Downtown Wines & Spirits

Somerville, United States

3.7

Closed now

21 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 617-625-7777
Website:
www.downtownwineandspirits.com
Address:
225 Elm St, Somerville, MA, 02144
Davis Square
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
270 ftElm St @ Chester St
380 ftElm St @ Russell St
380 ftElm St @ Cutter Ave
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes

Today

Today 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Somerville) 5:22 AM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Description

Specialties

This Fine «Best of Boston» package store was voted Best Liquor Store in Boston for 2011 largely due to the over 1400 different beers and brews in stock. Then again, it could have been the 1000 plus wine selection with a registered Sommelier doing all purchasing then working the wine section with all his passion. Yet still, it may have been the vast selections of Scotch, Whiskey, Rye, Tequila, Rum, Vodka, Gin, etc and a Friendly, Knowledgeable staff poised and ready to assist that tipped the scales. In the heart of Davis Square just 1 block from the Red Line and plenty of Free Parking. Tastings a plenty and the absolute Best BEER Cellar anywhere. Come see our wares and let us pander to your Party side.

We deliver wine, beer, liquor, wine coolers, bottle conditioned beer, non alcoholic beer, imported canned beer, large format beer as big as 9 Litres to all areas of MA. Our state of the art Refer has earned us honor of Coldest Beer in Town the Cool Bros. Beer tastings daily.

History

Established in 1933.

Downtown has been a licensed Package Store since the repeal of Prohibition obtaining License #4 in 1933. Dewey Parsons is the 7th owner and stepped in in 1986. Since that time, Downtown has changed it’s business model to be one of selection. Currently offering over 1400 different varieties of brews and of that number, over 300 are cellar aged. The Wine section boasts over 1000 varieties and each variety of spirits offers many, many choices. Since embarking on the selection journey, Downtown has been recognized by many Beer Organizations, Beer Industry, local and national publications. Featured in «Beer Wars» the documentary as a cutting edge retailer and recently named «Best of Boston Beer Store» by the Digg in 2011 and «Best Wine and Liquor» by the Phoenix in 2012. Making Wine, Beer and Liquors a passion has been the trademark for all employees of Downtown and their knowledge is evident upon interaction. Our Aged Beer Cellar is awesome, we can talk beer all day long, Bring it

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21 reviews of Downtown Wines & Spirits

No registration required
Place rating: 1
Port Chester, NY
The manager refused to let me buy alcohol on my 21st birthday. I tried to buy a bottle of the wine I drank with my girlfriend on our first date, but the manager wouldn’t let me because my friend couldn’t produce a photo ID (I had taken to Harvard on the T the day before to replace his bank card after he lost his wallet). They closed the store immediately after I left (before 11 o’clock when their sign says they close), and I couldn’t buy the wine for our trip to Canada the next morning. I’m never going back and I would advise anyone reading this to stay away.
Place rating: 2
Medford, MA
The only reason I don’t love this place is they don’t have prices on most of their beers. It’s not uncommon to find yourself checking out with an $ 18 6-​pack. Because the lines are often long (though they move quick) you won’t want to get out of line and choose something else. At the very least I want to know roughly what I am spending. I prefer to go to Pemberton Farms or porter square next to shaws because of this.
Place rating: 5
Rochester, NY
They fit the bill! I was looking for a small batch local gin, and (Greylock) they had it, along with cold tonic water and limes. A one-​stop shop!
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
They’ve got lots of different types of beer and wine from all over. The line was huge during porchfest, but it moved so fast I thought my friend might not get to me in time.
They allow dogs in!
Place rating: 4
Charleston, SC
The staff is friendly and their beer & wine selection is pretty good. There are usually new six-​packs for me to try every time I go.
Place rating: 1
Cambridge, MA
Came in to buy a keg and the dude at the counter was a real jerk. When I asked how many beers were in the half, quarter or sixth kegs he didn’t have an answer and acted like I shouldn’t have asked the question. So I rephrased the inquiry and asked how many gallons were in said barrels. Again, I was treated like I had asked a ridiculous question. After googling it myself to determine which keg I should buy, I made my selection. I then asked if they rented out or sold keg tubs to keep the beer cold on ice. Homie looked at me like I had sprouted horns and said «What do you mean? We keep our beers in the freezer here. They are already cold.» So I tried explaining to him that I wanted to keep the kegs that way and was just looking for a way to keep them on ice. I then said every party with a keg I had ever been to had a keg on a tub of ice. He told me he didn’t know what kind of parties I attended but that a tub of ice to keep your keg cold on a hot day, outside, wasn’t necessary. I left not knowing if Mr. Unhelpful was being purposefully obtuse or if that was just his natural state.
Place rating: 4
Cambridge, MA
Been here a few times. They have a great wine and beer selection, oh and my favorite hard cider. I found my first 4 pack of Downeast Hard Cider here. They have great local brew selection as well as seasonal flavors. A little off the beaten path, but a great spot to find some new beer.
Place rating: 3
Boston, MA
I should update this review because I did not realize that someone from the business sent me a private message through Unilocal trying to help and address my issue even though I no longer had the receipt. Its been 6 months and I just saw that I had the unread message yesterday, but to their credit, they tried to reach out and fix the issue, i just somehow missed it.
Place rating: 5
Somerville, MA
Convenient with a pretty good selection! It’s a little more expensive than other stores, but the location makes up for it. You can always find something here if you look around.
Place rating: 1
Middletown, RI
I walked in to buy a bottle of red wine for my girlfriend. I asked the guy in the store which he prefers because I’m not a wine connoisseur. He then rudely said «there are a lot of wines, I don’t know what your girlfriend drinks.» and walked away. So I picked one pretty much at random, and then grabbed a six pack. While I was in the other part of the store getting my beer, the guy that I asked about the wine was talking to the girl behind the counter and said «sure, like that f***** (homophobic slur) has a girlfriend.» Among other racial slurs about people walking by outside, I couldn’t believe the in store conversation when they thought no one could hear them– especially for an African American to be talking down about other minorities. If I hear this again, I am going to organize a community boycott. Not to mention, they lock the doors before 11.
Place rating: 5
Somerville, MA
Spectacular selection coupled with an awesome staff.
Place rating: 1
Boston, MA
Decent selection but terrible customer service and high prices.
They sell a lot of good beers but be careful because that Maharaja or Sculpin IPA that you want nice and fresh might be a year old.
I have been here a few times out of convenience but wont be going back. At this past year’s «Porchfest» (a Somerville festival where over 150 bands perform on sponsor’s porches, yards, driveways, etc.) we stopped in here to re-​load our beer supply. I went around the backside of the building to sit in the shade and give my pup some water. When my friends who went in to the store came back out with the beer we opened the 30-​pack we had just bought and began loading it into backpacks we were using to transport supplies for the day. Just as we were about to finish, two employees — one whom I presume to be the manager — come out and start swearing at us to «get the #*&% out of there». The dude literally lost it without any provocation. Perhaps he was under the impression that we were going to be hanging out in the parking lot all day and consuming the beers we just bought from them (which clearly wasn’t the case) — but even still, that isn’t the way you should treat your customers.
Kindly ask us to leave and remind us that we cannot drink outside in public in Massachusetts — perfectly reasonable. Jump to conclusions and start screaming and swearing at a group of customers — not the way to handle things. Ironically enough, there were two lawyers and an NYPD officer within the ranks of our small group, not as if that matters, but we were clearly not a bunch of vagrants.
We immediately went on our way and I simply told the gentleman that he would be losing my business, I hope that this review will make others reconsider as well. Ball Square Fine Wines is close by with better prices and superior customer service — plus you might catch a craft beer, wine, or spirit tasting over there!
Place rating: 5
Boston, MA
This is the place to go for craft beer in Somerville/​Cambridge. Beer selection is broken down by country for imports, with a huge selection from Belgium, and a good selection from elsewhere around the world.
American craft takes over much of the rest of the store, with prices at similar levels to others in the area, usually a tiny bit cheaper than Ball Square and Craft Beer Cellar. They also have almost weekly beer tastings, and an insanely knowledgeable staff who is always great with recommendations.
The wine selection is also very good. I don’t drink as much wine, so I can’t really say for sure, but it seems awfully large of a selection to me.
The liquor selection is a bit small, but there is a good variety for the size. The buyers clearly try to have a good selection of craft and local craft spirits available, which can cut into space for some better known brands. This strikes me as a huge positive, but I can understand being frustrated. (Though really, who needs more than one or two choices between plastic handles of liquor?)
The store even makes efforts toward a decent craft cider selection, and specialty alcohols like mead. Though I was sad to see this section shrink a bit lately.
At any rate, you can find pretty much anything you might want here, most of which has both local and national craft available, and a knowledgeable staff to guide you into new booze which fits your tastes. With multiple tastings weekly, and no shame for going in to taste then leaving, this is a great place to have in Davis Sq.
Place rating: 4
New Haven, CT
I call this place Beer Heaven/​Beer Cave-​esque, like back this one store in Hartford County, Connecticut.
Extensive beer collection. I think the prices aren’t so bad either.
Place rating: 5
Boston, MA
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. So many kinds of cider. So many kinds of beer. Wine. Yes. I love you. Marry me.
Place rating: 4
Somerville, MA
+ Wine and beer tastings on a near-​daily basis.
+ Unrivaled beer/​wine location for the immediate area, save for possibly Ball Square Fine Wines.
+ Stellar employers eager to make suggestions and help you find something specific.
+ If you ask nicely, you may be able to tap into their secret back storage room full of rare beers. SHHH.
+ Dat location.
+ Mix and match six packs are a go.
+ Beef jerky by the register.
+ Piano at the front.
+ One time they gave me a free Narragansett tie.
— Pricey.
— Poor liquor stock/​variety.
— Stop complaining, me.
Place rating: 5
Agoura Hills, CA
I found them with Unilocal when I was in search of Stone Vertical Epic 80 808. This is a long story about their Staff and Service.
I had a very odd request– I just wanted to bottle (08÷08÷08 is my anniversary). I was so happy I found a place that still had this beer. I was even more ecstatic that they were so willing to help me get it. However, they couldn’t ship it to CA with the beer. (I wanted the bottle more than the beer) After many calls back and forth– I awaited an email to complete the transaction/​arrangement. Just when I was about to call again and check up again on the bottle– there it was IN THE MAIL!!!
When we end up in MA– WE will come by and buy the crew drinks =)
Super helpful! Great communication! There should be more business like this one!
Place rating: 4
Cambridge, MA
Downtown is the place to go for all your drinkin’ desires in Davis. I typically roll by on Fridays after work to stock up for the weekend, and they always have at least one wine/​beer/​liquor company giving out samples! Their variety is great, especially for beer, as they stock numerous brands, local crafts, and seasonal offerings.
In April they had this mega wine sampling event during which the entire store was transformed into a wine tasting with about 20 different brands doling out mini cupfuls of grapey goodness. They also had some free cheese and crackers to nom on and discounts for buying cases of the wines featured (which you’re obviously going to want to do after downing 30 samples of wine). Daydrinking at it’s finest.
The prices are also pretty reasonable considering the store’s location and size. A staple of our weekend drinking routine is Don Q rum, a handle of which will run you about $ 26. I can do that.
So come on down to Downtown and drink on.
Place rating: 3
Somerville, MA
Downtown Wines & Spirits is a great place to purchase beer — you can grab a cold 6 pack of something interesting on your way to a party or pull one or two bottles from their selection in the back. Their wine offerings are average. However they offer almost no variety in their liquor (Maybe a half dozen scotches?) and all of it is overpriced. Keeping mid-​tier liquors like Hennessy under lock and key feels condescending. The store itself is also drab inside — linoleum floors, wood shelves and metal racks.
Ball Square is guaranteed the better choice for wine & spirits, and cheaper to boot.
Place rating: 5
Cambridge, MA
I cannot tell a lie: This liquor store is awesome and my hair grants me super powers.
The beer selection is a little offensive in that it is almost as bountiful as my hair and I don’t appreciate the competition for 2013 Most Bountiful Bounty in the County. But for real though (this has all be real) they have all kinds of weird brews I haven’t seen elsewhere lining the back shelves, as well as all the to-​be-​expected refrigerated staples (not actually staples. the more you know!) It’s not cheap per se, but I’m cheap enough for the both of us.
The wine selection has gotten some positive attention from folks I know who understand wine. I am not of that persuasion, so I defer to their judgment on this issue. Good wine, good times.
I don’t know about their liquor selection because I ain’t fancy. But I do fancy the beef jerky they’re selling. I have brought a lot of lucky people in this neighborhood a housewarming gift of jerky. Heck, maybe I am fancy after all!
Tl;dr: Cool store, bro.
Place rating: 5
Boston, MA
Beer, beautiful beer!
Quick, think of a beer. Guess what? Downtown Wine & Spirits probably sells it, along with 382 other beers you’ve never heard of before (Werewolf Beer? Really?). Their beer selection is so good that I find myself brushing past wine displays unaware, transfixed by the oasis of shelves of beer at the far end of the store. And guys, I LOVE wine.
True story: We were browsing the cold cases one evening and taking our time to whittle down our choices to what we could carry on the T. An employee rounded the corner, saw us, and freaked out. It turns out the store had been closed for several minutes and we had to skiddoo. But fortunately, the cool dudes at Downtown had no problem ringing up our beer first. I think they didn’t want to break our hearts.