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B
3 years ago

Excellent choice of products for a brick & mortar ...

Excellent choice of products for a brick & mortar store (bitters, glasses, bar tools, syrups, etc...). Very knowledgeable staff who are approachable and walk you through their line of products with patience and care. Their prices are fair and you never feel pigeonholed into a purchase (I don't think they work based on commission).
Highly recomended.

A
3 years ago

First of all, I would like to say that I had never...

First of all, I would like to say that I had never had to complain about the service received from you, whether on Van Horne, the old address of the store or at your showroom (for professionals). I have always dealt with passionate and courteous, smiling and welcoming people. (Wink to Romain, very nice).

Till today. (08/06/2020)

I came with a colleague, we both work in the hotel / catering industry. I wanted him to discover Alambika which he did not know and after having spent a good half hour by car to get to your shop (heavy traffic with works on St Laurent) he was quite enthusiastic about the idea of discovering the place with all the good I had told him about!

Well, we quickly became disillusioned ...!

The reception already, icy. It starts badly.

We look at the products, one of the saleswomen (Luce by her first name) is quite nice, she answers our questions without worry.

On the other hand, the other saleswoman, a brunette, short-haired, responds with almost insolent condescension to one of my questions about one of the products. (She will recognize herself).
I tell her to have a professional account with the restaurant where I work, she begins to make us understand that we are not welcome here, that we have to go to the warehouse, that's where we have to go for them. professionals! We explain to him that we just want to buy a few drinks and bitters, nothing complicated, but nothing helps. She is clearly unlovable and has no good will in it. Tell us that there is no stock and do not try to find solutions. We just ask him to check his stocks in the warehouse (not to go there for nothing) on his computer and in view of the wait and his nonchalance, we finally decide to leave!

Well done, a great disappointment.

So certainly, I understand that with COVID, inventories are limited, it happens. On the other hand there is always a certain class and a certain finesse to be had. Especially in our common profession.

And finally, if I can allow myself a piece of advice: in a personal service environment, with the pandemic and all the difficulties that this entails, a customer remains a customer: Pro, amateur, Pierre, Paul or Jacques.

And there, unfortunately, you lost two, with all the future references that this entails.

Because, finally, there are other high-end bar / mixology / catering stores, with saleswomen who are a little less pedantic!

A good hearer.

M
3 years ago

I've only ordered from them online, but the glassw...

I've only ordered from them online, but the glassware and ingredients were well-packed, shipped quickly, and incredibly high quality. You can tell that they care a lot about the industry and their products. I will definitely be ordering another shipment of glassware soon.

One day, I hope to visit Montreal from Boston and browse the store in-person!

A
3 years ago

I went on a search for good whisky glasses and fou...

I went on a search for good whisky glasses and found this shop.

I was greeted immediately by a friendly man upon entering the business who gave me recommendations for what I was looking for. They offer a varied selection of glassware, knives, syrups, bitters, decanters, etc.. everything for your home bar or establishment. Quality merchandise all at a reasonable price. They offer discounts on bulk purchases (such as a set of 4-6 glasses).

They also offer tasting on all their syrups, mixes, and bitters. I got to taste multiple bitters while I was there.

I highly recommend this place if your looking for some good drinking glasses but don't want to be stuck with low quality or branded glasses. And it's in the beautiful neighbourhood of Outremont!

M
3 years ago

This place has everything you'll need to become a ...

This place has everything you'll need to become a home grown mixologist. The big problem with Alambika is that you'll want to buy everything in the store. Staff is super helpful. Truly an amazing place if you are a cocktail enthusiast.

[
4 years ago

Great store for barman accessories, Glassware, hig...

Great store for barman accessories, Glassware, high end (read Japanese) knifes and anything you can think of for making cocktails, including an amazing selection of bitters. Prices a bit on the high side. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Worth the visit!

S
4 years ago

Customer service leaves a lot to be desired, even ...

Customer service leaves a lot to be desired, even for a paying customer. :( Really attractive store, good location, OK selection, decent pricing. Service not good. I was ignored the entire time, lady said she couldn't answer my question, More

A
4 years ago

Expect to spend a small fortune during your visit ...

Expect to spend a small fortune during your visit there as the selection is just incredible and the prices are on the higher end, but if you're a fan of cocktails you won't be disappointed. One of the nicest boutiques in Montreal IMO.

M
4 years ago

I order a bitter, a jigger and a pestle online. I ...

I order a bitter, a jigger and a pestle online. I found the prices a little high until the order arrived only two days later. The quality of the products, the packaging and the speed at which I received everything greatly exceeds my expectations! Every dollar spent was worth it. Thanks to the Alambika team

D
4 years ago

Update: This company stood behind their sales com...

Update: This company stood behind their sales commitment and resolved my issue. It took a few days for a reply but I am satisfied that they are an honest retailer and I would consider another purchase with their web store.
=========
Reported to company a product received - not as expected.
Awaiting response on item received.

G
4 years ago

The first place I've ever been to start my journey...

The first place I've ever been to start my journey in mixology and definitely not the last. A great selection of bitters and bar accessories. Always recommending it to people when it comes up in a conversation.

L
4 years ago

This is a great little shop to visit. The staff ar...

This is a great little shop to visit. The staff are phenomenal (helpful, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable) and you can taste test a multitude of bitters, so no buying blind. Prices are competitive, too!

K
4 years ago

Great glassware and bar accessories selection for ...

Great glassware and bar accessories selection for hobbyists and professionals. I passed by looking for Glencairn glasses, after looking in a few places, this was the only one that stocked them. Amazing selection of Japanese knives. A+

A
4 years ago

Went on December 2015 a few days before Christmas ...

Went on December 2015 a few days before Christmas to purchase gifts. Went in 1 hour before closing time.

Pros: Nice accessories for cocktails, beautiful design. You can see everything on their website first, good selection of bitters and shrubs, etc.

Cons: The service was quite bad. The 1st girl who "helped" did not listen to anything I said, she barely recommended anything and left in the middle of the conversation with no explanation to get a pizza (she came back with it). The 2nd girl was very nice and helpful with replacing a lot of the ingredients I chose with the 1st girl (I asked for the most "popular" ingredients) but she also left in the middle of our conversation without a word. The 3rd girl was ok but I'm glad I verified my items before paying. They gave me the wrong cocktail shaker and the wrong jigger....

I wish the service was better I would have definitely gone back but I'm going to try other stores. The service is really not up to the price tag.

L
4 years ago

Big big favorite for this shop. A team on the floo...

Big big favorite for this shop. A team on the floor welcoming, smiling and knowledgeable of its products, a wide range of products of excellent quality, a beautiful design, fair prices, and the big plus: you will have the opportunity to taste bitters and other tonics before to buy them. I repeat: big blow of heart. Negative point: just like me, you will surely spend more than expected. I did not know how to be reasonable ...

P
4 years ago

EDIT

EDIT
-----------------------------------------------
The manager contacted me, seems like all my emails didn't reach them for some reason. The matter was resolved, thanks a bunch to Jean-Seb for the quick follow-up!

ORIGINAL
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Received order with damaged items. Sent 2 emails, last one a month ago and still haven't got a reply. No after sale service.

Quality of the glasses for the price I paid is really poor.

S
4 years ago

Bartender supplies and cocktail products!!! Mmmmm,...

Bartender supplies and cocktail products!!! Mmmmm, they even gave us a cherry tasting! Amarena wild cherries from Italy, culinary delight in a cocktail!! Bitters, syrups, specialty items for gifts or home; exquisite!