LeNell's
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
Neighborhood: Brooklyn/Red Hook416 Van Brunt Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 360-0838
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
3 reviews
Neighborhood: Queens/Long Island City
"It was so great to find this in my neighborhood. Now I think I'll only venture to Trader Joe's if I'm in the Union Square area. This is a…" read more »
18 Reviews for LeNell's
Admittedly, i have come in here for wine. Unimpressed. I'm glad for my chums that she stocks obscure rye, but if you are in the market for something more prosaic, oh, say a good bottle of inexpensive, leggy wine from the only known seller in the region, you'll be shit out of luck. I also find the ambiance creepy, in a middle western, Pier-One-On-Steroids kind of way. Sorry I'm not more of a fan.
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hoo-boy. i dont understand the allure of lenells. there are two dudes who work there who are actually nice to the customers and dont act extraordinarily put out if you say, want to get rung up or want to put your white in the chillerator. the rest of the staff is generally unerringly rude, even when you dont talk to them you can feel a general sort of loathing emanating forth. i dont get it. there are a few good, inexpensive reds/whites, they carry bandit which was my downfall for a while, and they have a good, inexpensive prosecco and cava. i know they are a great place to go for whiskey and hard-to-find things and they have nifty in-store tastings. however, im generally unimpressed. once, my bf (a bartender from wine country who knows a bit about wines) was convinced that a bottle (one of the many wines we've purchased there) was corked because the stuff was really undrinkable. i had the lovely task of going to lenells and asking very nicely if they could taste it and if they thought it was corked and if maybe we could get another bottle to replace it. that went exceedingly well, aka not well at all. i was reprimanded, condescended to and generally left with a bad taste in my mouth (because of the wine and the manner in which i was treated). of course, i still go regularly (and begrudgingly) since its the only game in my neck of the woods, but when i remember to, i always pick up my booze elsewhere. the people here really kill it for me. perhaps a kinder, gentler liquor store will someday come to red hook.
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LeNell is the real deal. She knows her booze, she knows her wine, and she knows what she likes. I like LeNell. If you go there and are lucky enough to catch her, you'll like her too. There is nothing like this place anywhere else in NYC, and honestly, it's what makes Red Hook cool. Viva LeNell!
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there is word that LeNell's is closing. hopefully it's just bad gossip,
this place has saved my ass so many times for last minute dinner and / or gifts. a really good affordable red selection, all natural flavored liquors that they only sell when in season so it's always fresh, and free samples in the back. they also don't sell anything tacky looking. the presentation and selection are aesthetically right on. truth be told, i wake up to a pan and an empty bottle of wine from Lenell's by my bed many a morning.
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Great on Bourbon, really good on rye. It feels like you're getting a fair price and supporting a business that loves its product.
They carry Tito's Vodka, from Austin, TX. I hardly noticed any mark-up from its shelf-price in Austin, so that attests to LeNell's value. Tito's vodka is so drinkable, by the way.
I just like this place.
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Not a very big whisky drinker so I can't comment on that. But the wine selection and knowledge is pretty weak. I make the trek to the under $10 at smith and vine for my vino needs now.
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An absolute gem.
My George T Stagg whiskey has changed my life. For the better.
Their tastings are fun.
A small business run right.
Beautiful.
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La la love Lenell's. They let me bring my dog in, they feed me wine and cheese, they make great recommendations, and they shoot the shit with me when I feel like taking 10 to chill before walking back to my place with my boozy booty.
I generally just buy wine but those who are more prohibition era cool love the selection of gins, etc.
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If I could create my dream liquor store, LeNell's would be it. It's high-end liquor in a funky, unpretentious setting.
Now, I have a profound appreciation for fine booze of any type (which you'll find here), but deep in my soul I'm a Bourbon Girl. Every time I walk into LeNell's, my eyes widen, my heart rate speeds up, and I'm instantly drawn to the cabinet on the far wall that houses the whisky. Once in front of it, my jaw drops, and I may start to salivate just a little bit. There's just nothing like this cabinet anywhere else on earth--It's simply a treasure chest of really rare and hard to find bottles, some things you'll almost never see in bars...just hands down the best selection anywhere.
And LeNell! You absolutely have to talk to her when you go, she's amazing. She knows everything about every bottle in the store, and often has a story about it. Just ask her lots of questions! Sh e loves to talk about liquor, and has one of the most incredible southern accents I've ever heard.
She's also very generous and nice, too! Last summer I was one of the masses who went nuts when absinthe became legal again, and I went there in hopes of finding those cool flat, slotted spoons that are used for absinthe drips. They were out, but LeNell actually took apart a gift set and sold me the spoons for $5! I was floored.
Yes it's in Red Hook and it's a shlep, but totally worth it 1000%. If you care about booze at all (or would like to), get on the train/bus/water taxi (best method, BTW!) and get over there.
Whiskey capital of New York! I was in awe when I saw all the different whiskeys at LeNell's. Its not just bourbon, don't forget the rye. I saw more types of rye in the store than I've seen in every other store combined. A trip wouldn't be complete without buying a bottle of LeNell's Red Hook Rye. If this girl is as sassy as her tasting notes, I've got to meet her.
Adding to the charm is the museum like quality of the store. It isn't big, but in place of shelves overflowing with bottles, there are all kinds of old bottles and curios on the shelves around the store. Great touch!
I'll be back.
Awesomely quaint store with very knowledgeable and nice staff.
Totally hadn't heard about all the accolades this store has garnered. Walked past it on my way to Steve's authentic key lime and stopped because the store front was really pretty, plenty of potted plants and a bath tub made into a flower pot. NYMetro.com says this place's got "soul" and I definitely agree.
The store is tiny. They were having a bourbon tasting when I was there. It was a really generous tasting in terms of variety, I think they had what looked like 50 different types of bourbon out for tasting.
I'm definitely no wine connoisseur so I can't speak for the quality of wines being sold. All I can say is that the staff were really nice and seemed truly knowledgeable about their goods.
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T H I S I S T H E B E S T L I Q U O R S T O R E I N T H E W O R L D !!
Seriously, I've never seen such an unbelievable combination of product knowledge, admiration for the distilleries, excellent merchandising and sense of humor in one liquor store.
Le Nell doesn't just run a liquor store, she has created a high-end liquor boutique (without the snobbiness). In fact, their phone number is 1 877 NO SNOBS.
Nearly every Saturday she hosts an all-day tasting and education party featuring a master distiller or other representative from companies around the world. This past weekend she had a rep from Hendrick's gin (light, refreshing and tastes more of cucumber than juniper).
She keeps the bathtub full of gin (great touch!) and features many brands you just can't find elsewhere. Although she carries all types of liquors and wines, her specialty is undoubtedly whisky. She is a southern belle, after all! She has a bourbon selection that could bring Mark Twain back from beyond the grave.
Well worth the drive to Red Hook - this place is a national treasure.
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I don't know as much about bourbon as I'd like to, but going to LeNell's is the best bourbon education you can ask for. The owner seems like such a free-spirit, really cheeky and irreverent - gotta love that. And to say that the selection of bourbon is an understatement. I also love the micro- and small-batch brews of all types of spirits - rum, gin, bourbon. A really fun store to check out, it's fun for browsing (though kinda cramped). You'll end up buying something even if you didn't mean to. Worth the trip to Red Hook.
A bottle of pinot noir sparkling wine from Michigan and the name of the bottle is SEX. Does it get any better than that?
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Gin in a bathtub, get it?
112 bourbons to choose from, got it?
Roll Tide!
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A-mazing liquor store! You've got to get on the mailing list so you can find out about all of the events this place has. LeNell's is not a massive warehouse but the depth of their inventory beats out the warehousers any day. Five different types of bitters! An entire section dedicated to Rye. Tastings not of the trendy wine/booze of the week but of a rare and unusual grape or a japanese liquor.
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leopard skin shopping bags and t- shirts that say " drinking to get drunk is like having sex to make babies"
nuf said......this place is cool.
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This is not your mama's liquor store. Although it may be your daddy's favorite place - especially if he's a bourbon fan. With the largest bourbon collection in all of New York state and an eclectic wine selection to boot, this is one stop in Red Hook that you must make. Have dinner at 360 and then walk on down Van Brunt and be welcomed by the nicest southern gal this side of the Mason-Dixon line - LeNell herself. Open until midnight every day except Sunday, when the law says the door must be locked at 9pm, you'll find LeNell holding court in as homey a store as can be, complete with a taste of whatever is open on the counter. Check out the website for ongoing specialty tastings.
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