Eddy's Beverage, Inc (E.B.I.)

Eddy's Beverage, Inc (E.B.I.)Eddy's Beverage, Inc (E.B.I.)
Eddy's Beverage, Inc (E.B.I.)Eddy's Beverage, Inc (E.B.I.)
Store

112 Excelsior Avenue
Saratoga Springs, New York, 12866
United States

(518) 583-0434 | map
ebisaratoga.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.08
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
31
pDev:
10.05%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of edthehead
Reviewed by edthehead from Maryland

4.44/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Probably as good a craft beer beverage center as you’re going to get for the size. Great local, national, and international selection, with all the hot stuff, and even the option of buying singles of almost anything in the shop.
May 14, 2022
 
Rated: 4.04 by metter98 from New York

Jun 24, 2017
Photo of TheDoctor
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

4.61/5  rDev +13%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
This is just an all-around amazing beer store. The store is jam-packed with beer. Shelves of it, aisles of it, coolers of it, a walk-in full of it, etc. There is a great selection, the staff was extremely nice and helpful. There seems to be a pretty constant flow of beers through the store. There was a large selection of local/national stuff as well as a few aisles of international beer and piles of macros as well. Also a huge cider selection if that is your thing. The only real down side is that it is disorienting (not really a down side). Singles are available for everything, new arrivals are right by the door. There is really very little I can say that is negative about this place. There were a few things that looked like they had been sitting for a while (couple month old IPAs for instance). However when you think about how small Saratoga Springs is and where it is, I don't know but what that isn't to be expected. Either way, none of it was older than 60-70 days and these beers were definitely in the minority. An excellent store/experience with top-notch, knowledgeable staff.
Jun 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.4 by dadplusbeer from New York

Jan 31, 2017
 
Rated: 4.08 by TheBeerdedCharmer from Pennsylvania

Oct 28, 2016
 
Rated: 3.9 by Stignacious from New York

Jul 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.51 by zotzot from Vermont

Dec 10, 2015
Photo of jmusits
Reviewed by jmusits from New York

3.76/5  rDev -7.8%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.25
Best selection in Saratoga Springs - as others have mentioned probably the best selection north of Albany. Staff is knowledgeable and helpful, but you gotta ask - they won't seek you out. Some stuff does seem to sit out past it's prime - make sure you check dates when making you selections of the more obscure stuff.
May 08, 2015
Photo of Whimpers
Reviewed by Whimpers from New York

5/5  rDev +22.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
My favorite beer store I've ever dealt with. Super friendly chatty fun staff and the selection has gotten progressively better over the years. Basically, if it's in NY distribution they get it. Abraxas, Parabola, Gandhi Bot, Prarie bomb, Mexican Cake, etc etc I've all bought here.
Apr 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by ljshores from Delaware

Oct 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.79 by harsley from Massachusetts

Sep 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by PressEnter from New York

Apr 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by vonnegut21 from New York

Feb 10, 2014
Photo of BigPlay1824
Reviewed by BigPlay1824 from New York

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Overall a nice beer store. Biggest cooler I've seen in the are and also the most floor space. Decent growler selection but the overall beer selection in lacking a bit. Great place for 30 packs and budget beers but a bit pricey for crafts and imports. Right next store to a zymurgist which is prett sweet so you can knock out two stops in one. My biggest qualms are price and the lack of a 6 pack selection. There is a medium sized section for mixed six packs but I have found that alot of the selection is out of season. Overall a decent store but lacking in the aforementioned areas.
Aug 26, 2011
Photo of Brenden
Reviewed by Brenden from Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
I missed this place the first time because the building and the sign in the drive said EBI (as the picture shows) and I was looking for Eddy's.

This place is large, almost huge, with a good selection that offers a large craft representation. Things are sort of haphazardly arranged, so I was free to mill about and, while more organization would have been appreciated, it wasn't a big deal. This store would have a great quality score but for all the swill one has to wade through, though it doesn't make finding the good beer difficult. The store's selling what sells, which only makes sense, but for BA pusposes quality is what it is. I've read that there are two taps, but I saw only one. I thought that was cool. The day I went it was Dale's Pale Ale.
As far as service, it's not offered to anyone on the floor and you'll only ever talk to someone at the register. Once there, they've friendly and the guy I talked to didn't know everything, but it wasn't as bad as some reviews I've read.
This is certainly a good place to go simply to get some good beer and there's enough of it to satisfy a BA's needs.

EDIT: Vibe and food? Who changed this to a bar?
Jul 08, 2011
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
Larger place, funky and different, friendly but stuck behind the counter kind of help when I visited.

Another reviewer mentioned the seeming lack of organization, and I agree. There is beer here, stuck here, over there, in this type os funky display, on shelves here and over there, everywhere. Kind of confusing.

Selecion was extensive and included many gems and quality options. Nothing that seemed overly rare or hard to find, just a lot of everything. They also have a few taps for growler fills.

Disorganized, plenty of quality beer, funky and large store. Worth a visit if in the general area
Jan 04, 2011
Photo of BrewCrew2010
Reviewed by BrewCrew2010 from Mississippi

3.4/5  rDev -16.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3
I went here with some high expectations after hearing things from locals. But I have to say I was a bit disappointed. Yes they had Troegs, Goose Island, Ballast Point, Southern Tier, etc... But the place was a mess, the staff was not well knowledge in beers (never heard of Bell's or The Bruery), and told me if I wanted to have a beer from CA I better go somewhere else (the had Stone's?). They also proceeded to laugh anytime I try to ask a serious question on where I could find stuff or what may be coming in the future. Yes, the beer is decently priced, but customer service is a big issue with me. Since I'm new to this area, I may go here for my go to beer, but I think I may just head to Albany in the future.
Nov 21, 2010
Photo of FeloniousDrunk
Reviewed by FeloniousDrunk from New York

4.7/5  rDev +15.2%
Everything is relative. I've been to some places where the selection will leave you stunned into a stupor. Eddy's, located conveniently across the street from the Olde Saratoga Brewing Company (Mendocino Brewing Co.) is a positive Mecca for upstate NY due to it's variety, constantly rotating selection, and helpful staff.

What to expect from Eddy's: They have a great selection of microbrews from across the United States (from Colorado & Michigan to the whole West Coast) AND a fantastic selection of imports (Great German and English selections, as well as Czech and other Central European beers.) On top of that they usually have a rotating selection of 2 kegs on tap available for growler fill-ups. Last time I was there they have Hop Devil from Victory and Pride of Milford from Cooperstown.

What gives this place the extra special distinction is its selection of ingredients for home brewers. It has multiple kits to buy as well as a variety of malts, wheat, and I believe hops for sale (all fresh.)

For anyone north of Albany, this place is worth the trip, and you can usually find (within reason) that one special beer you can't locate anywhere else.
Jul 23, 2010
Photo of LiamStLiam
Reviewed by LiamStLiam from New York

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
Eddy's, or EBI, is a couple of minutes off Exit 15 on I-87 about 45 minutes north of Albany, NY.

For those of us who live north of Saratoga Springs, the package stores get progressively better as you drive south toward Albany and the Mecca that is Oliver's Beverage.

EBI is very likely the best beer store between Albany and Canada. It's got a solid selection, including having all the regular Stone beers, with the Bastard and a couple others usually at $4.99.

Two end caps as you approach the beer shelves at the back fo the store have the new and higher end stuff, mostly in 22-ounce bombers. Good selection of Southern Tier and many of the New England breweries. Excellent selection of Rogue and Ommegang Bombers.

The store could certainly be better organized. The cases are in one place and the six packs -- with other cases -- in another, although the craft beer is well separated from the big, commercial stuff.

Prices are competitive for the North Country, and that's good, because there are a lot of beers here you are not going to find anywhere else up here.

Very good selection of ciders and British and Belgian beers. Great selection of sodas too.

They have brewing supplies once again, after an absence, but they are in a separate part of the store.

EBI is right across the street from Saratoga Brewing, a great place for sampling, If you are visiting and want an excellent beer bar, I highly recommend The Local.
Feb 14, 2010
Photo of indiapaleale
Reviewed by indiapaleale from Maine

3.2/5  rDev -21.6%
Okay, this place may have the best selection in Saratoga Springs, personally I don't know, I was just in town on business. But, this place is not a beer mecca by any means.

Yes, it has a fairly good selection, Victory, Sly Fox, Stone, Troegs, Southern Tier...yes, yes and yes. However, thrown into the mix is quite a bit of random shit.

Eddy's, you guys need to get things together. There is beer EVERYWHERE with no rhyme or reason, okay maybe one row has imports but other than that stuff is everywhere.

I was pretty disappointed to see a lot of summer stuff being sold in February, not to mention that most everything of value had quite a bit of dust on it. Bummer.

Decent selection, no help from the staff, no Great Lakes, no rhyme or reason to the way its sorted and definitely not a place that takes a lot of pride in its business. If it did, it would keep things nice and tidy and not sell beer that is waaay past its prime.

A lot of my review is based on the state of dissaray in this place.
Feb 04, 2009
Photo of eporter66
Reviewed by eporter66 from New York

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
Eddy's is about 10 minutes from my home in Saratoga and what a true find this place is. I have been to the store a half dozen times now and just getting to know how things work.

When you walk in the front doors, the micro/craft brews are setup in cases to the right as you come in. If you walk straight past the counter you come to more selections of single bottles, and other specialty beers. You are allowed to mix 6 packs, and the prices only change if you mix different brands. Since I am new and have a lot to try, it's no big deal for me to go in and just put a sampler together from one brewer. I know this is common, but it was pretty cool for me the first time. There seemed to be a lot of brands available for the mixing (Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat, Sam Adams, Mendocino and many more), which should keep me busy for awhile.

I need to investigate more and learn the ropes. They have 2 taps for Growler refills, and I bought a half gallon growler ($2.99) and was told the refills were $7.99. I got the first growler filled with Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale.

The staff was very helpful answering my questions about the mix & matching of 6 packs, and Growler costs. They also asked if I was interested in their growler club card, after 10 refills you get one free (of course I signed up).

I would highly recommend Eddy's to anyone, seems like an excellent selection, good size store, and a knowledgeable and friendly staff.
Nov 27, 2008
Photo of hurleymanvw
Reviewed by hurleymanvw from Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
Nice selection of beers from the area. I usually bring home some Stone or Smuttynose when i stop in. Plenty of Soutern Teir sixers but i never see the big bottles. Be great to get some Unearthy here. For the most part they got a good belgian selection with Chouffe and Chimey. Some Cantillion as well. Plenty of magic hat and longtrail. All in all a great place to get beer even though you got to be careful some of it looks like it hangs out a while. They also carry butternuts pork slap if you want some comic relief with your beer experience. Great logo on that can.
Aug 29, 2008
Photo of MMAJYK
Reviewed by MMAJYK from Georgia

3.7/5  rDev -9.3%
I stopped in here while on a business trip. I heard about it from a friend of mine who told me it was the best beer store in the area.

Upon entering, there are TONS of boxes in the middle of the warehouse-like set up flaunting cases upon 12 packs of beer. A quick walk straight past the cash register took me straight to the beer shelves. They had "mix your own" sixers on the first shelf and all sorts of things on the others. Notables: Southern Tier, Moylans, Butternuts, Smuttynose, and Stone.

They had a seperate cooler for some of the beers if you wanted them cold and also a seperate "rack" for some of the Stone stuff. They had no seasonals or special releases from Stone, but the regular stuff.

The tattooed up girl working the cash register had no idea about beer as I asked her what style of beer one I was about to purchase was. She had no clue and continued to tell me just that. I asked a couple more questions, received no answers, paid for my beer and left. Not a bad shop, but I think that with the right person(s) running it, it could improve.
Aug 06, 2008
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
I visited this store on the way to a rental cabin in the Adirondacks. The store is jsut down the street from Mendocino Brewing CO.
Walking in this is a beer only store and there are tons of cases on pallates in the middle of the room. Some homebrew gear and ingredients along the right hand side of the building. Back Right has coolers of 6 packs. The micro brews and imports are to the front left of the store on a series of 3 bookshelves. Mostly set out in 6 packs but it is obvious that these packs are able to be broken up. Selection is pretty solid mix of local and regional micros. A few highlights for me were the Smuttynose Baltic Porter and Vicotry Baltic Thundre bottles. I grabbed a few of each of these. Staff was friendly enough and didnt have a problem with me using boxes and 6 pack holders for my beers. They were closing up and didnt really push too hard for me to finish up my browsing. A very good selection for the area and prices were pretty good too.
Apr 06, 2008
Photo of xpatriate
Reviewed by xpatriate from Canada (QC)

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
i stopped in on my way down to a wedding in pennsylvania from canada.nice staff.showed me where everything i had on my list was.i was allowed 24-12oz. bottles to bring back to canada.so i bought some anchor steam,liberty,porter.brooklyn brown,lager,weiss.magic hat no.9,hocus pocus.sierra nevada pale ale,anniversary ale,bigfoot.very pleased with everything i purchased.i was like a kid in a candystore.would go back if i passed through there again.good to have some beer from the states.too much canadian brew in my palette for too long.
Oct 14, 2007
Photo of lawrence76
Reviewed by lawrence76 from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%
I almost always stop here when visiting my hometown. The selection is fantastic, especially for the area. I doubt there is any other store even approaching the selection of this place anywhere within 20 miles of Saratoga.

The prices are also a reason I love Eddy's; compared to Boston, some of the beers are 4-8% cheaper, so I usually stock up.

Great aisle for belgians, germans, and uk beers; and then another ailse devoted completely to American micros, mostly IPAs and the Like. Oh, and then there's the cold cases in the back too....

Interestingly, this place also sells homebrew ingredients/gear. The grains are kept in big rubbermaid bins and didnt look half bad when I checked them out. No fridge in sight so I dont know how or if they do yeast/hops.
Feb 10, 2007
Photo of Stimack
Reviewed by Stimack from New York

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
Stopped by this past weekend while up in Saratoga. Very nice looking store, nice size to it, seems very clean. When I walked in I was able to catch a glimpse of what I was looking for, 2006 Anchor Christmas offering as well as a host of additional holiday brews. Nice selection of regional and national micro’s along 3 isles and stacked in the middle of the floor. Also looked to have one isle for just imports, a lot of Belgium brews here from the way it looks. Also looks like they have one offering on tap, when I was there it was the Celebration from Sierra. Also what I did like was the fact that for the home brewers out there it looked like they had a pretty good selection of equipment, grains, etc. Not the robust selections that I have when I go to Hennessey’s but not bad nonetheless. Over all I will rate this place pretty high, but the kid that was working behind the register seemed to be a bit of a goof.
Dec 11, 2006
Photo of beveritt
Reviewed by beveritt from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
EBI is the best beer store in the area, bare none. This is saying a lot too, because Saratoga Springs is not your typical small town. The race tracks brig in a lot of money, so craft beer had a good hold in this area. You can find microbrews just about everywhere.

The store has three rows of microbrews, with a good variance. They are also very open to ordering things you may want but don't see. The cooler section takes up one whole side of this massive warehouse-like building and includes a walk-in part. Kegs of the bigger micros are available.

All this and they sell beer and wine-making supplies too. You have to ask for them to open the wine-making part of the store, but the beer stuff is always available.

Overall, a great place. I am like a kid in a candy store here and rarely leave without filling up the trunk.
Aug 03, 2006
Photo of rousee
Reviewed by rousee from Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Update from 9/1/12
They now have air-conditioning here so it should help prevent beers from spoiling quite as fast during the hot Summer months. Selection is about the same as it always has been although it looks like there are some new entries into the NY market in the last year or so. I tried some canned beers from Breckenridge brewery which were decent and I don't remember seeing that brand in NY before.

This place seems to be much more easily identified as EBI rather than Eddy's but maybe Eddy likes to keep a low profile. Fairly easy to find, the place is mammoth. It is like a giant garage/warehouse full of beer.

They had 3 long walls of craft and imported beer at room temperature. It seemed the first wall was more American and then the other 2 were more devoted to imports. I wish it were the other way around with USA beers getting more emphasis but their selection was excellent nonetheless. The only remark I have to make that could be seen as slightly negative is it was possible for direct sunlight to come into the giant room when the doors were open as they were when I visited. The over head lighting was so far away on the giant ceilings I couldnt see it causing much problem. I did notice a little dust in the imported area.

I bought some Southern Tier Hop Sun and IPA, I got some Jenlain and a growler of the Southern Tier IPA. I had never been to a beer store that sold growlers of beer before and what a treat it was. Unfortunately, after a day at the track drinking in the sun, I had to dump the last 3rd of the growler. It was one tasty IPA, I hope its as good bottled.

Overall, EBI is an excellent store and I would recommend it highly if you are near Saratoga.
Sep 05, 2005
Photo of TheJudge
Reviewed by TheJudge from New York

4.65/5  rDev +14%
Stopped on the way upstate to find some beer I hadn't had yet. The selection here was definately above average. On ringing out, they noticed the selection I had chosen, and made some wonderful additional brews I had never even heard of, let alone tasted, and went so far as to suggest that I change one of my selections to what they thought I would enjoy more. And it was less expensive to boot. An extremely good selection of single bottle beers available, primarily from England and Eastern Europe.

On all counts, a beer store not to be missed if in the area.
Jan 28, 2004
Photo of Shiredave
Reviewed by Shiredave from New York

4.41/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.25
Located dirctly accross from the Mendocino / Saratoga Brewery just outside town, Eddies or EBI Beverage has an outstanding selection of imports and US micros. Offering 2 or 3 taps for Growlers to go, as well as a good assortment of homebrewing supplies and ingredients, this is what beers stores should aspire to.
Run by people who like beer and know thier products, Eddies will be a surprise for those who dont think they can find quality beers in a small town. But Saratoga Springs is a pretty fancy place with lots of money and a certain sense of sophistocation. Thats a good thing if only because it keeps the beer fresh and moving off the shelves at Eddies.
Stop in and say hello to Mark and his friendly staff. If your timing is right, you can pop accross the street to sample some of the products produced by the Saratoga Springs Brewery. Its good to know theres a good source for quality beer in the southern realm of the Adirondacks.
Jan 23, 2004
Eddy's Beverage, Inc (E.B.I.) in Saratoga Springs, NY
Place rating: 4.08 out of 5 with 31 ratings