Bombay Wines & Spirits

Bombay Wines & SpiritsBombay Wines & Spirits
Bombay Wines & SpiritsBombay Wines & Spirits
Store

2190 1st Capitol Dr
Saint Charles, Missouri, 63301-5804
United States

(636) 949-6633 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.77
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
16
pDev:
12.73%
View: Place Reviews
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Rated: 3.65 by Squire from Mississippi

Jun 27, 2016
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Rated by joshstl from Missouri

4.86/5  rDev +28.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Great selection of local and other hard to get beers!!And now a second location in St.Peters
Jun 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by Tertullian007 from Missouri

Jun 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.38 by lemmy187 from Missouri

Feb 12, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by Benvarine from Missouri

Oct 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by IpeeA from Missouri

Sep 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by ajs4bd from Missouri

Jul 01, 2014
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Reviewed by RedByron from Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +14.9%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
What a pleasant surprise Bombay has become for me! When I first moved to the area, I tried all the stores for good craft beer but couldn't find anything extensive enough. Then, a friend told me about Bombay, but I couldn't picture where it was. The location is grungy and inconspicuous, but it's what's on the inside that counts, right? It's become a regular stop for me now. The owner is extremely knowledgeable and has made some great suggestions for me to try. It's not very often I need to go to a larger store (Randall's, Friar Tuck, Lukas) to find some of the more rare releases.
Apr 17, 2014
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Reviewed by tdlewellyn from Texas

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3.75
In a dead zone for craft beer this is an oasis.

Service was great. The owner and I talked shop for quite a while. He made several great suggestions.

His wife was friendly as well and she was even kind enough to give me bubble wrap so I can pack my purchases for the flight back to Houston.

Selection was heavy on the Belgiums but overall decently rounded.

I was happy that I stopped at Bombay.
Jan 31, 2013
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Reviewed by damngoode from Indiana

3.44/5  rDev -8.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
I was pleasantly surprised to find this store after searching around for a shop on the East side that had a more varied selection. Being that i live in Indianapolis, most of the locally distributed beers here are also available in Indiana, so i was looking more for Deschutes, Lagunitas, Firestone Walker, etc. This store was actually the largest i visited tonight and it was still small compared to my go-to mega stores in Indy. That said, it had a great selection, from Jolly Pumpkin to a wide array of German and Belgian beers to the usual suspects feom the local breweries. If you don't make it to the Wine and Cheese store like I didn't, this is a nice option.
Sep 06, 2012
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Reviewed by bbkd3b from California

3.55/5  rDev -5.8%
It's fairly hard to find this place if you aren't looking for it. It's located in a strip mall that, at first glance, looks really grungy. If it weren't in St. Charles, it might even look kind of unsafe.

Going inside, you realize that it's a tiny, tiny store. The selection is limited to a few fridges, and two shelves actually dedicated to brews. The emphasis on their selection seems especially Belgian-oriented. I went in hoping to find a good Bell's or Founders brew, but what I found instead was all of the Chouffe, Unibroue, and Delirium that I could possibly want. Even Schlafly brews were kind of meek in number, but the sheer range of their Belgian selection was pretty surprising. Some of them, I'd never even heard of. It's tough to judge quite right... Also, strangely enough, there were numerous bombers of Hop Stoopid mixed in, but I couldn't find one other Lagunitas beer in there. Kind of bizarre.

Service is pretty typical. If you ask any questions, they'll be able and willing to point you in the right direction and know at least a decent amount about the beer. Don't expect them to go out of their way, though.

As a side note, they have a pretty neat selection of glassware in there. I found a couple of Duvel tulips just dying to be bought, along with most other styles you could possibly want. If you're seeking anything like that out, this would be a good place to start.

On the whole, it's a good place to visit when you want a classic, Belgian-style beer. Some of the stuff on the shelf might a bit aged, but lucky for me, that included a bottle of La Chouffe from 2009 that I snagged before I left. Not the best place overall, but if you're in the neighborhood, it could be a nice one to check out in case they have something surprising in there.
Dec 28, 2010
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Reviewed by dankbrew21 from Oregon

3.6/5  rDev -4.5%
I have three craft beer stores that I go to regularly and Bombay is one of them. It is located right off the highway and they have a good selection of Belgian ales. It is family owned and it seems it is only family employed. The only one with a good knowledge of beer (from my experience) is the father. He told me that every beer in the store is hand selected by him and he has tried them all.

CONS:
Most of the selection is warm beer left in the light. They have a small cooler in the back but half of it is stocked with macro-brews. Also, I recently read the entry on beer freshness in beer 101 on BA, so I have been checking the freshness dates (if they have one) on all the beers before I purchase them and most of the beers I checked in Bombay were long past the freshness date.

PROS:
The service is good and the prices are reasonable. They have a decent selection and a good location. They also have an okay glass selection.
Mar 30, 2009
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Reviewed by errantnight from District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%
A totally satisfactory experience, if far from overwhelming.

Driving back from Iowa after not having had the time to get up to John's in Iowa City was visiting a cousin who lives not far from here and decided to stop in...

They had what I was looking for (Two Hearted), some Schlafly (Imperial Reserve!), some Boulevard (Saison w/ Brett!), some unexpected (Odell IPA!), they had some 2006 Iris, St. Lamvinus, a really solid selection of locals and Belgians given space constraints (a couple fridges and a couple aisles). Stock seemed reasonably fresh and well turned over, but the space is small and uninspired (it's basically a little grocery mart, and the girl working the counter there wasn't a beer enthusiast, which is fine, and expected).

Prices were a bit high on some things (12.99 for the Two Hearted), but nothing outrageous. When I'm visiting again I'll be stopping by, that's for sure.
Jan 10, 2009
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Reviewed by Vancer from Illinois

3/5  rDev -20.4%
Saw this place listed in the directory, and decided to drop in on the way to Trailhead. Previous reviews pretty much sum it up – a pretty good place to get beer in the middle of St. Charles. It’s off of Capital drive – which can be a real bitch during rush hour. Remember it’s in a strip mall, or you’ll miss it – and turning around is impossible.

Couldn’t believe the amount of German beer here, and a nice selection of Belgium also. Speaking of that, grabbed some Abby Ale from New Belgium while there – prices seemed to be fairly economical. And the glass selection is also surprisingly good.

Forget service – it’s get your beer and take to the front for them to ring up.
Dec 21, 2007
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Reviewed by hopsaplenty from District of Columbia

3.35/5  rDev -11.1%
Stopped by on a Monday afternoon while driving to get some frozen custard at Fritz’s.

Bombay Spirits is nestled into a short stripmall with a check cashing store on one side and MoneyGram store on the other. The tall plate glass windows were covered with posters advertising various high volume beers.

The store is not too large, and the aisles are on the short side, but well spaced. The beer coolers and shelves are on the immediate right side upon entering. Upon entering, I was met with a short stack of Red Hook products at $5.99/ six pack. The coolers hold a decent selection of locals (Schlafly, Boulevard, O’Fallon) as well as some New Belgium, Rogue, Sierra Nevada, Berghoff, and a smattering of Unibroue, and miscellaneous German selections.

The 10’ shelves are filled with a decent mixture of English, German, and Belgian bottles. I saw plenty of Unibroue, La Chouffe, Cantillon, Lindemanns, Chimay, Baladin, Ayinger, Weihenstephaner, and Franziskaner, for example. They also had Rogue Imperial Pilsner and Old Crusty if that is your thing. Not a fantastic selection, but not too shabby. Prices were inline for the area. Bottles looked clean and those with dates seemed recent. Nothing obviously past its prime.

They also have a small selection of glassware as well as booze, smokes, lottery tickets, snacks and incense.

Nobody asked me if I needed anything, and they had what I was looking for so I didn’t need to bother them for too much. One minor complaint though. I purchased a number of single bottles and they were all lumped into one bag, without first putting some of them in individual paper bags to prevent that potentially catastrophic glass on glass contact. As I said, it is a minor complaint.

I was looking for a variety of hefeweizens and other German wheat beers to give to my father in-law and introduce him to the real deal rather than the typical American Pale Wheat Ale billed as a hefeweizen and they had plenty. Certainly not a destination store, but definitely the best thing going in St. Charles if you are looking for something from outside the US.
Jul 25, 2006
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Reviewed by deleted_user_8554

3.15/5  rDev -16.4%
Although this store looks small on the outside, the inside looks larger then what you expected. Once you enter in, you see two aisles of beer on your right and beyond the beer they carry mostly liquor and some wine. They also have a lot of their beer selection in the cooler. Besides the typical beer macro beer a shop would have they stock many micros from europe and asia. The stock isn't as overwhelming as some stores I've seen, but if you want a good diverse selection, I recommend it. The clerks ask if you need help periodically and do give some recommendations if you ask. They don't have a mix-and-match six-pack, which I don't like, but most of the beer you buy by the bottle. If you're looking for a proper glass to drink a certain type of beer, this store has small selection of different glasses as well.

Edit (2/14/06): Beware of expired beer. Check date and dust before purchase.
Sep 13, 2004
Bombay Wines & Spirits in Saint Charles, MO
Place rating: 3.77 out of 5 with 16 ratings