Paul’s Wine & Spirits

Paul’s is great. The staff are always friendly and ready with recommendations. They have an good selection of interesting wines, ranging from budget to high-​end. The Friday evening tastings are a nice way to start the weekend. And they’re dog-​friendly.

Frustrating place… sometimes they need to order commonly purchased Liquors, e.g. Chivas Regal or additional bottles of wine that are on the shelf. Today I spent close to five hundred dollars. At the end of the transaction I asked the man if I could leave my car in their lot for an additional ten minutes. He said «you’re good.» I thanked him. Within five minutes his colleague came next door where I was shopping and asked me to let them know the next time I was going to leave my car in their lot. I replied that I was given permission. He sad he did not know… but he was standing next to us at the counter… and after spending that kind of money!

I love this place! I always run here to get a little champagne for my special events. The staff is always helpful and knowledgeable and like everyone is saying the prices are very good.
This has become my new favor liquor store!

Every Thursday is a Spirit tasting event and Friday is wine tasting… Boom!
This spot has a very good selection of wine and spirits. Given that its a family owned business (father and daughter team). They provide that personal touch as they want you to come back again… If they dont have it in stock, I am sure they will provide a great comparable to what they do have in stock and also tell you they can get it, if your the type that sticks only to their staple taste… The father (Paul) has a great knowledge of classic spirits and wines and the daughter (Nicole) has a great knowledge of modern liquors, spirits and wines… Great location (short walk from the Friendship Heights Metro stop) as well as free parking right next to the store and most of all a friendly atmosphere…

This is a great wine and liquor store. The prices for wine are a little more than I am used to paying in VA, but there is still a good selection. Liquors are a bit cheaper than in VA. I will probably stick with my stores in VA, but this is great for stopping in when I am in DC for a party and don’t want to cross state lines with booze. I love the fact they have off street parking, though it is a bit tricky getting out afterwards.

Had to come into DC cuz all the Montgomery County DLC stores were closed due to Hurricane Sandy. Was greeted at the counter warmly and helped right away.

Went in to pick up my LivingSocial deal that I purchased. Very convenient to the metro at Friendship Heights. Its a very small place, but the staff was knowledgeable, and friendly. I will totally come back, whenever I’m in the area. The prices are pretty good as well. Almost the same as some of the liquor stores in my neighborhood.

The very best wine and liquor shop in the DC area. It’s small, so they concentrate on the kind of wines that high-​volume superstores like Total Wine or the MoCo stores can’t deal with. As a result, when there are 10 cases of a high-​rated but low-​availability wine at the distributor, Paul’s gets them. Some times these are one-​shot deals, sometimes recurring. (Rodman’s, across the street, does similar deals and is a bit bigger.) They have some fabulous affordable wines that you don’t see too many other places. They also have some great deals on more expensive wines. But you won’t be able to go here and expect to find any specific wine in quantity. They simply don’t have room for a big inventory.
For spirits, they have some great offerings. I wanted a VSOP cognac, and they offered me one from a smaller producer that was considerably less expensive than Remy Martin, my regular cognac, and comparable in quality.
This place doesn’t have room for a full selection of craft beers, unfortunately, but they have made a real commitment to good beer. (For a great selection, you need to go across the street to Rodman’s.)
My first few times, I found the staff a bit intimidating, but now I’m recognized and welcomed as a regular. The staff are extremely helpful and don’t push the high-​cost stuff. They want your continued business.

I found Paul’s through a Living Social coupon, and as I was in Bethesda on business and Paul’s was only a couple miles away, I decided to cash it in. One of the first things that set me on the path to true love was they have their own dedicated FREE parking garage… for anyone who’s tried to find parking in DC, you can understand why this had me swooning. Next, when I walked in, I was overwhelmed by the selection of liquors they had in stock. For such a small store, they are very well stocked. When I made my way to the counter to collect on my coupon, they already had the specified bottles pre-​packaged and ready, and they have very nice wine bags that they provide at no additional cost, not the flimsy paper bags or a leftover box you get at a lot of stores. I asked about a specific wine that someone had recommended, and he proceeded to not only tell me that they don’t carry it, but went on to explain WHY they don’t carry it, and why I would be better off not wasting my money on it… VERY knowledgable. I then noticed that they carry Boulevard Brewing Company beers… I have NEVER seen these products this far east, as this is a Kansas City brewery and I only knew it to be sold locally in the KC area.
With all these unexpected surprises, I can say without a doubt that Paul’s has found themselves a new regular customer. Even with the ridiculous DC tax, it’s worth it when I’m in the area to stop in so I can benefit from the knowlegde and passion of the staff here. A true gem!

This is a tough call. It’s a small store but the liquor selection is decent, and you can find some of the more obscure things out there like Battavia Arrack and Rothman and Winter Apricot liqueur, as well as Dolin vermouths. The staff is also quite knowledgeable. That said, the beer selection is limited and a tad overpriced, and the staff also have a tendency to be gruff to the point of being downright rude. It can also be annoying to have to scan the majority of the liquor inventory behind the counter rather than browse through it out on the floor. It’s adequate enough though, and the art deco neon sign is cool enough for me to give it three stars.

I wish I could give them more than five stars. It’s a small store across the street from Rodman’s — which has a much better beer and wine selection. However, if you need liquor, Paul’s the place to go. They have the best whiskey prices, by far, in the DC area — it’s not even close. The staff is exceptionally knowledgeable and they seem to really like their jobs.
I was overseas recently at a duty free and was surprised to see that Paul’s was still cheaper even with DC tax.

Paul’s is the alcohol store my parents used to take me to as a kid — as in, I’ve been going here even before I could drink! Now as a full-​aged drinker, I appreciate the good prices. I’ve never found the staff particularly friendly, but as soon as I asked a question, their faces lit up, and I got a good rec.

This is one of three liquor stores I use, buying all my wine here. In addition to a large selection, the clerks are very happy to make selections for me — as I know next to nothing about choosing wines. I’ll give them a 40% hit rate for finding good wines at my price of $ 15/​bottle (way better than I do on my own) and ensure an impressive amount of variety exists in my cellar. Great!

Meh. Extremely limited beer selection, crowded wine «aisles», grumpy staff. Prices consistently cheaper at Rodman’s.
I think I gave an extra star for a cute exterior.

I love the staff here, they’re always helpful, and if they don’t have it in stock, they can order it.
That being said, the reason it’s not 5 stars is that it’s a little on the smaller side. There are other stores around with as much selection in terms of wines. But you likely won’t get the same level of service.
Good prices, decent selection, great staff. If you live close by, don’t skip them in favor of the MoCo liquor store down the street-Paul’s a better choice.

I work in the Chevy Chase Center up the road from Paul’s, and until recently, I had never been there, because there’s a Montgomery County –run wine and liquor store on the first floor of my building. It’s REALLY hard to compete with convenience like that– I don’t even have to leave the parking garage! But Paul’s has now wooed me away, and although the MoCo ABC store is perfectly fine, and the guys on the staff are super nice, I think I’m going to have to go to Paul’s from now on. Here’s why:
I had a fantastic cocktail at a restaurant a few weeks ago that used St. Germaine liqueur. I knew very little about it, other than it was an elderflower liqueur, but I really wanted to recreate the cocktail at home, so I knew I needed to go out and get some. Luckily, my old standby Moco store had it… but at a rather high price. I wasn’t sure if I was getting fleeced or not, so I checked a few other nearby stores, and sure enough, they all had equally high prices. However, the last place I called was Paul’s– and they had not only the bottle, but the gift set with a full sized bottle and decorative carafe for about $ 10 less than everyone else! Needless to say, I made my way down there that very night.
But the great price I got wasn’t the only reason I’ll be buying all my alcohol there from now on– they also have great service. After directing me to the St. Germaine, James (who I think is one of their usual guys) also helped me find and select other ingredients for the cocktail I was trying to make, and gave me a quick tour of their inventory. Now, I’ll admit, the place is pretty small, and they don’t have the largest inventory around, but what they have is fantastic. In fact, when he showed me their specialty section, I almost shrieked in delight to find that they carried a particular dessert wine I’d been looking for since 2006! (My family tasted it on a trip to Napa, and we all LOVED it, but I haven’t been able to find it locally anywhere since! I’d tell you what it is, but I don’t want the supply to run out!)
So, adding up the great service, great prices, and overall good experience, I’d have to say that Paul’s is my new go-​to liquor and wine store. Oh, and one other bonus– they have a bunch of free parking spots right next to the building that are reserved for customers, so you don’t have to pay the meter just to make a quick stop! That’s a definite bonus for a store on Wisconsin Ave.

We went there to stock up on wine they give a good discount for case of wines. There was a guy I can’t remember his name who’s really great at picking out wines for you. He was very informative with the varietals definitely useful. They have wines from all over but especially the french regions — Pomerol, Crozes, Chateaunuef du Pape and all the bordeaux ones, Cotes Du Rhones, some South African, very big on South America Malbecs and Pinot Noir. Lots of Californian wines as well. Price ranging from $ 8 — $ 50 average. They also stock beer and liquors. Bought a bottle of Jefferson’s Reserve there — that was good!!! They have a small but cool garage parking next door.

Damn, I wanted to upgrade this place and I have already given it five stars.
very helpful staff, bargain basement whiskey prices — some great deals and they will work with you, great selection of wine, not so much on the beer.
e.g. current deal 12 year old highland park (normal retail $ 50) with a minature of the 18 year old (retail $ 130) for $ 35
did I mention how great their name is ??

This is the best liquor store in DC. Period. They know their stuff. And they greet you and help you. Everytime.
Get on the email list and they will let you know when there is a tasting coming up. Or better yet, when a great wine is going to be marked down.

I like Paul’s. They have what you need and it won’t break the bank! The guys who work here are also super friendly and are really helpful. Most of the liquor is behind the counter, so you do have to ask. They really care about making sure you will be happy with whatever your purchase — helped me pick out some wine that I ended up really enjoying.