go-to shop for an endless selection of liquors and exotic beers, as well as glassware and bar goods. If you don't believe me, you can ask the bartenders at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco (a popular speakeasy) who will tell you this is the place to go. read more

A mixed bag. The Good: Easily the best beer selection in the East Bay. They regularly stock dozens of good Belgian beers, plus many others, and are my one good source for Augustiner Maximator. The Bad: From the outside this place looks like any other corner liquor store, and much of their clientele uses it as a place to buy cheap potent alcohol. More than once, I have patiently waited in line while someone counts out their money and has to get a smaller size of Brand X. The Ugly: The staff will cheerfully offer to order you whatever beer you seek, and pretend that they will order you some, but it will never arrive! After waiting like an idiot for two months, I called the importer for the beer I "ordered" and learned there's a warehouse full of it, and an eager local distributor. read more

Thanks to Ledger, Ed and Susan for helping me locate beer that has fallen off the grid. In desperation for some rarely found beer, called up Ledger's with more rejection in mind. To my shock they had the beer in question in stock. Praise Allah, god and the flying spaghetti monster! Only downside is that it required a drive out to Berekeley. Ledger's is not your standard liquor store with a few good bottles of tequila or your specialty store with a heavy dose of attitude. A friendly and informative shop with tons of character and lots of great products. The kind of products legal consenting adults love! If you are looking for that top-shelf tequila, good sipping whiskey or hard to obtain six-pack then Ledger's warrants a visit. One of the best bay area liquor stores. You know what BevMo we are through! read more

This place is exactly like your grandfather's garage. Except replace the broken lawnmower, dusty furniture and the axe that looks like it was the same one George Washington used with shelving and a ton of fridges. Remove the useless car parts, trunk of Playboy magazine from the 1960's and those two aquariums he swore he'd put fish in and bring in tons of awesome booze. More specifically, beer. Tons of Belgian beer. In many ways it is like your grandfather's garage. You shuffle through the bottles, looking for something weird that you didn't expect. The order is loosely there but more like a bunch of stuff put on the shelf two years ago and barely keeping its place. Tons of craft stuff and even the aforementioned fridges hold something you will very likely want to buy and consume the minute you get to your beer glass at home. Thought I was just going to spend a little bit of time in Berkeley. Found this place and there went my afternoon. read more

I grew up in the neighborhood, and Ledger's is an institution of great esteem. They stand in the same spot they opened many years ago when UC wouldn't allow any liquor stores within a mile of campus. So you know you're exactly a mile from campus when you walk in. Took a while for me to warm up to the staff, but who can blame them when they've been operating on University so long. They are all solid guys who will steer you in the right direction for either value or quality (or both!), especially if you're just browsing. read more

OK, first things first- shhhhh- they actually are open on some Mondays- in fact, most Mondays. But not during the "regularly scheduled hours." They just open when they feel like it. On Mondays. Every other day they follow the regular schedule quite well. Secondly, here is a very, very magical story. There is this one type of honey wine (aka "Tej") that I and my friends love. We used to have to truck our sorry selves all the way to Temescal to get it- and we all live in North Berkeley and Albany and Richmond. Too much driving! Not enviro-friendly! So, I began looking for a place where we could buy this wine more locally. I asked here, there and everywhere and could not get any help. Then, one day, I glance at the sign on the side of Ledger's and it says, "This is the place." It certainly was. Not only did the guy ask me about what I was looking for and offer to order it- he ACTUALLY drove down to the store I used to frequent for my honey wine and bought a bottle so he could try it and knew exactly what to order. I loved him for that. Then, when he ordered a case of the stuff, I posted it to my blog. In a week, the stock was sold. Not to be outdone in any way, he doubled his order and also included a new flavor of the Tej, which we also love. And all because I knew to follow the sign. Now, he has changed it. Instead of saying "This is the place" the sign says, "What tickles your fancy?" I suggest you go in there and tell him. If it's legal in all 50 states and he can order it- he will. read more

This is the best liquor store I know of. From the street, it's not much to look at, but inside it's a cocktail snob's paradise. Boutique gins, obscure eastern-european liqueurs ( including *two* brands of maraschino: Luxardo and Zadar), orange bitters, Noily Prat, Carpano Antiqua Formula -- the luxuries that let you dispense with the necessities . Ed Ledger is the third generation owner of this family business, and has tracked down everything I've asked him to so far. He's un-stumpable. Also, there's parking and it's across the street from Fellini's. read more

This place has everything for a functioning alcoholic. When I lived in Santa Barbara I actually had to go to 4 different liquor stores just to find a bottle of bitters. This place has a dozen different bitters' to choose from! The beer selection is also better than anywhere I've been in the east bay. BOTTOM LINE: Hard to find beer, wine & spirits are HERE. Get the perfect gift for a bourbon lover here. read more

I went there to find an obscure Greek liquor called masticha. ledgers had 3 different kinds. Then we started talking about Greek Raki, which is like Italian home-made Grappa. They had 4 to choose from. The young gent helping me knew the inventory very well. What a great liquor store! Thanks. read more

a solid selection of bitters as well as hard to find beers. they have everything you will need to put together a bar at home....or office. Don Draper would be proud. read more

I love the variety. This tiny and average looking store holds a surprise for whomever comes in. It has a beautiful variety of all kinds of alcohols at any price from any place on Earth. It is truly a treasure island, and it's perfect, if you want to try an alcohol from somewhere far away, like Eastern Europe. I visited few times and bought quite a bit of alcohol. All the bottles were of different beverage, yet I loved the taste of each alcohol I bought at this place. Simply, they have a class. read more

5 stars for the only indoor bike rack in any liquor store I've ever been to. I would be a loyal customer for that alone, but there is so much more. The best beer selection around, though admittedly somewhat disorganized. Some stuff does sit around, but it's almost all date labeled. Amazing selection of liquor as well. Ed knows his products. Recently I went in to get a gift and he had about 5 recommendations that fit my requirement. I selected the 1st and it was such a success I went back and bought a bottle for myself (Faretti Biscotti - tastes like biscotti in a bottle only better!). Many beers to choose from, when I walk in they always point out any recent arrivals because I love trying new beers... Did I mention there's a bike rack inside the store? read more

Don't get me wrong: Ledger has a great selection of micros. However, my friend from Hawaii tried to buy something and after consulting their handy-dandy book of license styles from different states, they didn't let her purchase the beer. Their book is either out of date or too new, and therefore didn't have her license style. Sure, they have the right to refuse service to any customer, but when they refuse to sell beer--ONE six-pack, mind you--to someone on the basis of flat-out incorrect information, I am irritated. read more

Ed Ledger is a godsend to all who seek out fine alcoholic beverages. To wit - most of the local brewers I know are some of Ed's biggest fans. I found out about him through them, and I am one of their biggest fans. Go see Ed and he'll get you the good stuff. 'nuff said. read more

Screw the outside of this place. Walk in and be in drinks heaven. Behind the counter is the selection of hard liquors that runs the gamut of price and quality. The floorspace is taken up by the HUGE selection of beers. While there is the usual Smirnoff, Keystone, etc here, what makes it great is the beer and mixers selection. Any amateur bartenders who have had trouble finding the appropriate bitters, flavoring agents, and obscure liquors for their drinks at the local supermaket/bevmo will have their worries melt away here. The beer selection is what really shines though. Everywhere you go you can find selections of microbrews and exotics from around the world. To top it off, the people who work here are amazing at knowing their way around it. You can walk in with a type of brew you're in the mood for, something you tried and want to explore more beers of that type, whatever. They'll school you. I walked in thinking Chimay was the only Belgian Ale that got imported because it was the only good one. I came out an educated (aka HUMBLED) man... The reviews that mention mold growing on some of the bottles are true. Suck it up. read more

I don't think I've ever given a 5-star review for a place that wasn't as pretty as it was good. Oh well, first time for everything. Beauty is more than skin deep. You see, there's a BevMo 3 blocks from me. I go there when I need a plastic candy cane filled with gross minis of vividly dyed liquor. The rest of the time I'm shopping at Ledgers. They have what I'm looking for, however obscure. Prices are fair and the staff knows what they're talking about. What's not to love about a store that doesn't want your bike to get stolen so they have you park it INSIDE? Ledgers, I *heart* you. read more

Great selection if you know what you want and don't mind spending a little extra. No help or advice from the employees, even if you ask for it, which was a little disappointing for me. Also - unapologetically strict with 21+ regulations. Even if you are in your late 20's, and everyone else that you are with is in their late 20's / early 30's, everyone must show proof of age for any alcohol to be rang up - and don't expect any apology from the cashier. read more

Extensive (would be an understatement) curation of Craft Beer and other daily alcoholic / cocktail musts. I made the mistake of walking here from Downtown Berkeley carrying a giant tote bag because I had just gotten off the plane and was waiting on a friend, but the owners were understanding of my situation and kept a mindful eye on my over-sized luggage while I looked around. The owner was also very patient and helpful despite me asking over a dozen questions about their stock as I was on a mission to find a particular green-tea infused IPA that was pretty much sold out everywhere else I had been. Bottle prices are pretty reasonable being so close to the college district, and definitely worth visiting for "shelf turds" as this place is often overlooked in lieu of Whole Foods and some of the more established bottle shops in the Telegraph / North Oakland area. read more

When my husband and I were looking for a keg of our favorite beer (Death & Taxes) for our wedding, all sources directed us here. Ordering it was easy, pick-up and returns were no hassle. Now we know just where to go when we're in need a booze for future parties. And now you do too. read more

Whiskey! Ledger has a fantastic Scotch and Bourbon selection. If you don't see what you're looking for, ask. Sometimes bottles are blocked from view or stashed in strange places behind the counter. They have ryes, sour mash, corn, barrel-proof, California distillates in great quantity. Go to the bar at T-Rex, try out some things from the Corinthian Leather-bound whiskey book and when you finds something that tickles your fancy, you can be sure to find it at Ledgers. It is highly unlikely that I'll every go to Bevmo again. read more

This is where you go for the best selection of beverages. They carry a lot of bottles that are hard to source. They know their product and are a wealth of information. Find that hard to find bottle here. read more

This is the strangest 5 star review I've ever written. Ledger's is perhaps even grimier than the typical Berkeley liquor store, but its beer selection is by far the best in Berkeley (Ledger's easily beats, say, BevMo). The liquor selection also seems quite good, but I'll stick to talking about what I know. Somehow, Ledger's regularly receives shipments of Belgian beers that other, much cleaner establishments have no end of trouble getting. Ledger's is fairly dirty and sketchy, and many of the customers are even dirtier and sketchier. I think dealing with such people has made the proprietor unusually suspicious and gruff. Though I've been coming by twice a month for a while, he was never in the least friendly to me until I apparently caught his attention last time by buying a bunch of bottles of sour beer (Rodenbach Grand Cru makes me deeply happy). Maybe next time I go he won't inspect my very legitimate ID like he's a security expert looking at an obvious forgery. Yes, Ledger's Liquors, I am willing to overlook your multitude of shortcomings because you regularly provide me with excellent beer which isn't available anywhere else I know of in the Bay Area. read more

LEGIT beer selection including never before seen bottles from Austin, TX and a handful of breweries in MIchigan. It rivals that of Beer Revolution and if you look hard enough, you may even come across rare finds like Stone's 2012 Imperial Russian Stout =D read more

I hate to even review this place because I don't want you people buying up all my Coruba and Whiskey bitters. Hours are wonky for modern day, but completely traditional (No alcohol on "The Lord's Day" - whatev...). You know a liquor store is the shit when out-of-town guests ask that it be on the site-seeing tour while they're visiting. read more

A super variety of adult beverages! Not quite the big green store but definitely has a large selection of beers and ales. The liquor section has a few standout but I would say this store is 40% beer, 30% wine and 30% liquor. There's also a few bar accessories. However, I don't come here often because the prices are usually higher than anywhere else. I've noticed $5 to $10 higher than most places. Parking is easy in their lot read more

I've known Ed and Susan for many years...and they're quality peeps and they'll go out of their way for you. I've ordered alcohol from them on numerous occasions- wine and sake for my wedding, liquor for christmas gifts, and most recently for my parent's 50th anniversary party. I give them a theme and the style to work with, and they find unique, amazing, deee-licious finds that you won't find and your local grocery store. Ed's always there with a great attitude and a joke to share and that's part of the charm. So don't be shy. read more

Great selection. Knowledgable staff. Free parking! These guys know they're booze. Can be a little intimidating with all the selections and smart staff, but they're there to help. read more

There is a cashier that seems friendly with the regulars, but is relatively unapproachable to us less frequent customers. I think it was the owner who helped me pick out what I needed and explained the use and the popularity of individual items with local bartenders. They have such a large selection that I very much appreciated the assistance. I definitely prefer frequenting local businesses like this. However, it would be nice if the cashier smiled at customers once and a while. read more

In the words of Dave Chappelle as Samuel Jackson: IT'LL GET YOU DRUNK! read more

Ledger's is THE place to go for beer geeks in the East Bay. It's rivaled in selection in the whole Bay Area only by City Beer, and even then I'm not sure. If you are looking for it and they distribute to California, they probably have it. If they don't distribute to California, they might have it anyway because Ed makes special trips just to get some great and special beers. Take the time to get to know then and you'll realize what great and friendly service you get there. Get to know them well enough and they're hook you up with specials from the back room. They appreciate beer so much that they have a nice collection of aged and vintage ales that they put out occasionally. Looking to do a vertical tasting on Sierra Nevada Bigfoot? Check there and you'll probably be able to come away with at least two years worth. I can't recommend this place more. Funny story, one time I was there and this homeless guy came in to buy some gin. When told the price he couldn't believe it and started yelling. I thought that we were going to have a situation on our hands, but it turns out that he couldn't believe how cheap it was and went back to get another, haha. read more