Blanchard Wines & Spirits

Great location and selection of wines. Always nice people working there too, some for many years.

Convenient location, good prices, good hours, good selection. I know what I am coming in for so I can’t comment on the staff’s knowledge, but I can say they could be a bit less lackadaisical sometimes. Otherwise, quick and speedy they are. Great spot!

This is a great place for any beverage need in Jamaica Plain. Nice selection and friendly staff. They often have tastings during the week too. There is an awful singer/​guitar player who plays right outside their door almost daily and it is very off-​putting but I’m not sure if there’s anything they can do it as I don’t think he is associated with them in any way, but if there is something that can be done please please do it!

I love Blanchards and it is very much my go-​to. They have a great selection (like, really great, especially for whiskey/​bourbon) at the best prices I’ve found (among liquor stores that are easy to get to in Boston). The staff also knows a decent amount about their products. And they are open to 11 many week days for us nocturnal types.

I used to shop there regularly until I realized that shopping there put me at risk for being asked to go to the local police department and explain why I did not steal 20 bottles of liquor from the basement during working hours.

Just had a terrible interaction with an obnoxious cashier. Taking my business elsewhere.

Decent spot when I want to grab some booze. I do have to say that their beer selection is very good, with lots of craft brews in addition to the more common beers. The reason I’m giving 3 instead of 4 stars is because lately I’ve been more into wine, and they don’t carry 3 wines that I like. Mind you I don’t drink fancy or expensive ish, and these wines are common ones, so it sucks I can’t buy them here. People have always been helpful when I need assistance and it helps they have a small selection of cheese and crackers in the front too.

Always appreciate the knowledge the associates have — and learn something new almost every time I’m in!!!

The selection at Blanchard is awesome. A huge array of craft beers from both coasts, as well as from other countries. They have a lot of stuff in bomber bottles cold, too. Huge walk-​in fridge if you’re looking to drink it right away.
They also have a generous amount of scotch, bourbon and whisky at the front of the store.
If you’re ever there, look for the big bottles of Victory Helios Ale for $ 3.99. Crazy good deal.

I have once again been reminded of the kindness and generosity of spirit that my community has… after giving up all hope of finding the keys to a Ford rental (lost Saturday) I received a call from Enterprise informing me the KEYS were waiting to be returned to me at Blanchards
It seems Douglas Ramone Orlando had gone above and beyond good costumer service and made it his priority to make my day, week and month. THANK YOU Douglas

When I moved here, last Summer, the Blanchard’s in Jamaica Plain seemed like the fantastic Blanchard’s in Allston that I’ve known for years. I also got to know as a regular, many of the employees who are as quirky to the area as they are good at their jobs at the cash register for customer service: No problem there.
The issues I have are that they run for days out of the beer I want to buy and are even able to manage to run out of 40 oz staples such as Narry and Busch. The biggest «no no» however is the closing of a liquor store early… constantly. On a Sunday, the employees were walking out the door at 7:40 pm on an holiiday weekend. On weekdays, they close up nearly an half hour early.
Out of curiosity, I stayed after they left to see how many people would try to get in the door in the last 20 minutes of St. Pat weekend. Their camera will show 22 people trying the door after the manager got bored and left.
In Jamaica Plain, there kinda isn’t any other game in town, so I guess the manager can tell us to go to hell. There are NO other liquor stores in Boston that closes even a minute before they have to and very few that run themselves out of staple beers for days at a time.
I’m pissed enough that I’m not stopping with this post on Unilocal.I’m moving on to the other social networks.

As of January 2014 I am now officially done with this place, and would urge others to read about my most recent experience. About a month ago, mid-​December 2013, I went into the JP store to buy over $ 100 of wine. I was followed around the store by a woman named Christine who, at the time, I thought to be deranged. What I didn’t realize until I got to the cash register was that she was an employee trailing me around the store looking for things I might have shoplifted.
I then had my bags rifled through at the register as I checked out. Like a fool, I actually completed the transaction rather return the wine and leave.
As I drove home, I became more enraged as the implications of what had just happened sank in. It was all so outside of the context of my experience that I was kind of shell-​shocked. And, I called what I believed to have been the corporate headquarters in W. Roxbury to launch a complaint.
I was told that «someone in management» would get back to me … They never did. I then went into the W. Roxbury store earlier this week (as I was driving through) on the off chance that one of the owners might be around. I was told that they were in Florida and that — again — someone would get back to me. Someone did … the offending party Christine.
That was explicitly NOT the response that I requested. While she apologized profusely, it did absolutely nothing to ameliorate the situation. In fact, it inflamed things more for me. Clearly, no one in management at Blanchard’s cares about their customers.
What kills me is the literally thousands of dollars of business I’ve given this company over the years. I wish I could take all back but, obviously, I can’t. The best I can do is to take all of my business elsewhere, henceforth, and I would strongly suggest you do the same, lest you get the unwarranted criminal treatment I was accorded.

This is Facebook worthy: they have a wine tasting STATION! open every day? Eight pours? What?
Bkanchards, home of the two-​fer aisle– this is the place that got me hooked on cheap red Spanish wine, you Rock.
All that and every beer ever brewed. I think this is one of the best liquor stores I’ve been to, including my beloved Greenfield landmark. Their prices are lower than liquor mart, the selection is vast & the people are super nice & helpful. I’m totally a fan. PS. I’m getting my check in coozie– word.

Seriously amazing selection, friendly staff, and their «wall of shame» of shopplifters they catch on tape, and then write funny commentary about is priceless. Great discount wine selection too.

JP’s Blanchards will be remembered as the first place I bought booze for myself.
So I thought JP as a whole was ghetto, but wandering along Center St around 10pm seemed like just another busy neighborhood in Boston.
It’s not as spacious as the Blanchards in Allston, but don’t fret… there’s still booze, booze EVERYWHERE.
The interesting thing is they also carded my bf even though he didn’t make any purchase. Earlier he was teasing me: «you’re +1 from 21, but you look –5 years.» Then he’s prompted to show ID too. He reckons it’s just to double check I’m not purchasing booze for a minor. He took slight offense given he’s 2 years older than me :)

Blanchards. Baby. you know we have an intense relationship. i’m part of that mid-​week after-​work rush. and you never openly judge me for part of my mid-​week after-​work ritual.
i’m not proud, but i love me one of those trashy pre-​made margarita pouches that you put in the freezer. i can’t help it.
EXCEPT THIS LAST WEEK (or maybe two weeks ago, time’s been a little out of control and i’m still repositioning). I bought my cheap white wine, a vodka nip, an Arizona tea, and my margarita.
I wait so hard for this margarita to freeze. and when it does, i’m so ready to embrace my secret trashy ways.
i go and taste it, and damn. tasted a little weird.
i let it melt a little, add a lil sprite, and try again. still weird.
20 minutes later my stomach is dying. and then i realize that it had expired more than 6 months earlier.
the moral of this whole story is — blanchards you can be so good, but dude that’s so gross.
of course i’ll be there tomorrow for the mid-​week rush.

Blan-chud’s is a staple of JP, kyed.
I’ve been coming here since my college days, something my cousins were sure to remind me of, since both said something to the effect of «Remember when you used to buy me beer here when I was in high school?» Ahhh, thanks for reminding me what a non-​law-​abiding citizen I once was.
Anyways, back in the day, it was the spot to get that cognac, Courvoisier or Hennessy, that was our drink of choice. You know, it was the unofficial drink of hip-​hop for many a year, epitomized by Busta’s pass-​the-​you-​know-​what song around ’02 or ’03.
Times have changed and I went in to Blanchard’s curious to see if they’d have the new poison I squander all my money on: craft beer. Indeed they do and plenty of it. In fact, I’d say the selection here was pretty damn impressive.
I found the Southern Tier Crème Brulee Stout I’d heard great things about but couldn’t find back home, plus a number of The Bruery beers that I’d longed to purchase, Great Divide, Clown Shoes, and even some lesser known (to me at least) breweries like Berkshire Brewing (which is quite good by the way).
The prices seemed maybe a bit high and on one occasion I think I may have been overcharged which was ruff, but still, I appreciate this place for its proximity to my cousin’s place and for the great selection of beer. I should mention also that they have a good wine and liquor selection, so this place really can please just about any type of drinker.

Other than their giant retro sign, Blanchard’s really isn’t too special. I just moved right nearby, so this is my default liquor store. If it wasn’t so close, I would probably go somewhere else.
It is a large store, so it has a decent selection, but not an amazing selection, either. The size, location and cleanliness of the store are what earned it a couple stars.
Here’s what cost it three stars: Their service sucks and they close whenever they feel like it. Unless you arrive 30 minutes before their posted closing time, chances are high that they will turn you away at the door. I found out the hard way last night at 7:40pm and was, as Hunter S. Thompson might say, «aggressively rejected».

A fine selection of craft beer in bombers, but the six and twelve pack selection is modest. Plenty of regional options, and some limited ed. Lagunitas that we’ve already ran out of back home. Prices were only about a dollar higher than in Columbus, so I took that as fair.
The store itself is reasonably sized and located in a busy section of JP. They do wine samples in store, free of charge, that give you a chance to taste some wines you might otherwise overlook.
Of particular interest was the wall of shame: a wall full of pictures of shoplifters busted smuggling out various libations. Each features funny captions like «this guy couldn’t wait so he stuffed his pants full of Budweiser cans» or «just had to stuff that patron in her purse.» Classic.

This place is such a hike from Cambridge, so I only go down there once every cool event, but what events! Namely, their ginormous 100+ wines wine-​tasting event featuring appetizers, cheese samples (from a store in Vermont, I forget the name) and Taza chocolate samples… ALL FREE!
Wait, did I mention it was free? As in you can forget your wallet on the T (okay, don’t actually forget your wallet on the T) because you won’t need it!
My friend, who isn’t even much of a wine-​drinker, was so enthralled by the selections, she ended up buying us a delicious, sweet riesling (Robertson Winery, South Africa – GET IT!). The price, because of all the discounts at the event: $ 7! Yeah, $ 7!
This store is big, clean and bright with a fabulous selection of wine and other liquors. Even if it there isn’t a big, gigantic, free wine-​tasting event where they don’t make you spit, it’s worth a visit. And for the record, we only made it through about 20 of those wines. Then, the room started spinning…