Reliable on-line, internet sources for spirits

Hi all,

From time to time there are items I have trouble sourcing locally. I'm not opposed to ordering on-line but I really don't know where to start.

Recently, I placed an order on-line with a West Coast-based company and after 11 days, the order hasn't shipped and they won't answer my e-mails. I just canceled the order.

If you've got on-lines sources for spirits that you've been happy with, I'd really appreciate you sharing them here.

Thanks,

=R=

I placed my first online wine order last night at http://winelibrary.com.

I've been a fan of Gary Vaynerchuk's wine podcast for a while now and that's how I found out about his business. He seems to be all about customer service so we'll see how well that goes.

I haven't perused their spirits selection but I know they do have one. Could be worth looking into.

Ronnie - I have used a small number on online merchants for both spirits and wine. I'll share a list. The last one is a retail liquor store in NYC that I patronized and left with a very favorable impression about their customer service, which I believe would probably translate to a good online experience. And they have a huge selection of spirits - many bottles that I've never seen before:

WTSO - Wines Til Sold Out http://www.winestilsoldout.com/
The state of the economy has apparently led many high-end wineries to deeply discount their offerings in order to move out current stock to make room for the next vintage. This vendor offers DEEP discounts and free shipping for wines and some of their recent offerings have included lots of 2005 Napa Cabs, Syrah, and Zins at firesale prices. You only have to buy a few bottles (six max) and shipping is free . I placed my first order Monday of this week and the wine is arriving today.

Internet Wines & Spirits http://www.internetwines.com/ This was the place I first bought Bordeaux on futures and I was not disappointed. They beat Sam's Discount Wines by $6 per bottle for the case. They also have a retail store - Randall's Wine & Spirits - but a solid online purveyor. Unfortunately, they're in Illinois so you'll probably have to pay sales tx

Beekman Liquors: http://www.beekmanliquors.com/
On a recent (September 09) trip to Manhattan, I stopped in Beekman's because it was close to our hotel and I had called ahead to confirm they carried a specific champagne I wanted for our anniversary. I ended up feeling like a kid in a candy store in this place. It's an old (I think the salesperson told me they've been there since 1948, and I believe it) small retail wine and liquor store (probably much larger in the back room where most of the stock is located) and I was impressed by their selection of potables - notably spirits. They had a Balvenie 30-yr-old single malt scotch on the wall that I'd never seen before, brandies that I had had heard about but never saw on a shelf, gins that I'd heard of but not seen, and a very fine Bordeaux section. The salesperson was very helpful and told me "we ship." I think they would be worth a shot. I got the impression that they're the real deal.

Hope these help.

Davooda

For anyone wanting to try some West Coast beers without making the trip, I've had good luck with South Bay Drugs in San Diego. You place your order with Joey the beer guy, then talk with him over the phone to confirm. He's very friendly and easy to work with and provides a tracking number. My beer arrived in no less than 2 weeks. They only do cases of 6 or 12, and the shipping is pretty steep, but it was worth it to try some of the West Coast greats (Alesmith, Russian River, Hair of the Dog).

Drink Up New York http://www.drinkupny.com

Free shipping in the continental US on orders over $99, and many items cheaper than local stores.

kl1191 wrote:Drink Up New York http://www.drinkupny.com

Free shipping in the continental US on orders over $99, and many items cheaper than local stores.

I'll second this one, I used them when Absinthe started coming on the market again, but not much was available locally. Good prices, shipped quickly, nothing to complain about from me. I haven't used them again since there is so little that I can't find locally if I want to.

SSDD

Thanks everyone, for the great suggestions. I've already checked out a few of these sites and I'm very excited to start placing orders. Will update as warranted but in the meantime, please keep the suggestions coming.

=R=

Something tells me I may regret this kind of offer but, oh, what the hell...

Ron (or anyone else ordering long-distance): if you find yourself just short on the bill and need a bottle or two to get your free shipping, I'm sure I can find something that my liquor cabinet has to have....