Bird of Paradise Discount Liquors

Offers a great selection, which is pretty far and in between on this side of town. A hefty selection of craft beers that are well priced too.
The staff is pretty mellow and friendly as well. I don’t necessarily feel unsafe when visiting this location as long as you visit in the daytime. A few unsavory people trek along the location but that’s not the fault of «The Bird».
All in all, it’s worth the trip but be caution when visiting past the day time.

«The Bird» is one of those places you should go at least once just to say you did. I had heard of this place through friends in the local craft beer scene, everyone referred to it as some hidden fortress of good beer with an almost mythical reverence.
So Saturday rolled around, and even though it’s on the other side of town, I figured I’d give it a go. To say that this liquor store is in a sketchy part of town is an understatement. It’s pretty ghetto. That fact is emphasized when you walk in and you immediately get the once-​over from the staff. You can’t blame them, some of the folks I saw saunter in were pretty shady. But, as with most things in life, if you’re nice and personable, you’ll be treated with respect. Don’t be an ass, and you won’t be treated like a lowlife.
In terms of beer, yes they do have a lot of craft offerings. That being said, it wasn’t anything more extensive than what Jubilation or Quarters has. They had some good scotches in the back, and at good prices.

Sketchy store, with a very loud beeper when you come through the door. The do have a large selection of competitively priced craft beer. I do think that they cater to the more lowbrow in tastes, noting the troughs of cold inexpensive bottles. They also have a bar and restaurant connected, I am sure it makes for good people watching. We will have to stop in when we have time to kill and are feeling brave.

Lots of great choices for beer lovers. Some are difficult to get in other locations.

I’ve got to give these guys the downgrade because I’ve learned more about them in subsequent visits.
First of all, I kept noticing they had all these beers that I never see at any other stores in the city and I wondered why. Well, it turns out these are beers that once were distributed to New Mexico, but haven’t been in over two years. So these beers are all two years old!!! And sitting there at full-​price just waiting for unsuspecting customers to come in and buy.
Believe me, this place thrives on unsuspecting customers. Let me explain why. I went in a week and a half ago and immediately noticed a CASE of Ska Vinifera Stout (a beer that probably came out in March) on sale for $ 12. That’s like 24 – 30 beers for $ 12 when one six pack normally runs $ 8 – 9. So I was sitting there examining a can looking for a Best By date and not having luck. An employee looked at me suspiciously and asked brusquely, «Can I help you?» in that tone that suggested «I got my eyes on you.» I explained that I was looking for a date to no response. Having no luck, I moved on.
I headed to the cooler, began perusing, and began looking at a bottle from Deschutes that said 2011 on it. This time, I was looking for the ABV to see if the beer was one of those that could survive two years on the shelf due to its high alcohol.
A lady comes up to me and again says «May I help you?» in a way that employees ask when they think you’re up to no good. Mind you, I was in my work attire and in no way looked like a thief. I said again what i was doing and the lady said «You’re not from one of our competitors are you?» Ha! If I was, I wouldn’t tell ya, lady. Nope, I was just trying to make an educated decision, but BOP DOESN’T LIKE EDUCATED CONSUMERS!
They, just like Total Swine, are more than happy to pawn off expired goods to consumers. This is criminal.
I may go in from time to time to pick up a goodie that has been sitting their for 5 years knowing that it essentially has just been aging, but damned if I EVER, buy anything else from here.

I like their bar… good NM food, burgers, wings, even had good steaks there. Good draft beer prices, poker on Sundays, darts Thursday. Lots of TVs. Package store decent.

Best place in town for seeing some of the Land of Entrapments most colorful peeps. Great beer selections. Nice wine as well. The register situation is always interesting. Customer service on par.

This store has every kind of sin you will ever need. I came here the other night after working late. There was a very drunk guy in front that was asking for change. and became very violent. Thought I would have to kick ass if he came closer to me. Dont think im going to come here late at night.

The Bird of Paradise,
Always so nice!
If y”all like your beer,
Definitely come here!
Throw back a shot,
Makes you feel hot.
Buy a Bird tshirt,
then you’ll not be hurt!
The Bird rocks!

Good location and huge store! There’s something for everyone here. They have ample types of liquor, beer, wine and energy drinks (4Loko FTW)! I also like the mini fridge of frozen drinks like premade pina coladas and daiquiris.

This place is rapidly sliding towards 2 stars… my last six purchases of craft beer have all been bad as of 02 Aug 2012. Do NOT buy any of the Anderson Valley sixers that are on sale. Even a sixer of Marble Red was bad!
I would stick with something that has a high turnover rate. In other words, pass on last years (2011) Pumpkin Ale that is taking up space in the cooler.
Even though I live a hop, skip, and a stagger away, I would have never stopped by The Bird if it wasn’t for an article written by The Albuquerque Beer Geek:
The exterior of the place looks leaves alot to be desired, can we say Etch a Sketch, but I have never been hit up for spare change at The Bird, despite some of the «characters» hanging out in the parking lot. Also, I have never seen anyone peeing on the side of the building or in the parking lot besides me…
The Bird has a solid selection of microbrews at fairish prices. You can find just about anything here, from ice cold 4 Loco to Flemish sour brown Ales. The coolers are well stocked with the usual micro suspects from NM, California, Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Oregon. In case you are running low on money, The Bird has quite possibly what might be one of the most extensive 40 oz/​Malt Liquor selections in the world.
The staff is nice and willing to help. A couple of them know a thing or three about good beer, which is quite impressive.
My only complaint (besides the past their prime craft beer) would be the prices seem a tad high, but beggars can’t be choosers. Given a choice between a 15 minute drive to Jubilation and a 2 minute drive to The Bird from the Ridgecrest area, lets just say that I am flapping my wings :)

The first thing I tell people about the Bird: The music is always good. If you’re sick of hearing stupid dad blues or like, Third Eye Blind when you’re trying to buy your booze (Jubilation, I am looking at you), go to the Bird. They are always playing Siouxie and the Banshees, Bauhaus or something similarly classic and awesome. Despite this, the staff is unpretentious and helpful. They know their booze, but don’t try to one-​up you or tell you weird, alienating stories that make you wonder why you’re there. Such nice attitudes are rare and very important to a lady when choosing a liquor store.
These guys have a good selection of beer, with something priced for everyone. There are enough micro brews and specialty beers to please any beer geek, and plenty of domestic $ 10 a case deals for the less discriminating/​underpaid/​what have you customers as well.(I myself am in both categories.) There is more imported wine than there used to be, and what is available is reliably good. The selection has expanded considerably since I first started shopping there.
Support the War Zone. Support good customer service. Go to the Bird!

Ah, the Bird. More or less a run-​of-​the-​mill liquor store (with a bar, which I haven’t visited, in the back). They don’t stock anything that you can’t find anywhere else, but their prices are pretty good, for the most part. Some of the 22oz microbrew bombers (Stone, Sierra Nevada, etc.) are a bit pricey compared to say, Jubilation, but the cheaper fairs (PBR, Budweiser, etc.) are actually cheaper. Friendly staff. If you live nearby, it’s a go to place for a beer run.