Whether you're looking for a bottle to take to a friend's or stocking up the bar at home, you'll get much more out of a trip to one of London's brilliant indie booze shops with their carefully edited selections and knowledgeable staff.Gerry's is something of a Soho institution. With a gargantuan selection of spirits on offer, including many exceedingly hard-to-find ones, Gerry's is the place to come if you're after some obscure mezcal or a liqueur. They have a lot of absinthe by the way, if you're inclined towards the green fairy.Find it: 74 Old Compton St, W1D 4UW; There are now four Bottle Apostles dotted around London, but it's still very much an indie operation stocking everything from craft beer to fine champagne via artisan gins. Staff are super knowledgeable and never snobby - equally happy to match some rose with your takeaway pizza as to recommend a starter Japanese whisky. Don't miss their regular tasting evenings.Find it: Victoria Park; A new addition to the off licence scene, owner Melanie Symonds wanted to redefine the London booze shop with Brahms & Liszt.

It also doubles up as a tasting room with events as cider and wine pairing and gin masterclasses, plus you can stock on up unusual glassware as well as obscure, quality spirits. Find it: 10 Chatsworth Rd, E5 0LP; Indie booze shops - in pictures A bit smarter than your usual offy, Hedonism is more of a wine and spirits boutique in a very smart part of Mayfair. Its buyers have scoured the world looking for the creme de la creme, finishing up with around 5,500 wines and 3,000 spirits. best cheap wine bars nycHelp at this shop comes in the form of former sommeliers from top Michelin starred restaurants, which is comforting when you're planning to splash some cash.best type of wine with greek foodFind it: 3-7 Davies St, W1K 3LD; buy and ship wine internationally

hedonism.co.ukSuper smart: Hedonism Wines in Mayfair (Picture: Hedonism Wines)If you're a budding mixologist, and especially like shaking up Latin American cocktails, Amathus is the place to go as the owner of the UK's biggest collection of pisco, tequila, mezcal and cachaca. Indeed, Ceviche restaurant founder Martin Morales comes here for his pisco.As Britain's oldest wine and spirit merchant dating back to 1698, BB&R have a rather special standing in London. Its shop in St James's Street has changed little since the 17th Century and you'll find quality booze ranging from as little as a fiver up to £5000. best wine bottles 2015In case you're an out of towner with a serious budget, it can also offer fine wine advice from multi-lingual specialists. best wine for valentine dayIt also runs exceptional wine courses and has just launched its new 'Cellar Series', hwihc sees it collaborate with top London restaurants such as Gymkhana and Dabbous to put on exclusive supper clubs.best italian wine store nyc

Find it: 3 St James's St, SW1A 1EG; Whisky nuts, this one is for you. Originally a wine seller, Milroy's is now all about the darker stuff, growing its range over the years to include Scottish single malts, Bourbon and rye whiskey from America as well as rarer bottles from the likes of Japan, Sweden and South Africa. It also deals in gin, vodka, tequila and rum by the way. Make sure you pop into the bar if you want to get more of a taste.Find it: 3 Greek St, W1D 4NX; best sweet wine 2015milroys.co.uk If you're a whisky and cigars kind of guy - or girl - this Soho old hat is just the ticket. best wines to age for 20 yearsRun by the same family since the Second World War, the Vintage House has an impressive stock of malt whisky, fine wine, Armagnacs and Cuban cigars dating back to 1879 - as well as rum and tequila. best wines online coupon

Above this shop you'll find the Soho Whisky Bar, a members bar with a smoking terrace.Find it: 42 Old Compton St, W1D 4LR; vintagehouse.coFollow us on Twitter @ESLifeandStyle and Facebook Our London wine shop at No. 3 St James's Street has changed little since it was opened by the Widow Bourne in 1698. It boasts an extensive range of wines and spirits, from around £5 up to £5,000, and a team of knowledgeable yet friendly staff who offer unparalleled expert advice, no matter what your requirements are. The range incorporates a vast selection of wines, including those from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Spain and the Rhône, as well as top Italian bottles and New World classics.From roots as a merchant selling provisions, exotic spices, tea and coffee, No.3 ultimately became a fine wine merchant and during the past three centuries many famous visitors have passed through our doors, from Lord Byron to the Aga Khan. The shop is little changed and traces of its history – including important documents and artefacts – are on view.

Berry Bros. & Rudd first supplied wine to the British Royal Family during the rein of King George III and has continued to do so to the present day and currently holds two Royal warrants; for H.M. The Queen and H.R.H The Prince of Wales. Step back in time and learn more about the rich history of No.3, through tales of widows, kings, politicians and coffee. Find out more about any events that are happening in the our London shop over the next few months. Browse our finest reserves room, offering a superlative selection of some of the world’s finest wines. Take a look around our fine Whiskies and Spirits room, featuring rare and independent releases and free tastings of the exclusive range of our own bottlings.Located in the heart of London’s Mayfair, Hedonism is a new fine wine and spirits boutique which has already become the most talked about wine project of recent times. The hedonistic way of thinking originated in the early Greek philosophic schools where it was believed that pleasure was the only intrinsic good.

However, we firmly believe that there are many things which one should enjoy in life and with the word “hedonism” frequently used in tasting notes wine is certainly one of them. What better name for a shop which stocks the finest and rarest wines and spirits? The UK’s best buyers have sourced around 5,500 wines and 3,000 spirits, taking the crème de la crème from each region of the world whilst carefully checking the provenance of every bottle. From classics including the Macallan 1938 Red Ribbon, Taylor's Scion 1855, a Courvoisier 1976 Baccarat Decanter and Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache 1999 to a vast collection of the outrageous and quirky Sine Qua Non, a complete vertical of Masseto, The Laird 2006 in a rather meagre 27 litre bottle and a Chartreuse Tarragona—we have something for every wine and spirits lover. Each of our guests can expect to receive the very highest level of customer service from our dedicated wine specialists, many of whom are former sommeliers from top Michelin starred restaurants.

With a passion for Hedonism project our extremely friendly and knowledgeable team understand how to make our guests feel welcome. They are always looking to be helpful and go the extra mile. Furthermore, if (although highly unlikely) we do not have the bottle you are after, we will try our very hardest to source it for you. Should you wish your wine to be delivered to you either in London, the UK or overseas we will get it to you as quickly and carefully as possible. With deliveries within one hour in central London, our wine specialists are also available to come to you should you need their advice and expertise. All local deliveries are made using our electric vans which help us stay green and keep the air clean. Given that it might take some time to browse our entire collection, do not be afraid to bring your children with you as they can have fun in our kid’s area. With parking always being a problem we have spaces for Hedonism Wines’ guests.