Clipper Ship Wine & Spirits

Im unsure if he is the owner of the manager on duty. But every time I go I immediately get help by the same guy. He even remembers what’s my favorite bottle and makes sure to grab it before I walk any further. The place is SUPER tiny and it’s not the cleanest but it does the job. They have the basics & most importantly is not overpriced at all. it’s my go to spot since it’s so convenient to me.

Small liquor store, conveniently located next to maverick station. Place is a little cramped, but they have a giant selection to choose from at a reasonable price. As noted in the other reviews, you can’t beat the customer service here. I went in here today looking for Bantam cider. When the guy at the counter asked if I found what I was looking for, I told him they did not have it. He insisted on looking it up and ordering it for me. He then took down my number and said he would call me when the shipment came in. Now thats what I call great customer service!

I really love going to the Clipper Ship :) Yes, it’s cramped — but EVERYONE in there is so friendly that you don’t mind shuffling past others — it is like a life-​sized PacMan game (without the ghosts… only PacMen). We all have the same goal — head through the maze picking up rewards as you go.
I am always smiling by the time I make my way to the counter. And then I smile more, because when they ask you if you found what you wanted, they REALLY MEAN IT. They will go and find it for you. They will make suggestions if you don’t know what you need. They will ask you how your day is going. They will smile back. It is like they are from the midwest…
They give you your stuff in an unmarked black plastic bag that is THICK ENOUGH NOT TO BREAK, even with the 6-​pack corners being all pokey.
As you’ll read in other reviews, they deliver. For free. I haven’t tried the delivery service because it’s only a 5-​min walk, but they keep offering. I think I could actually go in there and pick out a bunch of stuff and they would help me carry it home :). I try to keep it to one 6-​pack at a time. They have such a great selection of microbrews that you’ll want a few 6-​packs, though. If my apartment wasn’t tiny, I probably would have them deliver.
THEY WERE OPEN DURING THE SNOWMAGEDDON. I watched people walking past my window with a few cases, and then I bundled up to go get one myself.
The prices are in line with their size and the excellent service. You just don’t get service like this in other places in the city. Even if you’re in the city proper, it’s worth the T ride to Maverick. Trust me. You will love it, too.

To get it out of the way: yes, it’s tiny. Yes, most items are a dollar or so more expensive than at the nearest larger chain.
Still worth it. It’s convenient to the T, but it’s also a super friendly family-​run shop, and it delivers. I’m from Texas and it’s better for everyone if I don’t try to drive in the snow, trust me. What could be better than a car pulling up and a guy stepping over a giant snowbank to swipe your card and hand over a big bag o’ booze? This is why I live in the city, people!
When I’m there in person the friendliness makes the cramped quarters worthwhile. Even a shut-​in like me feels comfortable and welcome.
I even selfishly ordered some delivery on Superbowl Sunday (not because of the game, but because of the impending snow) and although it took a few tries to get through on the phone, the delivery was there in less than an hour. Love these people.
Clipper Ship is good people.

It seems like this store is in need of an updated review. I’ve lived in the neighborhood for a year and a half, and the place has gotten progressively better in that span. The owners seem to care about putting in the time to have a quality operation instead of just doing the same-​old and sitting back and collecting decent money for a crummy store.
How does it separate itself from any old small liquor store in Boston? First off, the customer service is good. From the people at the register, to the people on the floor, it’s never a bad experience. Secondly, it seems like they are making a concerted effort to be customer-​focused in starting their new delivery service last year. Simply call, place your order, and they’ll be at your place in under a half hour. It blew my mind the first time I ordered: it was a Friday and I was getting ready to head out and hanging out with some friends, and I was crunched for time, so heading to the store was out of the question. I called Clipper Ship, placed my order, and they were there in under 10 minutes.
Price-​wise they’re not going to ever match Kappy’s because they lack the wholesale buying power and inventory space that a chain like Kappy’s has. That said, their prices are very reasonable.
So here is why I really like this place. Given they have a very constrained space, they still have a very good selection. They have all the basics, and a good Latin American selection, but what always amazes me is that with only one section of the cooler dedicated to it, they always have a good blend of microbrews on hand. They always have a full shelf of Lagunitas (and the limited and seasonal releases like Sucks, Daytime, Shutdown, etc.), a few Victory beers, and Dogfish 60 and 90. Today I grabbed a 6 of Jack Abby’s Hoponius Union. They always have a good selection of seasonals from Brooklyn, Sam, Harpoon, and others. This is something I _​never_​see at the other small liquor stores in the city (non-​Back Bay/​South End/​Fenway edition).
A very well-​run operation and convenient to boot. Not a bad combo.

Tiny store but not overpriced.
The windchimes that SMASH into the door upon entry really wakes you up and makes you want a shot of Dr. McGillicuddys.
Basic brands and a convenient location for commuters in Eastie. I always want to buy scratchies and lotto tix when I’m here — something about the place really makes me want to gamble. Four Lokos, screamin in Korean, bull in a china shop.

We’ve all been there. It’s Friday night. You’re having folks over in some capacity, whether it’s eating wings in front of the TV or lounging in your fantastically-​appointed loft listening to Brubeck and discussing the finer points of post-​modern architecture or, let’s face it, lounging around in sweats because it’s freezing out and you don’t feel like going anywhere. You come home from work, walk out of Maverick station, and suddenly realize, oh snap, you’re out of booze, and you don’t feel like making the hike to Kappy’s.
This is why Clipper Ship exists: being that it’s a liquor store located in the heart of Maverick square, it’s a convenient place to purchase alcohol, and that about says it. The beer selection ranges from Nova Schin to Noble Pils (don’t come here expecting to find anything Belgian), while the wines run pretty much from Red Cisco to Yellow Tail — so, basically, most of what you’d need on an average no-​frills evening. The liquor selection goes a bit deeper: you’ve got your standard nips, pints and fifths, along with a couple of boxed bottles of higher-​end cognacs and brandies and such, but honestly, seeing as how most of the business here is done off the less-​flashy items, it’s a lot cheaper to look for fancy booze elsewhere. (Actually, this is mostly true of anything they stock: prices are about 15% higher than they are further up Route 1, but really, this is the price one pays for convenience.)
Overall, yeah, you can’t walk into Clipper Ship expecting to come away with a four-​pack of Trois Pistoles or a magnum of Veuve Clicquot, but honestly? Most of the time the thought of going there crosses my mind, I pretty much just need a sixer of Sam Adams, and isn’t that what a neighborhood liquor store is for?

Ever feel like you’re in the way, no matter which way you turn?
If you are a fan of this feeling, especially when overcome with a sudden indecisiveness when attempting to determine your libation of choice, look no further than the Clipper Ship in Maverick Square.
The selection is standard, the prices punishing you for accepting the convenience of a liquor store directly across the street from the T. Yes, Kappy’s is more varied and better priced, but at least Clipper Ship does not assault your olfactory system upon entering the store. Following my nose to 3 stars.

I was so happy to have a liquor store within a stone’s throw of my apartment, but now I can’t decide which is more irritated: me or my stomach lining after a night of immoderate libations.
First, Clipper Ship is overpriced. Everything is two to three dollars more expensive than it is at Kappy’s, especially beer. I mean really, over ten bucks for a sixer of Sam Adams. Yeah. Okay.
I know Clipper Ship is small – and kind of dirty – but most liquor stores have wine selections other than jugs of Carlo Rossi. I am TOTALLY fine with cheap grapes but they don’t have anything remotely drinkable, just plastic bottle piss-​water and lots of white zinfandel stacked in dusty wooden bins. Nothing you’d want to pair with food, unless that food is cheddar Sun Chips and Funyuns.
And finally. The counter help is a little inane. I don’t have a drivers’ license so I use my passport as ID. I usually flip it open and present the photo ID page without the passport leaving my hand, but the woman grabbed it from me and set it down next to the cash register before charging my card for my (heinously expensive) beer. Then she forgot to hand it back and moved onto the next customer. Whoa there, lady. Needs. Plztoreturn. (I had to ask twice.)
So out of desperation, Clipper Ship, we must get along. Kappy’s is far, and I’m not too keen on making moonshine. But we’re not friends.
Now. Choose your own nautical reference ending:
1) «I’m sorry, Clipper Ship, but you’re just not seafaring well.»
2) «For this reason, Clipper Ship, I will not come sail away with you.»
3) «Poop deck.»

I’ve been living down the street from this shop for over three years now. I’ve patronized it four, maybe five times. The only reason I have been in is because of it’s proximity to my apartment combined with the occasional bout of laziness.
Their selection is terrible, they are overpriced ($ 10 for a Guiness 4-​pack, really?), and no matter what the price advertised may be, I have been charged whatever the cashier has felt like. Every time I notify them of these discrepancies, I am told (very rudely) that what I am being charged is indeed the correct price.
Do not shop here friends, go to Kappy’s in Liberty Plaza. You’ll feel like Randall when he went to Big Choice Video in Clerks.

Everybody has the following situation:
1. There’s the liquor store that’s close to your house, as in you can walk there in a few minutes and carry large quantities of booze back without straining yourself. They stock little in the way of variety, but is run by nice people and has a nip selection that rivals its wine selection.
2. Then there’s the liquor store that’s ginormous. In selection and in general space. They carry everything, from obscure beers to bottles of vodka so big consuming it in one night would result in a sure-​fire trip to the hospital. They may even sell glassware, plasticware, mixers and various other bar accessories. They are the Mecca. And there is no way you can carry anything larger than a bottle of wine back from here. You WILL need a car.
Clipper Ship is a case study in the former. It’s a few blocks away and when we’re lazy and not picky, we can pop in here to grab some Sam, or Stella. But for the wine, booze or basically anything else alcohol related, we’ll head to Kappy’s for selection reasons.