Parti-Pak Liquors

Parti-Pak LiquorsParti-Pak Liquors
Parti-Pak LiquorsParti-Pak Liquors
Homebrew, Beer-to-go

2633 E Stop 11 Rd
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46227-8810
United States

(317) 889-7452 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.34
Reviews:
50
Ratings:
69
pDev:
9.22%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.09/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25
Have stopped here many times during road trips from Minnesota to Kentucky, especially once I found out that one can take singles from most any beer pack in the store. Beer is displayed both in coolers and on the warm shelves. Check for canning/bottling dates, if available. The store provided access to breweries not available in the upper MidWest.
Mar 08, 2023
Photo of NCSapiens
Reviewed by NCSapiens from Indiana

3.94/5  rDev -9.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
This place is a crowded dump with inadequate parking. The beer selection inside was reasonably large but I didn’t see much that was rare or unusual that would justify driving out of the way.
Mar 10, 2022
Photo of Oh_Dark_Star
Reviewed by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

4.36/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5
Piles of brews in here and quite a surprise from the quaint look of the outside. Knowledgeable staff ready to help, but watch the bottle dates as I did find some aging. Still a must visit in the area.
May 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4.29 by mattknueven from Indiana

May 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.75 by Jamison85 from Indiana

May 18, 2016
Photo of boilermakerbrew
Reviewed by boilermakerbrew from Indiana

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
My only knocks on Parti Pak are the lack of organization of and somewhat rough vibe/clientele. Other than that, this store has an awesome selection and a very nice staff. It may take you a while, but you stand a good chance of finding any beer you are looking for as long as it is in Indiana distro. If you can't find something, ask someone working and they will help you out. My only other warning is to keep an eye on bottle dates because the lack of organization plays out in stock rotation.
Jan 14, 2016
 
Rated: 4.88 by Indymom from Indiana

Dec 27, 2015
Photo of Indywiseguy
Rated by Indywiseguy from Indiana

4.69/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Looks like a hole on the outside but amazing selection!
Dec 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4.09 by halo3one from Georgia

Jul 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.32 by Reds76 from Maine

May 04, 2015
Photo of TargaFlorio
Reviewed by TargaFlorio from Indiana

4.15/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
You wouldn't know it from the outside, but this place has one of the best beer selections in town. Their selection of Euro beers is especially amazing. The downside is that many of those European beers have been sitting on the shelves for years. Once you knock the dust off of them, check to make sure its a beer that ages well. Aside from the selection, another great feature of Parti Pak is the ability to buy any beer in the store as a single. Love going in and grabbing a mixed six pack of great beers (not just the limited selection of "you build it" six packs in other stores). The service has always been excellent for me here. Several employees have gone out of their way to help me track down a hard to find beer, even offering to drive it down from their northside location.

My overall rating would be higher but the "vibe" score knocks it down some. I'm always triple checking that my car doors are locked before I go inside.
Jan 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.75 by Enochase04 from Ohio

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Oops from Indiana

Oct 24, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by LodiRigglesbee from Indiana

Sep 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by aasher from Indiana

Sep 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.8 by Eberhaus from Indiana

Sep 02, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by ShadyRigglesbee from Indiana

Aug 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.56 by vikinghorn from Minnesota

Aug 16, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by ToddGingerich from Indiana

Jul 18, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by AmitC from New York

Jun 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by BogAl from Indiana

May 24, 2014
Photo of W9820
Reviewed by W9820 from Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I've been to this store many times. From the outside, it looks like a typical liquor store but the inside tells a different story! While cluttered and difficult to navigate, the store boasts one of the largest selections of craft beers I've seen. The staff is very knowledgeable and quite helpful. They're great about taking your personal information and contacting you if/when a particular beer you've been searching for arrives in their store. They also offer beer and wine tasting sessions throughout the year.
Apr 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by DAdams from Indiana

Apr 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Tsar_Riga from Minnesota

Feb 09, 2014
Photo of jeremiahoden
Reviewed by jeremiahoden from Indiana

4.83/5  rDev +11.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Thanks to the best craft beer store in Indianapolis. Bob was able to get me my # 1 want and another amazing brew as well. I wish I was much closer to this place. Im on the north side of indy and Party pak is on the south. Visit this place if your in Indy!
Nov 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by MSandahl23 from Indiana

Oct 09, 2013
Photo of tsauce2
Reviewed by tsauce2 from Indiana

4.18/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5
A: A regular liquor store, nothing fancy about the atmosphere. Spacing is a little tight to manueveur through.

Q: Stock is rotated regularly. Everyting I have bought from this location is of excellent quality.

S: Very friendly staff at opening, which is the only time I go. The owner and his wife are very friendly and personable, the owner and his sons are knowledgable and pretty well informed as to what is coming in to distribution.

S: Selection if AMAZING! Widest selection in town. They usually have most of the smaller release stuff. The selection of foreign beers is staggering. Coolers line 1/4 of the store in addition to room-temp product on the shelves. Very nice liquor and nice wine selection.

F: This location does not serve food, but munchies are available for purchase.

V: Price is a bit more than other locations, but this is a family business, the owner is a cool guy, and they have awesome selection, so I don't mind. Their prices are still very fair. I shop at this location once a week and will continue to do so.
Dec 15, 2011
Photo of PorterForMe
Reviewed by PorterForMe from Indiana

4.19/5  rDev -3.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
The atmosphere is essentially that you are walking into a beer hoarder's shed. Organization is lacking and there is nothing fancy about the place, but who cares?! We're looking for some good brew. On the whole quality is pretty good. My only criticism is that their inventory is so large that some of their beers have become expired and they have failed to replace them. The staff seems to be generally knowledgeable and they were willing to start a FCBS list for me over 2 months before the release date. The selection is the most diverse that I have encountered in the area. Huge selection of American offerings with many specialty and a few rare releases. There is a sizable foreign stock as well which I have yet to delve into... If want brews you can't find anywhere else in Indiana, go here, but you may have to 'dig' to find the gems.
Oct 31, 2011
Photo of racens
Reviewed by racens from Indiana

4.54/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Probably my most frequented bottle shop in the Indy area, and definitely the widest selection I've seen anywhere near here. Always a huge range of choices and they get their hands on all the releases you'd expect them to in the area. Service is variable. Most of the time, they'll have at least one knowledgeable beer person working, but there have been times when that wasn't the case. The only reason the atmosphere lacks a bit is because it's in a bit of a shady area of town, so you can imagine there's a wide variety of visitors with varying levels of caring about the quality of the beer (or whether its beer at all) that they're buying. Overall, I love this place if nothing else than for its selection and being able to count on them to hold a bottle of the next special release for you. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.
Sep 20, 2011
Photo of cosmonick
Reviewed by cosmonick from Indiana

4.21/5  rDev -3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Today was my first trip to Parti-Pak and I was very impressed. While the store is cramped with narrow isles because it's so full of beer... the store is crammed full of beer! They have an incredibly wide variety of beer from all over the world that borders on overwhelming. It's one of those stores where I'll need to set a dollar limit before I enter because I could easily get carried away. The staff continually offers their assistance and the prices are fair.

One thing that I found odd was a stash of beer behind the counter that is basically just for display / lusting after.

Overall, I was impressed and I will definitely return.
Sep 04, 2011
Photo of jisom123
Reviewed by jisom123 from Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -22.1%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 5
Widest variety of beer in Indiana. Not the highest quality, but they say "yes" to every beer the distributors offer.

I get the feeling that the owner orders the beer, loves beer and is never there. His Daughter and her son work the counter. Both are nice. The rest of the employees are slightly helpful.
This place is next door to a check cashing place.
Slightly whiskey Tango, but they're got everything.
GOOD LUCK finding a price tag on anything. Just get a cart, fill it up and take it to the counter and say, "give the price for each one of these please."
Thats what I have to do. They expect it.
Sep 02, 2011
Photo of Badbobx
Reviewed by Badbobx from Indiana

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5
I read a review of this store on BA and today was able to get over there. It is about a half hour drive from my house so it is a little bit of a trip. I was amazed by the selection. I Crooked Tree DIPS, New Holland -The Poet, Avery - The Beast, and Stone Russian Imperial Stout.
I only shopped the American craft beers. The selection was impressive. The foreign beers were very strong and well represented.
The organization of the store is a little confusing. The clerk understood my questions and made a couple of good suggestions.
I will definately go back to this store.
Aug 15, 2011
Photo of mdvatab
Reviewed by mdvatab from Indiana

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
I visited Parti-Pak on my day off on my 2nd stop of 5 of Indy's best bottle shops, and was not let down. The outside of the store looks like a ghetto packaged liquor shop, complete w/ check cashing/payday loan shop next door. A sign on the outside caught my eye, which said something to the effect of, "Largest specialty beer selection. If it's available in the state, you'll find it here.". "Allright, it's on," I thought as I walked through the doors.
The store has a pretty packed feel to it. Lots of shelves filled w/ LOTS of beer! Left side of the store is wines/spirits, middle shelves and back coolers are domestic macros & FMB's. The right side is beer heaven. The selection at Parti-Pak appeared to be even slightly better than Kahn's on Keystone. Right perimeter of the store is cold bottle storage. Fantastic selection of brews in the coolers. Running perpendicular to the right (north) wall are 5 or 6 full double aisles of craft 6 packs & bombers, and import 6 packs and single bottles. Some items are priced in the same ballpark as other stores in town. Other items are slightly cheaper. A friendly store clerk in his 20s was quick to ask if I needed help, and was able to tell me whether they had some specific brews I was looking for, and when others might be coming in.
Again, I was truly impressed w/ the selection, and the friendliness of the staff. The store is a good 30-45 min. drive for me, but I'll most definitely be back!
Jul 13, 2011
Photo of Luckytiki
Reviewed by Luckytiki from Indiana

4.22/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5
Visited on 5/16/2011

A: Area doesn't seem like the best area in Indy and you wouldn't think this place had the best selection of beer by looking at the storefront. But we're not here for aesthetics, we're here for beer right? As you walk in you're greeted by a wall of beer and you immediately forget the outside world...

It's a bit difficult looking for things, because it is cramped- My girlfriend said "don't back up" several times when I was trying to get a look at the lower shelves. Everything is sorted by brewery, which I normally prefer, but it does make it hard when you're looking for a certain style that you're new to.

Sel: Easily the best selection I've seen around. Lots of local, Rogue, Stone, Breck, Great Divide, Avery, etc etc etc. The best part is that not only do they have a lot of breweries, but they have a lot of variety with each one- not just 2-3 or offerings per. Great offerings in american and import, 6pks and 22oz+, and I like the idea that you can purchase 12oz singles. I spent most of my time looking at the shelves, but they have a cold section as well, but I'm not sure what the difference is in selection. I would've liked to have seen a better selection of FFF, but that's going to be a tough get anywhere.

Q: I didn't see any issues with dust that have been mentioned before, but because there's so much stuff I would worry about turnover and shelf life. I would limit myself to things I know I can drink right away or store for a bit.

Serv: This is the one thing that disappointed me. I wasn't approached at any point and when I asked for help the person behind the counter admitted they knew nothing about beer. This was frustrating, because I was looking to try a sour, but couldn't find anything easily. This is equivalent to being asked to climb Mt. Everest alone, not really, but you get the idea.

Another thing that irked me was the display of several FFF behind the counter "not for sale" because it's the owner's personal collection of "retired" items- But I'm sure what they really mean is: "Give us a high enough offer and we'll sell them" Most of the FFF I saw up there I've had recently, so it is available, just not easily obtained.

$$$: They were overpriced on some things, but honestly I'm happy to pay 20% more just because they have it. Once again the single bottle pricing is fair and is a bonus.

O: I can't see myself going anywhere else now that I know this place is here. I'm hoping that they have people there that know about beer next time I go. It's a bit of a drive for me, but worth it.
May 18, 2011
Photo of cwcolby74
Reviewed by cwcolby74 from Indiana

4.51/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
I visited this place a bit by accident, as I was looking for one of the Crown Liquors that's not too far away. I just decided to stop in on a lark, and I'm glad I did.

Tremendous selection. Almost without parallel, certainly on the southside. The coolers are stocked full, and the shelves are huge, almost as tall as they are wide. Tons of variety. The aisleways are very narrow, which makes browsing a bit of a challenge. But it's worth it.

Perhaps the highlight is the individual pricing on each bottle. You can take a bottle from any six-pack in the store and pair it with anything else to make a mixer. The manager, a nice, honest guy, agreed to charge me a regular six-pack price when I asked if I could combine two beers from three six-packs from the same brewery.

Highly recommended.
Mar 13, 2011
Photo of MilwaukeeCrusher
Reviewed by MilwaukeeCrusher from Wisconsin

4.85/5  rDev +11.8%
I pretty much gave up on other places in my beer search when I stopped here. Mega points for their singles selection (everything there I think was available in single form), about a half to half ratio for beer in coolers and on floor, and the range of selection was as good or probably better I had seen anywhere else in Indiana. Worker seemed to know beer, and approached me, but I think it was evident I knew what I was looking for. Prices were reasonably consistent with other prices in the area. I would definitely go back if I was in the area and probably will eventually soon.
Jan 13, 2011
Photo of JamesS
Reviewed by JamesS from Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
Great place! I can see why it's rated so highly. This is the best selection of beer I've ever seen in Indiana. Great Indiana brew selections and more Scots/Irish/English brews than I've seen anywhere outside of D.C.

Tons of other country and state brews as well.

Great thing is that you can pick up a single of just about anything you want to try, and the prices are generally listed for singles/sixers/cases on the same tag.

Service was great, the young man helping me explained where everything was. Check-out guy was friendly and courteous, too.

Wonderful place!
Jan 05, 2011
Photo of cnally
Reviewed by cnally from Indiana

4.15/5  rDev -4.4%
Parti-Pak. So unclearly marked from the outside, you have to squint to see Parti-Pak painted on the building. It's not on the sign. But, you'll know you are at the right place when you see the giant Miller High Life soldier mural painted on the wall.

The selection is the mostest. The literal most. They seem to have more than Kahn's selection, seriously. For an Indiana beer store, it was a staggering and overwhelming experience. The shelves reach seven or eight feet high, three feet apart from each other. You are smothered with bottles of beer.

And what can you find? Literally everything that is available from distributors in this wonderful state. However, for all the crazy random beers I've never seen, I have three concerns:

1) They didn't stock the most obvious of beers. For example, Dogfish 90 Minute--nope. Upland Wheat--nope. Wait, seriously?!? Not like I would get Upland Wheat, but here in the home state you would think they would have one of the local's favorite micros.

2) Dust on a ton of bottles, calling into question how quickly they turn over bottles.

3) No resident beer geek. No one knew anything about beer when I was there.

Also, guess your price! There's no prices on the bottles, which means you shouldn't give a shit about anything until you get footed with the bill, which I think I got a mild about of beer for a hefty bill.

I will go back, and I will be sure to not care how much I spend. Usually I don't, so I shouldn't have a problem.
Oct 24, 2010
Photo of claaark13
Reviewed by claaark13 from Indiana

4.15/5  rDev -4.4%
Q: This store looks a little run-down from the outside, and its not exactly tidy on the inside. The prices are jumbled or non-existent on the shelving. Could use a little more space, but that's only because they carry almost anything that Indiana gets.

Svc: Not really a problem here, but the workers didn't know exactly what was up about the beers when I was there. I think the owner must know what he's doing because there is a wall behind the counter FILLED with some hard to finds and vintages that aren't for sale. Pretty impressive shelf. The place was also busy as hell with people just buying ciggs or 40oz bottles from the fridge, so I can't dock the Service too much considering they took care of me both times I was there between 5/10 and 7/10. I also hear that the owner is a beer buff, which is a given considering the selection.

S: J.W. Lees Vintage? Pick your year. Any of the De Dolle selections? Check. Indiana beers? Check. Just about everything you can think of? Check. I found a lot of things that I hadn't found before period or hadn't found in a long time. Overall, the selection is nothing short of wonderful. I'd say its the best selection in Indiana, hands down. Good luck finding a better selection within 200 miles...or more? The issue here, though, is that I am pretty sure that some of these beers are a little too old and have been exposed to some light. There are arguably more beers in this store than there is shelving. That tends to be an issue if you are looking for a lager at 5.5% abv and the only ones available have 1/4" of dust on them. However, you still are going to find some beers that you're looking for that will hold up over time. I will say that, in the Indianapolis area, this store probably has the best selection. I've kept this at a 4.5 instead of a 5 because I'm less than convinced that a lot of the lower alcohol stuff is fresh....which isn't great considering the pricing. Aside from that, these guys get just about anything that is distributed to Indiana.

V: Prices are too high, no question. As a matter of fact, that is the ONLY reason that drive the 30 minutes to get here. Way too high. I mean $12 for a bottle of La Chouffe or Tripel Karmeliet? No way. But $13 for a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier 3pk w/Glass? I've found it for $10 everywhere else in Indiana and Kentucky. I guess this just goes for their singles, because I wasn't there for any of the 6pk/12pk beers. I would double check the pricing at the register though unless you just don't care.

If you're coming to Indiana and are within 20-30 minutes of this store, check it out. If there is something specifically that you can't find PERIOD, call them first. If it is something typical that you can't get in your home state, look elsewhere before you make the trek down here because it will likely save you a few dollars. I will say that, in the Indianapolis area and maybe the state, this store probably has the best selection.
Oct 18, 2010
Photo of awhipker
Reviewed by awhipker from Indiana

4.65/5  rDev +7.1%
I've lived in Indianapolis for 7 years, knew of this liquor store, but never visited until I read a review of it on BA. Like others, I never visited because, frankly, from the outside it looks like a shit hole, but boy was I wrong.

On the window in small gold lettering it says largest selection of craft beers in the city, or something to that nature. I would say that is pretty accurate and the only other place comparable, at least that I've found is Kahn's.

The beer is on the right and other alcohols are to the left. The first 3 or so rows of beers are dedicated to craft 6 packs, which can be bought as singles or as a sick pack. Being able to buy beers individually is what makes this place! There are 2 rows of Bombers and then another 3 or so rows of imports from Belgium, UK, and Germany. As a new drinker of craft brews I was pretty overwhelmed by amount of products they had: 3 Floyds, Left Hand, Boulevard, Great Divide, Oaken Barrel, New Holland, Stone, Rogue, etc, the list goes on. As far as the import selection I was completely lost so other than there being a large selction I can't comment on it. One thing I did notice was that there were a lot of dusty bottles which could indicate some beer is past it date.

The service was pretty good and the guys that I've talked to were loaded with beer knowledge.One thing I haven't seen mentioned was that they will give you an in store credit if you buy a beer that is skunked.They are getting better with pricing. Most of the microbrews have a BA tag on the shelves that lists prices by the bottle, 6 pack, and case. As mentioned before the Bombers and imports are lacking in pricing so you need to go to the cashier to see how much they are. I'd say that most prices are pretty fair but some things can be more expensive. Most singles are around $1.79 to $3.00, but go higher for higher ABV beers.Bombers are all over the place depending on what you get. I got a 2008 3F Behemoth for $17.99 and a 10.10.10 Vertical Epic for $10.99. I've been there twice, spent around $70 total (you can easily spend much more), and am happy with the quality and amount of beer I got.

Though it could possibly break the bank I will be a frequent visitor to this store and if you are in Indy it is a must visit.
Oct 17, 2010
Parti-Pak Liquors in Indianapolis, IN
Place rating: 4.34 out of 5 with 69 ratings