Bauer Wine & Spirits

Bauer Wine & SpiritsBauer Wine & Spirits
Bauer Wine & SpiritsBauer Wine & Spirits
Store

330 Newbury St
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115-2739
United States

(617) 262-0363 | map
bauerwines.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.32
Reviews:
77
Ratings:
92
pDev:
9.95%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jtk21351:
Photo of jtk21351
Rated by jtk21351 from California

4.05/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5

Jan 13, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of egrandfield
Rated by egrandfield from Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +15.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
There is a wonderful cat next to the beer inside. Pet a cat while buying beer (or wine)! Dude who works there is hella nice.
Jun 01, 2018
Photo of Glider
Reviewed by Glider from Massachusetts

3.97/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
For a tiny shop, this place has a nice selection. A bunch of coolers along the back with a lot of good stuff plus a couple shelves for some bigger bottles. The prices are actually not bad at all considering the Newbury St location. If you are nearby and need some beer, it is definitely worth a stop.
Feb 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.22 by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

Dec 19, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by GRG1313 from California

Feb 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.15 by Squire from Mississippi

Jun 27, 2016
Photo of INWarner413
Reviewed by INWarner413 from Texas

2.73/5  rDev -36.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 2
Really don't understand why this place is rated as high as it is. Selection was the most disappointing; seriously nothing impressive about what was in stock. A nice location and service was fine, but I thought a very poorly ranked location via BA standards was far superior to this. Nothing world-class here at all.
Jun 18, 2016
Photo of Seakyden
Reviewed by Seakyden from Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +11.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Love this place. It's the closest to my work office, but that's not why I go. Small beer selection, but nothing but quality beers. New items are in weekly, so you never see the same things sitting around. Plus, the staff are great guys. Howie, Colin, and Jeff are always lively and down for a quick chat. With the addition of the single beers shelf in the front, this place got even better.
Feb 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.94 by benzalman from California

Nov 13, 2015
Photo of drrone
Reviewed by drrone from Utah

4.41/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
A nice little place. Close to the convention center. Not a large beer selection, but a good mix of cold and shelf beer. A fair amount of harder to find beers, but nothing really rare though. Staff was helpful and friendly. A little on the pricer side and they only sell a few individual beers. Worth checking out if in the area.
Oct 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.8 by WoostaBia from Massachusetts

Oct 31, 2014
 
Rated: 3.86 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Aug 16, 2014
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -3.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4
For a city liquor store, Bauer is a hard place to beat. It's located on pricey Newbury Street (between Massachusetts Avenue and Hereford). It's an underground location which makes it easy to miss. It's location requires it to be somewhat expensive, but it is also convenient for the Back Bay residents.

For a small store, they back a lot of interesting and unusual brews (and wines/spirits). One of the great features they have is mailing list for new and unusual arrivals. This gives one a great chance to catch the latest (rare) offerings. I also like that they have many unusual imports--it would be very easy for them to focus only on domestic craft beer.

I would not describe this as a "go to" place, but if you are in the area, it's worth checking out.
Jul 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by mdaschaf from Indiana

Jul 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Ant4711 from South Carolina

Jul 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by pisano from Massachusetts

Jul 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by BeerThursdays from Delaware

Jun 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by doremite from Vermont

May 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by afi4lifer from Massachusetts

Jan 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

Nov 10, 2013
Photo of Wukk
Reviewed by Wukk from New York

4.89/5  rDev +13.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
This place is conveniently located in the Back Bay and is worth a trip from further out. There's a lot of Belgian and European beers and a pretty great selection of American beers. What's on the shelf may underwhelm you at first. The first time I went I left without buying anything and I didn't speak to anyone. When I came back I spoke with their beer guy, who was really helpful, and found a lot of the things I was looking for. If you ask him about a beer he'll either bring you a bottle, discuss it, or tell you where to find it. A great place.
Oct 27, 2013
Photo of BostonHops
Reviewed by BostonHops from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
selection here is relatively small (modest-sized Newbury St shop with only so much room able to be devoted to craft - as brew clearly plays second-fiddle to wine) but the beers seem to be thoughtfully appointed. locals are well represented along with an nice assortment from some of the well-known national brewers. you can tell the beer manager put some thought into the selections, going a bit beyond the usual craft staples. decent assortment of Belgians available as well. again, not the type of place in which you'll spend an hour just poring over all the options, but definitely some quality beers to be had. service was friendly and helpful. prices were about average for the area.

bottom line: I wouldn't go out of my way to get here the way the way I might with Julio's or Marty's (or even Charles St liquors just over in the Beacon Hill vicinity), but if you're in the Back Bay? worthy of a stop... definitely one of the better options for craft in the downtown Boston area.

obviously Bauer is a wine and spirits vendor too; review is strictly for the beer.
Sep 06, 2012
Photo of bigdaddypolite
Reviewed by bigdaddypolite from Minnesota

4.64/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Great little shop located on Newbury Street in Boston. I stopped in when visiting Boston for a few days and staying at the nearby Sheraton. I probably stopped in about 6 times over the course of 3 days (kept making new space in the luggage or drinking my bottles!). It's a great break for beer fans who are not as excited about the other shopping options along Newbury.

The place is small due to their location, but everything they carry is high quality. Picked up some nice stuff I can't get in MN, including Heady Topper, Maine Brewing, Pretty Things, and some imports I haven't seen before (my first beer from Iceland). Their beer guy Tom is very friendly and knowledgeable.

I can't compare to other Boston area options first hand, but it was a great stop as a visitor. Prices seemed reasonable to me, especially considering the location. Only improvement would be getting rid of some of that wine to make room for more beer!
Jun 03, 2012
Photo of Hopdaemon39
Reviewed by Hopdaemon39 from New York

4.66/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
I just found out about this place and wish I had known earlier. They have a relatively small collection if beers but almost all of them are top notch and things you wouldn't see very many other places. I came away with a bottle of Boulevard chocolate ale and another of Three Floyds (!!!) Boogoop. Prices were reasonable- nothing is cheap in Boston but you should be able to find something good in your price range. Not too much in the way of six packs but if you're looking for something you haven't had before and you're in back bay this is your store. I saw De Dolle, Boulevard, Allagash, lots of German and Austrian lagers, and other beers of interest.

Update: Have been back numerous times to great success! Tom the beer guy is exceptionally nice and very knowledgeable.
Feb 05, 2012
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

4.47/5  rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
I think the store's strongest point is its strong selection of beers. Even though they have a limited stock, the vast majority beers tend to be high quality seasonals and yearlys. I do wish they would expand their stock to include a few more breweries, though.

The service is just amazing, helpful and friendly. Their beer guy is knowledgeable and the other staff members also have a decent knowledge about their own stock. One of the staff even offered to open up a bottle to sample.

The atmosphere is nice, homey and a little on the dim, which is good for the merchandise. I enjoyed the few beer tasting that I've been to and they do a good job helping sell their beer.

The only complaint I have is that the prices are just a little high for a poor law student but that may be due to their location and MA taxes and bottle deposits.
Dec 03, 2011
Photo of FightingEntropy
Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

4.44/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Not far from the Hynes stop on the green line, this great little bottle shop is a couple of blocks from the Sheraton and several other hotels near Boylston St. Wished I would've hit it it earlier in the trip instead of the on the last day. Great range of beers and a large refrigerated section so it doesn't have to be chilled from room temperature in the hotel room. I went back to the hotel with BrewDog, Green Flash and Stone, including my first bottle of Old Guardian 2011 for the year. And, the have a friendly grey cat who came out to say hi during my purchase.
Jul 09, 2011
Photo of mrmateo
Reviewed by mrmateo from Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +1.9%
Bauer wine and spirits has a great selection of craft beers and they have beer from local breweries witch is a big plus they have beer that i cant seem to find at any other store like brews from founders and dogfish head every time i go in theres only 1 or 2 people working and there very nice but not really hands and not everyone is beer savvy so if i want something new i have to wait for the right person to ask about flavor and things like that , and besides the beer they have a great selection of wine and hard liquor. its the perfect one stop shop. plus even the hard liquor comes from local companies and that includes gins, rums, and vodka
Feb 14, 2011
Photo of rowingbrewer
Reviewed by rowingbrewer from Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +0.7%
This is a small shop in boston, with a mid sized selection of craft brews due to their smaller size, and their wine selection. However the brews that they do have are all very good, and fresh. the service is top notch here, Whenever I'm in the shop if the beer manager (Nick i think) is there he is more than willing to lend a hand in finding selections or giving suggestions. they are also willing to hold bottles of the more limited release beers, all you have to do is ask. the prices are also on par with any other shop in the area or even a little lower. Definitely worth your time to pop in and check this shop out.
Dec 31, 2010
Photo of tigg924
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -13.2%
Bauer Wine & Spirits is a neat little hole in the wall on Newbury. The variety is good for a store here, but the focus is clearly on wine. They have five coolers against the back wall, three of which are for bombers. They also have a separate shelf for high end bottles like Deus. A good variety in the bombers. Plenty of Cantillion, AleSmith, and Pretty Things amongst others. Service was friendly but not overly interactive. The prices here were on the high end. Bottles were at least $1 more then what I could find them closer to me. They did have some rarities though. If I had a bit of money, I could see myself popping up here a couple times a year to grab some of these white whales.
Sep 07, 2010
Photo of tikk
Reviewed by tikk from Canada (YT)

3.7/5  rDev -14.4%
For a tiny hole in the wall shop they have a pretty decent selection of craft brewery. They do focus on wine and some of the employees are not that helpful if you are looking for recommendations. This is one of the few places I know of that carries Dieu De Ciel so I tend to visit them bi-weekly. The selection is good for the limited floor space they have for beer, they tend to carry Great Divide, Pretty Things, Founders, Bear Republic, Victory and many others. They carry a few sours and Krieks, not my cup of tea so I can't say if they are good. I do recommend Bauer Wine and Spirits if you are in the area, but I wouldn't make it the basis of a trip(unless you need Dieu Du Ciel like me)

Edit: I forgot to mention that being in the heart of Boston they are a tad overpriced, but I am willing to spend a little more to get a little more.
Jan 18, 2010
Photo of SpeedwayJim
Reviewed by SpeedwayJim from New York

3.6/5  rDev -16.7%
Bauer Wine and Spirits is a mostly wine shop with a small beer section in the back.

Quality of their product was pretty good. They had 1 fridge for six packs and singles and 1 shelf of 750ml and bombers. Beer was kept at a good temperature and labels seemed to up to date and fresh.

There essentially wasn't any service. The place is actually rather small and while there at around 8 PM, there was one clerk attending to the customers. If you needed help, you could get it, but if you're looking for a beer suggestion or just want to talk about the selection, you're pretty much outta luck unless their beer guy is there.

The selection here, after reading all the rave reviews from BA, was a little disappointing. No Founders and only a really limited supply of Lost Abbey. Even stuff from Pretty Thing was pretty limited. Definitely not what I expected.

Value here comparatively to a couple of the other well reviewed places is actually pretty good.
Oct 18, 2009
Photo of yemenmocha
Reviewed by yemenmocha from Arizona

3.85/5  rDev -10.9%
Great service, convenient & cute location, but somewhat limited as far as craft beer selection. In fact that was my only negative was that the craft beer selection was quite limited and omitted several very popular breweries (such as Founder's), among others. Employees did not seem knowledgeable about craft beer, did not know about several popular names, and politely informed me that if I don't see it then they don't carry it.

Prices were reasonable given the area. For wine and spirits it wasn't too bad either. I just wish they had more craft beer.
Oct 05, 2009
Photo of naiserie
Reviewed by naiserie from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7.4%
I've dropped in here a few different times now and it's just OK.

As others have mentioned, they have lot's of quality brews but the breadth just isn't there compared to other shops in the area.

The people working are all as helpful as they can be for such a small collection. Everyone seems to know exactly what they have, and is more than willing to double check if there is something in the back.

Recently, after picking up and paying for a Rochefort 10 and a few other singles, I noticed they sold glassware and asked the price of an Ommegang tulip...the clerk insisted I take one for free, insisting that I ought to drink the good beers I'd just purchased out of the appropriate glassware. It was a nice gesture, and I'll definitely drop back into the shop whenever I'm on Newbury because of it.

Worth stopping by if your in the area, but not really a must visit in Boston.
Jul 09, 2009
Photo of Brad007
Reviewed by Brad007 from Vermont

4.15/5  rDev -3.9%
Stopped by this place while in Boston because it was close to my hotel.

Selection isn't huge but they have a lot of beers on the BA top 100.

Prices are on the high side but I scored some really nice beers and total came to under 60 bucks for a bomber each of expresso oak aged yeti, mikkeller beer geek, avery maharaja and about 3 or four other bombers.

Atmosphere is nice but catered more to the wine crowd.

Not a bad place but I've seen bigger selections elsewhere. Still worth it for what I picked up.
Mar 21, 2009
Photo of deltatauhobbit
Reviewed by deltatauhobbit from Maine

4/5  rDev -7.4%
Took a weekend trip into Boston to see Metallica and thought I should pick up some beers I can't get up in Maine (at least without trading for them).

I checked out some sites here on BA and found this one to be the most promising, especially considering they said they got some Imperial Stout Trooper in a week or so ago. When I got there, my eyes glazed over to see they still had some (and plenty). I was tempted to buy them all up but decided that would be rude (and make me quite broke). Picked up some Ten Fidy as well and was going to get some Choklat as well, but I was too giddy about the Stout Trooper and totally forget to pick some up to try, oh well.

Nicely organized store, beer in the back, called for directions to the place and they informed me of how to get there, overall a good store (not very big though).
Jan 19, 2009
Photo of alovesupreme
Reviewed by alovesupreme from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -2.8%
Bauer is right near my school, so I often stop by and see whats new in stock. The Beer guy is extremely knowledgable and only keeps the best beers in stock. I have found several beers here that were not available anywhere else in boston, the selection is not huge but everything is top notch. I will continue to frequent Bauer and always look forward to the next hard to find beer they have when nowhere else seems to. They also have beer tastings just about once a month which are worth stopping by for.
Dec 14, 2008
Photo of IBUnit63
Reviewed by IBUnit63 from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -2.8%
This is an aesthetically-pleasing store tucked in below street level on Newbury St. about a block from the Hynes T stop. Friendly, helpful crew in there - all are quite pleasant and laid-back. Space is limited as others have mentioned so the breadth of selection isn't enormous by any means but they make up for this in the quality of their offerings. Most are in the coolers on the back wall, with a Southern Tier display on the corner and a few Christmas gift sets near the wine. Speaking of the ST display thought it was very cool of them to mark down the early 2008 backburner and the cherry saison to push it out, especially with the new BB coming at the turn of the year and the cherry saison...well, enough about that. Prices as a whole are commensurate with the area - no great surprises there. I don't make a habit of running 'round Newbury Street too often but when I'm in the neighborhood I stop in here and am rarely disappointed. Keep up the good work.
Nov 12, 2008
Photo of Trailmix242
Reviewed by Trailmix242 from Nevada

3.85/5  rDev -10.9%
Bauer is the closet place to my home to get a decent selection of Belgiums and micro brews. The staff is always friendly and knowlegable. The one downfall is their lack of space which does limit the selection and also being in downtown Boston the prices aren't exactly cheap. I frequent the place but wish they were able to carry more beers or at least get rid of the swill and fill the cooler with more good beer. One other nice point is that they do occasionally have tastings with representatives from various breweries or distributors though the wine tastings are much more frequent then the beer tastings.
Sep 03, 2008
Photo of WillieMoe
Reviewed by WillieMoe from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -2.8%
This is only about a 10-15 minute walk to my current apartment, and as such is my main "go to" for good beer. Now there selection is not as vast, as say, Marty's or Blanchard's, but what they do carry is usually pretty quality stuff. The prices are about what you'd expect in Boston, and usually the service is pretty good. Depending when you go, you can usually find some knowledgeable about the brews, or willing to help you make a decision. It has the best selection of Southern Tier I've seen, and has some interesting brews from across the pond that you won't find everywhere. Overall a very solid place to by good beer.
Jul 03, 2008
Photo of baggio
Reviewed by baggio from Sweden

4.15/5  rDev -3.9%
Visited this place a bunch of times during the week following ABCF. This place was very close to my hotel in back bay so going there each day and pick out new beers to try seemed to be a winning concept.

They have a really nice selection of imports (esp belgians) but the main focus seems to be on american craftbeers. The beermanager, Josh, was a really nice dude who helped me pick out a number of beers to bring back with me home. Prices were average for this part of Boston.

If and when i come back to Boston and happen to be in this part of town i'll be sure to drop by Bauer Wine & Spirits to pick up some fine american beer!

Recommended!
Jun 28, 2008
Bauer Wine & Spirits in Boston, MA
Place rating: 4.32 out of 5 with 92 ratings