Gordon's Yellow Front Wines & Liquors

Store

177 Colman St
New London, Connecticut, 06320-3534
United States

(860) 443-5937 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.97
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
23
pDev:
17.88%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Gouldsby:
Photo of Gouldsby
Reviewed by Gouldsby from Ohio

5/5  rDev +25.9%
Astounded I grew up ten miles from here and never knew it existed...
Visited 12.26 and greeted by the owner, Ed, who shared some enthusiasm for DFH and Sam, who he remembers from his appearances at the annual New London BrewFest.

Stellar selection of both regional craft and imports: hooker [liberator], smuttynose [big series], allagash [interlude, anniversary, curieux], DFH [wws, immort, d'extra], victory [storm king], southampton, avery, clipper city, rodenbach, de dolle, urthel...

solid store and THE place to hit up east of the connecticut river.
Dec 28, 2006
More User Ratings:
Photo of justme
Reviewed by justme from Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 1.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
Found a lot of stuff not found elsewhere. Folks were friendly and courteous. The only down side, it smells bad. Wanted to make selections and get out fast!
Jan 14, 2016
Photo of SenorQuesadilla
Reviewed by SenorQuesadilla from Connecticut

1.49/5  rDev -62.5%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1.25 | service: 1 | selection: 2.5
Run by a total jerk, check the dates around the store, should tell you all you need to know. Go to one of the Grand Wine and Spirits or A+P Liquors, better service and more turnover of beer.
Dec 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.57 by Salamanderking42 from Connecticut

Mar 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by CTFalcon from Connecticut

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.56 by Likewhoa

Aug 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sellen from Connecticut

Jul 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Geekydad79 from Connecticut

Feb 09, 2014
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I'm not going to be the first person to mention the run-down look from the outside, so just ignore that, ignore the "make it up on the fly" parking, and just step inside.

You will not be disappointed.

Both American craft brewers and imports are well represented here. I managed to get my hands on some Weihenstephaner, Achel, and the Rochefort 6, 8, and 10 (I have seen none of those in the other local shops). The Founders selection was the best I've seen locally, and they had some limited NEBCO offerings.

Being on the other side of the river, Gordon's isn't worth the drive to become my routine destination, but it was WELL worth it to stock up my cellar.

A little bit more expensive than average, I'd say, but affordable.
Jun 06, 2013
Photo of ewhitford
Reviewed by ewhitford from Connecticut

3.41/5  rDev -14.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
This store is not much to look at inside and out, its pretty much a dump in the middle of new london! That being said they do have a wide variety of craft beer. they are def dedicated to bringing in stuff thats out of the regular and thats great but on the flip side of it i inspected some of there beer and there was alot of expired and or bad. They have a great selection but they have to make sure they rotate there stock and keep an eye out for beer that has gone bad. there pricing is very reasonable and there is no price gauging like Waterford wine and spirits. Its kinda a pain in the ass to get to this store but it def has one of the better craft beer selections in new london county, i still think that Mystic A&P has a better selection though.
Apr 18, 2012
Photo of Yankee12
Reviewed by Yankee12 from Connecticut

3.39/5  rDev -14.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
My first time here was to look at the craft selection. I heard there was alot to choose from and there was!!!

The guy there was helpful and friendly and was available to help me if I needed a suggestion.

They had alot of limited edition brews that I was interested in but I was concerned about the dates on some stuff. I noticed some anniversary ales from 08 that I stayed away from. All in all I bought 3 22oz bottles that were reasonably priced.

My only qualm was 1 of the bottles was already turned bad ( I tried it the day I bought it). I couldnt find any dates on the naked bottles that I bought but the other 2 were still ok. There was alot of dust on them and maybe I should have stayed away from that one figuring it was bad.

All in all it was an ok experience and I would check it out again.
Apr 08, 2011
Photo of starkystark
Reviewed by starkystark from Alaska

4.47/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
I'm a senior at the Coast Guard Academy in New London. I went here for the first time yesterday, and I was pretty blown away. To be honest, I never thought a place with such a nice selection existed in the area. My only knock is on the atmosphere, simply because a bunch of sketchy characters from New London would walk in and out while I was there. But overall, the staff was extremely helpful and educated, and the selection was AMAZING. I also appreciated how they laid out their selections by geographic region. Their cold selection in the back of the fridge was pretty impressive too.
Mar 18, 2011
Photo of zadams1
Reviewed by zadams1 from Connecticut

4.7/5  rDev +18.4%
Gordon's has to be best place to buy beer in SE Connecticut. Incredible selection of new and aged beers, import and domestic and generally hard to find stuff. Found some great Allagash, Great Divide, Stone and Bear Republic beers you can't find anywhere else. It's in a bit of a sketchy area with some real characters coming in but whoever is behind the desk is great and helpful. Really worth the trip and scouring through bottle after bottle.

Best of all you break six-packs...a huge plus. Enjoy this hidden gem!
Aug 18, 2010
Photo of 1benny1
Reviewed by 1benny1 from Connecticut

4.65/5  rDev +17.1%
First time I visited I was disappointed in the cold selection. Saw a lot of stuff I was interested in, but was leery it was old. Second time I went in looking for something special to celebrate a business deal and asked the owner. found out there was another cooler in the back of the store I`d missed. Nirvana!
What a great selection of imports and craft brews. They order anything I ask for, call me when its in. Great selection, great service. Decent prices. Victory, Stoudts, Brooklyn, Augustiner Brau, you name it.
Apr 24, 2010
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
Not far from route 95, the coast guard academy and also Conn. College in run down New London, this place has the goods. Extensive Belgians, Brit and Germans, All the usuals and more that you would expect in a fine beer distribution spot. Also had 10 Fidy cans (over $15 for a four pack, sheesh, expensive, but had to try some) the new hoppy wheat from Brooklyn, and new to the east coast brews from Ballast Point. Impressive selection for a place that looks like nothing special from the outside. Also full selections of booze and wine, all add up to make this place well worth checking out.
Mar 30, 2008
Photo of currysage1
Reviewed by currysage1 from Maine

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
Gordon's Yellow Front was a my oasis in a otherwise barren place. All around me was a sea of Budweiser and Corona. While I don't mind Bud if I'm cutting the lawn, it's not on my short list when I hit the packie.

There are a few of these in the area but the one listed here is by far the best. There was one a half mile from where I lived in New London, but I chose to drive 5 miles out of my way for their selection.

Their cold selection is what you would expect from any packie that is striving to be a little bit different from the norm. But their dry selection is awesome, tons of Imperial Stouts, Belgians in the ceramic swing tops. They also allowed you into their back cooler where they kept some of the good stuff cold as well.

Did I mention that their wine selection was not to bad either? At least it was the best I had found in that particular area.

God I miss the ocean.

From landlocked Western Massachusetts.
Jan 25, 2008
Photo of TheIPAHunter
Reviewed by TheIPAHunter from California

4.07/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.25
no need to expound on what's already been said, but i'll echo their sentiments. gordon's yellow front is a first-rate establishment where customer service and selection are unmatched. i won't speak for other states because it's not fair. however, i will say the following:

if you live in CT, specifically the southeastern region, and you haven't visited gordon's, you're depriving yourself of some of the world's finest beers. i've been there on numerous occasions and i would venture to guess that they hold at least 25 percent of BA's top 100.

did i mention the service? these guys will go out of their way to assist.

a can't miss for any beer enthusiast.

Note: Had to edit my initial review after a recent trip. While it appears that the selections have improved, I noticed several beers past their expiration date. Sculpin IPA with an enjoy by date of August 2012 is a no-no. Buyer beware.
Oct 02, 2007
Photo of ksbrainard
Reviewed by ksbrainard from Connecticut

4.65/5  rDev +17.1%
This is the greatest package store I've ever been to. It all started a few months ago. I wanted to try a saison. I called every liquor store in the phone book. I got mostly "huh?" type of answers. Not Gordon's. By the time I got to them, I was suspicious anyone would have Saison. He said they did, and I asked "what kind", and they said "Saison DuPont", so I knew they did. It turned out they had about 10 different saisons. They also have shelves full of Belgians, German, British, Czech, American, and maybe even other nationalities' beers.

The guy there was very helpful and knowledgable. And they're involved in the local brewing scene, doing events with Cottrell.

They are not in the best part of town, but they are very easy to get to once you figure it out the first time.

I have to drive about 15 minutes to get there, so sometimes I will still hit a pretty good store in town. But going to Gordons is like being a kid in a candy store. It's like you want one of everything. If you live anywhere near New London, or if you're visiting anywhere near New London - GO HERE!
Jul 23, 2007
Photo of klewis
Reviewed by klewis from Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
The service at Gordon's was very friendly and helpful. They've got a great selection of beers, particularly Belgians (including Cantillon), but also the largest selection that I've seen of English beers. The American section is oddly small, almost as if there wasn't enough room to offer any more. A thick layer of dust covers most of the bottles, so watch out for old stock and for styles that don't hold up well with lots of age. Very reasonable pricing. I'm quite glad I stopped by while in town.
Jun 16, 2007
Photo of jaxon53
Reviewed by jaxon53 from Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
Visited this store today for the first time. Boy was I surprised. Plenty of wine and liquor here. Tons of beer. The first thing I saw was a small rack filled with Allagash Musette, Interlude , Curieux, and Four, along with a half dozen bottles of Brooklyn's Local 1 . Not a bad start. Looked around the corner to see a small area of BMC. Directly across from there was plent of craft brew. Lagunitas, Dogfish, Ithica, Brooklyn, Sam Adams, and tons of other beer. Lots of German and other European beers as well. The other side of this rack had tons of Belgian brews. Piraat, Chimay, Achouffe, and a lot of others that I can't remember. I was really impressed. Talked to an older man at the register who said he could get alot of other brews too. Nice and helpful. Tons of beer, reasonable prices and very helpful. Really is worth a stop if in the area.
Mar 17, 2007
Photo of NEhophead
Reviewed by NEhophead from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
This is a rare find when it comes to liquor stores in Southeastern CT. I figured I would swing by to check out the selection, as it's about five minutes away from my work. Again, I had pretty low expectations going in, but I was extremely surprised by their variety and quality of brews. It's located off of Route 1 in New London (hardly a location that I would expect to find such a diverse assortment of good beer). Gordon's is a fairly large store with wine and liquor taking up the bulk of the floor space, but the craft beer represented should not be overlooked. There is a five foot wall of about four shelves high, housing six packs of micros from around the country including: a full line of DFH, Victory, Paper City, Cooperstown, Flying Dog, MH, Anchor (including past Celebrations), etc. There is also a space of about five feet, three shelves high of Belgain rarities (in this part of the state anyway), including: Rochefort, St. Bernardus, de Dolle, St. Sebastian, Fantome, Delrium (Tremens, Nocturnum, and Noel), de Ranke XX, etc. In addition to the Belgians there is also a five foot space, three shelves high, housing British, Irish, and German singles; half of which I've never even seen before. The only knock on this place (besides its location in the city) is that some of the bottles (the British/German ones) appeared to be a little out of date. With the Belgians it did not seem to be a problem as most of them age rather well, but if you're not careful you may pick up a pretty outdated Fuller's. Nonetheless, an absolute gem of a find; and in terms of rarities/selection, this is the best I've seen from Eastern CT.
Jun 19, 2005
Photo of UnionMade
Reviewed by UnionMade from New York

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
Located right on route 1, the place is pretty easy to find. It's a big cinderblock building painted white with a large yellow stripe around it.
Walking inside, the beer is on the far left, occupying a sizeable area of the store. Some coolers are against the back wall, filled mostly with macro beers and easy to find imports. The gem of the store occupies a room temperature display, with an impressive array of brews organized by country. The german, english, czech and other eastern european beers fill the side facing the door, and the other side is mostly belgian. Another shelf built on the wall houses a variety of american micros. The selection is impressive, with several imports I'd never seen before. The age of the beer is a bit questionable. Some of the imports I picked up were well expired, and they still had bottles of Old Saddleback, who have been out of business for a while.
The employees were friendly, offering assistance if needed, and joking with me when I brought my selections to the register. No funny looks for buying unusual beer.
The best liquor store in the New London area, hands down. THE place to buy beer in that area of the state.
Mar 16, 2004
Photo of markman
Reviewed by markman from Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
Ahh, Gordon's Yellow Front...a diamond in a goat's ass; a wide variety of brews available:
Highlights:
Victory: Storm King, Hop Devil, Old Horizontal etc

Rogue: Shakespeare Stout, Hazelnut Brown, Dead Guy, Mocha Porter

Brooklyn: Black Choc Stout, Brown Ale, etc

Allagash: White, Dubbel, Grand Cru, etc

Unibrou: Blanche de Chambly, Maudite, La Fin du Monde, Éphémère, Trois Pistoles

Chimay: Red, White, Blue

Brewery Ommegang : Ommegang, Three Phil, Rare Vos

Many other Belgians.
Many German brews
And a ton of choices from the British Isles.

Ed, the owner, is a great guy and will get anything you ask for (provided he use the only distributor legally allowed in SE CT). He is knowledgeable and the rest of the staff is very friendly. They have great wine selection as well...fill 'er up.

Cheers
Aug 06, 2003
Gordon's Yellow Front Wines & Liquors in New London, CT
Place rating: 3.97 out of 5 with 23 ratings