Empire Wine & Liquors

I had called a few liquor stores on Staten Island, asking about Ardbeg. Most had either never heard of it, or only carried the 10-year. One store owner asked me, after a long pause, "Hardback?" I was about to give up and just order online, but I decided to call a few more. Enter Empire Wine & Liquors. This store had the exact kind of Ardbeg I was looking for (Corryvreckan) plus a few others. When I arrived, I saw that they carried a wide variety of scotches in general, not just Ardbeg. The owner, Johnny, said they could order special ones on request.

What really impressed me though was not the size of their selection, but how friendly and knowledgeable Johnny was. As he got my Ardbeg, he asked me if I liked peat. I said yes. To my surprise, he invited me to taste some peaty scotches. Before each, he introduced the flavor characteristics, and after each, he told me the price of a bottle. All of this was in a really friendly and accommodating way, so I never felt any pressure to buy. Each comment or question seemed to be tailored to help me find a right Scotch for my own flavor and price preferences. This was my first visit, too, on a Monday night. It was really nice to be unexpectedly treated with such care and attention. At one point during the tasting, a small family walked in and exchanged warm greetings with Johnny as they bought something, and I thought "I'm far from the only one who had a great experience here."

TL;DR I had a great experience here looking for a special whisky. Johnny was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. The service and selection were both leagues beyond that of any other liquor store I’ve been to on Staten Island. This will be my go-to place to buy liquor from now on.

Walking into liquor stores, I always expect a bit of a dusty dark atmosphere, but upon entering I was greeted by a very bright place where it was very easy to find what I was looking for from a distance. The staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and I would totally recommend this place to anyone. Will definitely return.

Excellent selection of wines and high end liquors, specifically bourbons and scotches. Stores carrying rare items like this are few and far between.

This liquor store's legit - very well lit, stocked and organized. The owner's solid and well informed regarding his inventory.

The selections are impressive - and they're ready to do business, unlike many stores who simply take advantage of the market fluctuations and fleece their customers while displaying their dusty prize bottles. This is a place you can forge a relationship where all parties benefit.

Honestly I won't waste my time going anywhere else when I'm on the island, and if you find yourself in need of a bottle in this area I highly recommend you don't either. Thank you John 🍻

Update: the service here is the best I’ve ever experienced. They are knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, and so amazing. Great kosher selection year round. Excellent prices, huge selection, and customer service is untouchable. They well go above and beyond to help you.

I contacted Empire Liquors as a first-time customer and immediately felt that Jan would sincerely help me obtain what I needed. I felt very welcomed in the store; everyone is very friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend going there. They deserve a rating of a lot more than just five stars!

I highly recommend patronizing this place. It’s quite possibly one of best liquor stores on the island, it’s definitely the best in the neighborhood. The store is family owned/ran and they are uncommonly kind, gracious, and super friendly. You can always find something on special in the front of the store. If you are looking for something specific or a suggestion they will not disappoint - and they won’t try and upsell you. The prices are extremely fair and their stock is on point.

Amazing store with an amazing owner, highly recommend

So easy to do business with. The ship free feature is fun and makes me buy more wine!

Great liquor store. They pack so many great bottles in a small and organized space.
The staff is knowledgeable and courteous.
Always a good experience.

Haven’t been to a liquor store where people were friendly and had all the items I asked for & more !! Good options in stock.

Excellent customer service, amazing knowledge of the products and can really advise as to your needs. Highly recommend!

Very good place nice 👍 atención for a Customers l love this Store from Jose Chow from Staten island, New York bye

Website listed on Google is a fake/scam website. The store is not associated with the site - it is run by scammers offering discounts if you pay by Bitcoin.

John was very knowledgeable and helpful. Definitely a friendly store.

Very nice store customer service is excellent when you need help put stuff they are there to help prices are pretty good deals I highly recommend people to check them out if I can add more stars I would

Large variety of liquors always fully stocked, private parking lot, best prices I've seen on the island and close to the highway.I drive from the other side of the island to visit this store.

Love this place. The owner is awesome and knows a lot about wine. He even gave me a bottle of wine as a gift. Will come again.

Always friendly, helpful and kind. Tried their delivery option today for the first time and still Empire Wine & Liquor Depot upheld there 5 star service. Thanks for everything!

Great liquor store. The owner (John) is very knowledgeable. The service and prices are excellent