Brand’s Wine & Liquor

How could anyone possibly loathe a liquor store? I’ll tell you how. It is constantly a mess, filled with the shadiest people, has a awful selection, and incredibly unhelpful and unprofessional staff.
The last time I patroned this place (and I do mean the LAST) I was slightly annoyed because I had to carefully navigate and hop over all the boxes on the floor. Then after waiting in a long line to buy a bottle of wine for a party I was headed to, some woman walks through the front door and shouts, «y’all got lotto tickets hurr?» I don’t really bat an eye at what she said, but I was shocked that the guy at the cash register walked away from me right before he was going to ring me up. Seriously, you are walking over to her to sell her tickets before letting me buy my bottle first? Wtf?! I was in line asshole and no one else was behind me at this point. I was the last fucking customer in the store and you prioritize some asshole who shouts questions at you when they walk through the door over someone who was patiently waiting in line to pay?
«Are you fucking kidding me?» I said. He still ignores me, sells her the tickets comes back to me and I tell him, «I was waiting my turn to pay and you walked away from me to sell her something when I was waiting here in line? You’re an asshole and I will never come here again. Fuck this place.» I abandoned the wine and walked out.
I walk by this place all the time, but I would rather be sober or walk a couple blocks further to Hamilton Discount Wine & Liquors than ever spend a dime here again. Every time I see the signs plastered on the windows with pictures of people who have stolen from there I think, «good, I hope the trashy people who management take priority to serve here rob the place blind.»

Brand’s is THE liquor store to go to in the Hamilton Heights/​Harlem area.
–Yes, it’s so cramped inside that it feels like you’re in a shoot for «Hoarding: Buried Alive.»
–Yes, the staff here are not up for small-​talk.
–Yes, this place gets CROWDED — especially during summer weekends.
No, seriously. With all that being said, they have pretty much everything else you would expect from a good liquor store:
–An enormous collection.
–A discount when you buy bulk.
–Transparent pricing. I’ve never seen another place with so many pricing stations.
–A bunch of checkout counters.
–Lotto tickets!
–They take practically any form of payment.
Now, if only they delivered.

If I could give zero stars I would. Definitely never coming here again. Went to purchase a bottle of wine for dinner. Gave the guy behind the counter my debit card. Was told there was a $ 20 minimum. I politely told him that I rarely carry cash and that it’s illegal to have minimums on debit purchases (especially $ 20 one!). He said it was the managers policy, so I asked to speak to her. She was conveniently not there. And the cashier got ruder and ruder with me. Don’t let stores try to force you to pay more with arbitrary rules! I’ll keep my business at Unity on St. Nick and 145.

Although they have upgraded the décor, they’ve downgraded the service as well as their attitudes and I will not be returning!!!
Very poor customer service, which was not the case in the past. It doesn’t make sense to have 1 register open when there are 2 lines with a total of at least 12 people waiting to make purchases, and 3 other workers are in the store stocking the shelves instead of ringing people up at 5:30pm when people are on their way home from work & should be expected to be a high-​volume time of the day. Instead, they have 1 guy running between the two registers. It just speaks to a lack of respect that they have for their customers/​the community and their time.
I would rather pay $ 2 extra per bottle of wine and be treated with respect!

They will never, ever, ever, get any of my money again.
Not once, but TWO TIMES of rude, disgusting service.
If there was a zombie apocalypse, and this was the only liquor place, I would not be making it.
We have broken up, and this is totally all you, not me.
I entered this place on my friend’s recommendation as she is a regular. In fact the first time I went, I went with her. I was buying a gift of Gin for a birthday friend, I entered with all of my manners, my pleases, smiles and thank yous in accompaniment. I asked prices, which I do at every other liquor store ever invented, and had a spanish speaking man attending me. And then, falling into the arrogance or the plain not giving a solid fuck, this man started calling me names in Spanish under his breath thinking I could not understand what he was saying — cuno, diablo and maybe a puta or two. It was definitely me because it was only me he was dealing with and when he spoke in English the language was not so fun there either.
End of Scene 1.
Scene 2 opened on another day when a fellow — African American was the Brands’s Wine rep with whom I interfaced. I went in asking for white rum by brand and bottle description — I am well aware of my accent, but I am excellent at speaking slowly and clearly and at a volume specific to the needs of the environment to make sure to be understood. This man said that I was not speaking loudly and articulately enough for him. Okay, we’ll let that slide. But my credit card now — he asked to see my ID. Okay done. He asked if I had no NY state ID. I replied no. He said he would need to see something else — he looked at me, looked at the card, looked at me, repeated the cycle of looks and then asked me to sign. At that point I did a flash and dash sign, again nothing out of the ordinary. The signature prompted another round of perusal and he said it didnt match and would maybe have to cancel the transaction. I internally imploded, felt insulted and found this degrading, but calmly signed it as he wished and took the liquor.
I could take the high road and say, maybe they have been hit with fraud and cons which prompted this, but unfortunately I am all out of high roads at this time.
Look, I’m a foreigner with a foreign accent but filled to the brim with manners and general awesomeness. Other businesses are fine with my foreignness and manners, and honestly find me fucking delightful. I also frequently purchase products and services in a community dense with foreigners. Do not ever in your fucking life treat me like a criminal.
On that note, I will return to my regular awesome places on 137^th and 140^th with friendly gracious service, even from behind bulletproof glass.

An excellent neighborhood store. Convenient location, friendly staff, great selection of booze, reasonable prices. I work in the wine industry and have been repeatedly impressed by what Brand’s has to offer.
It gets a little crowded in there sometimes, and it can be difficult to browse the wines. If you find something you like, they might not carry it 6 months later. So make sure you stock up on your favorites, and take advantage of the 3+ bottle discount. Not everything is properly labeled, but there are price scanners available throughout the store.

Brand’s is a neighborhood store that is convenient for picking up a decent bottle of wine, or a bottle of liquor without breaking the bank. Let’s start off by saying, I’m a wine drinker, so naturally I’m drawn here by the low, low prices Brand’s offers compared to other wine and liquor stores in the neighborhood. In fact, there are probably four or five other wine, or liquor shops that are closer to me, but most times I’ll take the extra ten or fifteen minute walk to save a few bucks on a bottle. Brand’s is not the place to go to if you’re looking for a store that will have a weekly wine tasting, or if you need help picking out a bottle of wine for dinner. However though, if you can remember a few wine labels that you’ve tasted in the past and wouldn’t mind having again tonight then you’ll probably find something at Brand’s for you. A word to the wise though, it can seem a bit tight inside because every inch of the floor is used for displaying wines (both on racks and in boxes). They also publish a monthly flyer that lists all their specials for the month, and you can usually find it near the counter. Now – a final word to the wise (and this is just in case you’re a shoplifter), Brand’s posts a «Wall of Shame» on their front door with the photos of all the shoplifters they’ve caught in the act, so think twice before you do it. Otherwise, happy shopping and enjoy your wine!

Opened until the wee hours of the night even on Sundays? Nuff said. The prices are great as well. Have been shocked at bottles of wines my friends have bought @750ml for the same price I can get a magnum (1.5L) sized one. After the recent renovation there’s a lot more room to move around. My suggestion is to find out their delivery schedule because they run out of bottles of wines quick!

Solid selection on wines and liquors for the area, the latter for which one must ask the cashier as s/​he wanders the walled-​off perimeter of the store climbing an old-​school library shelf ladder to obtain your requested spirit. Hilarious. Not the friendliest staff, but to be expected, I suppose, as a newbie to the neighborhood. Great prices.

Until Unity Liquors on St. Nicholas got renovated, this was my go-​to spot to buy booze and I still come here every now and then because the selection and the prices are great.
You’ll appreciate that there isn’t plexiglass separating you from all the booze, but don’t expect to get full access to the supplies; the counter wraps around the store, so you’re limited to milling around among the wine bottles.
FYI: There are often some sketchy-​ish characters loitering outside the store, but welcome to the neighborhood, right?

WATCH OUR FOR FLIMSY BAGS. we bought wine and a $ 30 bottle of port. the double bags broke as we were stepping onto the subway and the bottle of port fell and broke. WATCH OUT FOR FLIMSY BAGS. and now when i call to tell them, there is a modem tone at their number. no one answers.

Yes the crowd and clientele is wild, but the BEST price and surprisingly great selection of wines and spirits! Love the place!

I’ve been going here for years. They have a pretty good selection and I was able to find Tej there. Tej is an Ethopian honey wine. If I can find «that» in this neighborhood. They got my vote! And the location is less than a 3 block treck! Yay!

The aesthetics and some of the clientèle are less than savory, sure. But you didn’t come here for the scenery.
You came here for two things, and two things only: to get your liquor and to get blitz on said liquor. Keep your eye on the prize.
Before coming here, there are several things to remember:
1) Selection is overwhelming and plentiful, but space makes it not so easily accessible. Don’t try anything. Just go wait on line.
2) There is always a line.
3) When its your turn, you better have a good idea of what you want. No pondering and browsing. The staff is militant with their delivery (but very helpful with choosing a brand) and the rest of the line doesn’t have alot of patience.
4) Cash for under $ 20 and over $ 150.
5) It will be delicious.

I have lived in this neighborhood FOREVER and I have to say Brand’s is one of my go to places for Liquor. It’s always open and if you plan ahead and are not a last min person you can get help from one of its workers. To be truthful I would ask either the owner or one of her relatives if you’re looking for something special. It really is a Neighborhood treasure it has some quasi Astor moments…

What a pleasure!
…to walk into a liquor store in West Harlem where I don’t have to shout through bulletproof glass. Woot!
Decent selection, decent prices, helpful and courteous staff.
Relative to the neighborhood, this place def. deserves 4 stars. Perhaps 5. Where else around here can a chap find Campari?

What to say about Brand’s? First, they used to have the most awesome neon sign in front, but that’s gone now.
Second, Brand’s has everything. You want some fine port? They’ve got it. You’re looking for some good wine? Just root around a bit among the crates in the middle of the store. You’ll be surprised by what you find. You’re looking for some Southern Comfort, Nutcracker, or Alize? You can get it here.
Oh, and their prices? Cheap! Woo!