Highland Package Store

Working in the area this week. Saw a couple signs on the exterior boasting the largest craft beer selection in town. A couple co-​workers confirmed the beer selection at Highland Package Store was very good and worth checking out. The sign is an understatement. There are rows and rows of international, craft and high gravity beer from all over! Its quite intimidating at first. The building is packed to the gills with various beers, wines and spirits. Lets just say the owner does not have much vacant /​unused space. An employee noticed me aimlessly wondering the aisles and offered suggestion based on the type of beer I wanted. I ended up with Murphy’s Stout and Bell’s Porter neither of which can be found anywhere near my little section of Shelby Co. I would definitely go back. I will likely go well out of my way to return in the near future. In addition to the bottle selection there are a considerable number of taps in the back that you can fill growlers with your selections. Reportedly there are 72 selections to choose from. There is no telling how many breweries are represented here in can /​bottle form, a number of which are available for singles purchase.

For the size of the store it has a really impressive craft beer selection. It reminds me of Hop City how it is set up, just much smaller. Cooler and hot beer on shelf. In a town that doesn’t have a ton of beer bottle shops this one hits the spot and is location convenient if tou are somewhere around downtown or UAB.

Small place and hard to find parking. Behind its’ packaged store in an alley and it was a $ 5 cover charge for a Saturday night.
6 of us went and ordered 4 hose hookah. Had 4 bud lights and 4 mic ultras and a glass of angry orchard all for $ 73.
Sat down and waited for about 10 min before a waitress came over. Mind you that there were several empty seats in the house and the place is small.
We were there for 1.5 hours and NOT ONCE after we got our pipe and drinks did a waitress come by to check on us. Tongs weren’t provided to flip coals so we had to improvise and use their paper coasters.
We had to get up and go to the bar and get our second round of drinks which I carried back to our table.
Summary: something neat to try if you’ve haven’t done so before but be prepared to bus your own tables and get your own drinks We left a 5.25 tip for the non-​customer service at a bar/​lounge.

I love this place! It’s the one of beer section I’ve found in town (besides Hop City). They have so much variety in bottles, cans, and on tap. You can get 4 different sizes of beer to take home from their taps. Little jugs to big growlers. They also have local tap beers that aren’t getting canned yet. They have hard to find and limited life beers. I love love their selection!

I frequent this place. Maybe too much. But it’s a convenient location and it really does have an amazing selection of wines and beer. And like their sign out front says, they do have really low prices. Always open, always the same cashier. And it’s very well kept and organized. Plus growlers in the back and all your typical spirits. There’s a hookah lounge around back, possibly the only one around town.

Highland package has been my go to for draft beer for quite some time. They have a large selection that they run specials on and change out frequently. You can buy kegs from them as well if you’re having a party, etc.
In addition to draft beer, they have a large bottled and canned beer selection. It’s not so much organized by type, but it’s fun to wander around and pick one out. Oh, and if you have something you want but don’t see it there, they’re good about trying to get it for you.
Their liquor and wine selection is decent. A little pricier than some liquor stores, but they’re really helpful if you’re not quite sure what you need.
Up front, they have some non-​alcoholic beverages and food items like chips.
Overall, I really love this place (and love that they’re open on Sundays). The guys that run it are very friendly and super helpful, and I’m willing to pay a little more for that.

i have quite a few friends that enjoy hookah so this is a common spot for us to land after dinner. Personally, Im not a fan of hookah, but I always have a good time soicializing with friends over a good drink. Thats the problem, I have yet to get a good mixed drink from here. The atmospere is cool and laid back if your group is able to find a spot because its not a rather large lounge. I have learned to just stick with the bottled beer.

I’d been to this hookah bar several times when it first opened and remember having positive experiences. For one reason or another, I haven’t been back since this past Saturday when I brought a group of girlfriends. We arrived at 10:30, precisely our table reservation time, and were greeted by chaos at the door. A bouncer was taking money for a $ 5 cover but had no information about reservations. Not knowing who to ask for help (the staff don’t wear any distinguishing clothing) and there are only a 1 – 2 of them, we stood there, awkwardly, for a full 8 minutes before someone realized we needed assistance. We were directed to a tiny (and I mean *tiny*) table which was originally meant to accommodate 7 people… luckily two women had already gone home because sitting 5 in this minuscule area was a stretch. It took 10 – 15 minutes before someone returned for our beer/​hookah order. (I will give this place credit: the beer prices are unbeatable.) Once both these arrived, our experience improved. The hookah isn’t the best quality but it also isn’t terrible if you have a multiple people on a single hose. The music/​atmosphere borders on dicey but isn’t a terrible place to hang out, chat and relax while sipping/​smoking. Unfortunately, when we needed to close our tabs, our experience took a nose dive. Our original server who had been a little frazzled but very kind was replaced by a woman who really, really hated her job. Every word out of our mouths was a burden to her. Even though we had the go-​ahead for separate checks from our original server, our end request was met with a sarcastic eye-​roll and a big, over-​exaggerated sigh. When she charged us improperly for beers (negating the great menu prices) she couldn’t be bothered to fix the issue and literally turned her back on our request and walked away. This is the first time in years that I’ve strongly considered leaving a ‘check your attitude’ message in the gratuity line instead of a numerical value. I thought better of it and decided I just wouldn’t be returning anytime soon. I’d rather pay $ 1 – 2 extra per beer than support an establishment that employees people with such a piss-​poor attitude. Part of the original charm of this place was its neighborhood-​bar, friendly feel (originally it was the sweet owners who handled everything from service to hookah maintenance)… its a shame that had to be lost.

This place is definitely worth a stop! It’s owned along with the Highland Package Store, and Taproom, but you do have to enter on the backside of the building down an alley. We were a bit skeptical at first since the back alley setting is a little strange, but once inside, it opens up into a charming lounge with exposed brick walls and a great beer selection. Staff inside the hookah lounge were helpful and friendly!

The selection is good, the beer on tap is awesome, the dog is cute. The guy behind the counter is nice but not very helpful.
It’s located near western’s and a nice little Indian place. The prices seemed fair but not extraordinary. I particularly like the place because of the selection of beer on tap.
Hop city is nice but they don’t have American Light beer on tap like coors light. (Some people actually appreciate non craft beers on tap).
This place has about 60 beers on tap. (Though some are empty when you go in)
The issue I have with the place is the service. I came in yesterday and told the guy «I will be back tomorrow to fill my keg.» Today I came back with a keg and he said «you have to come before 9 because that’s when my guy leaves.»
He definitely should have told me that before I made the trip. I also don’t know why he couldn’t let me fill it myself after making the mistake.
Even though my experience wasn’t the best, I will return for the selection of beer on tap.
If anyone knows a store that will sell me regular American light beers on tap by the gallon for a 5 gallon keg, let me know. Everybody else has nasty craft beer that my family doesn’t want to binge drink on.

Nice, quaint atmosphere. Helpful, accommodating staff. Reminds me hookah lounges you find in bigger cities. I recommend making reservations. There aren’t many seating options.

Holy Sweet Jesus! This place gets six stars. FABULOUS beer selection.

Prices are much higher than other liquor stores and owner is rude and disrespectful. For example, St. Germaine is $ 54 there and is $ 39 at other stores. I would recommend ANY other area liquor stores.

Got invited to a 30^th birthday party here! At first I was skeptical… you do have to walk down the alley behind Hot and Hot — you’ll know you’ve reached the door because they have lights strung above the door. Once you get inside, it’s not a bad set up at all! There’s seating along the walls of the place, chill music, a bar w some additional seating and cool décor. $ 10 hookah for happy hour till 6 pm? don’t quote me on that! on Tues-​Thurs. Staff is very helpful in recommending flavors — can’t go wrong with grape and mint! It’s not the biggest place so it does tend to get packed on the weekends later in the night — and the music does pick up. There’s also several restaurants that deliver to this place! I’ve been back a handful of times and it’s been a great experience with a diverse crowd.

Highland hookah bar is a sweet little place where u can enjoy some fine flavored shisha & have a gourmet craft brew fresh from the tap. The owners of the place are extremely cool guys & will offer assistance for the newcomer to the world of Hookahs. If your looking for a chill little place to mellow out with a tasty water cooled smoke in hand, then this is the place. But know that it is a small space & can get crowded later in the evening.

I LOVE Highland Package Store! The owner is adorable and very knowledgable. You can find answers here to questions regarding wine, craft beer, hookahs, cigars, liquors, etc. This is the spot to purchase hookah tobacco, as they have all flavors. My favorite remains rose.
Highland Package also sales two of my stand-​bys: vanilla clove cigars and absinth. They usually carry three brands of absinth and various flavors of cloves. The craft beer selection is expansive, so do spend a bit of time picking your brew. The wine selection is pretty good too. They carry some reds that I’ve yet to see elsewhere in town.
The shop is sits right beside Taj India — this makes Highland a must stop spot for a hookah after dinner! Locally owned, reputable and offering a diversity of beer, wine and tobacco, Highland Package Store is definitely a 5 star business!

If you are looking for the best beer selection in town, Highland Package is your place. There are so many options, I usually find myself pacing back and forth trying to decide what to get for much longer than I should. It all looks good!
The store is divided down the middle with beer on the left and wine and liquor on the right. I mainly stick to the beer side. They have about 50 beers on tap which they sell in quart, half gallon and gallon sizes. The rest of the beer inventory is a hodge podge of six packs ranging from more affordable stuff to pricey imports and craft beer. Recently, the state law has changed so they’ve added 22 oz beers, furthering their already vast selection.
The two owners are really nice and have worked hard to make Highland Package a stand out establishment. There is also a cigar & hookah bar, accessed from the back alley, operated by the same guys. A really cool, hidden locale in Birmingham. My only criticism is that finding a parking spot can be next to impossible. I usually have to park way down 11^th Ct.

I’m a bar snob. I admit it. Blame it on Austin and my beer sensei, Q. It’s a stone cold fact. So when my buddy Wes mentioned stopping by the Hookah Bar I was dubious. A hookah bar? In bham?
He said there were fifty beers on tap and I thought, «Bring it buddy. Let’s see what my old hometown can deliver.» Consider me served.
The entrance is in a back alley behind the old Western supermarket on Highland Ave on the Southside. No joke, this is the secret back entrance in the alley behind the liquor store. There were two bouncers and a security guard at the entrance so I’m going to assume it was all legal.
There actually were 50 beers on tap. The taps aren’t at the bar, they’re in another room, but they show you a menu and will tell you about any new beers not on the list. I chose two local brews. Avondale Miss Fancy Triple — a crazy tasty 10.5% sweet little malty number on tap and Good People Snake Handler double IPA — a slightly hoppy 9% punch in a bottle. I’d stake Miss Fancy Triple with any of the malty favorites I’ve met in Austin honestly.
So two thumbs up for the beer. I don’t smoke either cigars or hookahs so I can’t really say how I feel about that. Other people with hookahs seemed satisfied and my friends were happy they could smoke inside a bar. Love the atmosphere. Nice mellow old school jazz. Really casual but not divey. Comfy sofas. The people who work there are clearly happy with their jobs and eager to please.
This is a seriously undiscovered gem in the ham. Don’t spoil it, just enjoy it and make sure they stay in business till I can visit bham again.
Thanks Wes!