Vinnin Square Liquors

One of the 1^st in area to carry night shift beer. The staff is helpful and the prices are comparable to others in the area.

Brilliant store. We were visiting New England recently (we’re from California) and drove from Boston to mid-​coast Maine for a friend’s wedding. We needed a wedding present and spotted Vinnin Square as we meandered towards Salem. I was hesitant to go in because I met a guy in a bar in Boston who had recommended that we stop at the state liquor stores in New Hampshire, where supposedly the best deals on booze in New England could be found. I’ve also found that a lot of «discount» stores in the east are far more expensive than what I can get in California due to high taxes and logistics. But without exception, every bottle of wine, beer, or liquor I could compare with what I might pay back in California was cheaper at Vinnin Square, sometimes markedly so. Champagne, for example, was $ 5 or more less there for the same label and vintage, and that includes places like Trader Joe’s, Costco, or BevMo. We stocked up (and found the perfect wedding gifts as well) and I’m glad we did, because those side-​of-​the-​tollway stores in New Hampshire turned out to more expensive for every item we bought at Vinnin. I was later told that the N.H. stores have some great sales, but I’m going by the regular price.
I was so impressed during our visit that I walked up to someone who looked like the store’s manager and said «you really have a good selection with good prices». He paused for a second and said «You’re wrong… we have a good selection with GREAT prices!». In retrospect he was absolutely right. If I’m ever in the area again, I’ll be back.
Nick in Palm Springs

I love the selection here. Especially if you are an Australian Shirza fan like me. Service hasn’t been an issue, but I am a wine geek and don’t ask for help. It has been offered, though. Pricing is excellent, and they also have some rarities sprinled throughout the selection. A few of the prices were shockingly low and I am buying.

I normally have a good experience here, but yesterday, I was inside and was completely disrespected and profiled by the store team and what I suppose was a manager.
After I walked up to the counter with 7 bottles of wine, I was asked for my I.D., something that never happens to me. I said, sure, I left it in my car and I’ll be right back. At that point the clerk starts yelling about how she NEEDS my i.d. and as I turn to address her and repeat myself, she looks at the only other Black man in the store and says, «ask him for his too!!!» And then continues by saying, «they must together!!!» Are you serious??? Blatant racial profiling. When the manager walked over to inquire about what was going on, I briefed him on the encounter at which point he says «I don’t see what they did wrong, they’re just doing their jobs». I watched four other patrons, some mid-​twenties looking walk through seamlessly without being carded.
The manager and I got into a somewhat heated exchange and needless to say, I did not return nor will I. I would only recommend Vinnin Square Liquors if you’re caucasian or another «majority».

They have a really good selection of all kinds of booze here, and they’re always fully stocked up. The prices are decent, I’ve seen better but I was able to walk to the store (5mins from my apt.) when I lived in Swampscott. So that’s worth an extra buck or two on that 30 Pack of Coors Light… However if you are a driver, the parking lot is HUGE!

Great beer selection. They recently special ordered some wine for me. Got in quickly and at a reasonable price.

HUGE store. Impressive beer & wine selection. Prices are reasonable and depending on what you are looking for, you can get some awesome deals. Kicks all other liquor store butts in the area.

Dear Vinnin Square Liquors,
I LOVE YOU. Best beer selection I have ever seen (so far). Its like an adult Toys R Us for me. Maybe thats a problem? I dont care either way. Vinnin Liquors not only has a great selection of well crafted hard to find beers, but they can also special order a beer, that for some crazy reason they don’t have, if needed. They also have Wine and Beer tastings on the weekends too. You can check the store for dates and times. I think i’m going to make it a weekly stop for delicious delicious beer. I heart you Vinnin Sq. Liquors.

I go to package stores very specifically for the beer, and Vinnin has quite the selection of local, national, and awesomely exotic beers. They are good about putting new beers on the shelf occasionally. Prices are reasonable, I’ve seen cheaper but I never complain. Good store. And Joe C. (an employee) is a knowledgeable beer connoisseur that seems more than willing to help choose beers he thinks you’ll like. I trust his advice.
*However most of the rest of the employees have been consistently standoffish/​belittling and borderline offensive. Really some of the worst employees I have very had to deal with. Its really a shame because the inventory and a lot of the employees are great.

Great beer/​wine selection and hours.
Sometimes they even have tastings for new beers and wines!
Overall we’ve had great service here, just one negative customer service experience, but that was a long time ago.

Great place for craft beers. If i can’t find it elsewhere i am almost guaranteed to find it here. Can’t speak to the wine or spirit selection because when i come here i am spending all my disposable cash on weird and crazy beers from all over the world! Especially cool for the extensive selections from Mikkeller, De Proef, Dieu Du Ciel and Cantillon!

I’ve lived here about a year now, and have tried this location for my booze shopping a handful of times. I like it because its right next to Whole Foods and I can wrap up my needs in one parking lot. However, after my last experience I won’t be going back.
As noted below — the staff really can’t be bothered to do ANYTHING for you. The store is dirty and arranged badly — there are people shuffling around restocking — the last time I was there a man stood hitting two large wine bottles together for kicks, while another stood wide eyed saying OH NO. The lines are long when you get to the registers, and when you finally do get there — god help you if you have a QUESTION about anything. I’ve had the same experience three different times. Basically you have a question about anything — you ask, and you get a stupified face, a shrug and a «ask him» and a point. When you are in line and paying do you really want to collect everything back up again and go «ask him»? I doubt it. I never get my questions answered either — I just go elsewhere. And they are definitely not the cheapest. GO to Market Wine and Spirits in Salem. It’s a mile away, clean, well organized, stocked, and managed by adults.

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed my beloved Vinnin Liquors. Only a mile from my childhood home, Vinnin Liquors is a staple in every grocery run for families in a five mile radius. The selection is vast. I am deliberately vague there, because whatever your tipple, they have it in a dizzying array of choices.
*And,* all those choices are cheaper than anywhere else. Not just the watery beers and grape juice wines, but the good stuff, too. The stuff it’s difficult to find elsewhere and when you do, usually comes with a high price tag. When I go to Vinnin Liquors I can actually afford Wild Horse or Cakebread Cellars, as opposed to the places near me that charge a high premium for these quality wines.
If for some reason you are ever on the North Shore, it’s well worth a stop in here to stock up on your favorites. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly. It gets slammed on the weekends, so if you come then be prepared for a parking mêlée.

I love this store! My cousin recommended it to me while driving by it quoting «the prices in there are not to be believed» What I didn’t expect was the incredible selection. They have tons of stuff! I’m a very picky drinker, I know what I like and what I like is usually hard to find. They had it all, and oh yeah… the prices were not to be believed.
But here’s the one thing that really put them over the top for me:
Having recently moved from New York, my favorite wine is Bully Hill «table wine». Which comes in a 1.5 liter bottle for around $ 12. (I know it’s cheap… but it tastes like grapejuice and I love it!) Massachusetts will not allow wine to be shipped to your house, so I can’t order from the Vineyard. I called the Bully Hill distributor and they told me to have my local liquor store order it from them for me, and yes they would ship individual bottles. Well that’s a lot easier said than done. I went to several liquor stores in Salem and Danvers and NO ONE WOULD ORDER WINE FOR ME! But Vinnin Liquors did. Because they rock. And thats why they got 5 stars.

PAULANER HEFEWEIZEN! YAY!!!
i love liquor stores that carry more craft beers than shit beers. awesome.
this place is huge and filled with ten tons of boozkies and the prices aren’t cheap but aren’t unreasonable, either. i’d say the prices are average. most of the six packs (bud/​miller/​etc. not included cause i didn’t even look at those) were $ 8. the wines were averaged price, too. i bought yellowtail chardonnay, mainly for cooking (i made some sick-​ass chicken piccata that night. man alive, so good) but i also think it’s decent cheap wine and it was $ 5.49 for 750ml.
also purchased was somerville’s finest ron roberto superior imported rum, which is light and rare, a handleless handle for $ 12.99. it’s no tropic bay light rum from the new hampshire state liquor stores (like 50 cents for 23 987 gallons) but i can get down with mr. roberto (who, by the end of the night, turns me into mr. roboto).
i’m so glad i know vinnin square liquors exists! the dude at the counter was cool, too, and congratulated me on scoring the last paulaner sixer.

Staff has some major attitude issues, one more than once occasion when I ask for help I was literally frowned upon.
Today I was told that — «I am not your picker» with a high dose of displeasure when I inquired whether otherwise idle looking employee would actually suggest and pick a bottle of chardonnay for me. When asked whether they stock a particular brand of beer a different fellow gave me a strange look and then slowly drifted away. I wonder if that beer brand means something in teenage lingo nowadays.
This is simply wrong. These folks needs some major attitude adjustment.

I am addicted to Trappist ales. Anyone who really knwos trappist ales knows that chimay is easy to find, but beyond that, the rest can be pretty hard to find… especially at a good price. A good bottle of westmalle only set us behind about 6 bucks. If i can even find it elsewhere it sets me back closer to ten. Not only do they have awesome selection and prices, but if you are looking to try something new, ask the dude who works there with the giant gauges in his ears!!! Every beer he has recommended to my boyfriend and i has been a total hit… he even suggested a beer to my boyfriend for me to try that was a long forgotten favorite since it is too hard to find. forget martys, forget kappys… dont even goto the place on the corner… GO TO VINNIN SQUARE!!!

This is my new go-​to liquor store because not only do they have everything, but they were even willing to try to get my favorite «back home» wine. until we found out there is no local distributor. Huge place with lots of variety in all things booze, beer & wine. and mixers, with a well-​deserved reputation for good pricing. If you can’t find something they jump up and help you!

Convenient location right next to Whole Foods, and a very wide beer selection. aa d.‘s review still holds. I’ve found all kinds of weird beers with non-​English labels in here. I have yet to try them all *hic*

Castano Monastrell at Blanchards in Jamaica Plain: $ 10.99
Castano Monastrell at Vinnin Square Liquors in Swampscott: $ 5.99
Um, I’ll take the $ 5.99 bottle, thank you very much.
Vinnin has a great beer selection, including all your lambics, locals & imports. Need to find that Finnish porter you tried at bukowski? Vinnin’s got it. The Scottish heather ale from sunset? Got it. A giant bottle of Duvel? Hell yes.
Lots of wine and liquor as well, at prices consistently better than anywhere I’ve seen in town. Sandwiched between a Whole Foods & a Trader Joe’s, with Stop & Shop right across the street, it’s the perfect last stop to a grocery run.