Buying Alcohol in Jakarta - Liquor, Wine, Beer

Buying alcohol in Jakarta used to be an unpleasant chore, especially after the law banning the sale of beer in minimarts was passed in 2015.

With the development of internet and delivery services, it has become much easier as long as you know the right websites and application. I personally use HappyFresh and Gojek, but there are other services that I will describe below. 

For those who are still living in 2010, I will also give you the best "brick and mortar" wine and spirit shops, particularly those that are located in Central and South Jakarta. 

To give you an idea of where it is cheaper, I've added the prices of popular bottles. You can comment on these or suggest a better place to buy beer, liquor or wine in the comment section below.

The import tax is 150% on spirits and 90% on wine. This means you will pay at least twice as much for any bottle that was not produced in Indonesia. If you buy an imported bottle for less than Rp250,000, it is suspicious and you can assume it won't be genuine alcohol.

There are a few local alcohol brands that have cheaper prices. For wines, the most famous is Hatten which grows its own grapes in Bali. You can buy some of their bottles online or at their Kemang boutique for around Rp200,000. The same company owns Two Islands which makes wine from imported Australian grape juice. It is more expensive (around Rp290,000 per bottle).

There are several lager beer producers in Indonesia. The most famous is Bintang, a subsidiary of Heineken but you also have other players like Prost, Anker or Bali Hai. A 33-cl can of Prost beer will normally cost you around Rp16,000.

You also have Indonesian alcoholic specialties like arak (rice alcohol), tuak (palm wine) and anggur hitam (black wine) but I've rarely seen them sold in Jakarta.

Having spent some time in the hospitality industry in Indonesia, I know that a large number of imported bottles sold in shops, restaurants, bars and clubs have entered the country illegally and avoided proper taxation. This does not mean that they are fake but simply that no import taxes were paid. There are so many intermediary and such a love for cheating in Indonesia that even in high-end venues you cannot be sure that the bottles are legal.

Fake bottles are a much larger problem as they can be dangerous, if not lethal. As I mentioned before, spirit bottles that cost well under Rp250,000 are very suspicious and unless they are sold by a reputed company or in the duty free, they should be avoided. The same logic applies in bars if your glass or your cocktail costs less than Rp50,000.

You must be over 21 years old to buy alcohol in Indonesia. Most venues will ask for your ID before handling you the liquor. Surprisingly, in bars and nightclubs it is much easier to get alcohol even if you're not 18 yet.

The smartest and cheapest way to get alcohol in Jakarta is to shop online. There are A LOT of options but I'll just give you the best ones below. 

HappyFresh allows you to buy groceries from your mobile phone or your laptop and to get them delivered to your door within a couple hours. They have a partnership with the liquor store chain Red & White so you can get the same prices as in the shops. HappyFresh can also get beer delivered from several supermarkets (including Grand Lucky SCBD). You can choose cash on delivery.

The service costs Rp20,000 per delivery and it is available during the normal operating hours of the shops (until 10pm).

Example of prices for HappyFresh delivery from Red & White (November 2016):

Jack Daniels 700ml = Rp790,000

Smirnoff Vodka Flavored 750ml = Rp590,000

Ketel One 750ml = Rp825,000

HappyFresh delivery from Grand Lucky SCBD

Bintang Large 620ml = Rp31,300

Prost Beer Large 620ml = Rp30,200

Bintang Small 330ml = Rp18,600

Prost Beer Small 330ml = 16,800

Gojek is another option if you don't want to download HappyFresh. The service is called Go-Mart and they also have a partnership with Red & White (same price as the shops). The cost of delivery depends on the distance (normally between Rp10,000 and Rp20,000). You can use Go-Pay for payment or cash on delivery.

Example of prices for Go-Mart delivery from Red & White (November 2016)

JW Black Label 750ml = Rp940,000

Smirnoff Red 750ml = Rp290,000

Ciroc Vodka 750ml = Rp1,150,000

Gojek delivery from Drink Corner

Bintang Beer 6X330ml = Rp116,000 (Rp19,333 per unit)

This website belong to Red & White and features more choices compared to Gojek and HappyFresh. The price are the same but the delivery fee is higher (Rp50,000) and the goods may take up to 4 days to arrive. You can pay with credit card, American Express, PayPal or bank transfer.

A much cheaper option for buying alcohol in Jakarta is to visit the online store Mambo Bodega. They are part of a bigger group that is licensed to import alcohol, hence reducing the number of intermediaries and in fine allowing them to be one of the cheapest retailers in the city.

They offer free same-day delivery in Jakarta if you purchase at least 6 bottles. Otherwise, they'll send the bottles with Gojek which is pretty cheap anyway (departing from Rasuna Epicentrum). Cash on delivery is available from 9am - 4pm and after that the payment must be done through a BCA transfer. They close at 10pm.

Their prices are lower on Facebook and you can directly book using the "Shop" button. Some of their price:

Jack Daniels 700ml = Rp425,000

JW Black Label 750ml = Rp525,000

Absolut Blue Vodka 750ml = Rp360,000

Greygoose Vodka = Rp750,000

Jacobs Creek Chardonnay = Rp240,000

They have great prices, among the lowest in Jakarta, and it is a trusted website. Limited choice of spirits and wines but they have enough to make you happy (rum, bourbon, scotch, red and white wine, champagne, vodka, gin, cognac, etc). The only problem is that they may take time to deliver (from 2 to 7 days). You can pay by credit card or bank transfer.

Jack Daniels 700ml = Rp455,000

JW Black Label 750ml = Rp525,000

Belvedere Vodka 750ml = Rp600,000

Bacardi Gold Rum 750ml = Rp324,000

Moet Chandon Imperial 750ml = Rp975,000

My friend has used this website several times and he says he got delivered fast each time. Delivery is free if you spend more than Rp2,000,000 (otherwise Rp50,000). Payments can be made with bank transfer or through Paypal.

Jack Daniels 700ml = 550,000

JW Black Label 750ml = Rp600,000

Absolut Blue Vodka 750ml = 450,000

Greygoose Vodka = Rp600,000

Jacobs Creek Merlot Red Wine = Rp350,000

Moet Chandon Champagne Imperial 750ml = 1,000,000

There are many other websites offering online delivery that I haven't tried yet. Some have good reviews on the internet, other are unknown. It is quite a bet to use them so I would advise to buy only one or two bottles to try at first. Be wary if the prices are too low. If you've had a good or bad experience with them, don't forget to comment below.

WineSpiritShop (Indonesian): You can order with them through line @winespiritshop. Prices 10-20% lower than the competition but I can't guarantee that the alcohol is genuine. They have positive reviews on kaskus forum so it does not seem to be a scam. Payment with BCA/Mandiri transfer. Delivery in two days for Rp35,000-Rp50,000.

Indoliquor, Liquor Shop 88, Little Wine Shop, Rumah Wine, Wine Shop Indonesia, Batavialiquor (only in Indonesian): Not first choices as they aren't so cheap, have limited payment methods or do not offer one-day delivery.

Wine Line: They have fair prices and they possess an actual store in Pluit but they didn't reply the message I sent them. They also sell soju, sake, choya and cigars.

This is not a method I've personally tried but a friend told me she buys her booze on AlcoholSupply and BirDelivery (for beer only, interesting because they have a last order at midnight).

If you are not interested to buy online, you can still go to brick-and-mortar shops. The cheapest ones are the Duty Free Shops though they have rather strict rules for non-diplomatic passport holders. Indonesians cannot shop there.

DFS has two locations in the airport and in Lotte Shopping Avenue (near Mega Kuningan). In the Lotte branch, you are allowed to buy alcohol but you'll only be allowed to pick it up at the airport only, after you've passed immigration. Diplomats can go home with their purchase though. Moral of the story: Forget it unless you work in an embassy.

There are 3 shops in South Jakarta that have more relaxed rules. They are not supposed to sell to regular passport holders, but they might still do it on occasion. It is best to call them in advance to ask about their stocks and confirm their opening hours.

In front of Swiss-Belhotel Arion, it is open every day except Sunday. They will give a 10% discount to holder of diplomatic passport but others can shop there too (though in limited quantities). The prices are in dollar but still generally lower than elsewhere. No delivery available. 

Jalan Kemang I No 8

Phone number: +62 (0) 21 7198 558

Red and White has several stores within high-end shopping malls in Jakarta in Pondok Indah Mall (Street Gallery), Lippo Kemang, Kota Kasablanka, Dharmawangsa Square, Pacific Place or Ratu Plaza. They can also be found in housing complexes such as Kemang Mansion, Green Lake Sunter and South Quarter Cilandak.

The prices in their shops are identical to delivery prices on HappyFresh, Gojek or their own website Minuman. 

If you don't mind paying more, there are wine shops inside some trendy restaurants and bars. The most famous is the chain Vin + with locations in Kemang, Senayan Arcadia, Central Park (Taman Anggrek) and Pondok Indah Mall (Street Gallery). 

You can also go to Social House in Grand Indonesia or to one of the three branches of Cork & Screw (Jalan Rasuna Said, Plaza Indonesia, Pacific Place).

If you stay in North Jakarta, you have Chamber of Liquor in Kelapa Gading and Vam House in Pluit.