John Walker & Company
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
Neighborhood: Financial District175 Sutter St
(between Kearny St & Lick Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94104 (415) 986-2707
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Garage
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
12 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
"A friendly and inviting wine shop Very knowledgeable staff, with a huge selection of quality wine and champagne + Free delivery........"
28 Reviews for John Walker & Company
I was sent here by my office to buy 16 bottles of wines for clients and had to get them all delivered to the office within half an hour. I forgot to ask for the name of the man who helped me, but he was wonderful (in his 20's and wears glasses). I had given him a price range and asked him to recommend a variety of California reds. He was very friendly and took the time to explain where each wine came from and what they taste like. He also gave me a 10% discount since it was a large order and free delivery to the office.
I love the wide selection this shop offers and their customer service. That's why our firm does business with them often.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (3)
An awesome selection of top-shelf liquor, some oddities not easily found, and the best bitters selection in the city. A few dollars more and worth every one one of 'um.
Had to get a bottle of McCallan 25 at the last minute. No other liquor stores had it. It was reasonably priced and they delivered it to the office for free! A+ in customer service!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I fancy myself a regular here. Arguably the best place in the city to get stuff from europe: potable bitters, pastis, creme de whatevers, absinthe, grappa, eaux de vies, etc. When I get out of the gutter and get a job again, I'm going back.
I've bought quirky unusual special bottles (the hard stuff) here, off and on for years. The other day I went in to talk high-end tequila, and walked out with a bottle of great stuff. The fella who helped me was genuine and friendly, and didn't have any attitude. It was, as always, a nice experience, and worth the several-block walk to get there. The store is small, so the selection isn't BevMo -- however they have some real treats in here... and if you're ever in the mood for something more special than the regular mainstream stuff -- I'd definitely recommend these guys. I see that they've got a website, but I just looked up my last two purchases and don't see the bottles listed online -- so maybe they don't advertise some of their special stuff that you can get in the store.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I walk by everyday but today's Tequila display was amazing. Alot of great Tequila's that I sampled in Los Cabos and they have em for good prices. The store itself is like the Barney's of booze but the staff is warm and friendly.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Fantastic customer service.
I work in the area and have strolled past this shop numerous times.
I dropped by early in the evening on friday looking for a nice Bourbon as a gift for an upcoming birthday. Lucy was friendly and cheerful. She directed me towards the very well stocked and a bit overwhelming selections on display. She answered my millions of questions and grabbed another employee who knew a bit more about Bourbons when she wasn't sure about a particular item. The other employee(didn't get his name. But tall, glasses, cute) was clocked out for the day and on his way out of the shop. He stayed to make sure I got all the information I needed. What a sweetheart! After I made up my mind Lucy wrapped and insulated the bottle for me for easy Bart transport. I will be back, as I am a Rummy and they have a very impressive selection of rare and imported rums. Come by and check out John Walker & Company you won't be disappointed. Now, if they only had tastings I would be in heaven. . .
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
Great selection of tequilla!
What a great shop. I needed to get wine for some clients and smacked in the middle of Union Square area, I found this little shop. What an amaizing selection. I got to say love that Roosters brand blush wine. Es muy bueno. If your ever in the vicinety of Sutter and Kearny and are in the mood for some great wine and or nice spirits this is the place to go. FYI. They gift wrap and messanger gifts. Thanks guys you saved me from looking all around for wine!
Since I'm a loser who doesn't actually know anything about whiskey but still likes to impress people you will often find me at John Walker & Co. You see, I am a giver. I like to give people things. Case in point: single malt scotch whiskey. Every so often I'll want to get a pal or a client a bottle of something special but again, I don't know shit so I bother the nice and friendly (and informative) staff at JW & Co. They always deliver the answers to my retarded questions with elegance and grace, and I leave (hundred of dollars shorter) convinced that this might be the bottle that does it, that makes me understand what all the hype is about.
John Walker also has an awesome collection of rare wines. I mean I'm not really old enough to get excited about things like a 1945 Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, but I digress. Upon receiving such types of presents my first remark is usually "I love the label! What a pretty typeface!"
Anyway, they have tons of spirits. The different ones are divided into their own category and it's obvious whiskey's are their thing. The also have an impressive gin selection that leaves me coming back again and again and again.
Definitely the best place to pick up a bottle as a present or for yourself. You can't go wrong in here.
People thought this was:
Useful (10)
Funny (7)
Cool (6)
Decent selection, good prices and helpful staff. They ordered a bottle for me that was out of stock and called me when it was in, and then re-ordered it for me and called me again when I didn't react soon enough and someone else wanted it (we're talking 3's or 4's of days here).
Although this store gets high marks for what it does well, it's not everything *I* want so it gets a 3. The staff was not overwhelmingly knowledgeable, which might be inevitable when selling the full variety of liquors (rather than focusing on, say, whiskeys). This isn't to say they're *un*knowledgeable - they're just not nerds about it. They're more than capable of making a good recommendation to the casual drinker or gift-buyer. On a similar note, the selection, while wide, isn't particularly deep. Again, this is probably a function of being a small shop selling a variety of spirits.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Always walk by and do some window shopping here, but never a walk through. Today was the day and just as I feared, I wanted to buy the store.
OMG, I couldn't believe the array of rare finds. I even found what I was looking for, the green fairy, opalescent muse, bottled madness, the essence of life, or whatever you want to call it, I found it here at John Walker & Co.
I'll have to write a separate review on my new friend, la Fe Verte while under his influence.
The staff is attentive, friendly, helpful.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
A lot of stuff you find here you can find elsewhere, yes. However. There are just enough oddities to make coming here worthwhile if you want to try new and interesting things, as far as booze goes.
I love this place.
They deliver people. They DELIVER. Nobody else that I know of has a great selection and delivers in the Financial District.
This is who keeps the office fridge stocked with nice beers and booze, which plays no small role in keeping me functionally sane on most days.
Sure, it's about $9 for a bottle of beer. But the firm is paying, so who cares, right? ;p
People thought this was:
Useful (7)
Funny (3)
Cool (2)
a swank high end liquor shop located RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from my office..... i know, this sounds like a good thing.
but this is not a good thing.
if you worked with the deranged party animals i work with you would know what i mean..... we all like to drink. especially when our boss is not in the office. (which is often)
like clockwork.... someone always brings the topic up at some point throughout the day.... imagine a loud sales bull pen, people are pacing around talking with their wireless headsets on, i'm usually yelping, the stereo is blasting and out of nowhere you'll hear a random voice say "man, i need a drink. we should go get something. what do you guys want?"
that's all it takes...... all ears perk up. then the debating begins. mimosas? or vodka and some of that sparkling water we have in the kitchen? hey michelle, make us that drink you made last time with the rum, OJ and fruit punch.... ooh, maybe we should do wine?
after intense discussions, strategic plotting, important negotiations and hostile takeovers we eventually come to a decision and someone gets chosen to go pick up the goodies.
the staff here is fantastic. they're helpful but not aggressive. they know their stuff.... they have a great way of making a wine snob still feel like a wine snob when making a suggestion.
better yet? they have an unbelievably vast selection of hard alcohol. if you're looking for a specific brand, odds are they have it or can order it. with wines.... the selections are good but less extensive. they have some beautiful pricey bottles on display i would love to pry the cork out of.....
apparently they also deliver to offices too.... but it would be pretty f'ing sad if my office became so lazy we couldn't walk across the street.
in conclusion...... there is no conclusion. someone just popped the cork out of our friday afternoon champagne and everyone is cheering right now so i gotta go. bye
People thought this was:
Useful (35)
Funny (40)
Cool (38)
Yes the prices are not low but the staff is excellent. I can ask questions and they are eager to help. There is a reason bartenders recommend this place. The selection is excellent.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I always leave here smiling and buying at least more bottle then I intended. The prices are not BevMo, naturally but the selection and staff knowledge is second to none. You'll find some of the city's best bartenders here padding out the paycheck with a day of retail.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Cool (1)
Great selection, very knowledge and one of the few places you can get rhum agricoles in the states. They also carry several top quality molasses based rums that are hard to find outside of the Caribbean.
Their selection of other liquor and of French wine is also impressive but I rarely get out of the rum section.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Not be mistaken for the premium whiskey label Johnnie Walker, this venerable San Francisco establishment (opened just after Prohibition in 1933) has always been known for its friendly service and sage advice. Don't just bring your liver-cringing thirst for top-shelf liquor. Bring a healthy curiosity and a set of questions. Their knowledgeable staff can talk ad nauseam about barley and hops and grapes and potatoes and just about any natural thing from which you can produce alcohol.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
Arguably the best selection of high-end liquor in the Bay Area can be found at this FiDi establishment...for a price. The staff is very knowledgable and great to talk to. Their rum section is the best I've found in the area.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
This place is classy. But they were rocking out to some Guns N'F-in Roses the last time I came in. Alcohol, GNR, and some upscale decor....whats not to like about John Walker's?
Even when I was under 21 I managed to buy alcohol at this place and don't ask me how - years passed and I still can't keep away and stay sober. Their selection blows me away, because I've never thought that I could find such a selection of Vodka here in the city or in the states in general. The store is pricey, but you forget about it when you see the selection. Some good wines from France, Spain and Italia are available and superb choices of rum.
Don't even ask me to talk about their staff - I love them for their smiles, but sometimes I wonder why they are always so happy? Is that the booze?
Good selection of Domestics and French wines. I worked on a law suit that involved the co., in which they were innocent bystanders to an awful Sausalito Cellar co. based out of Sonoma.
Best of its type in the city. Very knowledgeable staff who seem able to quickly figure out a customers needs, even if they are not too sure of it themselves.
Prices are in the top-quartile but it's worth it due to the caliber of the customer service, variety of stock (wine and spirits equally) and convenience of FiDi location. Heartily recommended.
Purchased a Port from here for a top-flight client and I think he was more impressed by my choice of vintner than the actual bottle. Oh well.
I've been seeking out a nice bottle of single malt Scotch Whiskey for my father's birthday, and after some research I had finally settled on a specific bottle. I was planning to head down to K&L Wines (which rocks, by the way) later today, but I was already downtown and figured I'd see if John Walker & Co. had the bottle I was looking for. I discovered that they did in fact have the bottle, but it was about $10 more expensive than the price at K&L. I asked the man at John Walker & Co. if he'd be willing to match K&L's price, and he said that wasn't a problem and thanked me for asking. I was happy that I was able to save a trip to another store, and he was happy that he received my business and will most likely receive future business from me. That's the way a shopping experience should work - but it doesn't always. I highly recommend this shop. The people who own/work at John Walker & Co. are friendly, helpful, and they seem to actually appreciate doing business. What more can you ask for?
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
if you think of bevmo as the macy's of booze, then john walker's is the neiman marcus. there are numerous bevmo locations and each one appeals to the masses - while there are a few higher end and obscure selections for connossieurs, the majority of offerings are based on name-brand recognition and popular choices. jw's is more selective, a bit pricier but well worth the lighter wallet. you can still find common tried and true brands, like patron or macallan, but the real find is in the more unusual bottles - limited bottlings of single-malt scotch or germain robin alambic brandy, lesser known but tasty tequilas, etc. and the service is impeccable - the staff is incredibly knowledgable and can help you navigate through the unfamiliar names and make spot-on recommendations based on what you like or are looking for...the other day i was asking about single malt scotches and had a very informative and interesting lesson on specialty brand bottlings at distilleries (trader joe's 18 y.o.macallan isn't bad for $48 compared to the $180 for the real deal!) and the story behind macallan's "cask strength" bottling.
jw's my spot for special occasion gifts (especially those that i can share w/ the hubby!) they gift wrap!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I get giddy in here. Giddy, like with a splotchy flush.
People thought this was:
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
there are a couple of people here who don't seem to know much. however, there are some here who know a lot, and they are very efficient and very good.
this is where to go to get a 1914 pierre ferrand cognac...for example.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
my Review Of The…
i stole this list idea from jay h---- she's a…
Hot and New
- Delica rf-1
276 reviews
Neighborhood: Embarcadero
- Lime Tree Southeast Asian…
237 reviews
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
- Woodward's Garden
99 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission
- Drunken Sushi
72 reviews
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
- Wayo Sushi
126 reviews
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
