Somerville Wine and Spirits

OBJECTIVELY: I don’t think you should go to this place unless you’re in a pinch. 12-​packs of beer are routinely $ 15 – 16 or more and 6-​packs are routinely $ 9. True, they do have a decent selection of craft beers, but why not just save your money and go to Kappy’s where the selection is even better? My main point is that you shouldn’t do your regular shopping here solely based on prices.
SUBJECTIVELY: I strongly dislike the guy in charge and he wronged me. Let me tell you a story:
I live close to this place on Highland Ave. Soon after moving in, I realized that getting packages delivered was going to be nightmare. Not a single delivery service would leave a package in front of my building because it’s not safe. Thus, I get one of those nice slips telling me when they tried to deliver.
So, I talk to AJ, the tall Indian guy who’s always there. I ask him if he’ll sign packages for me so that I don’t have to drive to the UPS store. He agrees. We do this for 9 months. I get a package, track it to see when delivered, then go to right after work to pick it up. Truthfully, I was getting a lot of packages. Some months, I’d get 4 – 7 of them. However, I didn’t let them sit there in his store– I always picked them up right away. One day, I go to get a package from him and he tells me he can’t sign packages for me any more. I’m frustrated, but okay, I’ll figure it out.
A couple weeks later, i got in to pick up a six pack. AJ looks at me as I’m checking out and says
«You know why I don’t accept your packages any more?»
«Why?»
“You bought beer from someone else. You should only buy beer from me.”
«Wait, so you stopped signing for my packages because I bought beer from someone else?»
nods his head.
I was still trying to wrap my head around this. I walked out with my six pack super angry. I don’t drink a lot, but during that 9-​month period I would make sure I bought from AJ because he was signing packages for me. I went to my credit card statements, searched for «Somerville wine and spirits» and pulled up all the times I had shopped there. It turned out I was spending $ 20 – 30 per month (enough for 1 – 2 12 packs). I had shopped at other’ liquor stores 2 times in 9 months. Once while in Maine and once when taking a 12 pack to friend’s house. It turns out though that AJ saw me carrying the remainder of a 12-​pack from my car to the apartment and must’ve gotten jealous.
I decided to confront him. I walked into the store, showed him my credit card statement, showed him the total I’d spent in 9 months, and pointed out the times I’d shopped at other liquor stores. He told me I should always be shopping at his store, no exceptions. Okayyy, I thought. But I ask him, «how much do you think I should be spending in your store each month in order for you to continue signing my packages?»
«$ 100 each month.»
«AJ, I don’t drink that much alcohol, how am I supposed to spend $ 100 per month here?»
«We have a guy who comes in here every day to buy a soda.»
I laugh. Okay, we’re done. Never shopping here again.
Look I understand, it can be annoying to find space in his liquor store for my package and everyone else’s, but how petty is it to tell me that I can’t shop at any other liquor store?
SUMMARY: Get alcohol here if you must, but just know AJ’s a scumbag, you’re paying way too much for whatever you’re buying, and you’re supporting the whole operation.

This place is fairly competent, though their beer selection is minimal. I stopped by before heading to a friend’s house for dinner and 80’s Night movies, not intentionally, but just because it was on the way.
Those wrought iron bars around the door? SO INVITING.
On the other hand, I can understand the desire to reinforce the idea that security systems alone are not enough. This place is SRS BIZNIS.
The guy behind the counter was very surly, so I ignored his speculative stares while I perused the alcohol cabinet. There isn’t much to choose from; it’s a shallow fridge with a single depth of 6-​packs, but I got lucky in the vanilla porter and got out of there for less than $ 15. Their liquor selection is lacking, but it’s also a small joint, so I forgive them that.
Overall if I knew another place in the area and was here on a regular basis, I would find somewhere else. As a layover between my regular liquor joint and a friend’s place, though, I would stop here again if they were on the way.

Funniest liquor store outing in a while means 4 stars for this place.
We were dressed up as Michelle Obama, Big Bird, and Binders full of Women when we came in here to grab some beer on our way to a halloween party and AJ, the best cashier ever, could not stop talking about how much he promised that Obama would win the election and how much Indians as a whole love Obama, etc. He said we could come back and celebrate with him in the store when he wins, so AJ be prepared come Nov 7^th! We will be there!
But this small liquor store has pretty good prices and it is good to know about since there aren’t many others right in that general area. $ 6.99 for a six pack of Long Trail is pretty darn good! And then if you want to be even classier, a twelve pack of coors light for a little more than that! ha ha Thanks Somerville Wine and Spirits for making our Halloween night even more entertaining. OBAMANOS! ha ha

This is a typical, around the corner liquor store you go to if you really need something the last minute. Super over-​priced. The guy here, AJ, seemed like a nice guy at first until I was talking to my neighbors around when I moved in. A girl who lived in the building right above the store said that he’d always been really creepy and overly friendly with her until he gave her a «friendly» hug and LICKED her neck. She got really freaked out and stopped going. This really freaked me out and I always only went when my bf was over at my place. Then the other day, I heard some bickering from the store when I went into get a ginger ale. He was yelling at this guy who seemed to be a regular and they were fighting about how the guy wasn’t spending enough money at the store (??I was really confused but waited behind so I can pay and go). AJ was yelling at the guy that he has this «policy» that if he sees anybody from the neighborhood buying beer from somewhere else, he’d not accept them at the store (um, is this even legal? Isn’t it none of his business where people buy things? I mean, his 12 packs are like at least $ 15). The guy seemed really confused as I was and left the store. When I went up to ring up my ginger ale, he took my money and winked at me, and I hurriedly ran away… I will probably never return to the store and just walk another block to the convenience store.
Girls, be careful! And guys, make sure you spend «enough» money if you want customer service, apparently.

Selection is mediocre and the staff are surly and unresponsive, got a question? Forget it, you are not likely to be talked to unless it is to tell you how much your purchase is.
Customer service is not the goal here. Taking your money without involving themselves in the product is!
Go to Davis for a better store, go to Union for a better store.

If you bravely decide to venture past the somewhat sketchy exterior you will find a surprisingly large selection of beer and wine here. Given that it’s a neighborhood liquor store. They even carry several different ciders, which is important given my rather unlucky hops allergy.
That; and the super convenient location smack in between my place and my BFF’s apartment should rate them a highly respectable four stars; despite the somewhat higher neighborhood store prices.
I stopped in the other day to pick up a bottle of my favorite Moscato. Grabbed the bottle from the shelf and headed to the register.
«No, no» says the cashier/​proprietor/​owner as he shakes his head at me. «Go look in the refrigerator. I keep some bottles in there for you now.»
Sure enough, on the bottom shelf of the one small wine refrigerator there are four neatly stacked bottles. Perfectly chilled. Just waiting to come home with me.
Score for me. And score for them too — fifth star earned.

I still like the old Budweiser sign, but this place has a ‘new’ owner and a new layout. Now a set of South Asian dudes are in charge and there is a better wine selection!
They have all the beers and standard liquors you need, of course. Plus they put the goods in these opaque black plastic bags so that innocent passerbys won’t suspect that you are packing hooch on your walk home.
These new dudes flirt with you if you are a woman and buying alone, but if you bring a man, they will act like you dont exist and keep their eyes glued to the TV through the whole cash transaction. So that’s interesting.

Not a bad selection for a small liquor store in a residential area. They are a little overpriced though (downtown wine and spirits is bigger with lower prices).

Apparently this place used to be cool, and apparently there is new ownership now.
I tried to get a 6 pack of ‘Ganset cans for nostalgic purposes while watching the URI basketball game.
6.99 … yes 6.99 for 6 cheap ass beers. I understand that these are becoming more popular because of all the hipsters in the area looking for an alternative to PBR, but this is a crappy beer that should be about half of that price.
This is the only time that I ever brought something to the register and then left without buying it after seeing the price. Out of principal I would not pay 6.99 for a freaking 6 pack of Narragansett Lager.
I went down the street to downtown and got the same thing for $ 5.20.
I will not be going back here again.

They deliver — worth it in my book. Plus they’re close. Overpriced but the staff is friendly and helpful.

This liquor store was the bomb (due in large to it’s proximity to my couch), then out of nowhere it closed the hell down.
This place was really low-​key. The owner was always just hangin out watching TV, super nice guy. I base liquor store owners niceness on whether or not they card me, and these guys never carded me.
Anyway little wine and spirits shop I hope you open again cause now i have to walk an extra half a block and pay way more at the other packy… I miss you, come home.

Honest dudes (Don Sr and Jr) and a great beer selection. The go to spot if your in the neighborhood
New owners as of May 1^st… it seems they sold it so I’ll see how the new owners are. Hopefully they will keep it as well stocked as the last owners did
Update… as of 7÷17÷09
this location will no longer be a liquor store
2/11/10…Open again as a packy store. Much bigger now.

I’ve been known to stumble in here from time to time to scrounge for a growler of beer or pick up a bottle of «special» cheap wine. Special = cheap, so I guess I’m just being redundant.
I like this place. It’s neighborhoody, ya know? Small and to the point., with a selection better than its size might suggest. I like that it’s a liquor store filled with liquor. And I mean liquor loosely, to encompass brews and spirits too. No distractions, just show me the good stuff. This is a place I can get down with. Beer = yay.

Hey this place!!! I used to live across the street in a 3 family that the third floor had a bunch of young illegal Irish kids crashing that worked for the landlord. Ya this place was really convenient and they had beamish stout which is hard to come by, horrible snack selection but the little asian market next door with the bars solved that problem.

Don’t let the giant Bud sign or the crappy-​looking store front fool you. This is one of the best liquor stores around!
It’s our local liquor spot. We hit it up often, mostly for beers, which they have a great selection! Combine that with it being walking distance to the BF’s place, great prices and a really nice staff, and you’ve got the ideal liquor store.

From Schlitz tallboys to Mistress Vivika’s 35 Hops and a Riding Crop IPA, and the Busch that the sign outside suggests, this little place has more beer than you’d expect. Hit them up when Downtown Liquors overwhelms you and you’re just standing in their back aisle behind a puddle of your own confused drool.

yup. a liquor store across the street.
–damn good selection of both wine and beer.
–cheapies for my ridiculous mixed drinks for backyard bbq’s.
–mixers!
love it.
thank you for being across the street.

This is where you should buy booze. They usually have some good beer selection, and some good booze selection, and some really good wines, and they’ll order anything you want… and they’ll get it in by wed/​tues.
And thier cheap/​special wines, are really rather tasty, for the money, and well, the location is right, and the selection is great, and the prices are a-​ok, and they carry Schlitz. its behind the counter, so you’d never know it was there if you didn’t ask.

Tonight, while I waited for my take-​out from Lemon Thai, I decided to check out yet another Somerville liquor store. As I walked towards this store, I wasn’t expecting much and expected even less when I walked in. The door is dwarfed by an enormous Budweiser sign and the big dirty plastic Santa greets you inside.
But, damn, was I wrong. This liquor store has the best beer selection around. Four window cases full of delicious beer. They have everything I like from Gritty’s to Offshore Ale to Maudite to Rogue and on and on and on. A good selection of 20oz Belgians and every winter variety you could imagine. Sure, it’s no Downtown Wine and Spirits, but it’s a close second for Somerville.
As usual, I can’t speak for the liquor. But I will say, there was no overwhelming Budweiser presence! Hooray!