Pearl Specialty Market & Spirits

03/25/2008 Posted by lushinlife

Simply stated, a great place to go for all of your vices: Wine, beer, liquor, cigars, cheese & most importantly CHOCOLATE. Unparalleled selection (esp the wine) and expertise, staff is highly knowledgeable and helpful, hours are great, location is convenient and I always find parking around the corner (in the Pearl, I know!) plus its all wrapped up in a beautiful package! I have been so some shady liquor stores in my time, this one is not typical at all, very tastefully done. This place is great, I would recommend it to anyone!

Pros: Selection, staff knowledge, ambiance

Cons: NONE!

03/12/2008 Posted by microfilm

Amazing selection of liquor! It is so nice to see a selection of quality products and not just the bottom-shelf stuff most stores are overrun with. The fact they also carry beer, wine, cheese, and all other sorts of gourmet food is a major plus and makes it more convenient that having to run around to several different stores. The atmosphere of the store is very welcoming, from the staff that is very helpful and friendly to the overall set up of the store that breaks the general how a liquor store 'should look' rule.

03/06/2008 Posted by Rianna

Wow! All I can say is that I am impressed! Great store, great location, great people, and great selection! I am pretty particular about my liquor selection but I do have to say that this place has it all! And with excellent service! The staff is well informed on what selection is best and are extremely friendly. I came in not knowing exactly what I wanted but left extremely sastisfied (and not ripped off!). In addition, they have an excellent selection of cheese and champagne. And the chocolate! YUM! All I have to say is that its about time a place like this came into the Pearl District.

Pros: Selection, Staff, Location

02/28/2008 Posted by ErtzingerWertzgarden

Wow, This place is by far the nicest liquor store around, and they don't make you feal like a criminal when you walk in.Nice atmosphere, upscale feal without being to pretentious or snoody. If your like me and moved to Portland from another state you know Oregon has a crappy selection of liquor available, and the nice things they do have nobody wants to carry them because they think if it's not made by Seagram's nobody will buy it. This is the first store I have seen some of my favorite spirits, the things I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find here...Zaya rum, Papy Van Winkle 20yr, El Tesoro tiquilla, cask strength and 20+ year Schotch, Hanger One vodka, 209 gin, and Grappa..I haven't seen that here yet. These are just a few of my favorite things,and they were hapy to try and order some of my other favorites, now it's up to the OLCC to actuly order them. The guy that ordered them for me said they currently have 95 different items requested. In short the state liquor control is a thorn in my side and these guys are doing everything they can to try and pull it out. As far as wine goes you could throw a dart at the wall and end up with a great wine,they don't have a bad bottle of wine in there. Of corse everyone has different taste, but I would drink anything in there and I'm a big snob when it comes to wine. Nice eclectic selection of beer,not that big but they seem to rotate, good variety. good selection of unique chocolate and cheese, Water I have never seen before, and I'm not that big on cigars, but they have Gurka's. I would recomend this store to anyone with good taste.

Pros: open late and sunday

Cons: parking in the pearl

02/25/2008 Posted by mumuattack

BEST LIQUOR STORE PERIOD!!! This store reminds me of the places they had back home in chicago. Everything you want in one place and it looks like a gallery in there. You dont feel like a criminal in there and everyone is really nice and knowledable too. I had an one hour conversation with Big Will, their wine man, and probably spent another 30 minutes talking beer with Brittany, their beer lady. And whenever im in trouble with my girl, i just pick up a box of chocolates on my way out and im all set. I love this place. Oh, and no brown paper bags.

02/22/2008 Posted by beerisgood

I have to agree with the other reviews, this place is amazing. The one thing that has not been mentioned is the beer selection!! Now granted, there are only about 50 varieties of beer, but you have to start somewhere right? The selection is vast from the U.S to Belgium, even Scotland. And FYI, they had just put the last of the Deschutes Abyss (that's right Abyss) on the shelf today. That won't last long. This place is great, when have we ever been able (in Oregon) to stop by a store at 9 p.m on a friday night and pick up a couple bottles of awesome beer, a bottle of wine, some spirits, and perhaps some cheese and chocolate to boot. What else do you need? It's one stop shopping. Nice job guys and keep up the great work!!

Pros: Everything

Cons: Not a one

02/21/2008 Posted by burgfreak

Last week, I went to check out this new liquor store in the pearl that everyone is been talking about, pearl specialty. I have been in the restaurant game for a while and a friend told me that their vodka and liquor selection was pretty incredible,so took a peak. first of all, I have never seen a liquor shop look like this in my entire life, clean modern and somewhat chick as you would think from the pearl district. The liquo selection was nothing but spectacular but what i could not comprehend was that this liquor shop had one of the most friendly wine selection in town. everything for everybody. they had an amazing selection of wines from everywhere specializing in Oregon Pinot , Italian Barolos and Barberas and my favorite Burgundy. where in oregon do you walk in the store and see on a wall bottles of 2001 Cerretto barolo prapo, Michel Lafarge L'eception, 2000 Anne Gros Clos de Vougeot , 1997 BV george the latour and 2004 Chambolle-Musigny from Comte de Vogue?.But what really impressed me was the prices, the markups are lower than any one i have seen in portland.I highly recommend this shop for you inexpensive every day bottles or talk to the wine guy about getting some serious collectibles in your cellar.

Pros: the pearl needed a liquor shop and a serious wine shop in one stop, and they open until 10pm!!

Cons: I cant write about how i feel about the paking maids in the pearl

02/19/2008 Posted by Setoffives

I've been part of the bartending scene for some time and had to stop in and check out what all the buzz was about with this new liquor store in the Pearl. If anything, this place surpasses the hype. As soon as you walk in the door the ambiance hits you like no other place you've bought liquor in this state. First of all , they are open and sell liquor till 10pm! Not only that, when you take your girlfriend and she wants wine and cheese, its all there in one place. I would love to have those backlit shelves in my home bar! The vodka selection will humble the most noted connoisseur: Jewel of Russia, Jean Marc XO (my favorite), Kroll just to name a few. They have everything not just top shelf but I felt like a kid in a candy store so I went a little crazy. I picked up several items that I either havent seen in other stores or its been a long time since I have: Chartreuse VEP, Pappy Van Winkle 20 year bourbon, No 209 Gin, Antica Formula Vermouth. The gf got a bottle of wine so I decided to splurge on a cigar. Some people dont know that all liquor in Oregon is at the same price so there is no difference in that sense store to store. I'm done shopping like a criminal behind burglar bars at other stores or not being able to touch the merchandise.

Pros: Fabulous selection, excellent merchandising

Cons: Parking is difficult in the Pearl as usual!