Bacco ristorante & bar: bottles for dinner at home

Bacco ristorante & bar is a restaurant name, and The Wild Duck is a liquor store at 86 Massachusetts Ave in Boston, so we do not serve meals. If you want an Italian restaurant-style dinner at home, we carry the wine, spirits, beer and mixers to go with it, and you can walk in, pick up or have an order delivered.

Is The Wild Duck the same as a restaurant like Bacco ristorante & bar?

No. The Wild Duck is a liquor store in Boston, Massachusetts, at 86 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02117. We do not run a dining room or a bar, and we do not serve food or pour drinks for you to have on the premises.

What we do is sell the bottles. If a night out at a restaurant like Bacco ristorante & bar has you wanting the same kind of evening at your own table, we can supply the drinks side of it.

Our wine, liquor and beer sections are the main places to start, and we also stock mixers, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Across the shop we have more than 4,500 products in stock from more than 700 brands.

What should I buy for an Italian restaurant-style dinner at home?

Start with one red wine, one sparkling or white wine for the opening course, and a small bottle to finish. That covers a dinner without crowding the table.

For the red, look at our Italian red page. Italian reds are usually made to be drunk with food, and they tend to carry enough acidity to work with tomato sauces, roasted meats and hard cheeses. Sangiovese, the grape behind Chianti, and Barbera are common examples of this style.

If you would rather not stay with Italian bottles, our wider red wine and red blend pages give you more choices. A cabernet sauvignon suits a richer main course such as braised beef.

Plan roughly one bottle of wine for every two to three people at a long dinner, and keep water and food on the table throughout.

Which wines open an Italian-style dinner well?

A dry sparkling wine or a crisp white opens a meal best, because it is light, cold and not heavy on the palate. Italian restaurants often start this way, and you can do the same at home.

Our sparkling wine page lists what is on the shelf. Prosecco is the best-known Italian sparkling wine, and it is made to be light and fruity. If you prefer a drier style, our guide to cava explains Spanish sparkling wine and how to serve it.

For a still white, a sauvignon blanc or a chardonnay is a sensible choice with seafood, salads and cream-based pasta. Our white wine page shows the full range.

Serve sparkling and white wine well chilled, and take red wine out of any warm spot about half an hour before you pour.

What do I drink after dinner, the way a restaurant would offer?

A small glass of liqueur, whiskey or brandy is the usual way to close a meal, and a little goes a long way. In Italy this is called a digestivo, and it is served in a small measure after the plates are cleared.

Our liqueur section is the closest match. Limoncello is a lemon liqueur that is normally served very cold in a small glass, and we have a guide on how to choose a bottle.

If you prefer something from the whiskey shelf, you can browse whiskey, bourbon and scotch. We also carry Hennessy VS Cognac, a brandy from France that many people enjoy neat after a meal. For a tequila option, we have DON JULIO Reposado and DON JULIO Anejo, which are aged in oak and are usually sipped slowly.

Sip slowly, and keep a glass of water beside you.

Can I make restaurant-style cocktails to go with the meal?

Yes, if you stock the mixers and spirits at home first. A short list of ingredients makes a good aperitivo-style drink without much equipment.

Our mixers page covers the sodas and tonics you need, including bottles from Fever-Tree. For the spirit base, browse vodka, gin and rum. If you want to work with bitters and vermouth, read our article on bitters and vermouth for cocktails.

For a fuller setup, our guide to stocking a home bar lists the tools and bottles to start with. We also have CHARTREUSE Yellow Liqueur for cocktails that call for an herbal liqueur, and Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey for those who like a sweeter, spiced drink.

Measure each drink, and serve cocktails in sensible portions.

How do I get my order from The Wild Duck for a dinner at home?

You can walk in, pick up, have it delivered or have it shipped. We offer all four, so you can choose whichever fits your evening.

Our shop hours are 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM Monday to Saturday and 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Sunday. Pickup hours run from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM Monday to Saturday and 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Sunday. Details are on our in-store pickup page.

Delivery runs from 9:30 AM to 10:30 PM Monday to Saturday and 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM on Sunday. We deliver in Boston, Cambridge and Brookline, and our liquor delivery page has the areas. For wine specifically, see our wine delivery in Boston page.

You must be 21 or older to buy alcohol from us, and you may be asked for identification at pickup or delivery.

What snacks and non-alcoholic drinks go with the evening?

A dinner at home works better when there is something to eat before the main course and something to drink for guests who are not having alcohol.

Our snacks page has items to put out with drinks, and our snacks guide covers more. If you are serving chocolate with dessert, our page on chocolate and drinks to pair shows what goes with it.

For guests who do not drink alcohol, the non-alcoholic section is the place to look. Seltzers and ready-to-drink options are also available if you want something simple that needs no mixing.

If you are buying for a gift rather than for your own table, our gift cards and holiday gift guide are there to help.

Why buy from The Wild Duck in Boston?

We are rated above 4.5 out of 5 from more than 60 Google reviews, and we focus on selection, local and craft products, and service. Those are the things we hold ourselves to as the owner.

Our range is broad enough to cover a whole dinner in one stop, from wine and spirits to beer, mixers and snacks. You can look at what is new on our new arrivals page or see the top rated collection.

If you are not sure what to choose, you can visit us at 86 Massachusetts Ave and ask in the shop. Our frequently asked questions and return policy page explain how orders and returns work.