Timer's Beverage Center

Timer's Beverage CenterTimer's Beverage Center
Timer's Beverage CenterTimer's Beverage Center
Store

3800 Northwestern Ave
Racine, Wisconsin, 53405-1308
United States

(262) 637-2704 | map
timersbevcenter.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.26
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
26
pDev:
8.69%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by maundythirsty:
Photo of maundythirsty
Reviewed by maundythirsty from Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
Timer's was the destination for my first informed beer run. And what a run it was. I blew my budget, though the beer is cheap -- even for Wisconsin -- in this place. The staff paid me no mind, which was fine. I was in the zone, and I had a shopping list. A nice kid carried the half my beer I could not carry out to my car. That's worth a lot of service points.

They keep some swank beer cold at Timer's, and they have a pretty long aisle devoted to imports and domestic micros. They're at opposite ends of the store, though. So walk around a little.

I came home with a pretty good pile of Great Lakes region goodies like Bell's, Founders, Three Floyds and Tyranena. They were flush for Dogfish Head stuff and carrying 750s of Unibroue and a pile of German beers. I had yet to make a mental list of Belgian beers I wanted to try, but I know they had no Bernardous at the time and that I passed on a couple Cantillons because I was shocked by what I now understand to be a fair price.
Jul 03, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.49 by SSGCujo from Wisconsin

Sep 08, 2016
 
Rated: 3.86 by tommy5 from Michigan

Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.75 by Alpar from Wisconsin

Aug 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.72 by teemoney from Wisconsin

Jul 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Mugenlude from Wisconsin

Dec 05, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by dedbeer from Illinois

Oct 09, 2013
Photo of Fireslayer
Reviewed by Fireslayer from Wisconsin

3.79/5  rDev -11%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
One of the best options for the Racine area. Great selection of limited beers and great service from the staff. Prices are reasonable and if you can't find it on the shelf they'll usually try and get it for you. Usually try to stop in a couple times a month to see what's new and pick up a few things.
Jun 26, 2013
Photo of Wisconsinbuckeye
Reviewed by Wisconsinbuckeye from Wisconsin

4.66/5  rDev +9.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Best bottle shop in Racine County. Always reasonable prices and always bringing in premium and limited release selections. Staff and ownership is top notch. Always friendly, eager to help and assist in carrying my many selections to the car. Will special order.
Jun 18, 2013
Photo of JosephThompson
Reviewed by JosephThompson from New Jersey

3.16/5  rDev -25.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3
For the area, I could see this being the best option. Two long racks filled on three sides to choose for room temp. A lot of the standards are here with the only real gems being New Glarus for those of us out of state. The cooler section is on the entire back wall and you are spoiled for choice in this sense.

Nothing special about the place, typical liquor store. Was never bothered during my time though no one seemed to have bad attitudes. Can pick up anything else you need here as it verges on a super store with it's size and stock.
Sep 06, 2012
Photo of Mscarpen
Reviewed by Mscarpen from Tennessee

4.58/5  rDev +7.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Without a doubt, the best liquor store in Racine. Tons of Domestic and imported beers including a Hugh selection of craft beers. Not a lot of single domestic craft bottles, but plenty of bombers and imported singles. Three taps on the wall which have previously included Breakfast Stout and HopSlam.

Plenty of wine and specialty liquors. I recently needed to buy some mead and was surprised to find no less than five brands, each with multiple variants.

This is my go-to place for all my beer, wine, and liquor needs.

5/2/12 UPDATE
Timers recently expanded their craft beer section to include a wider variety of Belgian Beers and Ciders. Also added their first build your own six pack area. Great additions to an already great location.

10/3/12
OK - so, I'm a fanboy now. Selection continues to expand with a greater number of breweries represented, especially in the Belgian and import areas. Recently picked up a few Cantillon, Madme Rose, Bourbon County, and Lolita.

Being one of the highest turn bottle shops in SE Wisconsin gives them the ability to ask for and get a wide variety of brews you simply won't find in most places.

The crew at Timers continues to listen to their customers and improve on the experience of shopping for specialty beer, wine, liquor, and cigars. If you aren't approached while visiting, any one of the staff is always happy to help guide you towards a knowledgable, informed choice.

Also keep an eye out for their wine tastings, beer dinners, and cigar dinners. Lots of fun events with lots of money raised for local charities.

Drop in and check it out. Very impressive.
Dec 04, 2011
Photo of orbitalr0x
Reviewed by orbitalr0x from Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Here's a great store to stop at if you're in the Racine area and you happen to enjoy good beer :). Right on the corner of two fairly busy roads - this store is pretty easy to spot from the street. Upon entering it's a large warehouse style store like most, however everything is really clean and organized.

The back wall features all coolers with a great representation of beers from locals to out of state stuff. New Glarus, Weyerbacher, New Belgium, Lake Louie, Ale Aslyum, Tyranena, etc. They also have a good amount of bombers and six packs on the shelves as well...check both places and the end caps to find some interesting stuff. I grabbed the last 2011 La Folie :)

Also along the back wall they have 3 taps on each side for growler fills, which is pretty cool. Nothing too crazy when I was there and I didn't have a growler...but good to know and the prices were pretty cheap for fills.

Overall, everyone was nice here and the selection was good. I'd definitely stop by here again when in the area and encourage anyone else to do the same!
Sep 20, 2011
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.31/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
2021: Timers is very reliable with a wide selection, and many rotating seasonals. Friendly fast service at the register, though i've never met the beer specialist in 14 years. Check dates, I continue to find old stock here, though not as frequently.

2017: After shopping here for 10 years, it's still a reliable stop, and the best selection in Racine. Festival in Mount Pleasant nearby is another good option. They seemed to be out of the current NG Thumbprint but I found it dwindling elsewhere. Lots of questionable stuff taking up shelf space like full lines of Mobcraft and Leinies shandies. No one was on the floor to help customers in the beer aisle, but staff was generally around. They still carry your cases out to the car for you which is nice. Growler station was discontinued a few years ago.

11/10: GROWLERS!!1!
There are six lines, three on either side of the coolers. On the right side, near the seasonals cooler there's a dry erase board with the 6 taps and their prices. One line is devoted to soda i'm told (Sprecher Root Beer). I lucked out with O'so Hop Whoopin', after learning they didn't have Lupulin Maximus in yet (got it 2 weeks later). Also on tap was Celebration and a few others. They would do well to emphasize the local WI craft beers... Quality wise... I didn't see any sanitation of the caps and hoses, hopefully it's not an issue. 2nd visit: Alpha Klaus on tap for $14 a growler fill! Sadly my growler was only 3/4 filled, and I didn't see it until getting home :( I think it was just the clerk's inexperience, not intentionally short-filled.

12/2009: Every time I stop here the service is great, and they carry your beer to the car for you. I asked about a case discount, and they gave me 5% off my entire purchase. The guy stocking coolers was helpful with info about seasonals and stock questions. Great independent store.

04-05-2009
Stopped here today and found the selection much improved. Expanded imports and plenty of local micros to be had, including Ale Asylum Ballistic IPA that I was hunting for. Deep discounts on past seasonals (a CASE of Weyerbacher Winter for $12) "Past code" Pikantus (tasted fine) and St. Louis Cassis (bleh) for $0.99. Seemed to be many more Belgians than I remember from a year or two ago. A few things here that weren't to be found in the surrounding area...

Original review: 08-20-2007

After finally finding the beer aisle at the back of the store, I was relieved. The beer coolers start in the back once you walk in, and the shelves are the very last ones, in the back corner of the store. Cold selection of Bells, New Glarus, Sprecher, and other locals. On the shelves, there were a few more seasonal selections and bombers not found in the coolers.

Strong selection of Smuttynose (6), 3 Oskar Blues, 4-5 Tyranena, 4-5 Three Floyds, most of the New Glarus line, including the latest Unplugged Bourbon Barrel Bock, and current seasonal, Dancing Man Wheat. There were a couple limited release Sprecher items, that i've only seen before at the brewery.

Imports were mainly German and Eastern European, some UK singles on the top shelf above the mediocre import 6-packs. Belgians were mostly on an endcap facing the registers, maybe 20 at most. That's an area they could definitely expand. What they had was good, including Dulle Teve, Rochefort 10, Barbar, Chimay, & Duvel.

A few glasses were on the back shelf, but nothing remarkable. Stacked cases on the floor of the back wall, with a sale sign on a few. Register was easy, quick with no hassles. They boxed up my haul and carried it to the door for me. Recommended if you're in the area, hunting for WI micros.
Nov 26, 2010
Photo of BeerFMAndy
Reviewed by BeerFMAndy from Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
Might as well swing into Timer's after the GLBF this weekend while I'm down in Racine.

On the corner of a major intersection, it's not hard to find at all. I pulled up this Sunday afternoon and there were a few cars in the lot.

Inside, I've gotta say, it lives up to it's reputation of being one of the cleanest liquor stores I've ever been in. I immediately noticed the large stretch of coolers that spans the back wall. Most of it was beer, some of it BMC crap while there was a decent selection of cold craft. While looking at this, I noticed a little cooler stuck in the corner that one might easily walk past.

It was labeled, "Timer's Seasonal Selections" and was full of oktoberfest beers. I grabbed this awesome Paulaner 1 liter can inside the Paulaner 1 liter Maas Krug for under $12. That's a damn good way to start the shopping experience!

I walked around and didn't see anything else that really jumped out at me even though the selection was very nice. Lots of American craft, a good selection of imported brews, and all organized very nicely.

My first issue of two was the lighting. Hanging from the rafters were industrial ware-house like fluorescent lights that skewed the color of everything and made it incredibly hard for me to really focus on things. Not only that but I don't really want beer bathed under that light.

Second was the fact that while I looked around pretty extensively, I didn't see their list of on-tap growler fills anywhere. Had I not previously known, I would never had have found out that they did growler fills. I asked the cashier who was nice (and my only employee interaction) what they had. Tyranena's Hop Whore was the only one she could find out up at the register. That could be because, to my understanding, selling growlers at a beer store in Wisconsin is illegal and they don't want to advertise it too hard. Either that or they just don't care for more business.

Regardless, it was a nice store. Pretty far out of the way for me to ever travel to again, but if I would be in the area, it would definitely be my go-to stop.
Sep 20, 2010
Photo of crossovert
Reviewed by crossovert from Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
Located on the intersection of 2 big streets, it is pretty easy to spot. It is a fairly large sized store.

The entire back wall is beer, but mostly macros, with imports to the right and craft in the middle. Off to the far right corner is a mini-cooler with some very good seasonals at reasonable prices. There is also a growler filling station. They had Newcastle Summer Ale, Capital Tett Imperial Doppelbock and another. They also had the awful people from Horny Goat doing a tasting. It was so bad watching so many people walk out of there with their product, but hey at least they're trying.

The beer aisles are at the far end of the store. The have a glut of eastern Euro imports, Three Floyds at 2 for 8.50 for Gorch Fock, Alpha Klaus, and Broodoo, an okay selection of Belgians, a nice selection of Germans and another whole aisle of American Craft.

The service is helpful and friendly. Overall this is a great place.
May 22, 2010
Photo of antoines15
Reviewed by antoines15 from Indiana

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
Made the trip today to pick up some NG Enigma. I called ahead and asked them if they had it, and they did. They said they had three 4 packs and would put one aside for me, and they did. Awesome, greatly appreciated. $10 for the 4 pack and they had ample bottles of the belgian red and raspberry tart, another reason for the trip. They were priced at $7.99 each which seemed fair. They have way more wine than beer but the craft selection was pretty good. Oskar Blues Gubna and Dales pale, which was a surprise. Also, all of the new glarus arsenal, some Goose Island (BC coffee stout), Founders, St Bernardus, Youngs, Tyranena, Sprecher, Point, and the usual fare. Also, the store was very clean and well kept. All in all, great trip just for the Enigma and the customer service. Next time I'm in/near Racine, I'll definitely stop here.
May 09, 2010
Photo of beerwolf77
Reviewed by beerwolf77 from Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
I was in Ray town this weekend and stopped in here for old times sake. I forgot how nice this place actually is.

The back wall is beer coolers from one end of the store the other. Plenty of craft from the usual southeast Sconnie suspects. Bell's, Three Floyds, Founders, New Glarus and the likes. On the west side of the store there are several aisles of craft sixers and imports. I saw some things here that I've never seen elswhere in the area.

There was a nice cooler sort of seperate from the others featuring seasonals which right now was filled with Oktoberfest and Pumpkin beers.

The place itself is super clean and well lit. No clutter whatsoever. The dates seemed within reason nothing too old.

The people working there are always helpful either with questions or helping you bring stuff to your car.

I bought my first legal beer from this place since I grew up in Ray-town. So this place sort of holds a special spot in my heart. I'm glad to see they have remained the go to spot in Racine.
Oct 12, 2009
Photo of spointon
Reviewed by spointon from Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
I visited this place on 9/19/2009.

This place was pretty easy to find and had plenty of parking. Once inside, the beer was toward the back, with 3 aisles of warm craft beer and 10 or so cooler doors of cold craft brew. All of the good local Wisconsin breweries (large and small) seemed to be well represented as well as a fair amount of regional and national stuff. The short list contained New Glarus, Capitol, Sprecher, Tyranena, Ale Asylum, Viking, Lakefront, Schell, Central Waters, Goose Island, FFF, Bell's, Great Lakes, Dark Horse, etc, etc. I was especially inpressed with the super good prices on New Glarus and even Bell's! In addition there was a lot of nice import offerings, especially from Germany as it was Oktoberfest time, but also a hell of a lot of Belgian and British ales and a few Polish beers I had never heard of before. They also had a great selection of 5L mini kegs.

Service was pretty solid - they answered my questions over the phone ahead of time, put some beers aside for me until I could get there, and even helped me to the car with my haul (but between the 2 of us shopping we spent $250 so maybe they were being extra nice).

All in all this was a great store that I wish I could say was in my neighborhood. I know I will definitely be back!
Sep 22, 2009
Photo of rhoadsrage
Reviewed by rhoadsrage from Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
This place has a very clean small warehouse feel with lost of neon signs and its own parking lot. Inside there are coolers along the wall with more neon. I would say over 3/4 of the beer is in coolers with a smaller two isles of beer warm and in the back of the store. They have most of the WI beers you could want with lots of the one-off/limited release beers aswell. They had a good amount of Stone beers and a lot of the other big named American craft breweries along with a few European breweries aswell. It felt like a well stocked store catering to Illinois beerhunters. Staff was mostly chating at the checkout but I didn't need help finding the beer. This will be a definite stop when I'm in the area.
Mar 18, 2009
Photo of haveaduff2
Reviewed by haveaduff2 from Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +13.8%
Traveled up from Chicago for a New Glarus fix. Very impressive selection of local brews, including Sprecher, Tyreana, etc. Also had a wide selection of Bell's on hand. Huge refridgerated section and a number of stacks of warm cases.

I'm a sucker for Czech/German brews and they had a few I hadn't found elsewhere.

Helpful staff. Took my 4-case purchase out to the car in a jif.

The only reason I gave it a 4.5 for selection is that I use Sam's in Chicago as a benchmark for this category. Timer's is a bit smaller, but don't let that stop you.
Jun 16, 2008
Photo of Homerbag
Reviewed by Homerbag from Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
Fortunatly I live in the area and pass this store all the time. They usually have whatever I am in the mood for from all the area micros and some of the harder to find european brews. I wish there was a better single selection, but I won't complain too much about that. The service there is top quality. They always have suckers for my kids, they are quick, and if you need help lugging something they are more than willing. This is pretty much the most snob free beer store you will find in the area.
Sep 08, 2007
Photo of robbyc1
Reviewed by robbyc1 from Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.1%
Solid selection of Wisconsin beers, as well as Bell's (which we can't get in IL anymore), some others, but I was focused on New Glarus and such. Some Belgians were there, but nothing special. I was really looking for the "unplugged" ones from NG, and they had the Enigma, which I tried last fall (love it) both on the shelfs and in the cooler. Few singles. Very good prices, got the Unplugs for $8.75 for the 4 pack, and when I asked the young man about the newer unplugged Quad, he went to the back (said it just came back in) and got if for me. Nice friendly service.

The local selection is solid, with Sam's and other good stores in Chicagoland, I really only need to go to WI for the locals, and I will go here again for my local needs. Solid place with good selection and excellent pricing.
Apr 17, 2007
Photo of hoffman
Reviewed by hoffman from Nebraska

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
Coming from Nebraska, this place has everything. I was like a kid in a Candy Store, I wanted to bring everything back with me. I filled my suitcase and even had some spill over into my garment bag. The quality of beer here is great some top names from the region and around the country, I purchased a lot of New Glarus, as well as Founder's, Bell's, Allagash, Victory, North Coast and many others. Half of the wall of coolers is devoted to craft beer another isle houses warm sixers and some singles. The help was friendly enough. This place is great VISIT OFTEN.
Apr 14, 2006
Photo of soulgrowl
Reviewed by soulgrowl from England

4/5  rDev -6.1%
I've driven past this place a million times, and until recently, I've never thought to stop in. From the road it just looks like your average liquor store, with a marquee advertising discounts on Franzia and Bud Light neon signs in the window. But wow, what a find! Such a wide, eclectic selection, representing the midwest and both coasts very well, in addition to an excellent array of European beers. Just a sample of their bounty: New Glarus, Great Lakes, Sprecher, Spaten, Young's, Achouffe, Lindeman's, Anderson Valley, Dixie, Bell's, Victory, Paulaner, Rogue, Flying Dog, Lakefront, Capital, Delirium, Sam Adams, Sam Smith, Allagash, Chimay, Duvel, Madresous, Okocim, Xingu, Ommegang, New Holland, North Coast, Founders, Big Sky, Goose Island, Unibroue, and a lot of other random surprises.

Overall, America and eastern Europe are very, very well represented. There are tons of German and Czech offerings as well as a shelf with beers from countries like Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Romania, etc. They are a bit lacking in the Belgian department; the most impressive thing I found was probably Saison DuPont. They used to carry Hitachino Nest, but they didn't have them this time around. Drag.

Prices are mixed, but for the most part, very reasonable, and in some cases exceptional. My only gripe is that they do not sell singles or mixed sixers and they have a limited selection of American bombers. But still, it's a great store.
Dec 21, 2005
Photo of steveh
Reviewed by steveh from Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +13.8%
Checked BA for a good beer-spot before I headed to Racine for an interview yesterday (late October 05). Turns out Timer's was right down the road from where I was headed. Great selection of micros - including some local Wisconsin breweries unavailable outside of the state - some exclusives like Sprecher specials too. A great import selection as well.

If you're in Racine or the surounding area, check them out. Mapquest's link is correct too, you can get there easily off the interstate or Green Bay Road.
Oct 29, 2005
Timer's Beverage Center in Racine, WI
Place rating: 4.26 out of 5 with 26 ratings