Beer Crazy

Beer CrazyBeer Crazy
Beer CrazyBeer Crazy
Homebrew, Beer-to-go

3908 NW Urbandale Dr
Urbandale, Iowa, 50322-7922
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.12
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
25
pDev:
14.56%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of Foxman27
Reviewed by Foxman27 from Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
A nice small store in the Des Moines area. All sales are single bottles, which is preferred, and they get a good selection. They also have homebrew equipment for those interested in that.
Mar 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.37 by craigbelly from Iowa

Jan 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4.23 by YodersBeerEmporium from Iowa

Aug 12, 2015
Photo of Scott17Taylor
Reviewed by Scott17Taylor from Iowa

4.39/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.25
I'm going to start off by saying, check dates on hoppy stuff closely, they are stored at shelf temp, but if you want stouts, sours, barley wines, and other cellarable styles they are a great stop. Great service, good pricing, decent selection.
May 02, 2015
Photo of crappiemandan
Reviewed by crappiemandan from Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Helpful staff. Always ask if I need help finding something once I enter the store. Shelves are well stocked and the prices are comparable to what's on online.
Apr 25, 2015
Photo of fooferjw
Reviewed by fooferjw from Florida

1.93/5  rDev -53.2%
vibe: 1 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 2
what a joke if your website says 600 beers maybe you should try be close. lucky have 100. with that most of the IPA were past 60 days and more. dont bother asking staff why will just catch attitude do yourself a favor go to CYCLONE LIQUOR IN AMES THEY DO HAVE 500 BEER FRIENDLY STAFF
Jan 22, 2015
Photo of MickeyTheHead
Reviewed by MickeyTheHead from Iowa

4.75/5  rDev +15.3%
Good shop, good service, decent prices; I shop there often.

Employees are always helpful, shop keeps good hours. For being a small shop they seem to keep their prices pretty competitive with the big online brew supply retailers. They also do a good job keeping the store well stocked with good beer and pretty much any brewing supplies you might need.
Nov 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by stolee from Iowa

Aug 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Liverocks from Delaware

Aug 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by 22Blue from Kansas

Jul 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.28 by BuzzG from Iowa

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Berg77 from Iowa

Jun 05, 2014
Photo of RPS
Reviewed by RPS from Iowa

4.74/5  rDev +15%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Just recently moved to outside the Des Moines area and was told Beer Crazy was the place to go for beer and homebrew supplies.

The shop is a little off the beaten path and is a little small and light on the decor but serves its purpose.

The selection and price were very good. In my two trips (May and July of 2012) thus far I've picked up some GI Juliet, Founders Frangelic Mountain Brown and Devil Dancer, Boulevard Love Child #2 and a few other things that I hadn't found in other parts of Iowa (including Iowa City). All the prices were on par or many times lower than other stores. And all bottles can be purchased as singles which is a plus in my opinion.

The service was very good, I was asked a couple of times if I needed help looking for something or if I had any questions on products. The cashier was also very chatty about my selections when I checked out. From what I saw with a couple other customers in the store they seemed very knowledge about their homebrewing supplies as well (with a good selection of that as well but I didn't check that in too much detail).

There were only two things that the store had going against it. 1. I thought they were a little lacking in imports (that may be that I'm used to John's Grocery's selection) but I think their American craft selection is the best in the state.

2. I thought the organization was a little strange. Most of the beer was placed by style which made it a little difficult to look through. It also seemed as several beers were just placed where there was extra space. It was a little overwhelming.

All in all though, Beer Crazy will definitely be my store of choice from now on.
Jul 07, 2012
Photo of PhilosopherRicky
Reviewed by PhilosopherRicky

4.8/5  rDev +16.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Beer Crazy has an amazing selection and has the advantage of being the only real homebrew shop in central Iowa. They seem to carry just about every beer available in the state with a few intended exceptions.

The staff is extremely knowledgeable about both the beers they carry and the brewing side of the store. They are a little more homebrew focused, but still a great place to pick up a brew. They are also a little off the beaten track, so you do have to hunt them out, but it is worth the adventure.
Mar 28, 2012
Photo of bditty187
Reviewed by bditty187 from Nebraska

3.45/5  rDev -16.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5
“Go Crazy Folks! Go Crazy!”

Finally made it to Beer Crazy in Urbandale and my final impression of the place was simple: if this is the best beer store in Des Moines that’s lame. I’m not knocking Beer Crazy but there is no reason why the selection can’t be better.

Pro: Everything is available as a single.

Con: Beers were stocked by style. I am never a fan of this. I feel like I must have overlooked beers and if I didn’t the beers Beer Crazy has chosen to carry is random.

Pro: Prices seemed fair.

Con: No help was available when I arrived. Not a ‘hi’ not a ‘can I help you.’ Totally ignored and there was little chatter when I checked out.

If you are a homebrewer that is an added bonus for this place but since I don’t home brew it matters little to me.

If I was in the area I might stop again but it is not a destination store, IMO. Obviously if I lived in Des Moines I would shop here constantly.
Jan 28, 2012
Photo of ozzy1038
Reviewed by ozzy1038 from Iowa

4.44/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
I recently became aware of Beer Crazy as I was looking to get into Beer and Wine Making. I wasn't sure if they had all the wine making stuff I would need, but I was pleasantly surprised. They are not lacking in that area at all. They had everything I needed. The wine making kit was even cheaper than midwest and no shipping to boot!

I also like the beer selection there. It's nice to buy a few to try. I bought some smoke beer which is very good. I decided to marinate some pork chops with it, and it made a very good marinade. It is a bit spendy for a marinade at $4.50 a bottle, but it wont be the last time I use it as one.

I will say on my initial visit that the guy that helped me didn't seem to be the friendliest, but he did help me get what I needed.

My next venture is All Grain brewing and I'm sure they'll have what I need. If not, Northern Brewer or Midwest is only a click away.
Jun 26, 2011
Photo of mdwalsh
Reviewed by mdwalsh from Iowa

4.24/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Stopped in here after discovering its only a few blocks from my company's main warehouse/office and helps make trips down there way more worth while.

The single greatest thing about Beer Crazy is that every bottle in the place, and there are many, comes in singles. This makes it so much easier to try things and get a variety of beers without ruining the bank account. The selection varies widely from cheap macros to fine Belgians and everything in between. It looks like things are bought on a whim or on deal only because there aren't whole lineups of breweries or anything like that.

The homebrew shop looked impressive, they had what I needed, so that's all I cared about. The staff were all beer geeks, and while they could have been a little friendlier, it was overall a pretty great experience and a must for anyone in the NW suburbs.
Mar 11, 2011
Photo of ballz50401
Reviewed by ballz50401 from Iowa

4.3/5  rDev +4.4%
This place is awesome. In town for the weekend looking for some homebrew ingredients and unique beer. This place has both! First I filled 7 six pack carriers with mix & match beer. All the cans and bottles are individually priced. They have a good variety of different beer from a few Iowa breweries to a lot of Belgium breweries that are all sorted out on the shelves by beer styles. After I picked out beer, I pulled out my homebrew ingredients list and he helped me locate everything I needed. The prices were very good, about the same or cheaper then Midwest Supplies. Very good experience and recommend this place to all. Will return next time I'm in Des Moines.
Jun 08, 2010
Photo of brewmandan
Reviewed by brewmandan from Iowa

4.65/5  rDev +12.9%
If you're looking for a beer you cann't find at a grocery store, chances are you'll find it here. Great beer slection! And the different beers are also individually prices, so a person can buy a 6-pack and all 6 bottles be a different beer. I also do 99% of my homebrewing shopping at Beer Crazy (with the occasional on-line purchase). Good selection on ingridients and equipment and reasonably priced. Always had some one ask if I needed help every time I shopped there. The employees are very knowledgeable about homebrewing and always have advice or answers to a homebrewers questions. Beer Crazy also has the equipment for homemade wine making as well.
May 11, 2010
Photo of JeremyinUtah
Reviewed by JeremyinUtah from Utah

3.7/5  rDev -10.2%
This joint has a decent selection of craft beers and regional brews individually priced, which i like. There is really not a lot of microbrews outside of midwest selections, although they hav belgians and european brews. No real west coast representation or any great east coast brews. I do like the fact that you can buy a decent selection of midwest brews, however, i went and bought every IPA and pale ale he had stocked, and almost half of them were out of date. my mistake. it really ticked me off...the homebrew supplies were good, and it was nice to see equipment as well. overall it is a good place to stop by if you are in town; plus you can get some homebrew supplies with your brews...
Feb 09, 2010
Photo of BretSikkink
Reviewed by BretSikkink from Mexico

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
Beer Crazy is located on the west side of Urbandale Dr. just before it splits into NW 100th. The shopping center is pretty barren it would seem. Not sure when they opened, but I haven't been in Des Moines since December '08 and I feel like it's been since then.

The selection of bottles and kegs is just about right for bigger markets - not blowing the rest of the city away but definitely improving on it. All the bottles are available as singles, which is nice. More selection in the cooler, although I didn't find much to like in there. Some interesting shit on the shelves for the area.

Clean. Organized by style. Homebrewing needs taken care of. Looks pretty great. The tagline is "All the beers the law will allow" which seems true enough. Not quite the selection of Cyclone/Dirty John's but I could see that happening soon. Way to step up, Des Moines.
Jun 19, 2009
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4/5  rDev -2.9%
Beer Crazy is the newest beer store in Des Moines and is already one of the best, if not *the* best. There are several stores that are more convenient to my house and place of work, but this is the one that I go back to again and again.

The selection is pretty good (and is slowly improving), the beer is fresh and, perhaps most importantly, everything is available in singles. Sometimes a mixed sixer is the only way to go. Besides, it's always good to be able to get a few local brews for trading extras.

I'm also impressed at the higher ABV beers that appear on the shelves, which are often hard to find at other local stores. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout seems to be available year-round. I'm sure it isn't, but it does last quite a while.

Since the surrounding businesses don't appear to do much... uh... business, parking is plentiful out front. The store is always clean and is laid out in a way that makes sense. It looks like the homebrewers are well taken care of, and there's almost always someone in that part of the store when I'm there.

A truly killer beer store in this area will have to wait until the idiotic, archaic Iowa alcohol laws are changed. Until then, Beer Crazy is my favorite in the Des Moines area. Hands down.
May 12, 2009
Photo of jlpred55
Reviewed by jlpred55 from Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
As far as the beer selection goes, Beer Crazy is pretty good. Has some nice Belgians and some rarer stuff to the DSM area. The laws really limit the beer side of things. Store is laid out well and he has a nice selection of homebrew stuff. This is my new go to homebrew store- since he has all the stuff I use. The hops selection is very good, and the prices make it worth buying from him then buying online and paying shipping, unless in bulk. He doesn't have the rarer stuff but almost everything you need in terms of hops is there. The grain and extract selection is good as well, pretty much everything you need and the prices are much more reasonable then Heartlan Homebrew, where they want $15 for a 3 lb bag of extra light DME, beer crazy sells it for like $12. The yeast selction is great for a small store. Everything I have ever needed he has, plus he gives out some sound advice. YMMV with the "other" homebrew store in the DSM area. I like this place, friendly all around and good prices. I will never order anything online that I can buy locally for a reasonably similar price. This place does that for me. Kudos to the owner. I will be back.
Apr 30, 2009
Photo of DesMoinesMike
Reviewed by DesMoinesMike from Iowa

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
The only place in Des Moines (I know of) that sells spirits AND the means to make them.
The selection is nice sized and so is the variety. The walk-in cooler in the back is stocked mostly with macros but has a few gems. The best part is that you can buy individual bottles instead of sampling a new brew by buying a six pack and risking pouring $10 down the drain. The staff is friendly and willing to answer any question and check with their suppliers. It's a bit out of the way but definitely worth an occasional visit.
Feb 19, 2009
Photo of jayb
Reviewed by jayb from Iowa

3.85/5  rDev -6.6%
Caught site of the storefront and big sign that says "beer crazy" when i was driving around des moines. I saw the sign and thought "hey me too" so i had to stop. The first time i tried to pop in it wasn't open quite yet so i had been looking forward to seeing it for some time.

Finally got it. This is a nice little shop. Half of the store is dedicated to selling beer, (a good selection) and the other half is homebrewing equipment. Awesome; one stop, two of my favorite things. Buying by the bottle is what i enjoyed most about it.

The homebrew section had quite a bit of stuff; kits, extracts, crushed grains, etc. He had a good selection or yeast as well. One of which was Wyeast 3191, berliner weisse, which i was surprised he had. i couldnt find it anywhere else.

Overall the store is nice, neon signs and old boxes are stacked up against the front windows which makes it look appealing from the outside and makes the store appear completely full of everything you could want.

The owner was a really nice guy, and informative, he was willing to break into the literature with me to answer questions as well as offer suggestions on brewing. Prices were reasonable, they didn't seem cheep or overly expensive. It gives a guy another place to pick up homebrew stuff in des moines if you don't want to travel down to the valley junction area.

Enjoyable.
Mar 18, 2008
Beer Crazy in Urbandale, IA
Place rating: 4.12 out of 5 with 25 ratings