Barmy Wines & Liquors

If this place has something you can’t get elsewhere, or you’re in a rush and don’t have time to go to another store, I’d recommend stopping in. The selection is good, and the service is friendly.
However, be prepared to pay for it. To give you an example, the bottle of wine I was looking for recently cost slightly more than DOUBLE at Barmy than at Calvert Woodley Wines. Plan ahead and avoid this place if you can.

This is the only place where I could find Buffalo Trace Bourbon. The ABC stores in VA don’t carry the original brand since VA is the only state that doesn’t sell liquor at a wine shop. You can find lots of good liquors here that taste better and have a higher alcohol content than the big named brands that are outrageously priced. Wines and beer are sold here too but the main attraction is the liquor selection.
Prices may be a bit more expensive but it’s DC; prices in this area are equivalent to New York and San Francisco prices. Besides use the Unilocal checkin and you’ll save 10%.
The staff is helpful in finding what you want and they usually have what your looking for. Take advantage and find your spirit of choice. Choose wisely!

This place is awful! I went into Barmy’s as a last minute stop and was denied service because the cashier did not know how to read an ID. I am 22 years old with a brand new ID and was told it had some how been washed out, which was completely untrue. I also presented my previous ID that had expired 2 weeks before to show the license was just recently issued. To top everything off I also presented my off premise liquor license granted to me by the District of Columbia proving I was of age and was still denied. These guys not only do not know their product in the least, they’re prices are marked up like crazy on all whiskeys and other spirits. Terrible experience!!!

As others have noted, the selection here can be quite good. Fortunately, the days of that being enough in DC are over. Schneider’s of Capitol Hill and, more close by, Bell Liquors, both have excellent selections. The problem with Barmy (which, in British slang, fittingly means «insane») is the price. For just about any item, you’re likely to pay 20 — 25% more than you would a few blocks away. Another reviewer noted that hard-​to-​find spirits command a premium of 50%. This sort of price-​gouging is simply inexcusable.

Used a Unilocal check-​in here to get 10% off. Picked up a bottle and some mixers for a gathering. Pretty large selection of vodka.

Great selection of whisky and bourbon. However, as with the other reviews, I agree that the prices are outrageously high. I’ve gone in there a few times to see if they have a more off the beaten path single malt or rye, and inevitably they’ll have it, and inevitably I won’t be able to bring myself to pay the extra $ 15 – 45 per bottle.
Therefore, I give it two stars.
I found another place near DuPont with an equally impressive selection.

as a couple of other reviewers noted — a great selection of items — but WAY over priced.
was looking for a couple of specific gift wines — the prices were DOUBLE of what I can get them for near my home. I realized going in that DC pricing was going to be a bit higher — but DOUBLE?
Thanks but no thanks! will do my best to remember to buy these wine gifts closer to home. It’s too bad — as they really do have an incredible selection of wines, beers, and liquor.

I’m a beer and liquor person, not a wine person, so my review is coming from that angle.
This is one of those merchants that I will go out of my geographic way in order to patronize. It is a very unassuming storefront that looks just like any other liquor store in downtown DC, with a ratty sign that is missing a few bulbs. But take a closer look at those bottles in the front window: Pappy Van Winkle? 30-​year-​old Macallan? This place is not like the others.
«You’ve got some pretty amazing stuff in the front window,» I say to the man.
«Well, it’s bulletproof, and there’s a UV filter in the glass to protect everything from the light.»
Now we’re talking. This man really takes his work seriously, and that’s why I love this place so much. He has tasted everything he sells, and he has an honest, informed, detailed opinion about it. And he’s NICE. Strike up a conversation with him about anything you want. If you are actually interested in what you drink and aren’t simply looking for a bottle of whatever to bring to a party, you will be glad you came here.
The liquor selection is excellent – the best I’ve seen in Washington. The beer selection isn’t vast, but it is all very high quality, with microbrews that are hard to find elsewhere. The store owners have great taste.
I agree that the prices are high here. In fact, after a long time going only to Barmy, I recently went to another store and was shocked by how low the prices were. But I want my money to go to people who care about what they do, so I gladly pay the surcharge.

Great selection. Way over priced. Only get things that you can’t find anywhere else. Great place to see what is out there, especially for whiskies. But they basically will charge you the «beckett’s» price for it.

Like Sherry’s farther up the red line, what this store offers in selection it punishes in price (but more so). The selection is actually better, offering an uncommon combination of really interesting beers with fancy spirits (Dogfish Head 120 and single barrel bourbons FTW). But $ 34 for a fifth of Campari and $ 37 for bourbon that lists everywhere else at $ 30 and occasionally $ 26 is just insulting.

I’ve been here numerous times looking for scotch, bourbon and rye whiskeys. I consistently find stuff here i can’t anywhere else — Pappy Van Winkle bourbon and Sazerac Rye 18-​yr-​old or Thomas Handy Sazerac Rye. The store is clean and well organized.
But this great selection comes with high prices — about 50% higher for the hard-​to-​find stuff than other stores i’ve visited. But I still give them 4 stars for the unmatched selection and good service.

We went on a saturday night for a last minute party. The place was empty and the staff looked bored. We had employees asking if we needed help, I guess is not bad but when another one asks again, its kind of annoying. Then I find out that Unilocal gave me a 10% for checking in. When I presented the coupon to the cashier he made a call to someone and talking in his language, we waited until he got off the phone. He gave us the discount but he didn’t seem convice (at least It save me some money in the taxes). Prices are obviously more expensive since it is in DC but ok for being in the aread. Street parking only.

This business (if you can even call it that,) has no respect for its customers. I recently made a delivery purchase. The plastic bag broke as it was being delivered, and we were still charged for the shattered bottle despite the fact that it was most definitely the fault of the establishment. When I called to ask for a new bottle to replace the broken one, the owner was extremely rude. His unwillingness to compromise was inexcusable, but I was truly disgusted with his demeanor. I will never buy from a company that treats its clientele with such utter disregard.

Little bit of everything, and a DC delivery program to give them a step up over their competitors. They didn’t have the wine that my friends were looking for, but I found just the bottle I wanted with one of the manager’s help. They were eager to offer more recommendations, but we hastened to arm ourselves with energy drinks to survive the night and be on our way. Make sure to pull up the check-​in deal before you get rung up– contrary to peons’ belief, they do accept the discount.

Of all the liquor stores we went to, this was probably one of my favorites. I’m sorry to say it was probably also the most expensive (I always said I had expensive taste’s). The selection here was great. Not only did they have many of the premium brands, they also carried larger sizes than you normally see. Even though they were expensive, I could see myself buying from this store — mainly because it also could potentially be a one-​stop-​shopping experience. To top it all off, the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.

The GF and I spent our Saturday afternoon walking around G-​town and the West End after our lunch. One of our objectives for the afternoon was to scope out the various liquor stores for price and selection. Barmy impressed with its selection and competitive prices. The staff was exceedingly friendly and helpful. As others have noted, the wine selection was not one of Barmy’s strengths. Spirits are its strength. This place had what I was looking for and I would not hesitate to come back.

They have a mediocre wine selection (with free dust on the bottles) but the liquor selections are numerous. Wide variety of soft drinks and other beverages. This place doesn’t do enough business for it to be in the wine business — makes me wonder what it’s a front for. The intense incense must be covering up something!
The real reason there is a line out the door — lottery tickets. When the Powerball has long lines everywhere, no one is breaking down the door to get into Barmy.

Ask for liquor bottles in the shape of machine guns. They have different kinds.

My Golden Triangle destination for spirits and wine. Though Barmy is not filled with sommeliers and such (and thus should not be compared to fine wine and spirit shops), the gentlemen at the counter are very polite and helpful, particularly if you’re looking for something special. Barmy has all the things that I typically have to purchase from multiple shops: my beloved Flor de Cana, a white wine my friends adore, and Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve for my family members. And I love the whimsical fantasy bottles that fill the front windows. Recommended.