Drinks Over Dearborn

Drinks Over DearbornDrinks Over Dearborn
Drinks Over DearbornDrinks Over Dearborn
Store

650 N Dearborn St
Chicago, Illinois, 60654-3873
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.54
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
6
pDev:
7.49%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of botham
Reviewed by botham from New York

4/5  rDev -11.9%
Drinks over Dearborn is a good stop for beer, but not comprehensive in any way. expect a handpicked selection of a hundred or so types of beer, all offered in single bottles, with no six-packs or full lineups of any brewery. Also, expect to be buzzed up to the second floor, wondering if you are in the right place until you reach the front door.

the quality is great, with a wine-esque decor and sparsely stocked shelves; this due to the fact that the store is relatively new and is still growing.

service is great. upon speaking to the manager, who hand picks the whole stock based upon what he drinks and enjoys, there is no effort to provide full lineups, just a peppering of different brews that he finds interesting and worth selling.

selection is sporadic. there may be consistency here over time, but consistency of breweries or regions is not present. a couple Goose bottles, a Half Acre bottle, a Metropolitan bottle, maybe an Abita or two, and a single Cantillon in the back room. all in all there are probably a hundred to a hundred and fifty or so types.

overall, this is a stop to request certain harder to find bottles and call ahead to find out what is new and exciting. stopping in is a chance endeavor, because the stock is not healthy enough to warrent a large haul yet. give this guy some time and his stock will grow into something harder to find in this area of town. cheers!
Sep 15, 2009
Photo of vishneda
Reviewed by vishneda from Illinois

5/5  rDev +10.1%
The three things I love about this place are the selection, the value, and the attitude. More of a beer and wine boutique than liquor store, Drinks Over Dearborn is quite easily the best beer freak store in the Chicago Loop. Beers are sold by the single (33cl/12oz), but there's very little markup. For example, I bought Alpha King for $1.89 a bottle; a six pack at the big box liquor stores will set you back $11. So for folks like us it can be a big bargain.

DOD has an ever changing list of beers available; the offering is generally 50/50 domestic vs. import with a lot of local variety in the mix. Among those beers is a good mix of beers that are not easy to find -- including some European beers I did not expect. Since DOD also ships beer, the entire inventory can be reviewed via the website.

This place also has a lot of character. Starting with the way you find the place to the free "Saturday Sippers", the atmosphere is fun and inviting. Like all the great beer stores, this place is run by self-professed beer geeks (also BAs) who have a good time finding and providing interesting brews. That attitude dictates the direction of their business, putting them right on par with what BAs are looking for (especially if you are also into wine).

Chicago has a couple other great beer shops, but this is the best one downtown by a long shot. Archer Liquors might be easier to hit if you are passing through as its on a main arterial and there's good parking. The parking situation around DOD is expensive and painful to get in and out of. However, if you live here or you have the time to check it out, give this place a shot.

Public Transit: A couple of minutes by foot from the Red Line (choose either Chicago or Grand stop), or about 10 from the Mag Mile.
Jul 19, 2009
Photo of instrumentality
Reviewed by instrumentality from California

4.65/5  rDev +2.4%
I was in town on business for a few days in the Magnificent Mile area (near Michigan & Grand) and based on my limited knowledge of the streets in the area, I was able to use BA to track down a local establishment and ended up here. It's an odd arrangement (in my experience, at least), walking into what is essentially the foyer of an apartment building and getting buzzed into the second floor, but once I got there, I was happy I did.

Service: People were tasting wine as I entered, and despite trying to host the wine tasting and keep the place in order, one of the two guys who run the place was quick to approach me and see if I needed any help. In a brief conversation, I learned that they'd been open for just over 7 months, that they're both on BA, that they respected beer every bit as much as wine (if not more), and that they had the stash to prove it. I had a great chat with both Kyle and the other guy (whose name I failed to learn) about all things beer, including getting a nice recommendation on a place to grab brews on tap a couple blocks away. For future reference, they also ship beers to anywhere in the U.S. that they legally can (California included) and as yet, they tell me, they haven't had a single casualty. They ship once per week on Fridays so for fastest turnaround, try to order closer to Friday.

I can't really speak for how the selection measures up to other liquor stores in the area, but they're clearly choosy about what they carry (no macros). I was very pleased and ended up carrying back as much as I could reasonably expect to stuff into my check-in luggage on the way back. I won't bother listing what they have or what it costs because their selection apparently changes fairly regularly and it's pretty up-to-date on their web site.

Note that most of the beers are 12ozers.

Great service, great selection, great location. I will very likely be placing online orders with them in the not-too-distant future. Highly recommended.
Jun 08, 2009
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -7.5%
An interesting locale for a beer shop, 2 doors down from Excalibur, on the fringe of tourist trap central. Once buzzed in and up to the 2nd floor, there is a little foyer and a side room used for classes and tastings. The store area had wood shelving along the walls, and many singles on the left side. There were open windows, though I don't know how much sunlight gets in. Some locals like Alpha King, Goose IPA, Metropolitan. Selection was handpicked, no full lines from any one brewery. Majority of the beers were 12 oz., though they had an exclusive release for the new Juliet & Sofie 650mL bottles. There seemed to be plenty of room to expand, roughly 100 bottles give or take. A few interesting imports like Caracole Troublette, Hitachino Red Rice, Rochefort, Orval, and other Belgian staples. Many quality options, nothing too obscure. There was a tiny cooler with about 4 six packs and a couple wine bottles in it...if they want to commit to beer, there needs to be a bigger cooler (for preservation at the very least). Helpful, personable service, also beer knowledgeable. A good option for travelers staying downtown in the area hotels. Be aware that street parking is very difficult in this area, use CTA if you can.
Mar 28, 2009
Photo of btuthill
Reviewed by btuthill from Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +3.5%
I happened by this place on Friday after reading another Beerfly review. Its tough to find without knowing what you're looking for, but my hope is that people will start looking for it once word starts to spread. They occupy a small second floor unit at the 650 Dearborn address and stock it with a nice, albeit small, selection of beers and wines. The beer selection is hand-picked by the staff and features no filler or cheap beers. The prices are reasonable and the staff was eager to help on my first (and subsequent) visits. Keep in mind you can only buy singles, but the prices are reasonable (bordering on inexpensive). Recommended.
Feb 15, 2009
Photo of mrandolph
Reviewed by mrandolph from Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +3.5%
A great place to grab a single of the beer you might like or want to try. The singles are not marked up from what the 6-pack price would be and the beer is always well kept. The frequent rotation of bottles and selection is nice. I've not been to a tasting yet but they have had some great ones through and seem to have them all the time. This isn't the local liquor shop that also stocks beer, but is a boutique shop, with a few great examples of beer in a wide range of styles. The staff is well versed to talk about the products on hand and they are refreshingly happy and excited about helping patrons find what they might like. If your tastes extend beyond beer they have a good and eclectic selection of other alcoholic delicacies.
Feb 08, 2009
Drinks Over Dearborn in Chicago, IL
Place rating: 4.54 out of 5 with 6 ratings