beth

I know there's wine available in Paris, but how about hard liquor? Is it sold in the market/grocery store, or in a designated store? Just thinking of perhaps a little "highball" in the hotel room....

clairobscur

All kind of alcohols, wine and hard liquors alike, are sold in groceries, supermarkets, etc... There aren't designated stores (though there are shops which are dedicaced to selling alcohols, but it's out of choice, not a legal thing).

Vincent

If you want a 100 % "liquor store", head into any Nicolas store, even if 80 % of the stuff they sell is wine. Otherwise, any Franprix, Ed, Monoprix, etc. will do the trick. For shoplifting reasons, some of these supermarkets might have the hard liquors behind a locked window and you might have to ask for the key at the check out counter, but this is not likely to happen in the tourist areas

mpprh

Hi<BR><BR>Vincent ............ must be joking ?<BR><BR>All grocery stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets have a full range of alcohol on the shelves. Just like biscuits, bread, sweets etc.<BR><BR>You can also buy in motorway services, which is rare in Northern Europe.<BR><BR>Peter<BR>Languedoc, France<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com

Vincent

Peter, it might be like this in Nimes or Pezenas, but you can go any time to my Franprix on rue des Pyrenees, Paris 20e, and you'll find whiskies, vodkas, and even champagnes under lock...

iron

Most supermarkets have open shelf but some do have locked ones, which is the case in Annecy and Annemasse, Haute-Savoie. Is this against shoplifting or<BR>to prevent the minors to buy ?

Phil

No one has mentioned that booze in france,italy is much cheaper than in the states.

beth

Good to know I won't have a problem aquiring the fixin's for my vodka/crans.<BR>In some states (such as my own,Washington) hard alcohol is only sold in state run liquor stores.<BR>So, Thanks, and cheers!

Larry

If you want to get some booze to consume during your visit, why not buy it at the duty-free shop at the airport?

Melissa

I can brag that I was with Elvira when I discovered this store we called "the miniature alcohol emporium" on St. Andre des Arts. All kinds of hard alcohol (I think wine and beer, too), but all in miniature sizes.

clairobscur

The supermarkets which lock alcohol bottles do this to prevent shoplifting, not to prevent minors from buying it. Actually, I don't even think it's illegal for a minor to buy booze in a shop (or if it is, it's a largely unknown and ignored law).

wendy

Vincent is not joking... when the need arises, I go to the basement grocery Monoprix on rue Bonaparte. Some of the better brands are locked behind glass.