Merchant's Fine Wine

Merchant's Fine WineMerchant's Fine Wine
Merchant's Fine WineMerchant's Fine Wine
Store

22250 Michigan Ave
Dearborn, Michigan, 48124-2225
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.44
Reviews:
49
Ratings:
61
pDev:
9.91%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tjohn2401:
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Reviewed by tjohn2401 from Michigan

4.28/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
This is definitely a store I like to check out if I'm in the area. Selection is great but the prices are a bit high.
Big, open, well organized beer section, with a good selection of singles.
I've always been treated very well by the staff. They are well informed and very helpful. Annette is wonderful, and the other dude is great, too.
I usually buy from Discount Drinks in Wyandotte or Vreeland Market in Woodhaven/Brownstown because they are a bit cheaper and closer, but Merchants is definitely one of the best in SE Michigan.
May 12, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -11.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
After a delicious meal at Al-Ameer restaurant I thought I would give this place a try. It has a typical liquor store feel to it. There are several aisles of beer, lots of local craft, decent national craft, a solid selection of imports as well. There is an aisle of singles, everything is clearly priced, and priced fairly. Service is friendly and beer knowledgeable and overall, if I'm ever in the area again, I'll be sure to stop in.
Feb 17, 2019
 
Rated: 4.75 by moshea from Michigan

Apr 08, 2017
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Reviewed by Benjolovesbeer from Michigan

5/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Best liquor store I've ever gone too. They have anything that is available in Michigan. Wish they carried Trillium or Tree House or Pliny The Elder or Fathead, but these are beers unreachable in Michigan. But other than that this place is amazing. My only flaw is it's a drive for me to get there, wish it was closer and for those complaining about paying to park, park in the back I've never paid to park there.
Jan 17, 2017
Photo of CopperMtnPlowboy
Reviewed by CopperMtnPlowboy from Ohio

4.22/5  rDev -5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
Found this place on BA. Visited during a hockey tournament in Detroit area. When I'm out of town, I like to buy singles of local beers to add to my "drank-it-myself" beer can collection. This place has a bit of a "warehouse" feel and the far back seems like a forgotten storage area. Picked up several mix-6's and saw a few others that were only in 6-packs. Asked the woman on the floor if she'd split them - no problem! Came home with a case and a half of new cans. Great selection of bottled beers, too. Though my wife long ago drew the line at cans only - so I obeyed the law. Will make this a regular stop when in Dearborn.
Nov 19, 2016
 
Rated: 4.36 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Sep 08, 2016
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Reviewed by NastyNorseman from New York

4.36/5  rDev -1.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 3.75
Great customer service at Merchant's Fine Wine. I stumbled in and was quickly alerted by the staff that they were offering free samplings of Founders so I got to enjoy a nice swig or two of Breakfast Stout* while browsing. They have a nice create your own six pick selection for Michigan brews. Most of their options are local and in state. There out of state or bordering states selection was limited. If I lived in Dearborn, I'd be a frequent customer. Two thumbs up! *This delicious beer may or may not have influenced this review.
Sep 03, 2016
Photo of JasonR1975
Reviewed by JasonR1975 from Michigan

4.31/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
One of the best selections in Wayne County, service has gone a little down hill but much friendlier recently. Fairly well organized selection of all craft beers.
Mar 07, 2016
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Reviewed by SaisonRichBiere from Michigan

3.97/5  rDev -10.6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Great local spot. Annette the beer manager and cicerone is always helpful and worth chatting with. They can order you a ton of craft keg options. Well organized, lots of great beers. Super knowledgeable staff. No longer have to pay to park.

Edit- Annette the Cicerone is no longer there, and it seems like the selection has fallen off a bit. There seems to be less selection in general, but still plenty to pick from. I don't really know who the specific beer person is anymore, but they still have good people and a good selection. Prices are slightly better than some other spots around
Jun 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by cryptichead from Illinois

Feb 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4.31 by jrs3994243 from Michigan

Feb 05, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by beornagain from Canada (ON)

Nov 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by hotsudge from Canada (ON)

Aug 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by linnymtu from Michigan

Jul 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by DanGeo from Michigan

Jul 02, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by EdgewaterBrew from Canada (ON)

Jun 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by importedfromdet from Michigan

Feb 18, 2014
Photo of Ken_H
Reviewed by Ken_H from Michigan

5/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
The best way for me to explain this place is to say it's the only place I could find that could get a 1/2 barrel of Spaten Premium Lager. I must have tried a dozen other retailers, or more, with no luck. The keg was for use outdoors on a hot summer day and the night before I picked it up they would put the keg in the freezer to lower the temperature as much as possible, but not to freeze it. Obviously the level of service is outstanding. By the way, this wasn't a one time thing, I probably bought 10 half barrels of Spaten like this, 1 a year over a ten year period.

If you love beer like I do, please do your self a favor and either stop by or give Annette a call. You won't be disappointed.
Feb 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Slick50 from Michigan

Dec 30, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by salinasa from Michigan

Nov 28, 2013
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Reviewed by JohnnyBarman from Canada (ON)

4.29/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25
Stopped in shortly after crossing the border on a recent trip to see a Tigers game. (July, 2013)
This store came highly recommended, and so we made sure to budget lots of time to drive out and check out the store. The store is located on a major thoroughfare, and has a large pay parking lot (they do validations, though!).

Excellent selection of Michigan area crafts as soon as you walk in the door - loads of Founders, Bells, New Holland, Atwater, and a few others in mix packs. Large refrigerated section of single bombers, bottles and four or six packs of mostly Michigan and local brews, but with a decent selection of other major breweries as well (Dogfish, Sierra, Pyramid, New Glarus, Sam Adams). Michigan stuff is seasonally based, good variety.

Large rack of Michigan singles, and a good selection of American crafts as well in the non-refrigerated area. Two short aisles of Belgian, English and German brews.

Staff were quite helpful, checking in with us from time to time offering suggestions. I inquired about getting some Bells or Founders glasses, and she explained about Michigan's beer glass labelling laws for a bit as being why they had such a poor selection. She apologized profusely, despite having no reason whatsoever to do so!

Prices were fair - under 10 for a pack of Two Hearted, and most singles were under $2. Spent about 60 bucks and got a pretty solid haul.

Simply put, if you're in the Detroit area, this is a great place to stock up on local brews. Merchants does an excellent job in promoting its local craft beer industry, and well they should.
Aug 04, 2013
Photo of Rohkey
Reviewed by Rohkey from Michigan

4.8/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
As far as I know, this is the best place to go for beer in Wayne county (and they have more than just beer, although that is always my reason for visiting). Annette, the first female Cicerone in the United States, is in charge of the beer section and has, as expected, a vast knowledge of everything beer. She can be intimidating to talk to at first, but she is always willing to help and is a great resource for customers.

The place itself is very sizable, with a lot of square footage designated solely for beer. When you come in, you're greeted with a stack new/discounted offerings that leads to a wall of refrigerated beer. Adjacent to that is a 15-or-so foot long shelf of Michigan/USA bottles marked at an individual price, with more domestic beer on either side. There are 4-5 similar aisles stocked with imported beer, with a large German and Belgian selection. The prices are about what you would expect to find, nothing is too expensive but you won't find a ton of bargains either most of the time.

This place stands out from most of the other stores I've been to in the area for a few reasons. It's larger, the staff, including Annette, are always super helpful, and there are a great deal of beers marked for individual sale. I've noticed that most other stores have a lot of imported bombers, but Merchant's has a lot of 11.2/12 ouncers, as well as 4 packs of a lot of things that I only see in bomber form elsewhere. Also on several occasions an employee has happily let me buy individual bottles of things that were sitting on the shelf as a 6 pack, or given me a 4 (or 6) pack price for buying 4 (or 6) individual bottles of the same thing that weren't in stock in the 4/6 pack at the time. At times you can even get a deal on things just by merely inquiring.

I try to take a weekly trip up to this place, and always leave happy...although I inevitably end up buying far too much than I expected upon entering!
Apr 16, 2013
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Reviewed by Quackershnoc from Michigan

4.88/5  rDev +9.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
This place is awesome. Literally awesome. My go to shop for all things beer. They have an incredible selection and can get almost anything you want (that can be sold in MI). Annette, a certified cicerone, runs the beer section. She is really polite, helpful, and just fun to talk with. She knows everything, or at least can answer any of my questions at length. Anyone in the Detroit area looking for a place to pick up some good brews should stop in and see the place.

They also do some smaller grocery items, wine, liquor, and tobacco. I never seem to make it over to those other sections, because the beer section is too vast and exciting to leave, but I hear they have some great stuff there too.

They will also validate parking. Just take the ticket in with you and give it to them as you checkout.
Dec 08, 2012
Photo of crossovert
Reviewed by crossovert from Illinois

4.64/5  rDev +4.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Parking is in the back and it will cost you 25 cents.

Inside the beer is to the right. There is an area with singles, and specifically a Michigan section. There are different displays of seasonal and glassware and a big row of coolers as well.

The guy in the beer area was super helpful and super nice. I cant say enough about the service at this place.

The prices are decent, I didn't have a whole lot of time to look at everything and I ended up just getting 2 mixed sixers but they were reasonably priced.

Overall a great stop in Detroit.
Jan 02, 2012
Photo of myspoonistoobig
Reviewed by myspoonistoobig from Massachusetts

2.45/5  rDev -44.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 3
Went out of my way to visit this shop on a recent business trip. Holy cow was I disappointed. First of all, you have to pay for parking (and the lot attendant was a complete dickhead). Then I get in and the place is huge, but I can tell it's mostly wine. I get a little hopeful when I see some beer features toward the entrance. Get to the beer section and it's pretty massive. But apart from that, not much else is impressive. Yes, there are the locals, but only the year-round beers from what I could tell. Nothing to indicate what's new or special. Very good selection of imports, organized alphabetically by country. Staff was non-existent. In fact, the store was pretty much vacant while I was there save a couple picking up some Corona. I ended up driving 20 minutes out of my way just to pay some dickish guy $0.50 for parking. Extremely underwhelming.
Apr 21, 2011
Photo of bushbeer75
Reviewed by bushbeer75 from Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +5.9%
Visited June 2010

I was in the Dearborn area so I stopped at Merchant's Fine Wine to "check-it-out" and see what all the "fuss" is about.

Merchants Fine Wine has a very good reputation in South East Michigan so, I was interested to see if they deserved that rep or if it was just hype, and the answer is...YES! They deserve their reputation. Merchant's selection is second to none in SE Michigan. I think it is safe to say that if the beer is distributed in SE Michigan they sell it.

The store and beer department is very well organized, neat and clean with quality products. Merchant's even has a large "make your own 6-pack" section with approximately 200 beers to choose from making it convenient to try new brews. Within a matter of minutes I was asked [by their beer department manager Annette] if I needed any assistance. The stores pricing is not the best in SE Michigan, however they are competitive.

Merchant's Fine Wine is one of the finest beer stores in Michigan - too bad I don't live closer.
Aug 01, 2010
Photo of Cyberkedi
Reviewed by Cyberkedi from Georgia

5/5  rDev +12.6%
I was very impressed with this store! They have an excellent selection of local brews, many of which are not available nationally. I bought a whole bunch to take with me back to Atlanta and sample.

The salespeople were very helpful in guiding me towards the craft brews and making suggestions. I would like to have found more porters and stouts, but I went shopping the day after the 4th of July so their stocks were a tad low. Nevertheless, I found two boxes full of single bottles to cram into my trunk.

I strongly recommend this to anybody who lives in, or is visiting, the Detroit area. Actually, after learning that there are over 80 craft brewers in Michigan - versus only three or four in Georgia - I think I'll move up there. ;)
Jul 06, 2010
Photo of sullenbee
Reviewed by sullenbee from Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -23.4%
I found Merchant's to be sort of like my preferred local beer store, Martha's Vineyard in Grand Rapids. Great selection, but way overpriced. I guess you pay for having a larger variety to choose from.

Everytime I leave Merchant's, I end up with a pretty large haul, so no complaints there. For me, stafff interaction has been pretty minimal. I have as of yet to have the staff even approach me to see if I wanted help. Maybe my strange crew looks like we know what we are looking for, or they don't care to cater to "offbeat" looking folks. Either way, I don't really mind. I usually can find what I want without help, especially in a store as well organized as Merchant's. Beer is divided up by region/type, with special areas set up for new/rare releases and local brews.

I'll continue to purchase beer here whenever I'm in the Detroit area, but I really wish they would step up on the customer service. I don't know everything about beer, and it would be nice to have a friendly person to point out must have buys.
Apr 12, 2010
Photo of Shumista
Reviewed by Shumista from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
Made the drive from Ann Arbor because unfortunately now that Bello Vino has closed we are left without a great beer store in town. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of good beer stores, but nothing great.

Merchant's Fine Wine though is great, and definitely worth the 35 minute drive. I would go through and list their selection but it is sufficient to say that if something is available in SE Michigan, they have it. They've got some difficult to find stuff too, I scored a few bottles of Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock last time I was in. Service is extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. I got a few minute talk on what the guy working in the beer department thinks about the Raspberry Eisbock when I asked about it. Also they broke up a few sixers for me that were not on the singles shelves which I thought was nice. Great store and definitely worth a drive if nothing in your town is getting the job done for you.
Feb 05, 2010
Photo of claminat420
Reviewed by claminat420 from Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -23.4%
this place has the best selection anywhere i've ever been. and a good note it's fresh not like places that let their beer sit cuz they can't sell it. the woman who works the beer department i think her name is annette (don't hold me to that) is michigan's first woman cicerone and she knows her stuff. i love how they have the beer laid out in the store. sixer's are by the company and singles are by the style. right now they have a rockin oktoberfest selection. the prices are reasonable. if you're living in the area you must check the place out at least once. simply they rock!!!

*UPDATE AS OF DEC 26 2010- this place fell apart. i bought a 6 of titan ipa which i know it's my fault but was bottled in july? well the stuff tasted terrible. not to mention i just got a mixed 4 pack for x-mas and my cuz who went there got me a victory prima pils that says best before sept. i mean if you want to be a known place you should know whats been sitting on your shelves for awhile. place is always a dollar or two more then my usual spot. this place is alright but nothing to write home about.
Sep 09, 2009
Photo of FtownThrowDown
Reviewed by FtownThrowDown from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
This is everything you could ask for out of a bottleshop. All the area beers and everything else that is distributed in the area. Everything is displayed and organized on racks due to style and brewing company. Wonderful and spacious. Help is very friendly and super knowledgable. You would be hard pressed not to find a beer here that's available in the area. If they have the appropriate branded glassware it is displayed next to the bottle on the shelf. They have a couple of sections where they display new arrivals and beers of the week.
I didn't get a chance to peruse the rest of the store, but by the sheer size alone seemed to have plenty of wine and gourmet food. A very nice store that the locals are lucky to have.
May 21, 2009
Photo of AVDeuph
Reviewed by AVDeuph from Florida

4.7/5  rDev +5.9%
Merchant's is a really excellent stop in the Detroit Metro area for quality beer. Singles selection is awesome, and of course you can build-your-own 6/4 pack. Service is readily available and knowledgeable.

Most importantly, the beer selection is very well organized, and once you get the hang of how their selection is partitioned, finding a particular beer or style is very easy. They have a very large local Michigan section that is organized separately, as well as non-MI domestic and import sections. Awesome place.
May 12, 2009
Photo of webmanspidey
Reviewed by webmanspidey from Michigan

4.65/5  rDev +4.7%
This is one of my favorite beer stores in the Detroit area. They have just about all the major US breweries offered in the area, most locals (except Kuhnhenn...), and a large selection of Belgians. The people who work there definitely know beer. They include special "style of the month" selections that usually include beers I hadn't heard of before.

They have a few aisles of six packs and four packs and a small selection of single bottles. However, I just asked if I could try a few singles of the packs not divided up and they had no issues.
Apr 26, 2009
Photo of brewdan
Reviewed by brewdan from Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
Merchant's is a great place. One of the best selections in Michigan. Lots of good and somewhat harder to find Michigan and Midwest brews and an extensive foreign selection. They have a pretty good selection of singles and are willing to break into a four pack or sixer if they don't already have a single that you are interested in trying.

Knowledgeable staff that are happy to try and get you any beer that they don't already carry which is appreciated. Recently I called there about a month ago to ask if they could get me a certain beer and they said they would check into it and get back to me. Well a couple of days later they called me back to say that they could not get that particular beer here in Michigan. I was bummed but appreciated the call back. Then I forgot about it.

This week out of the blue I get a call and apparently one case of this beer showed up in Michigan and they were calling to say that they got it. I didn't know it but they had saved my number and what I was looking for in a file. Now that is service. Thanks, Annette!
Apr 26, 2009
Photo of SaucyA
Reviewed by SaucyA from Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
Merchant's is a great beer store, namely for the sheer size of their beer selection. They have tons of brews not normally found on the shelves at other stores in the area, and it's a shame they're so far away from me!

Their racks are split up mostly between countries. Some racks are "sub-racks" of say, Belgian sours, or Kölsch. They also have a little new releases rack, and a lot of their limited stuff in a big section in the middle. Basically, it's set up with a beer geek in mind. Want limited stuff? Here it is. Want Shelton Brothers stuff? Here it is. No frills, no bullshit.

Didn't get asked for help but also didn't ask for any or need it. I knew what I wanted and what I can't normally find, so it was easy spotting things I was interested in. The cashier was very nice.

Prices on stuff here are a WEE bit high, but barely... maybe a buck or two more on some bottles than usual. Conversely, it's worth it to spend money here because their selection is so mass.

I'll definitely stop back here when I'm in the area.
Mar 28, 2009
Photo of eljefe21
Reviewed by eljefe21 from Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +4.7%
Used BeerFly to locate this place for when I'm visiting the in-laws. Didn't get to look around as much as I'd like as I had people waiting on me both times that I visited. As a result I don't really know how well things were priced and didn't spend much time looking at their selection, which at a brief glance seemed very extensive, impressive and well organized.

I basically focussed on 3 Midwest breweries that aren't distributed in the Washington DC area: Jolly Pumpkin, Goose Island and Great Lakes. I was not disappointed. The whole range of Jolly Pumpkin beers were available (with the exception of Bière De Mars), I mixed and matched a 4-pack of Matilda, Pere Jacques and Demolition from Goose Island and also scored a Great Lakes 12 pack sampler.

Both the staff I talked with were helpful, knowledgeable and quickly steered me towards my requests.

Can't wait to visit again at Christmas. Looking forward to grabbing some Goose Island Bourbon County Stout & Imperial IPA and Great Lakes Blackout Stout.
Sep 10, 2008
Photo of GJ40
Reviewed by GJ40 from North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev -3.2%
I stopped into Merchant's Fine Wine while in MI on business based on the Beer Advocate reviews.

They've got beer from all over the world organized nicely by country / state. It included good selections from Stone, Dogfish Head, Bell's, Founder's, Anchor and Rogue. Unfortunately I was too early for Bell's Hopslam. They had a sign up that it wasn't coming out again until Jan 2009.

I came once at night then again a couple of days later. It was very quiet while I was there the first time and I didn't really come across any employees. But the second time I asked a woman in the beer area for some local recommendations and she was outstanding. She knew good beer first hand and was a pleasure to talk to.

The store has a lot more than just beer. It's got a good selection of wine, cheese, meats, candies and other high end foods. But I was there only for the beer.

Merchant's does a nice job. It's well worth a stop.
Sep 09, 2008
Photo of 86sportster883
Reviewed by 86sportster883 from Maryland

4.2/5  rDev -5.4%
I stopped in Merchant's with the intent of picking up a few bottles of local MI brews to bring back to NJ. Since I was limited to what I could fit in my luggage, I was drawn to the singles and the bombers. I liked that the beers were arranged by countries, and I wound up forgoing the MI beer for a bottle of Ommegang's 10th Anniversary Ale (no longer available by me), a single of the Mediterranean Lacto Milk Stout, and a vintage J.W. Lee's. The prices seemed a little higher than other places I've been to, but it's hard to judge with recent price changes. Merchant's of Dearborn is definitely worth a visit.
Apr 13, 2008
Photo of Dukeofearl
Reviewed by Dukeofearl from California

4.65/5  rDev +4.7%
On a recent convention trip to Detroit, I made this my "local" for the time I was there. And what a local.

It is a store of wine, cheese, delicacies, chocolate, and beer. And what a selection.

It had an extremely wide selection of Michigan and surrounding regional beers, a decent California selection (not as good as in California, of course), a Belgian selection that is as good as if not better than the best in my neck of the woods, and decent selections from the UK, German, and other worldly beer spots.

The beer clerk was very knowledgeable, gave me an excellent recommendation on something I would never had chosen on my own (Founders Red's Rye), and let me split 6-packs so I could bring some smaller bottles home.

Most of the beer is out on the open shelves, with only a fraction in open coolers, but that is a minor quibble. Also, there was some dust on some bottles- I don't know enough about the place to know if there is an aging problem, but my selections were just fine.

Highly recommended.
Apr 05, 2008
Photo of Monkeyknife
Reviewed by Monkeyknife from Missouri

4.45/5  rDev +0.2%
Stopped in on my way out of town and was blown away by the place. Walked in, turned left, and made a bee line directly to the beer section.

The beers I looked at were all clean and up-to-date.

Service was polite, informed, and more than ready to help.

The beer selection was huge. I was excited to find Magic Hat, Dogfish, Bell's, Founders, Jolly Pumpkin, Dark Horse, Rogue, Unibroue, New Holland, Stone, Great Divide, Stoudt's, North Coast, Flying Dog, Southern Tier, Goose Island, Great Lakes, Victory, and Dragonmead. I wasn't looking to buy any European beers, but rest assured they have most of what is available.
The majority of the beer were on aisle shelves while others were kept in a cooler. Buying singles was limited to a selection of about 40-50 bottles. Mostly Michigan beers and IPAs.

Prices were on par with what I expected.

Merchant's is a definite must-stop from now on.
Mar 28, 2008
Merchant's Fine Wine in Dearborn, MI
Place rating: 4.44 out of 5 with 61 ratings