South Birmingham is spoiled at the moment for beer. Cotteridge Wines has been the Best Bottle Shop…read morein England for 4 years running and just down the road you have the second best, Stirchley Wines. You can see why when you walk in to Cotteridge Wines. Two long aisles rammed full of beer, bottles and cans from all over the world. There's apparently more than 1400 beers on site. They also have a taproom at the back of the shop with seating and a patio area for warmer days. I met some friends there before we headed on to Akram's for dinner. I had time for a couple of beers before we had to leave, and I had time to pick up a few more for the road too. In the taproom I tried Brew By Numbers 08|07 Stout Coffee & Milk and Magic Rock Brewing Sour Passion. Both of these beers were great in their own way. The BBNo beer was great for a cold evening. The Magic Rock could easily keep you going for a session sat in a hot beer garden during the summer and I could happily have sat there all night trying the remaining taps but we had to be off for our reservation at Akram's.

What does the word 'Beer' mean to you? If its 6 cans of Becks Vier for a fiver, you probably arent…read moregoing to be particularly plussed about Cotteridge Wines (though they will happily provide such tipples). If on the other hand beer means wierd, rare and wonderful brews from breweries around the world from Double IPAs to Saisons to Chocolate Imperial Stouts, then Cotteridge Wines will be your Nirvana. A choice of 12 cask ales to be taken home in your 'growler' (or sampled on site in their tasting room / speakeasy), a wall of american, belgian and scandinavian beers and a huge selection of british ales make this possibly the best off license in the UK. They stock beers from brewers such as The Kernel, Mikkeller, Evil Twin and Siren Craft, some of which are seriously difficult to track down in the UK. The beer here isn't cheap (limited quantities, import tax/costs, high quality ingredients, but the prices are very reasonable for what you get, they often beat many mail order companies on price, which is an impressive feat for a 'bricks and mortar' shop (they even sell bottles of certain Brewdog beers at lower costs than the brewery themselves!).

Beware of The Champagne Company and The Drinks Emporium, online wine companies that are taking…read morecustomer money but failing to supply goods or provide refunds. Both have done this to me recently.

I'm so glad this place opened - since it has, I've been there three times, and not just to purchase…read morea bottle from their vast array on offer but to tastings as well. Situated on the Aston Road near the A38 you could be forgiven for missing it, but don't! It would be a mistake not to go. There is parking available outside so there's not even a need to walk. You have to buzz for entry, but once inside you'll see why. There's a large selection of wines, champagnes, spirits and beers on offer. The décor is well laid out and there are seats should you feel the need to sit down just to take it all in! There is a huge amount of champagnes to cater for every taste ranging from Moet to Bollinger to Dom Perignon. Right in the back corner is a separate section for the more exclusive bottles - I suggest you go have a look at least. There's the normal range of spirits but there are loads of more distinct and different brands on offer. I managed to get hold of a flavoured bottle of Absolut that nowhere else had in stock. The staff are brilliant - when I went in looking for a bottle of rum for my boyfriend who loves the stuff, they showed me various ones similar to the ones he has already tried (by the way - the recommendation was amazing and my boyfriend loved it). I've been back several times to buy beer, spirits and wine. The prices are reasonable and similar to those you'd get online - I've always managed to find what I've wanted for a great price. As it has more speciality items, I know I'll be back to further sample the range.

Drinks World is a surprisingly well stocked off-license on Harborne High Street that sells a big…read morerange or real ales, foreign beers, luridly coloured liqueurs and Cuban cigars. They also do a large selection of ciders, perrys and cheap to mid range wines. Although if you opt for the latter I wouldn't rely on the advice on the staff who work there - asking for a Rijoja the other day resulted in much confusion, but in the main they are helpful. I also like the minibar sized spirits they do at the till and the range of premixed drinks - gin and ton, vodka and coke etc - haven't seen those for ages.

There's something a bit weird about an off-license on a high street. They tend to be more of a…read more'local' thing, tucked away at the end of your road, rather than next to travel agents and health food stores. These days I suppose there is call for a more specialised booze outlet selling high end goods like whisky or wine (and for specialised you can also read expensive, of course) so it's a further surprise that Drinks World keeps going as it is pretty much just a standard outlet selling a bit of everything intoxicating - much like the old Victoria Wine chain of stores used to do. There's a fair selection of wines and beers on offer here and the prices are ok - neither cheap, nor expensive - and the staff are friendly and willing to help, which is pretty much all you need if you're nipping in for a 4-pack. Fair play to them, then, for making this work when Vic Wines clearly couldn't - they are clearly doing something right.

I love the guys that run this place. They are so knowledgeable, but really friendly too. You don't…read morefeel stupid but not knowing much about wine and asking them questions. The shop is situated only a few minutes walk from the City Centre and worth the walk I think. They often have offers on their end of bin ranges, so you can get some really bargain on your favourites, or pick up a decent bottle for a present. -they sell gift tags and wine bags too which is helpful. It is also worth checking out some of the events they hold in the shop. I went to the Burns night special a few years ago, which was sold out and had a brilliant time. I think they regularly do cheese and wine nights, though I've not been yet!

Connolly's has just been refurbished with a fresh new look and thus has earned itself an extra…read morestar... I have always loved Connolly's for it's ridiculous wine selection, great range of interesting spirits and helpful and informative staff; but the new layout, lick of paint and increased selection is just the cherry on the top. Connolly's is situated on Livery Street, over the Queensway from the Colmore Business District. It's quite easy to find (being a few minutes away from the entrance to the St Paul's tram stop), but it might be the kind of place that you have walked on by a few times without checking out the treasures within. Having bumped into Ed at Brewsmiths, I knew the refurb was underway. I had heard they were having a relaunch event from Mary Griffin - but hadn't had time to have a peruse. Yesterday (before an appointment), I had a few minutes to kill and was practically next door. I thought it would be worth a look to see if their new beer selection was as good as Ed has expressed to me when I had seen him... I can confirm the refit has made the business pretty much perfect. They haven't lost the "cave of wonders" feel of having crates of wine scattered around the place, but have extended the amount of storage and space significantly. You've now got a selection of spirits and bubbly to the left hand side (as you walk in), wine EVERYWHERE and a good selection of beers at the back of the store. I popped in and had a quick chat about the new additions to the line up before heading to the back to nose at the beer selection (as I was in the market for a couple of craft beers for "Yelp's Big Night In"). A good selection of both local and further reaching breweries are represented and the beer seems to be priced very reasonably. I picked up a bottle of Bellerose (a local one clocking in at 6.5 - described to me as a very interesting one by Ed), Brewdog "Hardcore IPA" (Which was a total BARGAIN), Sacre Blue "Quaker Cowboy" (mint, lime and coconut porter - can't wait to give this a go), Birds "Apocalypse" (from Bromsgrove - another local one) and a bottle of 3 Tigers "Curry Head" (a brand new one to me) for the princely sum of £11.63. Being a bit of a craft beer fan and having gotten used to paying £3+ a bottle for really interesting stuff, I thought this was more than fair. Obviously, I can't write about the ales yet - but I can commend Connolly's on the refurb and the wider selection. I would still always pop in here for guidance on wine (especially when looking for presents), but I now know I can get my Ale fix here too. I thoroughly recommend a trip to Connolly's to have a nose... I can't recommend your wallet will thank you though!

Whether you're looking for the best of the New World, classics from France and Italy, great wines…read moreto pour by the glass or a selection of Fine Wine, Red & White have got it all covered. They also stock an exclusive award winning spirits range where the quality of the product is key. Independent wine supplier whose success is based not only on their stand-out wine and spirits range, but the way they work with customers to ensure greater understanding of wine. They're not just a wine supplier, they want to be your wine partner. Together they aim to help customers enjoy each bottle with the right foods. A visit here is so much better than the supermarket/

I try to support local businesses instead of the supermarkets, and whilst some of the wines may be…read morenot as cheap the staff will always try and recommend a good wine reasonably priced whatever your budget. I have moved home to the south of England, and get my husband when'd in the Midlands to pop in to the shop when we need to restock Highly recommend

I first visited Stirchley Wines when a friend of mine had moved to the area and, having been told…read moregreat things about it, insisted we went to grab some alcohol from here for a night in catching up. I wasn't disappointed. Being a craft beer fan this place is an Aladdin's cave, with bottles from all over the world, in different styles, strengths and flavours. I've been with friends who love beer and those that aren't so keen but everyone managed to find something they like. I live above a BrewDog in the city centre and Stirchley Wines had more variety of BrewDog beers in stock that the bar itself!? I managed to grab the infamous My Name is Vladimir protest beer released to coincide with the Winter Olympics in Sochi. They of course have beers from all the big craft beer breweries as well as some of the smaller lesser known ones. They even have a few beers on tap and the guys there are happy to help if you need some guidance on what beer is best for you. It's a great place to pop into before you go to a curry house, as I have done, as a lot of the places nearby are BYOB. Stirchley Wines as the name suggests also sells a lot of wines and a great variety of spirits that you most likely wouldn't find elsewhere or in very small amounts, so I encourage you to take that trip south of Birmingham into it's suburbs or if you're in the area be sure to pop in, you won't regret it.

How do you turn a boring high street off-licence into something special? For the answer to that…read morequestion you should visit Stirchley Wines....and you don't even have to go there to do that. The beauty of Stirchley Wines is that they will tell you about their interesting new stock on Twitter! They'll post photos and reviews of new wines and beers online and, what's more, they are witty and informative with it. Follow @stirchleywines to find out more. Not only are they the world's first social media savvy off-licence, and not only do they have a really, really, really good and varied selection of beers that you wouldn't find elsewhere - think of it like an independent record shop for booze - but they have also recently teamed up with acclaimed local bakers Loaf to produce a different Beer Bread each week. A message is posted on Twitter when the bread arrives...but you need to be quick. Alongside all the usual other stuff that you'd expect (tobacco, snacks, soft drinks, mixers) there is also a really good whisky selection. Prices aren't the cheapest on some brands, but the selection more than makes up for that. The main reason for supporting this place, though, is that they are keen to support other local businesses in the area, and that's what makes a community. So, next time you want a 4-pack, or a bottle of wine, don't bother with the supermarket - head down here and so what they might have for you. Alternatively, tweet them and ask.

Open from 10am-10pm every single day and offering an impressive selection of lagers, ciders and…read morespirits from across the globe, this handy local off-licence is a great place to stop by whenever you need to stock up on booze. The store's range is remarkably extensive considering its limited size and space and loads of great offers are available (Strongbow, Tyskie and Carling cans are all on offer for either 4 for £3.99, or 8 for £6.50!) The store's main pitfall is its cleanliness, but there's also a big problem with its layout. The floor inside is filthy, wine bottles are caked in layers of dust and it's difficult to browse the store comfortably when any more than 3 customers are present, as shelving is limited and cans of beer are haphazardly stacked in awkward piles in the middle of the room.

Offering a good selection of beers, wines and spirits and benefitting from friendly service and…read moreplenty of attractive deals, this small local off-license is a great place to stop by whenever you need to stock up on beers. Off-road car parking is available outside, the floors inside are absolutely spotless and everything is neatly and logically organised on clean shelves. On my visit, I paid just £12.99 for a large bottle of Smirnoff Vodka and was very tempted to purchase more due to the array of great deals! 3 Bottles of Blossom Hill wine can be bought for just £11.99 and many crates of lager are on attractive bulk buy offers. Stock may be limited due to the size of the place, but the staff here are welcoming and friendly, the set-up is great and the shopping atmosphere is very pleasant.

If you think you get a great deal on booze at the supermarket have you considered trying a place…read morelike this. Well, just when I thought my tipple couldn't get any cheaper than my local Tescos I came across this place. A bottle of Smirnoff Vodka, supermarket price = £11.00 Drinks Direct £10.50. That's just one example of my saving on this visit. Okay, the range of wines on offer aren't as extensive as the large supermarkets but a lot of savings can be made if you're prepared to lower your standards from time to time!