Nothing screams Mill Road like swinging by Bacchanalia. This small and quirky alcohol specialist has been going since I can remember and is well known by those within the know for selling a wide range of high quality alcoholic beverages. Hiding in plain sight, this shop can easily be missed. Even people who live down Mill Road often don’t realise its there! Walking in, you feel like it’s a discovery or some sort of hidden gem but in reality it is incredibly popular.
Walking in, you would be forgiven for thinking it is mainly a wine shop but stepping through to the back you will see an entire room opened up to craft and international beer. For someone like myself who has been nothing short of obsessed with Czech and Belgium beer the past decade, this is somewhere I leave kicking myself for not having come back sooner. There is also spirits such as whisky and bourbon along the top shelves.
Being reasonably new to craft beer and looking to expand my experience as much as possible, this looked to be a great place to start. Bacchanalia offering a wider selection of IPA’s and stouts than shops 10 times its size. I was spoiled for choice and noticed dozens of beers I had never seen or heard of before.
The gentleman behind the till had an extensive knowledge of what he was selling and was able to recommend a fine selection of products based on my preferences. Coming in for beer at the time we discussed mainly that but he also knew what he was talking about when it came to whisky and wine.
Even the more experienced connoisseurs will no doubt learn a thing or two from him being fully trained in what he does but most of all value his input. This is the difference between buying from a small independent shop rather than a supermarket or from online.
I left with an absurd amount of beer ranging from Belgium and German beer to IPA’s and some shameful IRN BREW craft beer. I said goodbye to Bacchus and was on my way with an entire box full of gems I couldn’t wait to explore.
Prices were reasonable, considering you are buying from a small independent with excellent customer service, especially now leaving equipped with a more robust knowledge of drinks for having visited.
Make sure you check out their Facebook page or swing by the next time you are on Mill Road.
Thanks for reading
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