Potomac Wines and Spirits

Owners always friendly and willing to help, know their hard liquors and will give you best deal for what you’re looking for (and not try to immediately sell you most expensive liquor, as some stores do).

Owner recommended a Cremant de Bourogne that was only $ 20 and tasted just as good as veuve for half the cost, made in the traditional method of champagne (aged in bottles which creates smaller velvety bubbles), just not on Champaign region

Happy to add another glowing review. I first became acquainted with this shop via groupon — they were having a great promotion of a 12 bottle assortment of wine for $ 55. Even though I love far from Georgetown, I figured, heck, if these wines are even half-​decent it’s a deal. They were spectacular! And at this price point, phenomenal. They do this promotion all the time, btw, and I’ve actually bought a second case through them directly as a gift for a friend. Note that they deliver for an additional small fee! It feels great to support a local business (the knowledgable owner and his sons run the shop!), save money and drink great wine :)

This is my go to for just about all liquor purchases, especially scotch since they have a unique collection.
Steve (the owner) is very veteran friendly, in fact hosts a Wounded Warrior event annually around Veteran’s day where most of the proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project. I’m not sure what happened with Adam, but that strikes me as very strange.

NOT VETERAN FRIENDLY. I was there to purchase a bottle of scotch to bring to a party, and inquired of the salesperson if they had a military discount, to which he said «yes.» The salesperson proceeded to ring me up.
That’s when the owner intervened. He came over and in a nasty tone asked me if I was active duty. I told him that I was a member of the National Guard, to which he replied «the discount is for active duty veterans only.» To be clear, I am a veteran of three tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. My military ID says «ARMY» and is no different than any active duty military ID.
I was astonished, didn’t argue, and paid full price for the scotch. If I wasn’t so pressed for time I would have left without it.
I have never seen a company that purports to offer a military discount but excludes members of the Reserves or the National Guard. Either offer a discount, or don’t, but don’t attempt to embarrass service-​members by questioning their military service, or impose a meaningless and discriminatory distinction to save a couple of bucks. The management of Potomac Wines and Spirits is classless, crass, and will never get my business again.

Great selection! I had searched high and low for a Diplomatico Exclusive Reserve Rum around the DMV area, on a whim I popped into Potomac Wines and Spirits, and they had it in stock, along with 2 other Diplomatico rums! Thanks Potomac!

Love supporting a local business. We can find unusual selections from around the world. Staff is friendly and helpful. We have grown a taste for the turkish raki.

So I wanted to make a cocktail which consists of Maker’s Mark, Half N Half, Monin Salted Caramel Syrup, and Patron XO Café Dark Cocoa (not to be confused with regular XO Café). I searched long and hard online and this place were the only ones who I could find that carried it. Sigh… Typically, when I realize a store is in Georgetown, I hang my head, as that usually means it is about to be overpriced and break the bank for something simple. Nonetheless I decided to tough through M Street traffic, search for parking, and give it a shot. BEST DECISION EVER. The staff here is beyond friendly, and very knowledgeable. The store doesn’t look large, but they somehow manage to have quite the variety. Not only did they have the Maker’s Mark and the Patron XO Dark Cocoa I was looking for, but one of them were on sale. Major win. Even if not on sale, the prices were just as competitive, actually better than stores closer to my house. They have definitely won a new customer.

Great gift delivery!
I called at 5 minutes to closing on a Monday and got a very helpful gentleman. Although they didn’t have everything in stock that I was looking for, he helped me make some alternate choices. They delivered the gift to a nearby hotel in a lovely package the next morning. The recipient was very surprised and happy. Definitely recommended!

Consistently impressed by this local business. The owners and staff are always happy to help with wine or liquor recommendations. They usually have what I’m looking for, but if not they’ll work with me to find something similar at whatever price point I’m working with for the occasion. I find the prices competitive with Trader Joes, but vastly improved collection of quality wines and champagnes. Definitely a better bet than most other DC liquor stores. Shame on me for shopping elsewhere for so many years. Cheers!

These guys have OK selection, but the staff is arrogant, disrespectful and behave more like club owners than store owners. I recommend you to spend your money elsewhere. There are many more stores in DC that have equivalent selection and lower prices and much better customer service.
Over the past 3 years, I have bought more than $ 500 worth of stuff from them, and while often the interactions have been acceptable (i.e., you ask for advice or an item, they accommodate), yesterday they seemed hell-​bent to disappoint. My friend — who has been a customer of theirs for even longer than I – and I walked it to get more than $ 150 worth of items. My friend selected three bottles and, in order to free up his hands, temporarily placed those on a desk that one of the employees seemed to be working on. The employee, in a sneering tone and condescension, said «Yeah, you know, there isn’t a lot of room on this table…» and mumbled some other stuff, basically admonishing the customer for using the table. Afterwards, I asked to see their Compari, and when the same employee showed it to me, I commented that their price ($ 32) is higher than that of ABC in Virginia. Steve (the guy with a mustache), who in the past has been more receptive and amiable, who I think is one of the owners of the store literally said, «We don’t like to hear that other stores are selling the same product for less. We just don’t like that. If you don’t like our prices, don’t tell us anything, just go to another place.» This is the same store that claims to have competitive prices.
We then proceeded to pay for the items (I did not pick up the Campari, but did pick up a brandy), and while at the counter, my friend asked whether they’ll give a discount for his large purchase — something they have apparently done for him repeatedly in the past, so he had come to expect a discount if there is a large purchase — to which the employee, who had admonished him earlier for using a table in the store, said, «If your friend [referring to me] had shut up, I would have given you a discount, but now, I won’t.» He basically punished one of his regular customers to spite another customer who had dared to tell them that their price on an item is high.
At this point, I told him that his behavior is unbecoming, and that this will drive customers away. He (and Steve) said they don’t care.
My friend completed his purchase (without the usual discount), and I paid for mine. I was still standing in front of him and preparing to walk out of the store, when the employee, in a stark and pronounced way turned to the door, where my friend was already standing, and told him «Goodbye, YOU [pointing at my friend] have a nice day,» clearly shunning me, and in his petty way, trying to send me a message (of course, he didn’t say thanks for the purchase, or any other decent stuff that store clerks say). This tipped me off, and as I was getting out of the door, I let out an expletive. We were out of the store, going around the corner when this employee, now clearly acting like a thug in a dark alley, comes out to confront me, in front of the many people walking on M Street. This was shocking. Here we have a store clerk trying to pick up a fight with a customer he had previously insulted.
This is my first Unilocal review, but I felt the need to share it with anyone considering shopping at this store. They don’t deserve your money. Spend it somewhere else where you can expect to be treated nicely and the clerks are service-​oriented professionals as opposed to belligerent thugs.

An excellent shop for wine and spirits. Staff is helpful and really knows the products. (We went in there looking for a particular white wine — either a viognier, or a gruner veltliner and he knew right away what he had in those 2 types, and what they were like). The selection is good, and lends itself to browsing. Prices, while not bargain-​basement, are reasonable.

Steve, the owner, and Mark are excellent, accommodating salespersons. I’ve never felt more welcomed in such an establishment. This store will fulfill any and all of your alcoholic needs. Plus, the service exceeded my expectations. They even helped us to load cases into a cab. I will continue to be a loyal customer at Potomac Wine and Spirits for decades to come. I will continue to sing my praises. So satisfied. Thank you, Steve and Mark. Five stars. They are open on Sundays; this is clutch.

Huge fan of this place. The family has owned it since prohibition and two 20 something sons work there now. They are extremely knowledgeable about their products and let you know about sales and promotions. They carry certain brands you can’t find anywhere else as well. Just an amazing experience all the way around.

I’m not a drinker, so when my sister sent me for wine, beer & vodka, I asked the friendly gentleman behind the counter for a recommendation based on our dinner menu. He was so gracious and helpful & I got to look like I knew what I was talking about!

great shop. the guy working the counter knows whats up. i am always OTP for the crème limoncello for my mother, Schneider’s hasn’t had it on the past few visits and I was over in G’town so I figured I’d hit it this up (based off of Unilocal reviews seemed like a good lil spot.) My brothers bday was coming up and he is in an «old fashion» stage, so I was in the market for a decent whiskey that he’d be hard pressed to get in the ‘burbs of VA.
I started out by asking the usual wishful thinking question, Van Winkle? I asked him about some Eagle Rare (which he had), I remembered I had given him a bottle of Blanton’s for xmas and then we chatted about Corner Creek, the gentleman behind the counter suggested I look at Noah’s Mill and the bottle alone sold me on it.
It’s much closer than Schneiders, so I think it might be my first stop from this point forward!

Stop #2 in the looksee of liquor stores in Georgetown. This is a small little store, but they sure do pack in a lot. Price wise — they were good I thought, perhaps not the cheapest we found, but still good. This was probably one of the better stores we went to. Not only did they have a large supply of liquor, but they also had a very good selection of wines. A potential one-​stop-​shop (something I’m a fan of!)

The GF and I spent our Saturday afternoon walking around G-​town after our lunch. One of our objectives for the afternoon was to scope out the various liquor stores for price and selection. Potomac Wines and Spirits was the best of the handful of stores we checked out in terms of selection. From liquor to wine, Potomac Wines and Spirits really impressed me. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful. Prices, while not necessarily the cheapest for everything we were looking for, they were definitely competitive. I’m a big fan of being able to find what I’m looking for at one place and not having to run all over town or having to pay too much of a premium for the convenience of one-​stop shopping. I’m a big fan of this place. I’ll be back.

Best. Liquor. Store. Ever!
When I first moved to Georgetown a friend tried to think of any introductions he needed to make. Steve was one of the first people on his list and with good reason. He is extremely helpful in selecting wines and will give you a great deal when you buy in bulk. I’ve bought cases for dinner parties based solely on his recommendation and have always been pleased with the results.
The folks here are always willing to make deliveries, whether on the spot or later in the day. While I haven’t had any specialized orders yet, I’ve been told this is a great place to go for hard to find items. One of my coworkers shops here because it’s the only place in DC that carries a special french liqueur she likes.
This has been a family business for years and you can definitely tell. Highly recommended! The only other place you’ll see me buying alcohol is a bar!

For a quick trip that required a few cans of Red Bull for a pre-​NYE party recharge, I stopped into Potomac Wines and Spirits. Honestly, I was in awe at the stocks that were available — but the one drawback? I came in on a holiday that coincides with lots of drinking and thus encountered the obligatory «lots of customers». The one thing this shop is not geared for is a tremendous amount of patronage and you quickly end up «nut to butt» as you attempt to slide through the aisle.
Normally I would avoid a place like this after that experience but since it was NYE and the Vino Vixen recommended it, I’m going to have to try it again another day.