Some of the Best Places to Stock up on Booze - Just in Case

Katie Coy | Apr 26, 2022 5:39 pm | Add a comment | 432 reads

Following a bout of panic buying that looks set to continue with rumors of a possible lockdown on the way, one thing for those drinkers among us that definitely isn’t in short supply is alcohol.

Compared with other essentials you might want to stock up on like fresh fruit and veggies, alcohol has the big positive that it isn’t going to spoil anytime soon. So even if you stock up and lockdown doesn’t materialize it’s no problem, you’ve just got yourself a very well stocked at home bar! Plus you may even be able to use it as currency if times get really tough...

Here are some of our recommendations to top up which are still open for delivery (though this may be dependent on area).

CHEERS

As you’d expect from a wine shop, CHEERS is definitely your best option if you’re wanting to stock up on some nice wines to keep you company. They have everything any wine lover needs and if you’re on a budget, they also have some great options, with a current deal that’ll get you three bottles of red for under RMB 100!

If you’re looking to stock up more in bulk this is also a good choice because you can buy cases of wine etc. They also have a range of spirits and beers on offer too for those looking beyond wine.

Bob’s Select

This liquor store is probably the number one spot for stocking up on spirits in Beijing with a huge range of different varieties and brands. And unlike what you might expect from a specialty liquor store you can get many items for a reasonable price. A 750ml bottle of Stolichnaya Vodka is as low as RMB 49, Gordon’s Gin is only RMB 89 and Bacardi Rum for RMB 79.

This is also definitely any whisky lovers heaven with absolutely loads of high quality whiskies on offer. As usual they also have wine, beer and a few other alcoholic beverages on offer too.

1919

The 1919 liquor store, with several branches throughout the city, has great deals for beer drinkers with a pretty diverse range of beers available the majority of which you can buy in bulk boxes of six to 24 bottles which is ideal for stocking up. A box of 24*330ml bottles of Heineken comes in at RMB 189 or 18*500ml cans of Busweiser at RMB 126 to just name a few.

Wine is also available ranging with most bottles ranging around RMB 60-200. They of course also have a selections of spirits including the usual western ones as well as Asian spirits like baijiu, sake, plum wine etc.

April Gourmet

If you live in Chaoyang then it’s a pretty safe bet that one of April Gourmet’s many locations isn’t too far from you. Tip: if it’s not showing up on Meituan Waimai search for their name in Chinese: 绿叶子.

They have a whole range of wine, beer and spirits much of which is pretty reasonably priced. Wine ranges from around RMB 40 up to some real high end RMB 2000 per 750ml bottles (I’m normally in the RMB 40 range myself). A 700ml bottle of spirit will set you back around RMB 70-120 depending on your spirit and brand of choice.

For beer they have both cheaper Chinese brands like Tsingdao or Harbin and also Western and local brands like Delirium or Great Leap.

Gulou Gormand

This is a great option for anyone living in the hutongs and is a personal favorite of mine. Here they have an especially good selection of spirits which even have individual categories on their Meituan Waimai store. This is also one of the best value stores having 700ml bottles of vodka, rum for as low as RMB 50-70.

Most wine ranges from RMB 45-300, they even have a pretty decent bottle of Prosecco for RMB 55. Beer-wise they only carry imported beers so if you are just looking to stock up on a crate of cheap Tsingdao it’s better to look elsewhere.

BC Import Store

As the name suggests BC Import Store’s alcohol selection focuses on the imported variety, although they do have a couple of Chinese beers and also baijiu if that’s what floats your boat, no judgement here!

Their wine ranges from around RMB 40-400, they also have an impressive sake collection and your standard spirits as well which range from about RMB 80-120. Be sure to watch out for some of their offers, at the moment they have Bombay Sapphire Gin for the low price of RMB 95. The best branch to go is the one in Niuwang Miao (near Xinyuanli).