Bootleggin Barzini’s

What a great find! The staff was very helpful, and thoroughly answered our questions. I was looking for a middle-​range gin for a new cocktail recipe, and they recommended me straight to Prairie, a Minnesota-​grown brand that produces organic gin and vodka. My girly winter fruit cocktail turned out great, and we’ve been hooked on gin buck cocktails ever since.
The craft beer selection wasn’t as extensive as I was hoping for, but they do carry some good old faithfuls and a couple local brews.

Great liqueur store in the old tradition. They can talk the real deal when it comes to liqueur-​no bs, just plain opinion-​take it or leave it. I always come here when I want something «special», even if it’s an alcohol I don’t appreciate enough to enjoy myself, but want to explore. Case in point: I was able to purchase a bottle of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky. Mackinlay hasn’t been an active brand for a while now, but the scotch tasted like liquid gold! The scotch was formulated to match the same bottles taken to (and later found) Antarctica in 1907 by Ernest Shackleton. Who knew there was such a great place in Iowa city!

This place is a great option for beer, wine, and spirits in the Coralville area. Their selection isn’t as extensive as John’s Grocery or Hyvee Wine & Spirits. However, they get the same rare and limited releases as other stores in the area (e.g., Toppling Goliath’s X Hops series) and are willing to order just about anything, no matter how rare.
What makes Barzini’s stand out is their customer service. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable about their selection and willing to provide advice in choosing among their options. During one visit, the person on hand gave me a clear and concise run down of the flavor profiles of their Scotch offerings; during another, the staff member was able to tailor my wine preferences to a handful of bottles. They are also good at calibrating their depth of recommendation to your interest level: i.e., they will go into more depth if you want more information, but are good at stopping when needed – a skill that can be difficult to master at wine/​beer stores. And on one occasion, I was even allowed to sample some of the whiskey that they had on special!
All in all, this is just a great, friendly place – it has the best customer service in the area.

Fantastic store. The Knowledgeable and passionate staff always make shopping there a pleasure. Sometimes I get my normal scotch or a six pack but often I grab a recommendation from the staff that is even cheaper and just as delicious. I have yet to be disappointed by any recommendation the staff has made! This is the place to go for selection, service, and price!

Old fashioned, know-​your-​name customer service is the cornerstone of Barzini’s. Whether you just want a good, craft beer or you’re trying to find the perfect drink for the evening, their staff can offer you some great pairings an ideas — and they don’t do it to sell the most expensive liquor!
The selection is awesome. There’s something for everyone. The wine and beer are especially vast. Why anyone would go to Liquor Downtown or any of those other shops is beyond me. Talk to people who KNOW what they’re talking about AND offer a reward card to shop there.

Very nice store great selection. The clerk was very helpful and knew what he was talking about

I absolutely love this liquor store. Every time I have been in, they have showed me such amazing hospitality by opening the door for me and always being super attentive. The two brothers who own the place know so much about exotic liquors. They are truly amazing sources for tequila and whiskey (specifically Scotch) knowledge.
The great thing about Bootleggin’ is that they have the best array of exotic liquors that you can find pretty much in the state of Iowa. They can (and do) special order much of their inventory which sets them a part from literally every other store in Iowa City. If you don’t make them your #1 stop for liquors in Iowa City, you are absolutely crazy. Also, Hair of the Dog margarita mix is the ABSOLUTE number 1 mix in the universe and they are one of the few that sells it so if you’re a margarita connoisseur, make sure to buy a bottle of that (pretty cheap at $ 5 per 750ml bottle of mixer). I will be a lifetime customer for sure!

Until today, I thought Jon’s Grocery was the only place in town to find a wide selection of exotic brews. Happily, Bootleggin Barzini’s is now on the radar! Their beer selection, while not as vast a Jon’s is serious, with a great section of higher alcohol beers, a good number of darks, IPAs and Belgians. The standard generics are plentiful (Bud, Coors, etc) as well. Prices are very decent and the staff are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about what they’re selling. In talking with them it was obvious that they not only taste many of the beers, but also read a good bit about them as well.
Wine selection is solid with everything from high end champagne to your standard $ 6 wines that are great for dinner or cooking with.
Their alcohol selection is quite extensive as they carry just about anything you can think of and often have the standards as well as higher gradation of what you’re used to. For example, they carry an «Extra Rare» bottle of Crown Royale all the way down to what you’re used to having.
Overall, this place is solid and one spot that we’ll continue to visit. They’ll order specific beers that you’re interested in and seem to be down to talk about brews whenever you stop by. I’ll be back soon and often!

This place is definitely as good as it gets when you want to buy alcohol. If you’re looking for miller light, or steel reserve… well you can still come here but you’re probably better off going somewhere else. Barzini’s has a wide selection of all kinds of alcohol from beer, to wine, to scotch, to gin.
The staff is friendly knowledgeable and helpful. They really want you to enjoy your purchase and if you come back with your opinion on what you had last they can recommend lots of things based off that. All in all the best place in the area.