99 Bottles

99 Bottles99 Bottles
99 Bottles99 Bottles
Store

35002 Pacific Hwy S
Ste A102
Federal Way, Washington, 98003-8322
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.56
Reviews:
44
Ratings:
64
pDev:
11.62%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of vautman110
Rated by vautman110 from Washington

1/5  rDev -78.1%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1
Sorry. 99 bottles is now out of business/Closed permanently.
So sad. This was a great place.
Jun 02, 2017
Photo of Hopheadjeffery
Reviewed by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
I have never walked out of the store without a huge variety of cold beer. The staff is friendly and knowledgable. The location is not ideal, and therefore, the parking situation can be a challenge.
May 15, 2016
 
Rated: 5 by Harimad_Sol from Washington

Jul 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.55 by ItsYourBoyBlue from Washington

Jul 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.4 by Taybeh from Minnesota

Jul 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.74 by yeaprolly from Washington

May 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.24 by Erik-P from Canada (BC)

Jan 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by crowellbw from Washington

Nov 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by itracy63 from Washington

Nov 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by BeerNW from Washington

Nov 10, 2014
Photo of woemad
Reviewed by woemad from Washington

4.25/5  rDev -6.8%
Stopped by as I was working my way back to Spokane after a visit with family in Olympia. I'd tried to go here last time I was in the area, and at thta time they didn't open until 4PM, I believe. Nowadays they open at 11AM, which is much nicer for those coming into or leaving town earlier than that.

Located literally at the west end of Highway 18, 99 Bottles is located in the near-corner of a strip mall filled with various uninspiring corporate entities - truly a diamond in the rough!

Lots of coolers of beer on the left side of the store. Shelves with un-chilled beer are at the rear. The lighting is sufficiently muted to cancel any worries about beer being light-struck. By the cashier station is a growler station. I was going to be driving about 300 miles, plus there was nothing I just had to have on-tap that day, so I declined getting a growler fill, but I could very well make use of it next time I come over if there's something my brother, his wife and I all could live with.

I strictly limited myself to what I could not get at home...and walked out with 8 bottles of beer, mostly IPAs (I'm a bit of a hop head and had spent 3 1/2 days with people who are not) that were locally brewed , plus an imported porter from Israel because I'd never seen a beer from there and was curious. Prices were very reasonable - I'd picked up a bottle of Fat at a grocery store in Olympia that morning and saw it at 99 Bottles for nearly a dollar cheaper.

I will hit this place whenever I can in the future.
Nov 08, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by shuffman291 from Arizona

Oct 21, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by gpblackgt from Pennsylvania

Sep 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by HoppySeb from Washington

Sep 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by rab53 from Washington

Sep 09, 2014
Photo of Zaximus
Reviewed by Zaximus from Colorado

4.83/5  rDev +5.9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
Recently moved to the Tacoma area and this is obviously THE place for outstanding craft beer. The rating is well deserved.

I haven't lived in the area that long but I'm guessing if it's bottled 99 bottles gets it.

The selection is outstanding, the layout is fantastic and the service friendly and knowledgeable. It actually reminds me a lot of West Lake View Liquors in Chicago with the wood shelving, hand written tags, and beers that you don't expect to see peering out at you around every corner.

What's extra cool is that they do growler fills and seemingly always have something from Boneyard on tap (though truth be told, I'm not really a fan). Still, this is easily my go to bottle shop.

Well done 99 bottles.
Aug 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Wrex68 from Washington

Aug 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by tobelerone from New Jersey

Jul 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by sharpski from Canada (BC)

Jun 26, 2014
Photo of QuakeAttack
Reviewed by QuakeAttack from California

4.86/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
I don't live in Washington, but my son goes to college in Seattle. When picking him up from school, we had dinner with family in Federal and happened to see 99 Bottles. Nirvana! I had only ten minutes before closing, but they provided great recommendations on local beers. Wonderful selection. Clean. Well laid out. Just wish they had one in Bay Area!
Jun 24, 2014
Photo of Orca
Reviewed by Orca from Washington

4.4/5  rDev -3.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
I've been down to 99 Bottles two or three times and they are a great little bottle shop. Huge selection, clean space, helpful staff, reasonable prices. I think some beers hang around there longer than other spots. Overall a must-visit if you're anywhere near Federal Way.
Jun 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.86 by kmahe from Washington

Apr 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by irshprncsk from Washington

Apr 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by paul_db from Washington

Mar 22, 2014
Photo of BVukelich
Reviewed by BVukelich from Washington

4.1/5  rDev -10.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
Awesome selection at 99 Bottles! As other commented, staff isn't the most welcoming. You shop at your own pace but they are nice. Wish they offered more growler fill options. They offer tastings but I've never attended. This is your best option for finding craft beer south of Seattle.
Nov 07, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by BillRoth from Maryland

Oct 22, 2013
Photo of Smurf2055
Reviewed by Smurf2055 from Washington

4.07/5  rDev -10.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5
Warmed up to the place since my initial review. Was irked by the service I received from one of the employees and left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth (looking at some of the other reviews, this appears to have happened to others as well). They keep a very good stock, but be prepared to wait in line before the store opens for rare releases. Tiffany does do a good job keeping the website updated, posting pictures, answering questions, and putting out info in the craft beer world. They do an annual cellar sale which has some vintage rarities as well. Overall, not my thing. I can’t justify the trip down personally, but I can understand the hype, and have stopped in when I am in the area.
May 30, 2013
Photo of barleywinefiend
Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

4.6/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
A: I'd probably own stock in this place by now if they went public with an IPO. Walking in it's usually busy, all hours unless you catch them as soon as doors open. So do not be alarmed if they don't immediately greet you. The place is cozy and casual, plenty of light, good vibe, lots of local support and smaller weekly events make this a great beer destination. Overall, the atmosphere is good and the amiance is nice.

Q: I have consumed hundreds of beers from this place none have been less than stellar on quilaity. Half of the beer is properly stored in coolers with the rest on shelves but at room temp

S: Good, never had bad service, not even on the busiest day but they do become quickly overwhelmed which speaks volumes for the establishment. If you don't know, ask, they will answer. Just don't ask a dumb arse question about vintage Tequiza or a growler of Dos Equis to go.

S: Very good, they usually fget everything you want and more. Cases of Sucaba, Parabola sit on the floor begging to be hauled out. It is a beer destination!

No food here but some buts and those types of things. Glassware, beer schwag and kegs to go plus the counter pressure growlers are a nice bonus!
Jun 25, 2012
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4.2/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 5
With a stout tasting coming up with some East Coast friends, I wanted to try to find something unusual I could bring back from the NW. After a less than satisfactory experience at the Metro and Tacoma Boys, we made the short drive over to Federal Way and 99 Bottles. I am very glad we did.

99 Bottles is located in a small shopping center, and from the outside looks like any other liquor store you'd find next to the barbershop and grocery store. However, once you walk in, you realize you've walked into something pretty special. The store is completely devoted to beer; craft beer and imports in particular. The left side and back walls consist of cold boxes loaded with craft beer and imports from all over, but then with stacks of 6 packs and bombers in large display areas in the middle back area of the store. The selection here is truly amazing, and I suspect represents pretty much everything that is brought into the area by local distributors. They had an excellent selection of RR sours, and their selection of DFH beers I saw on display would rival most stores on the East Coast. This is also a great place to find limited release beers from local NW breweries; my impression is that if a brewery makes something that is released into normal distribution, then you will find it here. Add to that a nice selection of glassware and various beer schwag, plus 5 or 6 beers on tap for growler fills, and you know you are in one high quality store.

Prices seemed reasonable (about the norm for the area), with growler prices in the $10 to $12 range. As for service, it's really difficult to gauge. There were just two people working on the Saturday afternoon I stopped by, with one employee manning the cash register and the other stocking beer. I assume they could probably answer most questions if you had any, but this is not the sort of store where you can expect to have employees coming up to you and asking if you need any help. At least that's the impression I had based on my one Saturday afternoon visit (hence my "average" service score).

No matter, the selection here is outstanding, and there's no doubt I'll be back again soon. On the day I was here there had to be at least 20 customers wandering around the store, most of them with looks on their faces that suggested they had somehow fallen asleep and woken up in beer heaven. I suspect the same look was on my face as well. This place is great.
Jun 25, 2012
Photo of mfavoino
Reviewed by mfavoino from Washington

4.94/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
This is hands down the best place in the South Sound to buy your beer. The selection is huge, always changing, and they are always quick to update their Facebook page to update customers on what's in stock. Beyond the great selection, the employees are always helpful and you can tell that these people love beer. The impression that they give is that they enjoy seeing people try great beer, and their Wednesday night beer tastings are a great example of that. Although I don't usually get growler fills, they have 10 drafts to choose from on a regular basis.

This place is worth a drive.
Jan 12, 2012
Photo of MilwaukeeCrusher
Reviewed by MilwaukeeCrusher from Wisconsin

4.84/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
I have to be honest... I liked place way more than any place I went to buy beer in Portland. The people there not only interested in beer, but the satisfaction of their customers in a good experience. There were beers on the floor and an wall of coolers efficiently packed with bombers on the east side of this rather thin mall store. If you want something obscure, they try to get it here, as I picked up beers from breweries I never heard of and were relatively new. Not sure on their ability to get hard sought after beers but I did pick up a few releases by Midnight Sun.
Dec 03, 2011
Photo of Flightoficarus
Reviewed by Flightoficarus from Washington

5/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Ah, how have I not yet left a review for the place that largely helped me become the beer enthusiast that I've become? better late than never!

Atmosphere - Walk in, and instantly find yourself surrounded by beer galore, as well as greeted by the staff. Has a very cool small store vibe to it, despite the massive array of brews available.

Quality - Nothing short of excellent. They always have a vast selection of A-class beers in stock at any given time. They're now even offering growler pours on select rotating brews! They also sell glassware and other cool beer-related items.

Service - Friendly, knowledgeable staff who are always able to answer questions and help you pick out a beer based on your tastes.

Selection - Where do I begin? Quite possibly the best in the entire state, and according to some other BA posters here, one of the best they've come across period. Tons of options from both the US and all over the world are available at any given time. So many seasonal/rotating/limited availability beers come in and go as well, that it's pretty much impossible to keep up on all of it. Luckily there are plenty of great beers they regularly keep in stock year round too.

Overall, any beer fanatic in the area who hasn't checked this place out yet isn't doing themselves a favor by holding out. It's quite nice living close to this place! :)
Oct 09, 2011
Photo of misterhops
Reviewed by misterhops from Ohio

5/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Let me start off this review by saying that I used to live in Chicago, currently live in Cleveland, and have been to some of the best bottle shops the midwest has to offer. I grew up in Federal Way, and my parents still live there. I try to get back a few times a year, so needless to say, I was ecstatic when I found out that 99 bottles was opening.

And man oh man, this store does not dissappoint!!! Everytime I have visited, I have been blown away by the customer service and selection. Tons of singles of every style, including some very limited releases. Top that off with a knowledgable, friendly staff and youve got a true gem here folks. The store is clean, and well organized... something that i feel like a lot of stores miss the boat on. Not only that, but most of the beer is stored in beverage coolers to ensure freshness.

The owner, Craig, is a true BA, and will do whatever he can to make sure you get to experience some of the fine brews that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop by... you will not be disappointed. Cheers!
Sep 27, 2011
Photo of beerdedpunk
Reviewed by beerdedpunk from Oregon

4.88/5  rDev +7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Was up in Washington over the weekend and made the stop by 99 Bottles on the way home, was a good decision. I was very happy with the selection and was able to pick up a few bottles that I can't get in Oregon, hell if I had some more cash could've scored quite a bit more. I thought the prices were reasonable and the lady behind the counter was able to answer any question I had and was very helpful. Additionally I found the selection of glasswear and apparel pretty cool. Overall I really liked this store, it is very clean and organized. They have a selection of probably around 1000 beers in all sizes. Wish I lived closer to this place or at least drove by it more, highly recomend it.
Aug 20, 2011
Photo of beerandcycling88
Reviewed by beerandcycling88 from Washington

4.66/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
I finally decided to make the drive up to Federal Way to buy some beer here and I am glad I did.

The selection is huge with beers from breweries all over the NW, the US and the world. There was also a large selection of glassware as well.

The staff was friendly asked me if I wanted help when I came in the door then let me browse in peace which I prefer.

The prices seemed reasonable for most things.

Overall this was the best bottle shop I've ever been too. The selection was awesome, the staff was friendly and the prices reasonable. I will be going here more in the future I'm sure.
Aug 04, 2011
Photo of dirtylou
Reviewed by dirtylou from Oklahoma

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
It appears I have found the upside to being on a client assignment in Tacoma - it would be near impossible to imagine venturing down here from Seattle on a regular basis due to the proximity of other options.

99 bottles is very much in a mall - the air smells of grill from a nearby restaurant and there is lots of hustle and bustle in the after-work hours. What's inside the doors of 99 bottles is pretty special though.

Much like most of the best beer stores I've been to in the world, this place aint big. A wall of coolers has a heavy focus on singles and bombers spanning anything you can find in Washington. Schooner growlers, boundary bay bottles, Harmon bottles and lots of things I have yet to even discover. The import selection is decent - the belgian stash cant compete with other parts of the country but there is competitive with other Seattle spots.

The dry storage area had lots of good stuff - boulevard brett saison, strange Epic beers not logged on this site yet, stone collaborations, things from dogfish head i havent heard of, russian river wild ales, and so forth.

I'm not on the Bottleworks hate-wagon like some are but it doesnt appear to be the only game in town anymore with the emergence of 99 Bottles, Chucks, and other places I have yet to make it to.

The service was overwhelmed with a tasting that was going on at the time, but I preferred to just browse anyway.
Jul 28, 2011
Photo of atowle25
Reviewed by atowle25 from Washington

4.74/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
What else is there to say that hasn't already been said about this place? Probably the best overall bottle shop in Washington State. There are plenty of good shops here, but 99 bottles is hard to beat when it comes to selection, price and service. They also update their facebook page consistently which is nice. The only complaint I have is that the online beer database on their site is not updated. The staff is generally friendly when you have questions, but not overbearing. So if you're looking for beer conversation, you can certainly find it, or if you just want to grab your beers and go, that's okay too.
Jun 01, 2011
Photo of jdense
Reviewed by jdense from Oregon

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Visited 3.16.11.

Located in a fairly busy mall, this is certainly one of the better bottle shops I've been in. Obvious care has been put into taking care of product re UV lighting. Really nice selection, especially hard to find Washington breweries and their one-off products. Good selection of Lost Abbey products (sadly not available in OR) they had a pretty big stack of Red Poppy, right next to the full range of bottled RR sours. A small wine selection. They had a $1 taster special, the day I visited they were doing stouts, really small pours (2 oz.) though. Very knowledgeable and caring staff. Given relative proximity Sea-Tac, this is a very worthy stop for the traveling BA. Reasonable prices with a Facebook check-in discount of 10% on 6 bottles of same product, though the bastardly 9+% sales tax cuts into any value priced bottles. Highly recommended.
Mar 18, 2011
Photo of leedorham
Reviewed by leedorham from Washington

4.7/5  rDev +3.1%
Been here a couple times while visiting family on the west side.

Quality - Exceptional is a good word. This store makes sure to have all the best beers they can get a hold of.

Service - Decent staff who were friendly enough. Seemed to be caught up in other tasks while I was there both times but that's ok if they're working on getting more beer.

Selection - Too much for me to wrap my tiny head around. Hopefully I'll get to visit here a few more times and buy more beer.

Value - comparable to grocery store prices for comparable offerings.
Jan 22, 2011
Photo of psiweaver
Reviewed by psiweaver from Washington

4.65/5  rDev +2%
I went here for the 99 Bottle's cellar sale expecting it to be somewhat of a mad house. Instead it was calm and ordered and the employee was super helpful. The shop was well lit and all of the items that should be stored cold were. They had a great selection and were super helpful whenever I asked any questions. I will definitely be returning. They had a great selection of beers from around the world and also had a very nice selection of glassware. They were easily accessible from the freeway. Completely polar opposite of my experiences at bottleworks in terms of the vibe and the helpfulness of the employees.
Jan 12, 2011
99 Bottles in Federal Way, WA
Place rating: 4.56 out of 5 with 64 ratings