Grapes Of Mirth

Grapes Of MirthGrapes Of Mirth
Grapes Of MirthGrapes Of Mirth
Store

59 W. Spruce St.
Columbus, Ohio, 43215
United States

// CLOSED //

Closed July 2010.
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.13
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
26
pDev:
12.11%
View: Place Reviews
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Ratings by BuckeyeNation:
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Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
I'm amazed that I lived in Columbus for 10 years and never made it down to the North Market. Grapes Of Mirth is located in a little cubby hole on the east side of the market and is easy to find for first-timers thanks to a large, colorful sign. There isn't much room for beer, but what's there is put to good use. A few wooden shelves, a wire rack or two and a small cooler (sans singles) is the extent of things.

Everything here is quality. Of course, it could be that my eyes simply skip over the dreck these days and only register the good stuff, but I don't think that was the case. Good selection of Belgians with at least 4-5 varieties of Cantillion. The prices seemed a little high, but the quality demanded it. It really wasn't out of line from what I'm used to seeing for beer of that sort.

The woman who checked me out praised my choice of Chapeau Banana Lambic (we'll see), but did a poor job of bagging my purchases and I had to be careful with them all the way to the car. Looks like I missed the owner. If I still lived in town, I'm sure that I'd make the occasional trip to the North Market and would be sure to pop in at the Mirth to see if they had anything new and interesting.
Jun 07, 2005
More User Ratings:
Photo of MbpBugeye
Reviewed by MbpBugeye from Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +4.1%
North Market itself is a destination I always find myself going to. This little shop is one of the highlights of each visit.

Mostly this shop carries bombers and 750s as space is very limited. One rack houses lots of interesting Belgian styles. Lindeman's Gueze, Monk's Cafe, Cantillon, De Ranke XX Bitter ect.

Bottles from The Bruery are also commonly found here.

Venture deeper into the shop and in the back to the right is a small Pepsi cooler. I never forget to check here. There is often lots of Ohio and Columbus area beers in here.

This shop is good for little surprises. Make sure you look at the bottles behind other bottles. Sometimes a real gem will get pushed into the back row. I found singles of Nemesis and bombers of Hop Dam here.
Mar 28, 2010
Photo of buschbeer
Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
I have stopped in here a couple of times, but it's been almost a year since the last visit. I popped in after a Blue Jackets game and was more impressed after this visit. I have been on BA for almost a year and have learned a lot. I went to this establishment with an idea of what I wanted and was not disappointed. I actually have heard of most of the beers in there now. They tend to focus on Belgian styles. The sign said that they had 250 beers and 600 wine. It's definately worth a stop.

Cheers!
Jan 17, 2010
Photo of Otesanek
Reviewed by Otesanek from Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +12.6%
This is the best shop in central/downtown Columbus/short north. Dave does an awesome job of bringing in new shit, and he manages to snag some of the rarer stuff that actually comes through Ohio. The shop is small and cramped, it's more of a stall really, but every inch is packed with treasures. The Belgian shelf always has the most recent Cantillon releases, Struise, Mikkeller, et al. He keeps a few interesting things up on the shelf behind the counter too. Be sure to check all the stacks of cases and things stacked on the floor, look behind the front row of bottles on the shelves too, sometimes cool stuff gets pushed toward the back.
Nov 08, 2009
Photo of bowersdm
Reviewed by bowersdm from Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +4.1%
Popped into this store today as i was in the area and wanted to check out other stores in the C-bus area. The store is small and cramped, but it's still a pretty solid store. Great selection (highlights include de Struise Pannepot, Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout, and Achel Bruin and Blonde, which I can never seem to find in 11.2oz bottles in my area), but I have a few problems with the setup (granted, most if not all of the problems are due to the space limitation). First, there's a lot of bottles stored in wine racks (corked bottles), on their side. To me, this is verboten, even though the place is mainly about the wine. Second, the selection of singles is kind of haphazardly thrown on the shelf in a chaotic order. It's interesting to find gems at the back of the shelf, but some order would be nice. Service gets a pretty high mark because the employee I talked to is the only beer store employee anywhere that has been able to provide an explanation for the lack of Rodenbach products lately.
Mar 13, 2009
Photo of nrbw23
Reviewed by nrbw23 from Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
A nice little spot inside the North Market. Pretty good selection of brews but it is small and kind of cramped in there. Good selections of Belgians, and some other stuff that is a little harder to find around the city. Good amount of singles to go through and service was also pretty helpful. Probably the hardest thing going for this place is trying to find a place to park and while you're down there you should also hit up Barley's which is right across the street from here. Its a two for one for me.
Sep 14, 2008
Photo of MDekker
Reviewed by MDekker from Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +13.8%
I've stopped by here many times during trips to North Market. While it doesn't really comprise much more than a living room sized stall in the wall, they have a great selection of nothing but excellent brews available - loads of bombers, and a bunch of trappist ales are what stand out in my mind, in addition to a good selection of beers from everywhere, while covering the local bases as well. The prices seem on par with most of the other places I've been, and the guys behind the counter are helpful when needed. The wine selection is even more extensive.
Aug 01, 2008
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.85/5  rDev -6.8%
Across from Barley's ale house in a plaza of boutiques. Mostly a wine boutique store, with a good small selection of most of the best beers that come through the area. Picked up some Alesmith, Hoppin' Frog, and other locals like Bison. Attractive, fair location, decent hours. Good for a quick pick up of stuff, and convenient for getting other groceries etc. Certainly better than shopping in most supermarkets. Good service.Fair prices. For vicitors without a lot of room on a plane, serious shoppers would be better off at Chuck's Fine Wines on the cartrip 2.5 hours North.
Jun 18, 2008
Photo of csmiley
Reviewed by csmiley from Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
Grapes of Mirth is a small shop located in the North Market just north of dwowntown Columbus. The front of the store has shelves and racks of single beers that come in all shapes and sizes. Heading around the wine displays in the middle of the store reveals a cooler with a few six packs. Sometimes, if you look behind the counter, there are some nice surprises on those shelves as well.

On my visit I did notice some dust on some of the selections but not enough to make me consider taking my business elsewhere. The dust was mostly on the beers that are bing stored horizontally in wine racks. No big deal. Service is some of the best around. Most of my questions have always been answered with a level of beer intelligence that surpasses other establishments. For selection, this place is pretty small, the beers that are kept in stock are great choices and sometimes even hard to find at any other Columbus stores. Some of the breweries that I saw represented were: Cantillon, Konings, St. Bernardus, Rochefort, Boon, Alesmith, Jolly Pumpkin, St. Ambroise, Bells, Dogfish Head, Fantome, and Great Lakes.

What I walked out with:
Olfabrikken 100 Gram IPA
St. Bernardus Prior 8
St. Bernardus Pater 6
Boon Oude Kreik
Avec les Bons Voeux
Fantome Black Ghost
Peche Mortel
May 24, 2008
Photo of BigBry
Reviewed by BigBry from Canada (AB)

4.65/5  rDev +12.6%
This was my first visit to this beer store while in Columbus. It is only a short walk away from Nationwide Arena, located in the North Market. It is a small storefront that I just about walked right past. They have a huge selection (compared to what I am used to) of beers. Lots of imports and belgians that I have never seen before. Tons of singles, some 6 packs, but all looked to be specialty beers. Only one cooler thta was filled with locals. I found myself staring and wandering back and forth (a tough job considering the size of the place). I am amazed by the selection packed into this tiny place. I could have easily spent way too much, but being limited by cash and space, I limited myself to some local brews that I would not be able to get anywhere else - bombers of Buckeye Brewing Ho Ho Ho Magic Dubbel and Hoppin' Frog Mean Manilishi Double IPA.
Defineatly a must-go-to spot for next time
Jan 20, 2008
Photo of Risser09
Reviewed by Risser09 from Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +12.6%
This was the first beer store I visited while in Columbus. They are in the North Market, which is pretty cool. They have the front portion of the store dedicated to beer, both standing and stored sideways (like wine bottles). If you do a little rummaging you can find some stuff that otherwise would go unnoticed. They had some Jolly Pumpkin, Alesmith, JW Lees Lagavulin!!, Cantillon (lots of vintages), and all the standard four pack stuff. I was impressed that such a little store could have so much selection and versatility. The back cooler plays home to Buckeye Brewing beer and Hoppin Frog, along with some other local stuff. The guy at the counter even helped me with directions to my next beer stop. I spent about $90 bucks overall and thought it was well spent. Panil Barrique was probably the biggest purchase at $15.99. Great place.
*Edit* btw, I got a Rodenbach Grand Cru for $7.99. Awesome
Aug 24, 2007
Photo of Osiris9588
Reviewed by Osiris9588 from Ohio

4/5  rDev -3.1%
This small shop in the North Market offers quite a selection for such a tiny space. Plenty of microbrews and quality imports are to be found, including harder too find (in Columbus anyway) Belgian selections. Also, due to space constraints, most of the stock is sold at room temperature, allowing one to slightly chill a brew just prior to consuming it. A small bank of cooler does offer some chilled selections however.

Their very solid selection of brews is accompanied by an equally offering of vino. I can't go to the North Market without stopping here, and am never disappointed.
Apr 06, 2007
Photo of mmcave
Reviewed by mmcave from Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -10.4%
The place is small, but great if your doing some food shopping in the mark and need to pick up some stuff. The place is split between wine and beer, but they are definitely more on the wine side. What they do have though is generally pretty good stuff. Each time I've been there I've walked away with good drink. Honestly in-terms of service there is no need to talk to them about beer. I mean it's a small store so what they have is right in-front of you and what they have is all they have nothing hidden back behind some display its there for you to see. Only if you wanted to know when stuff was coming in, but I don't live here any more so this isn't an issue for me. However when I've gone there for wine, each time I have been slightly disappointed with their suggestions, what ever that might means. If your in the North Market ( which is worth a trip alone) your a fool if you don't stop in place, however I hear there are better place in town for beer.
Nov 24, 2006
Photo of Grundle20
Reviewed by Grundle20 from Ohio

4/5  rDev -3.1%
First off, The Grapes of Mirth doesn't have a huge selection of beer but then again the place doesn't have a lot of space to work with. With the space the store has they do make it count in my opinion. As far as I can tell it doesn't seem that they buy more than maybe 2 cases of any given beer at a time, this is nice because about 75% of the stock is changing on a bi-weekly basis I would say. They have a knack for getting a few bottles of things that other stores don't have and quite frankly people in the beer community are rarely keen to. I owe my Dogfish Liquor De Malt and Jiahu to them.

The staff is pretty friendly, I doubted their knowledge of beer until recently when they opened up a little. When they did I kind of wished they had just remained quiet. They definitely radiated that beer snob air when they finally spoke up, damn do I hate that. It was the kind of beer drinker that looks for the most obscure beer just to say they've had it and tries to describe it with the most abstract adjectives. No matter how awful it was they will say it's great because it's weird, which I find not only impractical but horribly annoying. They know their stuff don't get me wrong, they just need a serious reality check. I've found that the average craft beer drinker is usually pretty down to earth and these people really just wanted to keep their "high horse hat" on.

The prices are pretty standard but they also never really run specials because they obviously don't sell in volume and beer doesn't sit around long enough to spoil. Not really a fault just kind of the nature of their business.
Oct 15, 2006
Photo of GimpyCane
Reviewed by GimpyCane from Florida

3.7/5  rDev -10.4%
This place is located in the North Market building behind Barley's Smoke house and Brewpub. The store is very small, if three people are in, then it's a crowd. The selection is good which included a bunch of Rouges, several Trappistes Rochefort (blue, green caps), Victorys, and many more. They also have alot of wines. I was not so thrill with the service. I'm sure the gentleman is a good guy but he did not offer any help. When I ask he seem distant. It could have been the day, oh well. I did not think the prices were to expensive. The nice think was he had several bottles of beers and wines on display for tasting. If you in the area, stop in, it will not disappoint.
Oct 04, 2006
Photo of beveritt
Reviewed by beveritt from Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -14%
Visited this place after the Columbus Microbrew Festival last weekend. The place is tiny, as are most places packed into The North Market, but it certainly fits a lot into the little space they have. Because of the small size, they seem to have a lot of turnover. I have never seen a dusty bottle here. You may find the occasional Bud Select, but the majority of beer here is the good stuff. I picked up some Midas Touch, Noferatu, and Speedway Stout on this last visit.

Can't comment much on the service, I knew what I wanted, got it, and left. They did have some wines and beers available for sampling, gotta like that. I marked them as average because I haven't had anything happen good or bad with the service.

Selection is above average, outstanding considering the size of the place. There is one cooler with a mix of beer and wine. There are two racks of beer. The items are literally bursting out into the aiselway of the North Market. They pack it in well. Maybe not the best place to find some obscure, out of the way beerm but they have a good selection of what I would consider popular craft brews. DFH, Cantillon, GLBC, lots of Germans, etc.
Sep 20, 2006
Photo of TurdFurgison
Reviewed by TurdFurgison from Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +13.8%
This is an exceptional store for high quality beers. They only sell the best, and the prices are very good (some of the beers are at the cheapest prices in Columbus while most are in the typical range). They also carry more rare Belgian beers than I've seen in other OH locations.

The two times I've been there I've spent more than I cared to (they just received Founders Breakfast Stout the day of my first visit and on my second visit [about 10 months later] they sold me 9 bottles of Stone 10th Anniversary) but it was worth it for beers I won't see again soon.
Sep 17, 2006
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Reviewed by andrewmartin from Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -5.6%
Located in Columbus' North Market, a great gourmet food and eats spot in the heart of the city. Like others have noted, the small size of the store (literally in a corner of the market) limits their selection, but they do make the best of their space; you are not likely to find a bad brew in the mix (thus the high score for quality, low for selection). Plenty of singles from Belgium, Germany, the UK, and the US (speedway stout, ommegang). There is also a little cooler with some beers as well. Given the limited space, I suspect that the turnover is high, and probably not a lot of old products. I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want, so service is fine. I have seen employees make wine recommendations.
Aug 31, 2006
Photo of ndekke39
Reviewed by ndekke39 from Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +4.1%
Grapes of Mirth is located in the North Market, possibly my favorite place to be in Columbus. North Market itself is an historic market featuring food stalls of all types and styles: Chinese, Mediterranean, Mexican, New York deli, sushi, Italian, Vietnamese. There are also butchers, bakeries, a chocolatier, a fishmonger, a couple of offee shops, a florist, a fruit and vegetable stand, plus a handful of cookware shops. And let's not forget the best ice cream in the universe: Jeni's Fresh Ice Creams. She makes a variety of unique flavors, including Pistachio & Honey, Pumpkin Spice, Berries & Burgundy, and many others. You will not be disappointed.

In front of the Market are numerous outdoor stalls; during the summer and autumn weekends, there's all manner of fresh, local produce, herbs, and flowers on sale. North Market hosts a large number of festivals and events, including a wine festival, a harvest festival, craft fairs, and a fiery foods festival. Overall, the Market is a great representation of the local culinary talents of Columbus. If you're visiting Columbus and are staying anywhere near downtown (such as the Convention Center, Nationwide Arena, or any of the hotels), you're within walking distance of the Market. Go visit.

Grapes of Mirth is a noble contribution to the Market's atmosphere. It's primarily a wine shop, but the selection of beer will not fail to impress. Out front sit two large shelves full of single bottles and 4- and 6-packs at room temperature. In the back is a refridgerator stocked full of 6-packs. The selection is excellent - a lot of unique finds that are available at very few places around town. Selection includes Columbus Brewing Company, Bell's, Buckeye Brewing, GLBC, Anchor, Buffalo Bill's, Founder's, Tsing Tao, Modelo, Cooper's, Smithwick's, Sam Adams, North Coast, Paulaner, Dominion, Stone, and many, many more. Plenty of single bottles out front of Rogue, Oudes, Trappist, and a nice selection of lambics.

The owner is usually in the shop, and he really knows his stuff, from styles to breweries to distributors. Everything seems to be well-chosen to suit some pickier tastes. Overall, this is a great place to browse for excellent beer finds.
Jul 26, 2006
Photo of mattcrill
Reviewed by mattcrill from Ohio

2.25/5  rDev -45.5%
Not much to add beyond what's already been said. Parking shouldn't be a problem around here until the NHL pulls it's head out from it's ass and comes to some kind of labor agreement. I can see why it would be a problem because it's just paid lots and meters but wasn't a big deal on this rainy Monday.

The guy at the register really didn't want to be bothered with my presence. He seemed much more interested in whatever he was doing than anything I needed. I think the most I got was a head nod. Maybe it was because it was a Monday but in my humble opinion, the service absolutely sucked.

Selection? Again, maybe it's the time of year...maybe they are transitioning from getting rid of the Christmas stuff into the winter seasonals. But I have more selection in my cellar than this place does. Two racks of singles and a half a cooler full of six packs. Not sure how this even qualifies to be reviewed here but maybe this place has seen better days. For my time and effort, I'm going to Kenny Rd Market even if that adds another 15 minutes to my drive from here.

Good prices are about the only thing that saves this place from being truly awful.
Jan 03, 2005
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Reviewed by gentlebubbles from Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +9%
A tiny stall near the entrance of the North Market. Right up front is an impressive selection of imported singles, mostly Belgians. No bottle-conditioned English ales to tempt me. Step past the wine racks (who needs those, anyway?) and there's a cooler of regional beers, all six-packs, no singles. CBC, Great Lakes, Goose Island, etc. Great for locals, not so great for the traveller who wants to sample the local color.

Makes a good excuse to come to North Market and browse the other merchants as well.
Aug 25, 2004
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Reviewed by cupbeerman from Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
For the size of the store, Grapes does the best that it can do. Grapes of Mirth is located in the North Market complex behind Barleys. When you walk in you see 2 shelves of singles and six packs. The selection included no macros, and favorites such as Sinebrychoff Porter, Victory, Avery, Weyerbacher, and Cantillon. Also there are two wine holders with Belgian 750s, which included all three Chimays, and most of the other readily available Belgians. A cooler was located inside the store, but other than Columbus Brewing Company six packs, the selection were bland everyday beers. The service was good, and the counter help seemed very knowledgeable in the beers that they had. The prices were very reasonable.

Overall this is a great place to buy beer in Columbus. I have never seen a store that did so much with such a little space.
Jun 10, 2004
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Reviewed by PhantomVodoo from Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
Very small store and the beer shares space with a big selection of wine. Not a big beer selection by volume, but the beers they do have are well chosen. Lots of singles available also helps the selection. One beer cooler, everything else at room temperature. Service is where they excel. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the downtown/ arena area.
Oct 17, 2003
Photo of AtLagerHeads
Reviewed by AtLagerHeads from Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +12.6%
Not much space, but such great quality for a small area. The selection of really fine beers is quite impressive. Lots of singles available. Not many cold packs, but given the space that's understandable. Didn't have a lot of time to talk to the man on duty, but that was my choice, not his, 'cause the meter was ticking. I will definitely be going back and spending some time at this little gem of a shop in the North Market.
Apr 27, 2003
Photo of Dogbrick
Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
Located in the North Market in Columbus' Short North district, parking is either in a pay lot right in front, or metered. Parking is notoriously problematic here, especially when there are events at Nationwide Arena.

I really love this place, not only because of their unique selection of beer and wine, but because they are right behind Barley's. In other words, kind of the center of my beer universe because I can grab a bottle of a unique beer and some great brewpub beers all in one trip.

The store does what it can with a very small space, and trust me they utilize every spare inch. The beers are pushed out to the front of the store while the wines are in the back. You can find a decent selection of local/regional, micros and imports.

The owner is a really knowledgeable person who communicates with his clientele very well. I would recommend this spot to anyone visiting the Short North/Arena district. One thing I don't like though are the North Market's hours. Closing at 5PM on weekends?
Jul 08, 2002
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Reviewed by Wildman from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +9%
Okay, this business does a wonderful job with the space it has. It is in the North Market, which means the inside is fairly open but leaves just a limited space for some shops. They have a great selection of singles for their size, but limited cold singles or sixpacks. But unknown to a newbie, they keep other beers in the basement and rotate them up when they have a chance. Two beers I recently review were ones they just got in but knew I liked the style so they let me know they had them The manager, Dave Bihn, who is there most of the days is one of the most knowledable sellers of microbrews I have run across. If in Columbus, I would go just to talk to him.
Jun 04, 2002
Grapes Of Mirth in Columbus, OH
Place rating: 4.13 out of 5 with 26 ratings