On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
Neighborhood: Nob HillMon-Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Loading...
The Jug Shop is a family owned and operated San Francisco landmark. The store moved across the street a few years ago into a bigger and more modernized building, but the staff and service is just as fantastic as it ever was. The Jug Shop always has great deals on wine, sake, liquor, beer, etc., but it also puts on great events and tastings all the time. You can also join their group on facebook to get updates on sales and events to come. Five Stars all the way for Mike and his A+ staff.
Oh, where for art thou wicked micro beer for this Canuck to haul back home?
There is a bad stereotype up here that American beer sucks! WRONG. While wandering around yesterday before my dreaded flight home, I thankfully and miraculously discovered The Jug Shop without the use of any technology. Just my feet and a good nose.
The perfect mix of beer smart staff and a great selection allowed me to fill my checked bag to a whoppin 49 pounds.
Now the next challenge... to hide it throughout the house so I can't drink it all at once.
I am shocked to discover how high their rating is considering the very poor customer service I received today. They may have some good stuff, but I didn't stick around to marvel at it. And shame on the yelper who said they will happily order specialty items. The guy behind the counter acted like I insulted him when I asked if they carried a certain hard-to-find spirit. Look, asshole, it's not like I asked you which aisle the Boone's Farm was on. Boo. I really would have preferred to give them my business and keep my money local, but instead I went down the street to BevMo.
I love the Jug Shop for it's excellent selection and knowledgeable staff.
I came in a week ago with the casual desire of getting a bottle or two for a dinner party I was hosting. I asked one of the employees for help and I am very glad I did. The employee's name was Billy and he was very courteous in working through exactly what kind of wine I was looking for and how much I was interested in spending.
To put a long story short, both of the bottles he recommended were a huge hit at the party.
Thanks Jug Shop & thanks Billy, you've got a customer for life!
Love the Jug. Huge selection of booze, and if they don't have what you want, they'll track it down and order it for you. All at reasonable prices too. Staff is friendly, helpful, funny, and knowledgeable.
Oh, and they have pear cider. Bonus.
Usually not quick to hand out 5 stars, especially when I've only been here once, but can't say I've ever had service like this at a liquor store.
Not too early before visiting the Jug Shop, I had made the decision to bring my alcoholic tastes up to the next level and splurge on some nice Scotch. Having a shitty job that drained me every day, I needed something stiff as soon as I came home that would take the edge off. Rum and Cokes just didn't sound healthy, nor did downing a 6 pack every night.
I walked into the Jug Shop randomly, with no prior knowledge of the drink, other than that it came from Scotland. I found a wall full of Scotch drinks ranging from 20 bucks to well over 100. Needless to say I was a little intimidated, but not 5 minutes later some skinny guy with a bald head and grinning ear to ear asked if I had any questions. I admit my complete lack of knowledge on the subject, and how I wanted something good, but that wouldn't empty out my already light wallet. I'm glad he was there because I wouldn't of wanted to take a shot in the dark with a 50 dollar bottle.
He recommended a few bottles to me in different price ranges based on my tastes, and I ended up going with the Edradaur for around 55 bucks. Man the stuff is delicious! I've never liked Scotch that I've tried in the past, but this stuff just rolls lightly on the tongue, and is fresh and tasty for minutes after you've let the sip roll down your throat. I'm actually well overdue for heading back to pick up another bottle.
Great customer service, great selection, definitely no complaints here!
Who doesn't love jugs?
Oh wait, let me rephrase that.
Who doesn't love beverages, neatly organized, with exotic mixers, elixirs, brews and blends from around the world, all under one roof, accompanied with a friendly and knowledgeable staff, great prices and free parking?
That's what I thought.
When I was young I was skinny. Like really skinny. Like you could see every one of my ribs. Like when I got knocked to the floor playing basketball against kids who outweighed me by 50 lbs my Mom would say she could hear my bones rattling against the wooden court. Like one time I was asked in class to lift my shirt up to show what starving kids in Africa look like.
I'm older now and my body finally, finally is filling out. (However at 34 I still cannot grow a proper beard.) In the last couple months I have even noticed *gasp* the hint of a GUT on my body for the first time.
This is shocking for me. Just shocking.
I will admit to have developed the habit of having a beer or two with dinner the past couple years. Along with increased age I am putting the blame on the beer. I'm embracing my French roots and starting to drink more wine. Therefore The Jug Shop. They have a solid selection of cheap wines in the $6-10 range that I have yet to be disappointed in. While I cannot yet see my ribs like I used to (nor do I really want to) I am already seeing signs that my gut is in retreat.
Booze or Boobs, that is the question.
My GF came here a while ago and said, " Help! I need a cheap wine, I am cookin' lasagna for french guy TONIGHT!"
jug Shop's wine guy, " Uh-Huh! Cheap wine match to Lasagna for a French guy? Sure, we do those."
She got nice 2 red around $12 each.
They'll tell you how cheap you can go and won't ruin the dinner.
THE GUY WAS A PRO!!!!
The other day, we walked in to find a good tequila for a friend's house warming party.
my GF, "Do you have a tequila that name begin with C and ends J?"
Casher guy was like, "???? One moment please."
I was like, "WhattheFXXX?"
Moment later, A guy walked up to us and said, " Howz goin guys? What are you lookin' for?"
my GF said, " I'm lookin' for a tequila that name begins with C & ends J?"
The Guy said, " Oh, it gotto be a CxxxxxxxJ. it's right here."
my GF said, " ummm, No, it didn't sound like that. well, how about this one?"
The Guy was talking and answering for us for about 20 minutes.
The Guy was a big guy...... offence tackle type, but also your favorite Science teacher type,........ he wasn't that old, maybe 30 something, very intelligent also very funny, very helpful, I can tell he loves to talk about liquor.
His opinion and recommendation are incredibly EDUCATIONAL and FUN to listen.
Also, he listens your question & comments.
He doesn't disregard and ignore you.
He isn't just a ex-bartender liquor snob.
He knows how to drink fun & responsibly.
I can see that he loves his job.
JugShop people are GREAT, they are happy to answer even a question like lookin for a cheap wine.
They'll help you no matter what.
Ask anything about liquor!
I LOVE THE JUG SHOP.
I Drink Responsibly.
How can one go wrong with a place that has reasonable selection of wine, scotch, beer, whiskey and even arma/congnac and that's within 5 blocks
of one's house?
The port selection is 'meh', but, that would appear to be the norm.
How can you not like the Jug Shop? They have parking (!!) and I did see a sign up free delivery with minimum purchase. Vodka, gin, whisky, bourbon. . .they even had processo and cava (more than one type also) and some kick ass wines. The staff seemed to be having a good time, even though they were working a Saturday night which always is a good sign to me.
Prices were comparable to BevMo, but the selection of the "higher-end" stuff was much, much better. The store layout is also far better!
Here's a little quiz for you:
You walk into a store. The 20-something clerks are laughing at a blaring comedy. You browse the aisles alone, and nobody approaches you. You hear other customers asking questions that are met by: "I have no idea." You take your merchandise to the register, where the clerk yawns loudly in your face without covering his mouth, then almost silently rings up your order, except for a "What the fuck?" when one of the items doesn't scan. Then he throws the receipt down and you're on your way. You were at:
A. a video store in a suburban strip mall
B. a mini mart in a suburban strip mall
C. a fine liquor store in the fine city of San Francisco
Now it's a good thing that I knew what I wanted and was able to locate it on my own. Yes, their selection is good. But I imagine that if I had been a new customer who needed some help, or someone who's easily offended by the "too cool for a job" model of customer service, I would've been so put off I would have never returned.
edit 3/2/09: I am glad to hear that this is NOT their normal customer service model and that they do indeed care how their customers are treated.
I'll admite I was expecting something different from this place. I did go to the bank and get one hundred 1 dollar bills.
I live dangerously close to this place.
I look forward to you aiding to my bad habits.
Thanks Jug Shop.
Tonight I wandered over to the Jug Shop, looking for a sweet sparkling sake. Haven't you heard? This Fourth of July sparklers are out and sparklings are in. I was imagining myself sitting on the beach, bubbly sake in hand, soaking up warm sun and conversation.
It turns out the Jug Shop has a sake section, but they do not have sparkling sake. The guy working there was quick to tell me that traditional sake is not sparkling. Well, duh. I'm just a girl on a mission for a girly drink, mmm-kay?
Luckily, he was quick with a back-up suggestion, and I snatched up the 2007 Saracco, a light sparkling wine with a hint of fruit, and headed to the register. Another guy stopped me and said, "You're not getting that, are you?" and proceeded to explain to me why a dry Lambrusco is the superior choice, and truly embodies the perfect summer sparkling wine.
I love that the Jug Shop is not a grab-n-go kind of joint. The workers seem personally invested in the wine you choose, and want to know every detail -- "What event's it for? Who will be there? What food are you serving?" -- and ready to debate your selection to the death, if necessary.
As you can imagine, you'll end up with tons of options. The hard part is making a decision.
This place is the epitome of what great customer service and a knowledgeable staff should be like. And, without the wine snob factor.
Chuck is probably as good as it gets in the city for knowing how to get things. If they don't have it, they'll know when they can get it in or where else it can be found.
Only place in SF that I've found me some Shinas Estate 'Guilty' shiraz so i'm happy with it.
Until I move from the bay area, I can't see any reason why I'll ever shop at another liquor store.
Keep up the great work!
No boobies to speak of, but a thorough and quality selection of liquor.
Furthermore, you can't drink boobies.
Don't pretend you haven't tried.
I am a Russian Hill war refugee. I survived a long, protracted legal battle with a completely psychotic home owners association. After three war-weary years with that nutty, messed up HOA and $50k in legal fees, we sold our lovely little 2 bedroom condo and fled to South Beach. There are many things I miss about the old hood - the familiar haunts like Barbie's Bell Tower, Sunday mornings at the Peet's on Polk, the tartines at La Boulangerie de Polk, and the Jug Shop.
The romance of wine and noble spirits hardly resonates within a name like The Jug Shop; the name destroys any nuance of romance like a Neruda sonnet recited by a nasally-voiced, moose-killing Alaskan Governor. Whatever. The real reason to frequent the Jug Shop is to buddy up with Florie Schumacher, the resident Italian wine expert. Her astounding knowledge will leach into you via chats, recommendations, tastings and, of course, purchases.
I have learned from Florie about great wine producers in the Friuli - the far northeast region of Italy that borders Slovenia, most famous for the rather innocuous Pinot Grigio, but also home to the wines of Silvio Jermann, whose wines can inspire awe with their purity and depth of flavor, richness in mineral extract, and elegance. Making friends with Florie just might get you access to a couple bottles of Jermann's hard-to-find "Vintage Tunina", a truly remarkable blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia and Picolit. The 2006 release received 94 points in the Wine Spectator- if that means anything to you.
Take this example of learning and extend it to the wines of Piedmont, Puglia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria; Florie will be your friendly and unpretentious guide. She is affable, charming and humorous. And make note: if after running off several descriptions of a wine's taste, character and terrior, she states, "This wine will rock your world", buy it!
My parents are New Zealand-philes. They absolutely LOVE anything from New Zealand. From Flight of the Conchords to little blue penguins, they go gaga for all things New Zealand. So when I found out that the Jug Shop had a sizable selection of wines from New Zealand and a staff that was knowledgeable about those products, the Jug Shop became my go-to place for gifts for my parents.
Besides that, the Jug Shop has a great selection of wines and at reasonable prices. If you give the staff a price range (and yes, under $10 is something they can work with) they can steer you to some great finds. It's not just wine either -- they have a pretty good selection of other alcohol. It's dangerous living so close... if I wasn't so lazy, I would probably come here more often and spend way too much money.
Lots o' liquor.
$10 wine tasting in the back of the store - looks like a mini bar.
Many versions of IPA and pilsner beers here. Yippie!
Don't search for parking in the neighborhood - they have their own lot!
Great selection, intelligent and friendly staff, prices are pretty good too. I've worked at a wine store before so I know who's gouging and these guys are not. They have a great selection of wines under $10.
I HIGHLY suggest to sign up for their email list. They do tastings of both beer and wine and put them on almost weekly. You often get to meet the wine makers and can ask them all those "too afraid to ask" questions.
Rock on Jug Shop, rock on.
Auf.
Paige is a ROCKSTAR! I am in search of a good 2003 Spanish wine and I thought I found a great source but alas the wine wasn't available. I emailed the Jug Shop and within mere minutes I had a response about the wine not being available, but she had the 2004. She then emailed a distributor up here about ordering it so I can get it for less since I work for a wine shop. Customer service rockstar!
When I visit SF I will come visit for sure.
Thanks Paige!
I was contacted by the Jug Shop who researched my order problem and offered me a $25 credit on the next order I make. I appreciate the due diligence and yes, you can buy my love.
Somehow my order:
"10 bottles of red
10 bottles of white
Please deliver at 5pm
Yes, please chill the…
Read more »
If you're female, it's worth stopping by here just for the t-shirt alone. (Or an unfortunate sporter of moobs with a penchant for self-deprecation I suppose). Ick...
But juggy t-shirts aside - the selection, ease of the merchandising lay-out and helpfulness of the staff are all above the norm. The Jug Shop offers select periodic wine tastings and excellent daily specials that have allowed me to keep my champagne habit going strong without too much of a nick to the bank account. Especially great selection of Italian wines that you won't find at every corner wine shop.
Follow the bouncing jugs and get your drink on.
I'm sorry but am I the only one who pictures really big breasts in their head when they hear the name of this place?
I enjoy saying in a somewhat country-fied twang, "let's go get some big jugs!" before heading over here. I am never disappointed with their selection and it seems to be my go to spot before heading to a nice dinner party or say, a night of solo drinking followed up with crying myself to sleep. whatevs.
Bonus star for delivery on the nights when getting out of your PJ's, turning on the light and looking at yourself in the mirror seem too painful. FYI, that would be most Tuesdays and Fridays.
An enormous, concrete warehouse full of booze? The Jug Shop is identical to the good old blue law beer distributor stores in Pennsylvania - except that it has the words "Purveyors of Fine Wine and Spirits" scrawled in sexy cursive font across the side of the building. (In Pennsylvania, I don't think they know what "purvey" means except in a select few intellectual circles) That, and it's open on Sundays.
Contrary to popular belief, The Jug Shop carries much more than everyone's favorite jug wine, Carlo Rossi. After parking my car in the LOT, I made a beeline for the left side of the concrete cube to scope out their beer selection. Not bad. Your typical sixers were available cold in the fridge for immediate consumption or room temperature stacked on the floor for pantry backup. It was nice to have that option. The Jug Shop had an above average selection of bomber bottles from microbrews and particularly noteworthy was their reasonably priced Chimay (Chimay is so hot right now). They also had tons of wine and liquor to boot but, as always, my main focus was on the beer.
If I were in the Polk neighborhood or needed a quick fix, I'd definitely swing by The Jug Shop.
An alcoholics mecca on Polk St. Nice selection of beer and wine, decent prices. BevMo is cheaper, but their stock is often old (flat beer). I felt the staff was 'nicer' before the move across the street (the store was bigger too). Getting a little big for their britches with the fenced off tasting in the back.
Oh yeah, they messed up my special orders every time, lied about it, and then tried to shift the blame (-2 stars).
Tip: Good selection of 'top shelf' wine and liquor.
I like the attitude that the Jug Shop has. What can I say.... I am impressed at a place gutsy enough to have a "Weird White Wine" tasting event... 8 different grapes and I had only head of one of them [and it was only included because it didn't taste like a typical one]. I am even more impressed when I end up liking several of the wines. Well worth going for a tasting, this one at least was 8 wines for $10. Staff was very friendly and not pushy at all...a very laid back tasting experience. Very good selection of Australian and NZ wines, decent on European or South American ones. Also a solid selection of California wines which seemed to be reasonably priced. Hard liquor and beer selections were also pretty good. I may not make it here to shop much [a bit out of my way] but will almost certainly be back for some other tasting events.
Today I went too far down Polk street looking for a store that sold halogen floor lamps after 7 PM. I failed miserably, so I settled for buying beer instead.
They DID feature Piraat where Healthy Spirits did not. Go figure.
The guys at the counter were all like Oh, Piraat! You're going to be getting drunk tonight!
I guess that goes over well with their usual clientele. Whatever, they were friendly. I imagine they would make fine drinking companions.
I said no, I appreciate the fine taste and smooth composition of this quality ale. The fact that it has 10.5% alcohol is mere coincidence.
I would tell any number of lies to get my hands on this stuff. It's fit to be served in Valhalla.
With a plethora of overpriced wines stores in Sf the Jug shop is decently priced and stocked.
Being a wino, I can always get a solid bottle here for less then an arm and leg. The staff is cool and they have been in business for I think 30 years.
Great neighborhood store!
Now this the kind of place where its customer base business. When ever I need wines,beer,or beverages for my business this is where I resort to. My contact person is Eric or Martin they are very organize and helpful. If and what ever reasons that you can't find it or get a hold of it they have have it for you the next day and even place a complimentary call. You guys are the best keep up the good work...
Great customer service. I came in because I was planning an event for high-profile people so I needed a lot of help! I explained the event, audience and price range to the guy, and he walked with me the entire store making suggestions, while also telling me more about each wine! He also calculated the quantity I needed for my event, which was a success. I won't go anywhere else when planning an event after this experience.
The Big Kids Candy Shop... Awe, the beauty of walking into a large shop with a variety of goodies is a fabulous feeling... A feeling that only few places give off and the Jug Shop is one of them.
The selection is grand and the quality ranges from good, great, to phenomenal... They have a wide keg selection as well as the top tequilas and finest alcohols you only get for your father on a big occasion. You'd think the more expensive the better, but it's not always true... I've tried and I'll stick with the average Patron...
The people that work here are friendly, helpful, and extremely knowledgeable. It also helps the convince of the store is only 3 blocks from home... but doesn't help the liver.
Most people who know me know that I can be cheap. With money. You know, in an "efficient" sort of way, like "why would I pay full price for those pants now when I can pay half price in the middle of the season and use the rest of the cash for another expensive bottle of wine" sort of cheap. I flinch at spending $40 on a new top but happily fork over the same amount for a nice bottle of Bacchus' delight.
Enter the Jug Shop. First of all, it carries wine from my favorite vintner, which is actually difficult to find. Second, it habitually sells wines for $3 to $5 less than Whole Foods, and if you buy as much wine as I do, then that adds up (it's like getting a free bottle for every x bottles you buy). Third, the staff is always really helpful and loves to make recommendations.
Fourth, it's three blocks away from my apartment. Actually, I'm not sure if that's a good thing.
If you want to know about Italian Wines, what to get, what they taste like, what region creates certain flavors etc.. I have two words for you...Floribeth Schumacher.
Floribeth works part-time at the Jug Shop and she is an Italian Wine Specialist. I went to an event two years ago at the Italian Consulate and it was so amazing..the best Italian wines - amazing. Sadly the event got some strange folks that caused trouble and they are hestitant to do it again.
Jug Shop also hosts wine tastings so, drop by and put yourself on the email list when they do tastings.
After trying about 10-15 different kinds of Barbera D'Alba, wines I still have one favoriate that stands out of all of them. Sandrone, Barbera D'Alba, 2004....in my opinion is really amazing for the prize. Its about $30 dollars but just amazing.
Or Ask Florabeth...she is awesome!!
Everyone else is also really helpful and really cool... great service!
Every time I come here, I ask them where the pole is.
They don't really think it's funny. -1 star.
One of the best selections of international wines in the city, with a knowledgeable staff to boot. Wine prices are reasonable, but the beer prices are on the high side (I find this to be typical of most wine shops...probably preying on the people who are buying last-second wine/beer to bring to a party).
Five stars for having a PARKING LOT.
Great selection of wines, beers and liquor. I come here primarily for their good judgement in wine selection. Year after year they choose good ones to stock. I especially like their picks for Italian whites. They also organize some fun wine events.
They are going to move across the street next month (July 2006) to an even bigger facility with a better parking lot (next door to Duluxe/IPI paints).
Huge and cheap and scores better than any corner/liquor store in the vicinity.
But what the hell is is with closing so damn early? You gotta plan your drinking early if you want to get supplies here.
This place has a great selection of hard liquor, but sadly... their employees know very little about it. Do not come here with questions about products unless it is a wine question.
This is also the only place I've found that carries the super tasty tequila: Los Abuelos. I will come here just for that.
Everybody raves about the selection, but i found it to be quite slim pickins. But then again, i grew up in Wisconsin, where we went to the Mega Liquor store every Saturday (just before the Walmart) to load up for the week. We also have Brandy flowing from the sink and Kegarators in the kitchen.
Honestly, the service here is over the top. What they don't have, they will get for you, but the case! These people are dedicated to getting you drunk with the booze you want. Certainly the best liquor store within the area.
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: Laurel Heights
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Draught or bottle, domestic or import, pint or…
I lived in Russian Hill for three and a half…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
OK, so I have only really been to San Francisco…
These are my Polk Street favorites. I have lived…
Ok, so maybe it's not THAT hard. Things that got…
You'll want to avoid these places where attitude…
