Steve O.
Yelp
I thought my original review was good. But, for the first time in some years, I visited Warehouse Wines. Today they no longer even have the selection they once did. The big island of odd-lot liquor is gone, replaced with vodka-seltzer cans and beer.
What once was true, now no longer is -really, at all. I once enjoyed buying spirits and wine at Warehouse. UI went there regularly for more than twenty years. Walking into Warehouse was an experience unlike any other liquor store. Virtually every price was lower than any other good liquor store -even a good one. But as much as the great bargains were a draw, they were combined with an odd-lot inventory that changed over and brought ever-new high tier and unusual offerings. It was like Easter egg hunting for booze!
Now I've discovered that I can find better prices on sale liquor at my local on the Upper East Side: right now they are selling Maker's Mark bourbon 1.75L for $54.99 -better than the last sale price at Warehouse that I saw. And this is true of most of most of what I drink.
Some time ago, I went and wrote this: I went back there again today, for what must be much more than my hundredth-plus time. No luck. I mean it: Zilch. Well, OK, I found one bottle of Tangueray's 'Old Tom' gin for $19.95. Ever heard the phrase 'the exception that proves the rule' ? ** Well the new rule is: Warehouse is just like everywhere else. I suspect the Costcos and other giant stores with cheap liquors that have invaded the greater NYC area have just eaten into Warehouse's market. And it seems the store was sold recently to new owners with different purposes. Their prices are now online -so compare with other stores locally (you can use "wine searcher" for liquor, too), and you will se they are higher than many others in NYC.
In the past I would recommend this place to real connoisseurs of liquor and wine, and to top bartenders seeking out their own supply, or even as a traveling bar when called in for catered events (try finding creme de violette for Aviations!). I recall when one English bartender I knew found a bottle of high-tier Mackay's scotch whisky, and couldn't believe it. Then later he found a bottle of 'Something Special' -which was a vatted malt scotch whisky only made on occasion from special parcels of scotch. He just bought me back drink after drink for recommending the place. I once found a case of Signatory Mortlach for $20 a bottle (well, I mean I felt compelled to buy a full case.) They were the last liquor store in the city to have the old Eagle Rare short bottle of bourbon at 101 proof -the good stuff.
And both a friend and I enjoy good port -especially tawny ports. Warehouse had always had a great odd-lot selection of 10 and 20 year old tawnys at half the price of other liquor stores. Now you cannot even find a selection of 10 year old twany's (while there, they had one, Warre's Otima.) No Australian port.
There were always some shortcomings at Warehouse; and most of it was wine. It's a big store with all kinds of offerings. The selection of wine was indiscriminate -much of it sheer 'plonk' as the British say. And you could not (and should not then or now) rely on the staff. Most are lucky to know the difference between shiraz and syrah, or why wine called 'chardonnay' in France is likely to be inferior. Also, I think they are told what to 'sell' for turnover -but I can't prove that. Still, the point is that the wine varies so much -if only for the number of bad years- that 'caveat emptor' was never truer in the Forum.
Again, though, back in the day if you went in with time on your hands, and a decent knowledge of wine, you could walk out with excellent bottles at half the price found in another store. That has not been true for some time at Warehouse: you get what you pay for, and they count the pennies. Blame Winesearcher. I don't know... it's a shame and not much fun.
With all that said, however, it is still one of the better liquor stores in the entire city. You won't Save an arm there; or find many interesting 'treasures.' But you can restock your bar from the biggest selection around. They have more rums, gins, tequilas than most stores. And, like most, they deliver free if you buy over a certain amount.
* BTW that expression does not mean what modern users usually think: 'prove' has an older meaning of 'test' -so the origin of the expression meant that an exception tested a (proposed) rule... and it failed. So, originally, the expression meant the opposite of how we use it to
