Sportsman's Wine & Liquors

I visited this store on Tuesday, April 22 around 8:30 PM to pick up a bottle for a small carne asada with friends. I asked a few questions about what they had, including Don Julio and Wheatley, and instead of getting clear answers, the employee responded in a way that felt dismissive and a little condescending. I didn’t feel like my questions were being taken seriously, which made the interaction uncomfortable from the start. When I handed over my ID, he asked me to say my date of birth even though it was clearly listed on the card. I wasn’t trying to cause an issue—I just pointed that out. But it felt like he was trying to challenge me unnecessarily. When I decided not to go through with the purchase and asked for my ID back, he didn’t return it right away, which added to the discomfort. Only after I mentioned that there was a police officer outside did he give it back. The experience left me feeling uneasy. I understand the need to verify IDs, but the way it was handled felt more like intimidation than policy. I won’t be returning, and I hope future customers are treated with more respect.

I’ve visited this store on and off for about 10 years. The staff are super kind and the store probably has what you need. That said, the last time I was there I reached for a bottle of grenadine and was scratched pretty badly by an exposed screw. When mentioning this hazard to the employee working, he commiserated by mentioning his own screw related injuries. I found this response bizarre given that I was actively bleeding a lot! please fix the exposed screws in the shelving so that people don’t end up bleeding all over your store. xoxo

First time in this liqueur store even live in Mount Pleasant for 11 years. VERY friendly bearded gentleman, forgot to ask him for name, bought MEZCAL, he had four different kinds. Small store, but very well stocked. Will be back for more. Thank you!

Been shopping here for years. Great customer service. Good specials. Good inventory for a small neighborhood store.

The staff here are very nice and the prices are reasonable. Great little neighborhood standby, well worth a visit.

Pretty decent selection for a small shop, especially on the liquor side. Prices are average for DC, but they sometimes have good specials!

Good shopping place for all of your wine and all kinds of liquors. Owner is very nice and nice.

Nice store, polite, friendly proprietors and an extensive inventory. Parking is tight though

Nice people work here! It's very small with an okay wine selection. Tons of alcohol though! Learned that this is the oldest liquor store in the district! So cool to me cause I'm a nerd

The owner is amazing. Super helpful and has great recommendations! I've been in a number of times looking for something specific and even if they don't have it they have great options - even occasionally provide tastings. Highly recommend!

Great liquor at great prices and a great local newspaper

Hands down the best wine and spirit store I have frequented in the area. What they make up for in size is an unparalleled selection of great liquors that you can't find anywhere. On top of the fine selection of wares is the great customer service you get from the proprietor: he is warm, knowledgeable, and extremely professional. If you want a great experience on top of competitively priced alcohol, make sure to put this place at the top of your list

My lushness has come full circle, to the point where I'm reviewing Sportsman's Wine and Liquors. Here's why it's awesome: they have mini wine tastings in the shop. Yes, the shop is cramped but they still manage to find the space to sling free samples. Secondly, the owner knows his liquors. Seriously. Want a good recommendation for a fruity cordial? Or what to mix with that gin? The owner will know. Thirdly, they have specials on stuff that you'd actually want to buy (not cleaning-out-our-closet-of-non-selling goods). While I might go elsewhere for my beer, I'll always go to Sportsman's for everything else.

A solid-if-unremarkable beer and wine selection (Samber Market a few doors down has the edge in terms of selection and quality) sold by some very friendly and helpful guys. They've got all the bases covered when it comes to liquor, and the prices are about equal to those at Lee-Irving. Sportsman's is a neighborhood institution - if you live on the north end of Mt. Pleasant Street, you can pretty much count on running into a few of your neighbors while you're digging through their coolers.

This liquor store is one of those hole-in-the-wall looking ones you walk by every day without thinking twice about. It's your standard neighbourhood liquor store where most of the customers go to get lotto tickets and your Mt. Pleasant drunks go to try buy more pints of vodka. Why 4 stars then? Well. The people who work there are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable and the prices are competitive. I was in there last week and a customer asked if they had a floral liqueur and the owner offered to order it just for her. The wine selection is spot-on with a good selection of varietals - and they also have wine tastings some Saturdays. For a corner liquor store, Sportsmans is the best in Mt. Pleasant.

They are always friendly, have a decent selection, and there are within walking distance of my house. You can't beat that!

This liquor store is incredible for one reason: the owner. He must have a PhD in owning a small business. His customer service is unlike anything I've ever seen... which is why (even if the prices are a few bucks more) this is the only liquor store I shop at. Examples? He knows everybody by name. He recommends new liquors based off what he knows I like (and if I don't like them, he always tells me I can return them for a refund). He's let me try some of his private stash. He's fronted me money when I forgot my wallet... and I've only lived in the neighborhood 6 weeks. You can tell Arun genuinely likes owning this store and loves to get to know his customers. I can't suggest this store strongly enough.

Stopped in here on a whim on a way to a fall-themed party the other week. My mission? Good autumn beer. None of that Blue Moon Harvest Moon or Sam Adams junk - something truly amazing. And oh - I found it. Weyerbacher Pumpkin Ale. yummmmm. The husband and wife duo who own the shop were very helpful in helping me select the perfect brew - although it is a bit pricier ($13 for 4) it is worth it, as they advertised. They know what they are talking about, and they have an excellent selection of beers (Weyerbacher and others) I couldn't find at other local stores. Thumbs up.

Great neighborhood place to grab a bottle or two. It has convenient hours and good prices. The owner is super nice too.

Just glanced around, mostly, but the regular prices on booze seemed a little above average, but the sales were pretty good. I hate walking into a store and not buying anything so I ended up with a fifth of Bushmills for 19.99. The beer selection/pricing was really damn bad, though. On the other hand, the folks here were really nice. I'll probably be back if I just want one bottle of liquor for myself, but I imagine there's somewhere nearby where I can buy liquor and beer at the same time.

This is a great neighborhood small business. I look forward to seeing and talking with the friendly staff here, its part of why I go. I often ask if they will stock my favorite brand and there's never any hesitation to do so. There's tastings every week of some kind of product and the owner has tasted most everything in the store. That's not always easy to find in the district. This is not a "hole in the wall" but a family-owned business with great staff and a comfortable atmosphere. Come in, introduce yourself and you won't regret it.

Enough can't be said about Arun. He's very knowledgable about his selection, and if you're looking for something, let him know. I've occasionally asked for an obscure beer, and if it's not there, he's offered to order it for me on several occasions. His knowledge of his products is also stellar- he's made some solid wine and liquor recommendations to me. As far as customer loyalty goes, this is what living in Mt. Pleasant is all about.

Well-stocked, good location, but if you're going to correct customers' pronunciations of items, you should be darn sure you're right! I was headed here today to pick up some crème de cassis for Christmas Eve, and I called on my way to see if Sportsman's had it. Guy on the phone said "Yes, we have CREAM de cassis." I'm not a pronunciation snob-- in fact, I'm the opposite-- so this was such a turn-off that I ended up going to Irving Wine and Spirits down the street instead for what I needed. When I came home, the entire internet confirmed that my pronunciation had been correct-- it's a French word after all, with that little accent on it-- so, meh, Sportsman's. You've got a good thing going on, but try not to make potential customers feel stupid.

This is a great liquor store! The owner (Arun) is very nice and is extremely knowledgeable about his products. He has excellent recommendations and often offers me deals / discounts. The selection is good and the prices are good, too. This is a great neighborhood small business that has excellent customer service. Sometimes they even have wine tastings, so I'll stop by on my way home from work just to see if they have anything new or fun happening. Try it! It's great!

Arun runs a great place. Super friendly, good prices, good recommendations. I generally go elsewhere for wine (picky) but this is a great neighborhood liquor store

This is a great liquor store. Arun is so friendly and remembers all his customers by name. He always gives good recommendations and is very knowledgeable about all his products. He has a wonderful and very helpful staff. I highly recommend this store.

Arun GETS IT. I'm here at least once a week (oh hey drinking habit) pickin' up a little somethin' something.....whether it be beer, wine, or liquor. I'm always greeted with a warm hello and given recommendations for what I'm looking for. If they don't have it, they will look in the back and if they don't have it, will likely order it for you. I could go to Samber Market next door or Argyle across the street for booze, but the friendly and helpful staff keeps me coming back for more. This is one of the many small business in Mt. Pleasant that I just love and needs to stay in the neighborhood forever.

Fantastic local liquor store. Extremely friendly owner with a good selection and excellent prices on my favorite top shelf tequila.

The owner is very helpful and I have never been disappointed with his wine recommendations. I am happy to support this local business as opposed to buying wine from that long aisle at Giant.

Meh..always closed when I walk past..If you're into alcohol, this is the best place to go out of the three stores nearby.

This neighborhood gem is utterly unappealing on the outside but on the inside if full of expert advice and friendly neighborliness. The couple who own it are always friendly. I don't know my wines, so I asked for a wine suggestion to go with a wild rice and cashews, and they nailed it. The outside looks like any other alcohol corner store, but the people who run it make it a perfect Mt.Pleasant experience.