I cannot say enough good things about this liquor store and its staff. I have lived across the street from Modern Liquors for a year and it always is a fun experience to stop in the store. The owner, Jeff, is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and will always do his best to get you what you're looking for even if it involves disappearing into the mysterious stockroom and the sounds of many boxes being lifted and shifted. For the size of the store I find their wine and beer selection to be impressive, and they have all the standards when it comes to liquor along with a few creative surprises. However the best part of the store is all the extras. For example he carries a wide range of cocktail mixers and little things like muddling sticks (which I couldn't even find at Bed, Bath, & Beyond). He also often has good cheese and crackers for when you are in a friends coming over and no appetizers in your apartment kind of jam. As mentioned in the other reviews the wine tastings are phenomenal. It's a great way to meet your neighbors and try some good wine and there is no arm-twisting by Jeff to make sure you buy a bottle of what you are trying. As of this writing there were wine tastings virtually every Wednesday and beer or liquor tastings most Fridays. One night I actually got to meet a vintner from a vineyard in Spain who then autographed one of the bottles of his fine product for me! read more

Modern Liquors is my favorite little local liquor store. It's small, but they've got pretty good selection and a decent variety of beer. The guy that runs the place is really helpful and friendly - a far cry from the crappy store I used to live near in Crystal City. They have a little table setup for tastings on Wednesday and Friday - beer one night and liquor the other, but I can't remember which night is which. The one night, I walked past the front door on my way to the grocery store. The owner was doing a tasting and must have recognized me when I walked by, because as I passed the window, he was standing there waving a bottle to try to lure me in for a taste. There have been plenty of times that I've just been picking up some beer and he's offered me a sample of whatever tequila he's got handy. It's just a friendly neighborhood liquor shop. read more

Simply walking through this little gem of a store, and you're in for a world of eclectic selection of beers and wines. Be wary, this is not the place to a $5-10 cheap booze for a fancy party...trust me, I tried and failed. That being said, the staff is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and the perfect people you want to help you in times of need. Would definitely check it out again when I'm back in DC. read more

Argumentative and unhelpful staff. I suggest choosing local options for other shops that treat customers respectfully.

Being a visitor, a frequent one, but still a visitor nonetheless, I was attending a conference at the convention center, and couldn't locate a liquor store. Forget the stereotypes, I was staying with friends in SE, and there just wasn't one to be found. Amazing. Finally, I noticed the "neighborhood map" inside the convention center and it listed this place. After walking about 7 minutes in the wrong direction, I reversed, and found it. It's at the corner of 9th and M Street, in a neighborhood called Shaw, directly across the street from the back of the convention center. Outside it doesn't look like much. However, they did have copies of the Washington Blade available, so I knew I was in a cool place. Inside isn't fancy, but plenty of bright lighting, wide aisles, and an assortment of liquors, beers, and wines that you wouldn't expect to see in a 'hood liquor store. I asked for Ciroc vodka, and the owner, Jeff, came out and talked to me and explained why he no longer carried it. He even offered and gave me a SAMPLE of what he was convinced was a better vodka! Wow! He also told me about different vodka and wine tastings that he had coming up, and introduced me to another interesting Vodka (no sample, though, haha!). The woman working up front explained that her husband had owned this place for like 30 years, and had passed recently. She said that Jeff was her son-in-law, and that he was now running it, and doing a fine job. She was very proud of her Italian background and the fact that her late husband was a Black man. I enjoyed talking with her, and appreciated the conversation and history. When I am in DC, I will drive/go out of my way to get my spirits here- hail to and support the small, family owned businesses! One thing I did notice is that Chopin Vodka was $47 a bottle there, and here in Boston, it goes for $36 a bottle. read more

Granted, I haven't visited ML in a while, but it's my neighborhood liquor store and I had to give a shout out to Jeff. This family owned store is great, they offer wine and cheese tastings every Wed, and beer tastings on Fridays, and sometimes they offer up fresh bread from the bakery up across the street. Plus - 10% off the tasting wines. GREAT way to experiment and learn about new wines and flavors. Jeff is always there to recommend a wine for whatever occasion I need. And while some of the wines may seem pricier, there's a wide range, just ask for what you're looking for, and support your neighborhood store! read more

Totally dishonest! Advertise perpetually that they have Heady Topper...they don't!!! Way too expensive! Terrible service!!!

Convenient neighborhood location but very expensive. I can walk to 2-3 other stores near-by and save 50% or more on the same bottle. Won't be back. read more

Modern has been around for a long time in this neighborhood. They are small but have a great selection and the staff is willing to order anything you want providing it is available. They are knowledgeable and for the most part able to make suggestions if needed. read more

Modern Liquors is the very best liquor store in DC. Their beer and wine selection is superb, and they carry rare and vintage whiskies--as well as an impressive selection of all liquor and liqueurs. In addition, their owners and staff are attentive, knowledgeable, and always willing to help you find what you're looking for or make terrific suggestions. And if you can't make it in, they will deliver to you for free using LiquorExpress! Download the app and pay them a visit. read more

Ordered a bottle of Vida mezcal on Drizly last night and received a bottle of Crema de Mezcal instead. One is a ubiquitous, well-reviewed, "staff pick" liquor and the other is a mezcal/agave syrup blend with the thick, sweet profile of a liqueur. When I called about the "mix-up" I was told that I was given the "fancier" bottle because Vida was out of stock. I was also told that the bottle I received is a more desirable "single village" mezcal while the Vida is a blend, when in reality the opposite is true. I wish I'd been consulted, as the two products are verrrrry different and I'm not a fan of the sweet crema de mezcal I received. Was not offered store credit or even a partial refund. I realize it's a crazy time but intentionally swapping one bottle for another *without calling* is not good. Won't be shopping here in the future. read more

These guys are definitely 5 star for their selection and excellent customer service. They know their booze and would love to help you out if you need it. Yes, prices are a tad on the higher side, but it's a small neighborhood liquor store, not a huge warehouse store. They also do keg deliveries, if you happen to be into that kind of thing... read more

You'll notice that most of the bad reviews are from out-of-towners who think this locally-owned DC shop should have cheap prices and be the same as their beer & wine strip mall superstore. This is our neighborhood go-to for wine and occasionally beer & liquor. We've been buying here for at least 4+ years and find the selection, prices and service to be outstanding. They will special order things for us (wine, liquor) if we ask. If you're looking for strip mall prices, look elsewhere. read more

Modern Liquor's is located near the convention center and as such, you'd expect it to pretty much be a huge dive with a bunch of sketchy people mulling about, but Modern Liquors has managed to create a "neighborhood wine and spirits" feel amidst an area where such things just don't exist. The owner is an AU Alum (go eagles!) who focuses on providing a selection of liquor that may not be the largest, but is certainly diverse. They have a lot of wine there, some great beers (including Delirium Tremens and Leinenkugel's - two beers rarely found at most liquor stores) and a good mix of liquors. The people who work here are very friendly and although it's about $2/bottle more expensive than the Liquor store on 11th St, about two blocks west of this, I pay it because I like the management, who frequently has tastings here, and appreciate the extra customer service and absence of sketchiness. read more

I ordered the simple ingredients to my own style of whiskey sour through The Drizly app. The store delivered to my house in NE within the hour! Saves me time in sitting in traffic and parking! The delivery was accurate, polite, and quick. definitely would recommend mind this store! Well worth your dollar. read more

While in DC for a convention, we set off in search of booze. Modern Liquors was just a few blocks from our hotel. For such a small space, I was impressed with the selection and variety. They were serving (generous) samples of tequila the day we stopped by. I bought cranberry vodka and my husband bought some local beer so we didn't have to pay hotel bar prices. read more

I will never go to this place again after being scammed on the price. I had unfortunately been in a rush and didn't realize I'd been charged 170 when price should have been 70. This is definitely a place to avoid! read more

Does it sound bad to say this is my favorite liquor store? Do normal people have favorite liquor stores? It's such a treat when you're used to the ABC stores of Virginia to shop here. The service is so helpful, they stock everything you could possibly need (or want) and it's decently priced. read more

I bought three bottles of wine here and they were reasonably priced and very good wines. When Sharon got to DC on Thursday I stopped back in for a small bottle of Vodka and found one from Telluride CO! Woo Hoo! She liked it, and we have a new favorite, Telluride Vodka, which we now know can be had at Applejack Liquors in Denver. The counter help checking out was really friendly, the prices were fair, up to very expensive for some really good wines. I liked the place, instantly and would shop there again if I were living in the hood, or staying at the hotels near the Convention Center. read more

I love this place. I'm here probably far more often than I should admit, and I've never had a bad experience. Now, granted, I don't really browse around and pick through the wines (though they seem to have a nice selection). I'm here to get my vodka and go -- but that's never stopped them from being extremely nice and helpful. Like others have mentioned, the owner is incredibly friendly and he always takes the time to say hi and do small talk. Liquor prices are decent. I definitely recommend it! read more

Good selection and prices, no-frills armosphere. Is the staff knowledgeable? I don't really know. But if you know what you want to drink and don't want to pay too much, this is your place. Great mix of high-end whisk(e)ys at very reasonable prices. read more

Great selection...was able to get ahold of some beer and whiskey here that I've not found anywhere else. What a fantastic find on a random weekend in the city (we live in NOVA). We'll definitely be back if we're ever back in the area. read more

This has become my new go-to liquor store. The prices are higher than I feel like they should be, and the store is TINY (I'm not a big person, but I almost took some racks out with my backpack just trying to walk through), but the selection is excellent, the people who work there are super-friendly, and there are free samples. Yay! read more

I had a groupon for $15 and chose a bottle of Sherry costing $12.99 and the sales clerk made me pay an additional $2.59 cash to cover the DC sales tax (which my husband pointed out to me that even if he based my sales tax on $15 purchase, it's over 17%). He then told me to take 2 bottles of sherry at $12.99/ea, so I would not loose on the $15 value of the Groupon. He then charged me an additional $10.99. So, that means that he now charged me 10% DC sales tax. I am not sure what DC sales tax is but according to this site: http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/25395.html it's 6%. I asked for a receipt to see how he calculated to this amount, and he handed me my $10.99 credit card charge receipt which doesn't explain anything. Just want to warn everybody shopping here to inquire about what % sales tax they are charging you and ask for the detailed receipt so they can check the cashier's math. I am just not happy with my purchase b/c not only I think he overcharged me, the Sherry he recommended to me wasn't even good ... and now I ended up with 2 botlles. read more

This is, by far, my favorite liquor store in DC. The staff is super nice, and they know their booze. I'm always amazed at their stock of wines, which varies wildly by price, region, chateau, etc etc. They've also got a primo liquor selection. The only thing I wish they did have are smaller bottles of liquor. I went to purchase booze for my small housewarming fete, and now I've got a cabinet full of unnecessarily gianormous bottles. Not that I'm complaining... read more

Good selection for the size. The prices are okay, but I've definitely seen better. The free tastings are great. My dog loves the jerky treats. My only complaint is one of the guys who works there...most of them are really great, but the one guy is pushy, doesn't leave you alone to browse and actually had the audacity to argue with me at length about whether I had seen a particular item at another liquor store in town. Rude, rude, rude. However, given the other neighborhood options (passing your money through bulletproof glass on 11th street or gagging on the small of rotten fish at the shadiest Giant grocery store I have ever seen at 9th and O), this place is much classier and a much more pleasant shopping experience. read more

This is the friendliest liquor store around. I used to live a couple houses down, and the first time I went in I was offered goat cheese. If anyone can show me another store that combines bars on the windows, various security apparatus, and free samples of goat cheese, well I've not seen it yet. Jeff, the owner, knows everyone in the neighborhood. Although I was not a frequent customer, he would always say hello on the street. It's rare and pleasant to have an interaction with a shop owner outside of the store itself, and he's even better when it comes to recommending wine or liquor for a party. I think the prices at the liquor store on 11th are marginally better, ($1-$2 a bottle or so,) but they're not hosting wine and cheese tastings nor are they much with the customer service. Modern Liquors is a part of the community, has been for 40 years, and it's worth spending your booze bucks there to keep this neighborhood icon in business. read more

First off - it's at 9th and M, not N streets. Decent shop - very friendly help but a limited selection of liquor and expensive. Easy to park at and ignore that comment someone else on here made about a nice bakery shop close by. The bakery shop had one 1/2 eaten pie in the case and a few cookies. You have to order bread the day before if you want to buy a loaf to take home - what the hell kind of a bakery is that? read more

I prefer to patronize small, independent shops, and I'm willing to spend a bit more to do it. That being said, I went here once and never came back. The selection of wines just wasn't that good. read more

They have an incredible selection of whiskies, the best selection I've seen so far in DC.

Here on business from CA, staying just around the corner from Modern at the Marquis, but had been wandering around for quite a while looking for someplace to buy a bottle of wine. I had been on tourist walkabout for a while and was a bit of a sweaty mess, not to mention that when I left my hotel I hadn't planned on buying anything, so all I had with me was $27.10 in cash and my hotel key card. Finally went on Yelp to find a nearby liquor store and there was Modern! I walked in and was impressed with the selection in such a small store. Then i was greeted by a very nice and patient gentleman who was very happy to help me find a bottle of Pinot Noir, with a screw top, that I could get with my $27.10. Not a tall order...right! Lol! I approached the register and was keeping my fingers crossed that I had enough wilted soggy cash in my pocket to cover my bottle. Total came to $27.54! Oh no!!!! The also very nice other gentleman behind the register looked at me with kind eyes and said with his charming accent, "It's okay, you have enough." I promised to bring the 44 cents back to him but he absolutely refused. Insisting that I had enough and he didn't need any more. Who knew that such kindness existed in the big city? Just goes to show how naive this foreigner (technically from Cali, but compared to the East Coast, very foreign!) is in assuming that big city equals a lack of compassion. If you ever get the chance to stop by this hidden gem of a liquor store, do it, you will not be disappointed....but bring more than $27.10, you're going to want to buy more than one bottle from these amazing guys!!!! read more

Modern Liquors is by far my favorite wine/beer/liquor shop in DC! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. No matter who you are the owner will always remember your name and take the time to say hello. In my opinion this store definitely has the best selection of wine and beer compared to other shops in the DC area. I've recently moved out of the neighborhood but that hasn't stopped me from going. Its 11 blocks away and there are 3 wine shops/1 liquor store en route, but they just don't compare to Modern Liquors! It's worth the walk!! read more

This is the only place to find Cuca Fresca cachaca ( which is the smoothest, sweetest Brazilian rum I've ever had), on top of that, after moving to Milwaukee, they are one of the only places in the country to sell it online! Great selection of wines and beers too! read more

If I could give this place zero stores I would. I am a serious scotch drinker and multiple times I was in the store and was completely ignored in the scotch section. At no other store does this happen. I noticed they were helping the male customers in the store. However, because they had such a good selection, I ended up buying a bottle that I couldn't find anywhere else and spending over $150 a bottle. The person working there assured me that the bottle just happened to not come with the normal scotch round or rectangular protective container. I bought it, literally and figuratively. When I mentioned it to someone else, that person thought it sounded fishy and looked it up online. Sure enough, the next time I was in THAT STORE the same type of scotch bottle had its protective casing. I was so angry. Also, my friend had told the owner about our women's scotch club and he promised her 10% off for us if we shopped there but failed to communicate that to the other people who work there who looked at me like I was nuts and gave me a really rough time. Why do I keep going back here? read more

Great for what they are, which is a small corner liquor store aimed at those who want quality and selection. Not a lot of space, but for their size they pack a good selection and variety of liquors and beers. They are very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful with recommendations or suggestions. They aren't the cheapest corner store, but I'm not going to ding them for it because that is not what they are trying to be. read more

This is my first review for yelp and I wish it wasn't a negative one, I walked into Modern Liquors today at about 2:15pm and was greeted by the rudest individual with the lousiest customer service skills I had ever encountered in my career in hospitality. When I walked in I was not greeted with a smile and a hello, but with indifference. I tried to start a conversation with the gentleman, but he refused to even look me in the eye, or even really acknowledge that I was in the store. Whats more perplexing is that I work as a concierge for the largest hotel in the city which is located a block away. I made sure to tell him who I was and where I work. He still didn't seem to care. I let him know that if I was a customer or guest and I was disrespected that way, I would never return. Again his response was a sarcastic "Have a nice day, man" That is why i am writing this review, It is a warning if you go to ML you will probably treated very poorly. I have refereed many, may people to Modern Liquors but not anymore. It saddens me that after a year of sending literally hundreds of guest through their doors, they could not deliver on basic customer service skills . Do yourself a favor and go to the liquor stores on 11th & M or K & 5th for better service. read more