Trader Joe's - Newington/Portsmouth (520)

Cavanaghty from Maine

4.2/5  rDev +13.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5

Figure that Trader Joe's was having its grand opening of their new store today in Newington, NH and I would stop by and have a look at the beer selection. I was surpised to see that they had a decent selection of mirco and craft brews. They of course had there own brand of craft beers which has so far been ok brews. Good selection of craft and micros from mostly local places, and a few from around the US. Not much in the way of imports, no crappy beer which was good to see. Staff there was helpful and knowledgable about the beers and the selection. It was also well organized, seasonals in one section, IPAs in another, their brand in another and so on. So it was easy to find what you would want. Atmosphere was great, maybe to great....but it was their grand opening of that store so...I guess that would be why. I realize this a nation wide chain, but with the selection they have it is a nice spot to grab some brews on the run if you need to. Overall I will go back again if they have what I want.

Sep 07, 2012

smanson56 from New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%

Aug 23, 2014

lordofthewiens from New Mexico

3.36/5  rDev -8.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5

Trader Joe's has a rather nice beer selection, but nothing outstanding. I think the local Shaw's supermarket down the street has a comparable selection. And if I wanted to travel a little bit further, Gary's in Portsmouth, Carl's in Kittery, and Tully's in Wells, all have far superior beers. I suppose if I were shopping in Trader Joe's (and I'm not sure I would be doing that on anywhere near a regular basis), then there are certainly beers that I would want to buy there. This is the kind of place where you'd buy beers because you're there, not because you're seeking a particular beer.

Oct 24, 2012