The new bottle shop has a great feeling as soon as you walk in and always you will be greeted and have the assistance of their welcoming staff .... read more

Awesome local beer selection and super friendly owners/staff. Always great New England IPA recommendations too

Best selection of spirits and beer in New Haven. Between the New Bottle Shop and its sister store, OddBins Bottle Shop on Whitney (which really shines in terms of wine and vintage port), I've never wanted for access to--or knowledge about--good wine, beer, or liquor in New Haven. The proprietors here are extremely knowledgeable, and whereas they may not be as immediately outgoing as their competitors at Wine Thief (as some other reviews have alluded to), they really treat their regulars well. For instance, they'll get a few bottles each year of some of the rarer, more sought-after bourbons, and instead of selling them online or advertising them to out-of-town buyers (which surely be exponentially more profitable), the guys at New Bottle Shop will set them aside to sell only to customers who they actually know, and only minimally marked up. (I know they have a similar policy for limited edition craft beers, as well.) They'll also go way out of their way to help neighborhood customers to track down any rare bottle they don't already have in stock. It's incredibly kind and helpful of them, and really adds to the neighborhood feel of the place. Can't recommend highly enough. read more

The beer selection is still good. And is a nice, brightly lit place, but the price gouging seems to have gotten worse. They don't have price labels on a lot of their products, and if you assumed that you would be charged the 'going rate' for what ever drink you select, prepare for an additional mark-up. Latest example: Berkshire Brewing Company's Growler 64-ounce beer jug. Awesome beer! It is usually $8 or $9 elsewhere, and takes a $1.50 deposit for the big jug. At Wine Thief on Whitney = $10.50 including deposit, and they have three varieties. At Bottle Shop? Over $14 bucks, and two varieties. Nice surprise at the register. So, my revised review is 2 stars. "Meh, I've experienced better"---which is a shame since this is the closest shop to my apartment. Oh well. read more

Yay Beer! Bottle Shop has the 'healthiest' beer selection this side of Amity. While most shops point to Sam Adams when you ask for craft brews, these guys have done it right. It's nice to have a shop "in the neighborhood" with this many choices. Prices on the beer run pretty standard with the rest of CT. They have all the usual suspects when it comes to liquor, but don't get too into the unique stuff. Their wine selection is decent. The majority of the wines stay in the $10-15 range, which seems to mesh perfectly with the neighborhood. Aussie Critter Wines and California Mass Producers can also be had -- but check out some of the smaller producers whose stock rotates in the center of the store. While friendly, the staff could be more knowledgeable, which is a big pet peeve for me, so do your own research before entering. While there *is* a parking lot, per se, it's not easily navigated, with room for only 2-3 cars and only one spot to get up the curb. read more

The New Bottle Shop is solid. The variety is good, and there are friendly people to help you out. I wish the store had a bit more character, though. For example, its big rival, Wine Thief, down the street just has a little bit more charm than this one. Prices are comparable, though. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd never go out of my way to go this store, but I'm perfectly happy going here if it's on my way somewhere else. read more

I've been going to the Bottle Shop for over 2 years now and have had a great experience. They have a very good selection of beer, especially for a neighborhood store. The liquor selection is a little more limited, as is wine but it still meets expectations of a small store. While it is a little on the pricey side compared to the large discount liquor stores, they have great service here. Shreyas, the owner, will go out of his way to say hi and help you find whatever you're looking for. If they don't have it in stock, he'll order it for you. If you go often enough, he may even give you some additional discounts. If I would have rated this store when I first went in, it probably would have received only 3-4 stars due to the prices. But the employees and my recurring interactions with them have boosted it up to 5 stars despite the prices. If you want the cheapest liquor you can find, this probably isn't the place for you. If you want good selection and a pleasant experience, go to the Bottle Shop. read more

Fantastic craft brew selection and warm, welcoming staff! I used to live across the street and visited regularly because of the convenience factor. Even though I now live several blocks away, I still come to this location. read more

New Bottle Shop has probably the best chilled selection of craft beer in New Haven. They also are beer enthusiasts who regularly get limited releases all year round from various breweries. On the wine front, they never steer me wrong. Time and time again, I ask for something for pizza, grilled foods, spicy foods, Thanksgiving, give them my price range, and always end up with a great buy. Definitely one of the best wine and beer shops in the area! read more

Nice employees/decent selection but the prices are all better down the street at the Orange St Liquor Shop (where the employees are also nice). read more

The guys at this place are the absolute best. The reviewers below may be right about the limited selection of hard liquor, but if you're just looking for the basics--say, a nice bottle of Andre--then you can't go wrong here. The store itself is clean and spacious, and although admittedly I've had trouble navigating where certain liquor is, the guys at the counter are super nice and helpful locating what you need. read more

I lived almost next-door to this place for a year, and I became quite a fan! The main selling points are their selection (wide range of wine, beer, and liquor) and the friendly people who work there. They have been wonderful. It's not a place to get a lot of specialized information about the alcohol collection, which isn't carefully curated the way it is at the Wine Thief. But this has an upside in that you will almost definitely find what you're looking for, including wine on the cheaper end. I definitely recommend this place! read more

Friendly staff, and they have a nice selection of low to mid price wines as well as the largest selection of micro-brews I have found anywhere in New Haven. Prices can be slightly (5%) higher than some bigger stores, but you save that much in gas and wear and tear on your car at least by shopping in the neighborhood (East Rock). read more

This is a great little place. Best beer/wine/liquor store in New Haven. We are moving to Philly, and will definitely miss this neighborhood shop. High points: * The owner is very nice and helpful without being overbearing * Nice selection of craft beers and wines (not the largest, but a clear cut above the regular, and the picks are well-vetted). Also, they will happily get things special-order if not in stock * Large refrigerated selection * Reasonable prices, especially for craft/premium * Good scotch and bourbon collection. Again, they will happily get things special-order if not in stock Highly recommended. read more

The nice people at the new bottle shop are always welcoming and willing to accommodate their customers. Always a pleasant experience and definitely the go to place in New Haven whether you're shopping for yourself or someone else. read more

Having lived in New Haven for a couple years and checked out most of the liquor stores within a five mile radius of East Rock, I have to say this place became my go-to. The beer selection is prodigious, from your top shelf double micros down to the cheap party beers, often locally sourced. The wine selection is also great, again featuring bottles for most occasions and budgets. What particularly impressed me was the owners' interest in my taste and willingness to seek out and obtain anything I asked for if it wasn't in stock, without me really pushing for it. This happened twice with a Belgium brown ale and a Washington Chardonnay, and they stuck at for weeks until it was in the store. It wasn't uncommon for them to point out deals or engage in conversation. Their desire to cultivate a loyal community clientele is genuine without being too in your face. If I still lived in town, I'd be going there still. read more

This place is hands down the best beer destination in New Haven. They have probably twice the selection of the next closest competitor, they maintain a good rotation, and the dude that runs it is INCREDIBLY knowledgeable. After coming in a few times, I had a couple chats with the proprietor, and he proceeded to special-order me beers that I was looking for, and hold things for me behind the counter that he thought I'd like. Unlike certain other stores in the area, wherein the service people are more interested in flaunting their pseudo-GRE vocabulary skills by providing asinine descriptions of beer choices using esoteric brewing jargon, the people that work at New Bottle Shop can tell you how a beer will taste accurately and usefully, and provide you with one or several options based on a description of what you're looking for. Seriously, this place and these dudes are the best. You will not be disappointed. read more

I write this admitting that I know practically nothing about wine or beer, but also as someone who spends significant amounts of money on alcohol. The Bottle Shop used to be a fairly scungy place that I didn't make a point of avoiding, but also didn't make a point of going to. As of two weeks ago, that has changed. I found myself in there because I had to snag a couple of bottles of wine on my way to a dinner party (last minute kind of thing) and I was really pleasantly surprised by what I found when I went in. The guy behind the counter was totally friendly and helpful, the place looked bright and clean, and the stock was, by my standards anyhow, perfectly good. I am really happy to recommend the Bottle Shop to people now. It's not as aggressively for the connoisseur as other shops in New Haven, but there's a lot to be said for that, to be honest. This place deserves more attention than it gets, and I hope that someone reads this review and decides to go there after ignoring it for years (like me). I think if you go, dear reader, you'll be pleased that you did. read more

Best beer selection within the city limits of New Haven, though I do agree that the hard liquor selection is a little poor and disorganized. The prices won't make you want to fill up a shopping cart with booze but they are competitive with the other corner liquor stores in New Haven. Staff is friendly and seems to have a medium-medium/high competence in wine/beer selection. read more

staff were friendly. assembly of wines was a little confusing for me, but staff were helpful and I found what I was looking for.

This is where i come for my beer. They definitely have the greatest/largest selection around here. Nice place, parking, friendly. Just went under new ownership and they are very interested in doing everything right. If you didn't go before because of the boring selection of wine and beer, you have to check it out now. Really good beer. Make sure you try the Innis and Gun. Amazing. Definitely the place for beer drinkers. read more

My go-to wine/liquor store - friendly and knowledgeable staff, terrific selection, reasonable prices. Even after I moved this summer, I walk pretty far to go here. read more

The Bottle Shop has an excellent selection of beer, probably better than any other comparably sized store in New Haven. Not only do they have all of the microbrew ales, ipas, etc., but they even have an excellent selection of craft and imported lagers and pilsners. While most other liquor stores in New Haven (especially in East Rock) have lager selections that begin and end with Budweiser, Schaeffer and maybe Heineken, the Bottle Shop actually sells good lagers and pilsners, which is fantastic when craving a beer on a hot summer day. They have a good and often interesting selection of wine, and will order wine when asked. The hard liquor section (at least in terms of whiskey) has recently improved greatly. Prices are standard for New Haven. The customer service at the store is excellent, which is generally a difficult thing to say about retail in New Haven. Even if the staff may not know everything about various wines and spirits, if you know what you're looking for (especially with beer), then the Bottle Shop is a great place to go. read more

AWESOME Staff! While walking by with a friend I decided to stop in to pick up a bottle of wine. I had my dog with me and intended to just pop in quickly, leaving my dog with my friend. The associate let me know I was welcome to come in with my dog. So nice to find a dog friendly establishment in the area and they have a great selection of wine too! Definitely check it out. read more

Excellent liquor store with the nicest staff/owners (honestly, THE nicest)! Great recommendations and always eager to assist. Their selections change (in a good way), and they have great prices for the classics. And they always greet my dogs with a smile! read more

Great place for tough to find microbrews and good wine. Owner is super friendly and helpful, always interested in chatting about new and interesting beers. Some time back I stopped in and was lamenting that they were out of my favorite IPA - the owner actually took pity on me and gave me a couple bottles out of his private stash. That alone will keep me coming back. 5 stars. read more

This spirit shop has a fantastic selection of beers, ales, porters, stouts, from the local and excellent New England Brewing Company's Atlantic Amber (!), Elm City and Sea Hag ales, to exotic brews from Africa, Brazil, France - the country ale, magnifique - and many other time zones. There is a great selection of wines in "the sweet spot," $9 - $20, that include standouts like Urban Uco (Argentina, Malbec-Tempranillo) Juan Gill (Spain, Monastrell,) Clos de los 7 (Argentina, Malbec,) and ancient vine Zinfandel and Mourvedres from California. The range of wine is impressive, and the young manager is personable, knowledgeable and most helpful - he will match you with a wine, brew or spirit that will reflect your taste and budget. So it's not a country club inside - the money goes on saving you money and stocking a great selection. Plenty of parking, in front and behind, and the Bottle Shop shares a charming, old-style shopping lot with a great Asian goods-store/restaurant (ask for a Korean Bee-Bim-Bop as takeout, get a brew or a bottle, and head on home for a feast,) and a sandwich shop with specialty fare. read more