Norm's Beer & Wine

Norm's Beer & WineNorm's Beer & Wine
Norm's Beer & WineNorm's Beer & Wine
Store

136 Branch Rd SE
Vienna, Virginia, 22180-4714
United States

(703) 242-0100 | map
normsbeerandwine.com

Tastings of new beers and wines on Fridays and Saturdays beginning at 5:00pm.

Kegs available by special order, and will arrive on Thursday or Friday if ordered by Wednesday at 12:00pm.
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.3
Reviews:
80
Ratings:
97
pDev:
9.53%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by smakawhat:
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Entering a typical strip mall in NOVA, in this case Vienna, you encounter Norm's. First thing I notice, is... a dog. This my friends.. is a great sign. Anytime a business has a dog in it wandering around, it means good things. It's just a fact.

The staff seems to be incredibly friendly with each other and is very willing to help out. I also like the layout of the store, and the little touches of bombers on wine racks.

Selection is pretty good, but not much chance of getting mixed items, but there is still a few to choose from. I also like the fact that many of the staff were just chatting about beer casually, items that showed up on tap in nearby places, what to try, it shows they know the product and more importantly actually take pride in it.

Prices are very reasonable, and they can answer any question you might have. Great little place to check out if you are in the area.
Jan 06, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.44 by Boone757 from Virginia

Aug 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.52 by Jaasoares from Virginia

Jun 30, 2020
Photo of PorterLambic
Reviewed by PorterLambic from Florida

4.83/5  rDev +12.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
What a great place! Well worth the Uber rider over & back.
The staff is unbelievably helpful and patient.
The selection is vast and well organized.
And taps for growler fills.
Jul 04, 2017
Photo of von_kaiser
Reviewed by von_kaiser from Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
nice little hole in the wall of a store. friendly staff offering their help as i walked through. plenty to choose from w/ a good local selection. didn't find or ask for any rarities but the place left me w/ a feeling that they wouldn't be hesitant to fill you in on any if they were present or would eventually be. worth stopping in.
Nov 07, 2016
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.32/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
This place, located in a strip mall, is supposed to have some of the best beers in the area. I found the place a little too average in the beer selection.
Sep 18, 2016
Photo of aaronstol
Reviewed by aaronstol from Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
This place is so great that I drive by many other beer stores and well stocked supermarkets just to buy my beer here. Great service and a great selection. Folks here couldn't be nicer and their email newsletter ensures you're always up-to-date with new arrivals or interesting selections.
Jul 06, 2016
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Reviewed by LADaveBN from California

3.83/5  rDev -10.9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75
Visiting NoVa and decided to check out Norm's for stuff I can't readily get in California. Decent selection of 4/6 packs. Smallish selection of bombers. The majority of it is not refrigerated. The biggest knock on this place is things seem to be all over the place and not terribly orderly (for the most part, it was arranged by brewery). Other than that, the selection was pretty good.
Feb 06, 2016
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Reviewed by MRN from Virginia

5/5  rDev +16.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
I really appreciate Norm's frequent updates on Facebook and Twitter and the weekly newsletter, which lists the new beer and wine releases they have gotten in. The shop itself must be a TARDIS because I don't know any other way they could fit all the different beers and wines they carry. Norm and his staff are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. They have regular beer and wine tastings most Fridays and Saturdays and are often open on holiday mornings like Thanksgiving for your last-minute beverage needs. The new growler station is also a welcome addition. One reviewer downgraded them for an apparent belief that the shop layout was unorganized. This is not true. Yes, there are only a few signs but everything is grouped by region -- Virginia first, followed by Maryland, Pennsylvania, DC, East Coast, Midwest, West Coast, UK, etc. It just takes a little brewery/winery knowledge or a quick question to any of the staff to navigate the shelves.
Sep 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by MUTINY from Virginia

Sep 06, 2015
Photo of Elsuperjefe
Reviewed by Elsuperjefe from Virginia

5/5  rDev +16.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Norm and his staff are very knowledge and always eager to assist. Huge selection and are always updating their stock via social media. Best thing about Norms is that I live two blocks away. :)
May 05, 2015
Photo of Cpmitchno1
Reviewed by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

4.47/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Great selection and very friendly. One of my favorite bottle shops in the area with a great selection and a knowledgeable, laid back group of employees. Bonus- they just added a growler station and their first kegs included Alpine Duet and Alesmith Speedway Stout, both very limited in the NoVa area.
Apr 11, 2015
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Rated by Brushkanna from New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -12.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3 | selection: 4.25
the service was OK best to know what you are looking for, Norm did not seem to like to come out from behind the register
Mar 24, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by tclipse from Virginia

Feb 26, 2015
Photo of Qwiklap
Rated by Qwiklap from Virginia

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75
Superb selection - just about the best I have seen. Good service a slightly higher prices than some other places.
Jan 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.8 by Beerdsley from Virginia

Oct 11, 2014
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Rated by hophead_87 from Virginia

4/5  rDev -7%
Great selection! Nice staff and they always update Facebook quickly when they get shipments!
Aug 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by NaH2 from Virginia

Aug 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Brewski from Pennsylvania

Jul 15, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by mcomsto from Pennsylvania

Jul 03, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by DDrake from Virginia

Jun 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by markgugs from New Jersey

Jun 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Jcohen20

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by yeaprolly from Washington

May 09, 2014
Photo of amstokesdb9
Reviewed by amstokesdb9 from Virginia

4.32/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25
Even though I am about a 20 min drive away, this has become my favorite beer shop in the area. The selection is quite good, they have all the worthwhile beers you could want Total Wine and then harder to find beers too (which I never see at TW). The entire staff is helpful and knowledgeable. The Facebook updates are excellent, they let you know when all the interesting beers come in. Yes, the prices are sometimes cheaper at the big chains but they are still much better than the shops in DC. If you avoid the peak traffic times, it is worth driving past the DC bottle shops and Total Wine to get here.
Apr 17, 2014
Photo of RobertHolley
Reviewed by RobertHolley from Virginia

3.19/5  rDev -25.8%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3.25 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3
I was very underwhelmed by Norm's. I think I am spoiled by Total Wine. Norm's had no rhyme or reason to how they displayed their beer. It was a joke. I could not find anything. It was random, not by country, not by type, it seemed that wherever there was space that put the beer. I was not impressed at all. The selection was ok at best.
Mar 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigred89 from Maryland

Feb 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by BillRoth from Maryland

Dec 19, 2013
Photo of HopSlobber
Reviewed by HopSlobber from Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
While trying to find a bottle shop in NoVa I stumbled upon this place. Small but great selection, the staff is knowledgeable about the beers and even help to recommend others that you may like. They carry a lot of the standards VA has to offer but also gets rare ones at times. I definitely recommend anyone looking for a local bottle shop to check this place out.
Dec 11, 2013
Photo of davet100
Reviewed by davet100 from Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.25
I love this place, and has served as my go-to beer place for the last year or so. Selection is pretty good; generally rivals that of the Whole Foods which is located nearby, and the Total Wine a few miles away. There is always people in there and it seems as though there is good product turnover because I seldom walk away without something fresh. The customer service is immense, the staff are not only friendly, but extremely knowledgeable. The prices are reasonable, some products are very slightly cheaper up the road at Whole Foods but being a big local support small business kind of person, I generally stay loyal to Norm's. If your buying a case of beer, or indeed 4 six packs, they take off 10% at the till which is always welcome. Lately I cottoned on to their online presence and their weekly newsletter of new arrivals which is really helpful, particular valuable if you are looking to pick up something with a bottle limit or something with limited distribution and very popular. All in all, great place and while I am in the area, I will continue to choose this place to satisfy my beer purchasing needs.
Sep 05, 2013
Photo of Axnjxn
Reviewed by Axnjxn from North Carolina

4/5  rDev -7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3
Stopped by here when i was in NOVA. The layout is kind of annoying. The sixers are all in order but the bombers are scattered on racks. You cannot buy single bottles either which is unfortunate. The selection is not as much as the whole foods down the block or the total wine about 10 mins away in McLean. but where this place shines is the service. Norm was very friendly and its because of that that i would choose to go to this store over other bigger places if i was a resident there.
May 27, 2013
Photo of Jimmys
Reviewed by Jimmys from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -9.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
biked out there today to sweat out a hangover and enjoy this beautiful weather! solid 12 miles each way kept my purchases small....

located in the corner of a pretty boring shopping center. a little hard to see from the street. glad i knew what the sign looked like thanks to the BA picture. walking in the first thing i notice is the lighting. this place is dimly lit and i needed a minute to allow my eyes to adjust (in their defense it was really bright outside). i suppose the lower lighting makes for a better atmosphere for the beer to sit on the shelves...sort of a mute point. the beer is laid out pretty nicely. shelves holding 4 and 6 packs, singles on separate shelves, and nicer/limited release/hard to find bottles and bombers towards the ends of the aisles. had to do a few laps to take it all in seeing that there is a lot of beer in not a lot of space.

i usually do not need any help when i go to bottle shops and enjoy walking around keeping to myself. i was quickly offered aid after entering the store and actually had a few questions which were promptly answered. good service in my book.

as far as the selection, pretty good for the area. there was quite a few bottles that i have not seen at other bottle shops in the area (Porticus - Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei, tallboy Shlitz cans, impressive amount of somewhat local Duclaw bombers). however, i would have to say if you are looking for more of a domestic selection you are better off going to a Total Wine. international selection goes to Norm's. saw some vintage JW Lees ('08, '09), solid lambic selections, and lots of Germany brews. as for the pricing, i would definitely say this place is a dollar or two more than Total Wine or Whole Foods. however, this is pretty much the case for every other bottle shop in the area that isn't part of a corporate chain.

definitely worth checking out. if you are technically savvy check their FB page and twitter page for all the latest and greatest updates.
Feb 07, 2012
Photo of Eriktheipaman
Reviewed by Eriktheipaman from California

3.96/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
First off Norm's is the best bottle shop I have found in my 5 months of living here.

I went in just to check things out and ended up spending over $100 bucks. Every week they send out an email of the beers they are getting in on Friday and will post on Facebook if they have limits or sell out. This right here is pretty awesome and I can see it saving people a lot of time.

They had a great selection of 6 packs to start but also an awesome selection of bombers and seasonal releases. The prices were pretty average from what I've seen.

This will now be my go to shop for sure.
Jan 21, 2012
Photo of jaheussner
Reviewed by jaheussner from District of Columbia

4.64/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
One of my my absolute favorite places in the DC metro area. Knowledgeable staff and a good selection. Norm's is tucked in the corner of a strip mall in Vienna, about 5 mins from the beltway. Doesn't normally get the absolute whales, but consistently stocks desirable, hard-to-find beers from Founders, Terrapin, Brooklyn and just about every other Virginia-distributed brewery. Prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly and helpful if you need it. They've got a weekly newsletter on new stuff in the store and they update their twitter somewhat sporadically. Really a solid, solid place.
Jan 03, 2012
Photo of rhartogsq
Reviewed by rhartogsq from Virginia

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Really good shop in a slightly hidden corner of a shopping center. Of my four go-to places in Northern Virginia for great beer, this is the cheapest and friendliest. Although it isn't the closest to me....but my brother lives just a few blocks from it.
I have only been to Norm's a handful of time, and each time there were different employees. All were very nice and helpful. Their selection is pretty outstanding. I bought a rare RJ Rockers Black Perle last night. A healthy selection of Local, national and International selections fill their shelves.
I would recommend liking their page on Facebook, as they do a great job of posting photos of new arrivals.
Dec 19, 2011
Photo of jayhawk73
Reviewed by jayhawk73 from Maryland

4.14/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Norm's is located in a little mini-mall in a corner store in Vienna, Virginia. It's very easy to miss if you don't know where you're going. Thank goodness for GPS! I visited there for the first time today, and glad I made the trek. The store is actually very cozy, and not huge, but you can tell it's a serious beer store within a second of scanning the place. There are quite a few brews from all over the world here- and I found Norm's to have a lot of seasonal beers and things I haven't seen other places in N. Virginia. The service was excellent. I really got the feeling the employees really love beer, and had a very intelligent conversation about a Quad I bought a four pack of. Overall, this is a must hit place to buy beer around DC. I just wish it wasn't 50 miles from my house- or I'd do most of my shopping there. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.
Nov 08, 2011
Photo of Chaney
Reviewed by Chaney from District of Columbia

4.14/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
If I had a dime for every time I've been to this place... My wife works down the street from here, so beer shopping here kinda comes with the territory.

Sure, there is a Fresh Market next door that created a lot of stress for Norm and his crew, but Norm owns the beer allegiance in this region.

Atmosphere: Cozy, tons of swag on the walls and windows to let others know, "Yes, we are beer and wine geeks!" Unusual for a beer geek, because usually the wine takes center stage in most places.... but not here! Off to the left hand side, there are tons of stacked cases, where cases of popular items are sold. On the right hand side, six packs and a wide array of singes are there for the taking.

Quality and service: The personnel working here has changed dramatically over the life of this place, but one thing remains: If the peeps here don't know about something in particular, they with find it out!... or ask Norm. Norm is somewhat of an enigma, but believe me.... he's a totally cool guy who wants nothing more that his place to thrive and for his customers to get the service they deserve.

Selection: Norm knows the beer geek's agenda through and through. To that end, he succeeds somewhat. However, a lot of the Whole Foods do business better than he does. It's not his fault of course... just part of the corporate structure. For example, on some of the more "gourmet" releases, Norm will get a mere smattering of it, while the "corporate" beer store up the road will get a shitload of it.

Value: I think the prices here are pretty good, especially considering the Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) counterpart up the street.

NOTE: If you live in the Northern Virginia region, please give Norm's your business as apposed to Rick's. With Rick's, you'll get a pompous jerk who will demean you, but Norm's (and it's employees) don't have that pretention...
Sep 06, 2011
Photo of yusef
Reviewed by yusef from South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
I go to Norm's whenever I am in Northern VA to visit my family. The store is in a shopping center with a parking lot. Half of the store is wine and the other beer. They seem to sell everything from Drie Fonteinen Geuze to macro in the cooler in the back. Pretty good selection, when I was there saw lots of founders, firestone walker, green flash, and others I can't get back in SC. Also they seem to get most special release and rare beers. I was able to walk in and buy a Blushing Monk. Staff was very helpful and knowledgable. Prices are a little higher than total wine, but I am happy to support a local business. Also have updates on new bottle arrivals on there website. If you are in the area I recommend checking them out.
Aug 28, 2011
Photo of sobeleg
Reviewed by sobeleg from New York

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Norm's is one of my favorite places to pick up beer. The selection is very good, and they tend to get most, if not all rare and limited releases available in the area. They carry all the popular craft brands as well including DFH, Founders, Bell's, etc. The store has a great layout making everything easy to find, and the guys at the counter are very friendly, always willing to help you out or talk beer or wine with you for a while. If you find yourself in Vienna, make sure to stop in at norms!
Jul 25, 2011
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Reviewed by siege06nd from Virginia

4.8/5  rDev +11.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Man, I love this place. An outstanding selection of domestic micros, imports, and special rarities. Buried in the corner of a very quiet shopping center in Vienna, it doesn't look like much from the outside, but boy does it exceed expectations quickly. Bottle after bottle of the best NoVA/DC has to offer, with a nice assortment of six packs, singles, and bombers available. Service is outstanding, if they don't have the answer right away for you, you can bet they will research it until they do and call you right back. Happy to hold bottles of the limited releases for you as well. Knowledgeable staff, well maintained shop, excellent customer service, and the best selection in NoVA make this a must stop. So happy to hear they worked out an arrangement with the new grocer moving in to ensure this place remains a Vienna treasure for years to come.
Jul 21, 2011
Norm's Beer & Wine in Vienna, VA
Place rating: 4.3 out of 5 with 97 ratings