The Liquor Collection

If you like wine, you can get a pretty good deal here at The Liquor Collection. More specifically, I’m talking about their clearance section right in the middle/​front of the store. In the past, I’ve gotten descent wines from their clearance section. If I’m in the area, I make sure I check them out for good deals.
This store is located inside Ward Warehouse. They have been here as long as I can remember.
Staff here are helpful and nice. They’re down to earth. Feel free to ask questions.
They also have single beers for sale from all over the world.
Cheers!

Customer service is terrible. No one asked if I needed help and they weren’t busy at all. I went there looking for rum and decided on a Dominican Anejo, Google it and reviews were pretty good. I figure hey I’ll try it, I was looking for Bacardi Smooth Spiced rum but they didn’t have it, major bummer, the only Puerto Rican rum the had was DonQ which is the preferred rum by Puerto Ricans, that’s a plus. Anyway, I go to the register to pay and asked the female with the pony tail if she ever tried it or is she familiar with this Dominican rum, and she came back with, «I really don’t drink rum». Now, if you specialize in liquor, wouldn’t you not think that one would get a better response than that? I don’t expect the workers or owners to have knowledge of every single product they sell, but I was more disappointed with her response. I really expected more out of this shop. Never again will I give them my business, I also find them very expensive. You are better off going to Tamura’s.

Tons and Tons of specialty microbrews /​spirits. Very small inside but the variety of alcohol will make you feel different. If your local beer spot doesn’t carry the beer from your favorite brewery, be sure to give this place a look. Will return soon.

I appreciate alcohol. Good quality alcohol, anyway. And sometimes, it’s late and Safeway just doesn’t have what you’re looking for. You want to go on a libation adventure.
Enter, The Liquor Collection. Located in the Ward warehouses, this little gem is worth taking a look at! Very small but they have a wide selection of everything from craft beers, to unique liqueurs, and even some bar ware on hand! Very impressive! What’s more impressive is how knowledgable and helpful the staff is. I’ve walked inside of Tamura’s more than once with a question or two, only to have a blank-​faced stare as my answer. Super frustrating. Here you don’t feel like a burden and they are enthusiastic to help you find your poison. ;)
Most recently came in for brandy that I could add to my eggnog. Picked up a nice French one they showed me that was on sale and it was delish! I highly recommend The Liquor Collection for all your boozy needs.

Fantastic Belgian beer selection! If you’re a local hit up their Kamaaina Club for 10% savings on everything. I thought the staff was much more knowledgeable than Tamura’s however the wine selection is better at other shops. It’s decent but I’d really just come here for your beer and liquor needs. They’ll have whatever you’re looking for and then some.

Great selection of beer and a few good tequilas. If there is something that you want but they don’t have it in stock, they’ll special order it for you. Highly recommended!

I’ve come here to stock up on beverages for the last three parties I’ve thrown, and I have not been disappointed (nor have my guests). I don’t know much about beer, so I’ve relied on the staff recommendations for my purchases. In my experience, each staff member is very knowledgeable about the selection the store carries at any given time, can speak intelligently about beers (as well as the other alchol they carry) and give you thoughtful recommendations depending on your tastes. Their selection of beers is outstanding and now that I finally got their discount card, I will for sure be back to stocky bar for the next party!

I love their selection of local and imported beers – great gifts for the beer snob! They also have decent wines for sale near the register.

Although I like to drink, I do not know much about alcohol. Case in point was when I stopped by recently to pick up some red wine for a prime rib dinner. I knew the basic gist of it. With red meat, you want red wine. Besides that I had no idea which wine to choose.
This is where The Liquor Collection came to the rescue! As soon as I arrived the worker was so helpful. He suggested several wines and pointed out one wine that I ended up choosing and was so happy with that I would definitely buy a case of in the future! It paired perfectly with my prime rib and it was so good on it’s own. Plus it was affordable at a reasonable $ 30 for the high quality wine. It was Mollydooker, The Boxer Shiraz 2013.
What I also like about this place is the location. It’s located on the ground floor of Ward Warehouse. It’s a really convenient place to pick your drinks when you’re in town.

I’ve always liked this place because of the wide variety of spirits. I always check out what they have on sale infront of the register in the crates. Always interesting and I’ve bought a few bottles to check out that have turned out well.
Above all that, and the good reviews they’ve gotten to this point, they carry this particular beer I like and cannot readily get. I’ve checked if there is any other place I can get this locally. None. I’ve checked the internet if I can order it somewhere. None. I’ve checked wholesale sites. None. I checked the company itself. None. Not possible. This is the place I cling to dear life to sustain me of my supply of Crabbie’s Original Ginger Beer. It’s a sweet bitter beer, mostly sweet, that scratches your throat as it goes down. At $ 7 a bottle I wouldn’t expect any less. Suggested retail is $ 8. That makes me even happier. Another added plus, you can find it in the back in the cold section so you don’t have to wait to get it cold. You get more of a taste if it’s not too cold anyway. If you’re looking for something different in a beer, that may be one for you to try.
The customer service here is very good. Staff is knowledgeable, maybe too knowledgeable as they stopped me from opening a bottle on their counter once I paid for it. I was going to give 4stars for that but my better half talked me otherwise saying he was only doing his job. Fine. And he did put them in individual brown bags which made it possible to attempt to open them outside.
I hope when the walls come crashing down, they will be able to relocate quickly somewhere close by. If not, the world as we know it will be utterly changed.

I think I need to hurry and start reviewing all of the business on my list that are in Ward area– as it sounds like there will be closings and moves very soon — and I hope some of them move instead of close.
Top on the list– a great wine/​spirit depot.
One time, I had bitters on my mind. The staff was helpful and had a much wider selection than say Foodland gourmet side. You find bitters in specialty cocktails and only now or then occasions. But they knew what I had in mind and how to help.
Locals or Tourists– the staff have answers like when tourists dumbly ask– what is made in Hawaii? They answer nicely instead of retorting snarkily ‘well the Russian writing on the vodka should be a clue that it is not from Hawaii.’ But answer ’ we have some beers from Kona and wines from Maui and some rums and vodkas– what would you like to know more about or can I help?
Locals get to talk story, hear about what changes are coming down the way for the mall and what places are open — especially when it is a holiday since they have a hold on the down low.
Price– You can find the high end stuff or a good deal on a small small bottle that you just want to try at least once.
B warned it is a small store. But that doesn’t translate into not having a wide seceltion in general… and it seems that they may have at least heard of something and usually have on hand the common items, could suggest on how to get it or what to look to next.
Do be careful if you have a backpack or other large item. 1 tourist wasn’t paying attention and knocked over a huge box– opps.
Not a huge mess but it sure could have been.
Bonus days– sometimes they have sampling. I have no clue how often or when it happens but obviously I have been there a few times and have been ‘lucky’ to get to taste some samples.

I gave this three stars because when you enjoy beer as much as I do it’s hard to rate a place that serves a variety of it very low. I saw the guys from house of brews that do the bar 35 beer tastings here. That must be a positive sign. Just wished some items weren’t so pricey and there were more Trappist beers.
A friend of mine said he spoke with the owner who was able to special order some different options in, you can always ask and see if they can order it which is nice.

I wanted to buy several different types of beer as a gift, but was clueless about which to choose since I don’t drink beer at all. Wes was extremely knowledgeable and helpful! With his help, I picked 6 that my bf liked so much, I ended up going back to buy a dozen more! When I went back, another worker (Jim? Tim? I’m sorry I can’t remember…) was very helpful also.
They offer KamaAina cards-​where you can pay a $ 10 annual fee, and receive 10% off on (most) of your future purchases for a year.
Thank you Wes (and…Jim…Tim???)! I will be back for more from time to time!

There are places that sell alcohol and then there are places that sell some fine liquor… What is the difference you ask? Any place can offer up your usual assortment of run-​of-​the-​mill beers such as Budweiser (or Bud Light), Coors, Heineken, etc. along with the usual hard liquors such as vodka, tequila, and whiskey; if you want something like that you can go to the local supermarket or 7-​Eleven but if you want something with a little flavor and class you have to go to a place that specializes in harder to find spirits.
The Liquor Collection is one such place that specializes in some unique and harder to get spirits which range from your normal beer to hard liquors and they also stock some wine and sake & shochu if that’s your fancy.
For the beer, if you want a cold one they are stocked in a glass refrigerated unit towards the back half of the store and are sold by singles. They also have a few other singles that aren’t refrigerated which are located in the same area too, some of which you won’t find behind the glass refrigerator doors. The nice thing about their beer selection is that it is varied with a decent selection of different brews of all types and from different countries. The overall selection though not as expansive as other places on the island has enough variety and cycles through which is great considering the limited space & their location in Ward Warehouse. Another cool thing is you can make your own custom 6-​pack of beers from the available singles and get a slight discount, kinda like a make your own sampler of sorts!
As for the hard liquor collection, you’ll find the usual assortment here too. I haven’t bought too much from here though, since I rarely find myself drinking a lot of hard liquor so I can’t comment on it much. Ditto for the wine selection too, however I will say that they’ve got a decent variety of that too.
The sake & shochu selection here I’d say is alright, but blink and you’ll miss it as it occupies a small round shelf right in front of the register towards the center of the store. Honestly, if you’re looking for Asian-​style alcohol you’re probably better off going to some place else like Don Quijote or The Sake Shop as they specialize more in that type of stuff but what’s offered here is still decent and can’t go wrong with.
Other good things I enjoy about this store is that they occasionally hold tastings of the various liquors they offer in the store, usually courtesy of the particular vendor promoting whatever new drink they recently released. The staff here is also very helpful & knowledgeable and will help you find whatever you’re looking for whether or not it’s available in the store or somewhere else. Basically, I’d describe the vibe here as feeling very welcoming, relaxed and chill. It’s like drinking at a bar with good friends whose company you enjoy or at a home is how I liken the overall atmosphere here, which I really enjoy as it makes for a pleasant and enjoyable shopping experience which makes me keep coming back for more!

Pretty nice selection of beer and liquor, hence the name…
THE LIQUOR COLLECTION!
Yes, it’s mysteriously dark and somewhat rustic, but seems to carry everything you need for that night of pleasure, a weekend of ecstasy, or a lifetime of bliss. Get your mind out of the gutter! I’m talking only adult drinkies here!
Beer, wine, whiskey, water, juice and other liquids galore!
Somewhat small cramped store, but liquor from the floor to the ceiling! It is conveniently located at the Ward Warehouse on the ground level. The staff is overall friendly and will answer any questions you may have. You don’t have that haute vibe here. Pretty mellow and no pressure to «I must buy» feel. I also like that taste testing is regularly offered! So yes, I do recommend…
THE LIQUOR COLLECTION!
Not the biggest, but rock steady! Pretty much everything you need to quench that thirst. Follow these guys on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, too! Yes, these guys know the meaning of social media! Just drink responsibly and light up that fireplace, honey! «A night of pleasure…» Oh, yes!
BIG KAHUNA TIP: They also offer a «Liquor Collection Kama’aina Club» card — basically for $ 10 per year you get 10% off everything (not cigars) in the store, including sale items! Something to consider with inflation still lingering…
I mean everyone looks like a prom queen after a drink or two, well, well, well, unless you resemble «Gollum» or Mickey Rourke post boxing days — Sadly, no hope there!
And always remember «A night of pleasure…» Oh, yes!
OVERALL GRADE: 4.0-STARS! (Solid, but a couple times they were sold out on my favorite beer — it’s popular, but I hate waiting a week)
LIVE ALOHA… & CHEERS!
Unilocal REVIEW #394

Initially, it started out as a faint interest. It then developed into a strong fascination, and shortly thereafter, a full-​blown obsession. With alcohol? Well, more specifically, craft beer.
Cue Liquor Collection. Their craft beer selection is fairly expansive, carrying some of the harder-​to-​find beers from the mainland (and elsewhere in the world) that you likely won’t find in other stores. I mean, I enjoy the occasional Bud Light or some other similarly mass-​produced brown/​green bottle domestic as much as the next person, but if that’s your fancy, you’re barking up the wrong tree here.
Drop into the store, and you might be able to rap a little bit about the newer beers hitting the isles, find out what seasonals are worth giving a try, or seeing if you can get a hand on a extremely-​limited batch release of a barrel-​aged stout that’s selling like wildfire on the mainland. (*ahem* Goose Island)
Not gonna lie, the prices are a bit steeper by comparison — shopping on price alone, you’ll likely find a better deal elsewhere. But they do have a Kama’aina discount card — pay an annual fee and get 10% off all purchases, even those high ABV imperial stouts and DIPAs. If you’re not sure about the craft beer scene because you’re not sure what styles or brands of beers work for you, Liquor Collection often has beer/​liquor tastings on Friday evenings around 6pm.
And if you’re ever in need of finding out info about what’s new, what’s available and what’s going on at Liquor Collection, find them on Facebook and get all the news about the new beers dropping in their store. Only serves to feed the craft beer obsession!

This place used to be my favorite place to get quality beers to pair with a nice dinner or just to try new beers that you haven’t tried before, especially when a lot of the Belgium’s were harder to find on the island.
Thanks (or no thanks) to places like Bar 35, everybody jumped on the Chimay bandwagon a few years ago, and now those beers are readily available at a lot of places. Gulden Draak or Piraat kick Chimay’s ass any day of the week, though, imho.
I still come here fairly frequently, and I don’t have any complaints whatsoever about this place. Around the holidays, I also come here to pick a couple bottles of Single Malt to give out as gifts… but I’m not much of a Scotch /​Whiskey /​or hard liquor PERIOD guy these days. I’m definitely a beer guy… and this place is always stocked with quality beer.
The only reason I say that they «USED» to be my favorite place is because SWAM out in Pearl City has an equally great selection (I would say it’s even one notch higher, depending on what you’re looking for) of beer… and they occasionally have tastings and pairings there. I’m not out in Pearl City all that often, but when I am, I make it a point to stop by. Otherwise, the Liquor Collection is my OL’ RELIABLE! Definitely check them out!

If you are looking for something different or love to try different beers and/​or wines, this is the place to come!
This store carries a huge variety of beers, wines, and spirits. The beers are sold individually, so you have a great opportunity to try something you’ve always wanted to try that you weren’t able to because you were forced to buy a six-​pack. One interesting beer I found is Red Horse beer in a can (16 oz). I’ve only seen the bottle form.
I love its selection of wines from all parts of the world. Going to Tamuras and the Wine Stop, the majority of their wines are either from Cali, South America, or Australia with a few from France, Italy, and Spain. Oliver has a few different wines, but the selection is super small. Here though, it carries wine from all parts of the world, such as Bulgaria, Germany, Canada, Israel, etc.
The only downside for this store is the beers and wines are slightly more expensive than other places, and the spirits are ridiculously overpriced. The beers and wines are understandable as the beers are sold individually, and the wines cost more to purchase from different parts of the world. The spirits, I do not understand… Hanger One shouldn’t be over 50 dollars for a 750ml bottle, and Johnny Walker Blue shouldn’t be over 320 dollars either.
Overall, a really cool store with a huge variety of everything. The staff there are eager to help and very friendly.

I love this place. if you need it, you’ll most likely find it here. They have every type of liquor you can think of.
I came here for some Eagle Rare Bourbon but they said they were having complications with their order from the distributor or distiller. They said they might have in a week or two but cant guarantee it. I jokingly said, «well when it does come in, call me» The guy said we can do that if you leave your number. Better yet he suggested to fill this form out (just basic info) to get a card for discounts on future purchases similar to a maika’i card. Even if you dont have the card they will have your info on file.
Very nice peole in here and very helpful. If you cant find what your looking for, ask someone. This place is really crammed with stuff it could be right in front your face and not see it.

I came here shortly before Christmas to find a gift for a friend. I had this idea of making a beer compilation, but did not know how to follow through with said idea. Because I don’t know anything about beer.
Fortunately, the gentleman at the Liquor Collection who helped me compile my present was a hardcore beer aficionado who steered me towards several interesting and unique beer selections. I think he was cognizant of the fact that I knew nothing about beer, but I was a sucker for a good backstory, so he fed me really nice little anecdotes and factual tidbits about the beers he was choosing («Oh this beer is super limited; it was crafted by Ferran Adria of El Bulli; have you heard of him? … etc.) Gosh darnit, I love being sold to, I love it the most! (I should never walk into high-​end stores: c) I also appreciate it when a salesperson himself gets giddy about the products he introduces me to. It kind of reinforces my belief that the product is a good one, and a quality one that I should be confident in buying. That was definitely the case at the Liquor Collection.
Aside from the great service, the shop itself is a really fascinating little place to browse. In addition to beer and spirits they have specialty ingredients for cocktail-​making like «bitters.» I don’t even know! But I know it’s fancy and bars can charge me $ 12 for it!
A really fun place to look for gifts. Or for self-​gifting.

When I step into a «super rad» liquor store in Hawaii, I have to take a deep breath, click my heels and remember I’m not in the beer Capitol anymore. This store has a decent selection of brews. About ten I hadn’t tried before. The wine selection is good and liquor itself is too the employees are pretty knowledgeable. I’m pretty sure I blew the clerks socks off with the knowledge I had on beer and wine. Hmmm does that make me an alcoholic? I swear I’m just a connoisseur. :)
I’ll be back to check it out time to time to see if there is anything not on my list I haven’t had yet.

I have this problem when going into stores with cool stuff that I’ve never seen I want to buy them… and ultimately I usually do.
After dinner at Paina Café with a girlfriend we were stuffed from our poke bowls and wanted to take an after dinner walk… She asked me if I had ever been to The Liquor Collection which I had not… so we walked over to check it out…
Holy Booze. Its not necessarily a huge store but they got a wide variety of wines and beers, and a decent collection of hard liquors. The beers were categorized by their geographic location. They had some Japanese beers that I had never even seen before. I’ve never tried the peach Lindeman’s so I picked up a bottle… I’m not a huge beer person so I didn’t linger too long. Just looked at the cool artwork on the bottles.
I’m a loyal Vodka girl. I always drink it at home when pregaming and I always drink it when going out… Yah, I’m kinda lame like that. So of course I walked straight towards the vodka section which had your usual Stoli, Grey Goose, etc… but whats this? Green Vodka? Bison Grass Vodka? FUNKY! I asked the guy working behind the counter if it was good… www​.yelp​.com/​u​s​e​r​_​l​o​c​a​l​_​p​h​o​t​o​s​?​u​s​e​r​i​d​=​Q​k​Q​L​n​u​j​u​i​B​D​P​1​m​N​C​h​JYJww.
The guy — «It’s my boss’s favorite alcohol in the store. Some people think it tastes a little woody (there’s one long piece of grass in it) some people think it tastes like vanilla… One person who didn’t like it said it tastes like vanilla…»
Interesting…I probably gave him a weird look because he immediately told me that they had mini bottles of it so I could try it… YES! I love nips (mini bottles) — they are so cute.
As I was looking at their nips collection I saw a mini black Patron. It has coffee in it, I don’t love coffee but I had never tried it before so I got one too.
This is definitely a place I’d like to come and check out again. Made for some fun shopping.
Unilocal 365: ²²⁰⁄₃₆₅