Bantam Country Liquors

"Bought a bottle of Blantons here. I should’ve looked at it closely before taking it home but I’m quite positive it was tampered with to exchange the jockey cork or even a fake. Wax seal and pull tab were completely loose. The taste was quite chemically. Very suspicious. Won’t go back."

"Bantam Country Liquors is a wonderful little shop about 20 minutes north of our home in New Milford. My wife and I stopped by on a whim because I have taken a recent interest in whiskey and bourbon. I also tend to avoid huge box stores typically staffed by people with little knowledge of the products and incentivized to push certain brands over others. This is not a large store by any stretch. The aisles can be a little tight but this coziness is countered by an excellent, curated selection, knowledgeable and approachable staff, and very reasonable pricing. Like I said, I’m late to the brown liquor party. I’m 53 and never had a taste for bourbon or whiskey but I figure there had to be something to it. So, imagine my relief when I entered this store and met one of the owners, Paul. Sporting a shorn head with an impressive grey beard, Paul looked more like a wizard than a booze salesman. But get him going about brown liquor and the wizard comes out. He enthused about all different types of bourbons, focusing on offerings that would neither offend, nor kill, a newbie like me. He even offered up a sample for me to try, just to get an idea of what my palate was all about. He went through the shelves enthusiastically, pulling out bottles, commenting on their depths of flavor, their mash bills, barrel types, who’s local and which ones are mass-produced. It was a lot of information but it was good information. This sort of crash course was exactly what I needed. Rather than committing to a single 750 ml bottle that I may not like and would probably take over a year for me to drink, I went with a set of samples from Litchfield Distillery — a small operation located just a few miles up 202. We couldn’t be happier that we found Bantam Country Liquors. They are now my go-to store for not only liquor but they have very high quality wine and beer as well. And from a relative teetotaler like me, that’s a rave. Anyone who has a keen interest in wine, beer, or, in particular, liquor should stop by and say hi. Definitely worth the trip."

"Beautiful store, love the inviting energy! If you want an unforgettable experience stop by this store! Always help me carry my purchase out to my car no matter the size of items. Such a clean environment and always smells good, apparently it’s a bath and body works plug in!"

"Small store, huge selection! Love the variety of the liquors, wines, and beers. The staff are fun to talk to and very engaging."

"Suzanne and Paul are a great husband and wife team. Christina also works there and is very helpful. For a small place they have a great variety. If you have not been in a while I would check it out. They have really cleaned up the place since buying it last year."