Family Beer & Liquor

Family Beer & LiquorFamily Beer & Liquor
Family Beer & LiquorFamily Beer & Liquor
Homebrew, Beer-to-go

20200 US 20 W
East Dubuque, Illinois, 61025-9474
United States

(815) 747-6335 | map
familybeer.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.01
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
22
pDev:
11.72%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by AlarmClock314:
Photo of AlarmClock314
Rated by AlarmClock314 from Wisconsin

4.19/5  rDev +4.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5

Sep 30, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.14/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
Mid sized stand alone box of a place, easy off the main road, not far off the highway and offering loads of parking.

Multi service craft beer, wine, booze, home brew supplies kinda stop...Just a few miles from the mighty Mississippi.

Friendly employee asking if I need help finding anything and friendly person behind the register is always a plus in my book (and review)

Loads of beer options on multiple shelving units and in large coolers...locals, regionals, national heavyweights and typical imports...you will find plenty of worthy options here.
Nov 16, 2022
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

4.16/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
This place is worth driving across the river to visit. Like many Illinois stores, you can grab any beer from a six-pack to purchase as a single. Plenty of great Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota breweries.
Jan 28, 2019
Photo of dcotom
Reviewed by dcotom from Iowa

5/5  rDev +24.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
I routed my recent vacation trip through Illinois on US-20 just so I could make a stop at this place. It did not disappoint. Incredible selection that I was not able to take in due to time constraints. Everything is well organized, with the aisles clearly labeled by geographical region. In addition to the many craft beers domestic and imported, they have a wine and spirits selection that would take weeks to browse through. Staff were very helpful, splitting up some multi-packs and pricing the items individually. This is a little out of the way for most, but I'd say it's well worth a detour if you're anywhere near the tri-state area.
Oct 12, 2017
Photo of jt1theo
Reviewed by jt1theo from Iowa

4.34/5  rDev +8.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
Best selection of craft beer in tri state area. Well organized. Great prices. Great service. Tons of seasonal bombers at fantastic prices, I felt like a kid in a candy shop. I also bought spirits that I didn't need, only because the prices were too good to pass on. I ran out of time and money, next time I'll check out their extensive wines.
Nov 25, 2016
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
This place greatly exceeded my expectations. Everything here was well organized, clearly priced, and prices were on the cheap side. Very good selection, and everything is available as singles. Lots of craft from near and far, a decent mix of imports as well. There are a few shelves of glassware, also at affordable prices. Staff is friendly and helpful, and shopping here is enjoyable. In closing, if I'm ever in this area again, I'll be sure to stop in.
Apr 24, 2016
Photo of Scott17Taylor
Reviewed by Scott17Taylor from Iowa

4.11/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.75
Convenient location right across the river for Illinois distro. Everything else is average about this place, good selection, but make sure you check bottle dates. There is a lot of older beers here.
Apr 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.04 by wulfie85 from California

Feb 17, 2015
Photo of mhsmall84
Rated by mhsmall84 from Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
Helluva selection!
Aug 21, 2014
Photo of Hopamania
Reviewed by Hopamania from Iowa

3.89/5  rDev -3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3
I love this place, but it's a shame that Van's seems to have what they don't and vice versa - I'd rather have them combined into one superstore but that's a minor complaint. This is one of the only places you can find decent craft beer in the tri-states so I for one am thankful for them.
Jun 08, 2014
Photo of ThreeLloyds
Reviewed by ThreeLloyds from Iowa

3.03/5  rDev -24.4%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 2.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3
If you are in the downtown Dubuque area and looking to buy some some:

a) American Lager (Bud, Miller, Coor, etc,) this place is GREAT - loaded to the gills
b Nicer regional and craft beers (Lagunitas, Two Brothers, etc) this place is OK
c) Higher end stuff, bombers, BA90+ beers (Ballast Point, AleSmith, etc) this place is pretty WEAK.

The selection was so-so with a few gems like Sculpin in cans and bombers of AleSmith IPA and X. My biggest concern was the freshness of the beer. I found many beers that were well past their enjoy by date and pretty much everything on their discount shelf was expired. Most of their nicer bombers were stored warm and were at or nearing expiration.

Their cold storage is reserved for mainly the high volume Bud, Miller, and the like but I was able to find a few fresh beers in the coolers and on the shelves. I checked the dates on everything I bought and I was happy with the limited items I purchased (Sculpin, SnakeDog, Firestone Union Jack, AleSmith IPA, Two Brother Sidekick, and a few misc singles).

The staff was friendly, the place is easy to find, big parking lot. One great feature is single bottle pricing on all craft beers and mix/match 6 packs which you don't find very often around this part of the midwest.

Overall, a decent place for a limited selection if you do you homework and check dates.
May 18, 2014
Photo of Catlin
Reviewed by Catlin from Iowa

4.23/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75
This store has on of the best selections in the tri state area.
I like that every bottle is priced individually so you can ether buy it by the pack or mix and match.
I did feel it was a little pricey but it hard for me to gage. Most other stotes do not have that good of selections. So not usually able to buy some of the higher end beer.
Oct 04, 2013
Photo of Ryan_Graham
Reviewed by Ryan_Graham from Iowa

4.82/5  rDev +20.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5
This is by far my go-to store in the tri-state area. OUTSTANDING selection. Along with the beer selection, they also have a lot of wine and hard alcohol. The #1 reason I go there is because they allow you to mix and match six packs. It helps me discover new beers, good or bad, without having to commit to buying a whole six pack of one type of beer. Their selection goes far beyond the typical liquor store. There is so much there that I still have to try. It is a little more expensive than most places. If you're looking to get loaded off a thirty rack of Keystone, go to a gas station. If you're looking to try new things and discover new beer, go to Family.

Also, they have tags under some of the better beers that give their BA ratings. Extremely helpful for discovering new beers!
Jul 21, 2013
Photo of 4DAloveofSTOUT
Reviewed by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
I have stopped by this store many times and when ever I make the hour drive out to the Galena area I have to drive the extra 15 minutes to this store.

Atmosphere: Huge store that is loaded with craft beer, wine, and spirits. 3 full isles of beer and a huge beer fridge section.

Quality: Shelves are clean but a little bit disorderly because of the mix a six pack policy. Customers are probaly making a mess of the beer section all the time!

Service: Call these guys and ask for a beer and chances are the can get it! Friendly service.

Selection: Great Belgian / overseas beer selection with some really great beers that I am yet to try! American craft is well represented on all tiers: Local craft beer, lots of Midwest region beers and even some beer from all over the USA. It easy to find a beer you like here. Not to mention that all 12 oz bottle are up for a mix a six pack and can be bought as a single if you choose to do so. The always have beer on clearance, found some real gems a few times for a steal of a price!

Value:
Oct 18, 2011
Photo of AmericanGothic
Reviewed by AmericanGothic from Iowa

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Visited here a few days ago on the way back from a day trip to Galena, IL. Had heard from a friend this was the best place in the area to find beer that we can't get in Iowa.

Not the most exciting interior, but it was clean, well-lit and pretty well organized. The real excitement was in the selection. So many breweries that I wish I could find closer to home-- Avery, Founders, Victory, Smuttynose, Lagunitas, Lost Abbey, Two Brothers. They also have DFH, but the only one in stock was the Sah'tea, the others all emptied off the shelves (leaving a big, bare spot). The cashier was very nice and explained that the DFH deliveries are infrequent and that it doesn't take the customers long to empty the shelves (can't blame them).

There was a really good selection of imports, and also a lot of beers on sale/closeout. I ended up purchasing Smuttynose IPA, Hop Wallop and Double Trouble. My wife and I usually get up this direction once or twice a year, and next time we pass through I will definitely stop here, and probably allow more room in the car for transport as there was an awful lot here I wish I had had room for. For the folks across the river in Dubuque, I'm sure this quite the destination. For non-beer needs-- the single malt selection was substantial. Lots of wine as well.
Mar 20, 2011
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
2021:
Scores are still the same, great place to pick up singles of anything on the shelf. Contrary to popular belief, this is uncommon policy in Illinois. Grabbed a mix six of Oktoberfests plus a few other oddities like Drewrys. Also noticed they had full cases of Lindemans Cuvee Réne Oude Gueuze 2018 and Oude Kriek on the shelf.

2010:
Stopped in here and found some nice stuff recently. Personally I love the "everything as singles" policy and found it to be a pretty tidy store in general. There was some road construction, so we had to detour to get there, but it was worth it.

Some highlights: Founders, FFF, Port/Lost Abbey, Ballast Point, Goose Island, Dark Horse, Green Flash, Shipyard, Victory, Two Brothers, Bells, Southern Tier, Galena Brewing, and many others. Imports weren't as extensive as the craft selection, but there was a good overall representation. Several rarer items like Fullers Vintage Ale, Devil Dancer/KBS, Plead the 5th, '09 Sofie/BCBCS, and more. Let's just say you won't be disappointed. Prices were fair, and many things were on sale (some cellar worthy like Anchor OSA '09 and Bare Tree '09). A couple piles of mixed cases here and there, a full case of Founders Imp. Stout on the floor. Only place I was able to locate Galena Beer Co. hefeweizen, which is dwindling in stock elsewhere (they are transitioning to a new brewpub in Galena, instead of the contract brewed bottles).

In the far corner of the store to the right past the registers, there's a homebrew supply area that looked fairly extensive, though I didn't make a thorough pass of it.

Service was friendly, the cashier was pretty witty and pointed out the ice when I asked. Worth a stop in the area, you might be surprised at what you find.
Jul 24, 2010
Photo of SurgeonGeneral
Reviewed by SurgeonGeneral from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%
All the other reviewers have it spot on, pretty much. Best selection in the tri-state area, lots of good USA brews, decent selection of foreign brews. Some notable positives:

-Best selection in the area
-Best prices in the area (They were selling single 12 oz. of SN Bigfoot for $1.25 today!), some significant sales occasionaly
-You can pick singles out from any six pack on the shelf. Huge positive here, IMO

Cons:
-Some out of date beer. Not a lot, but check your bottles
-A bit messy, in that because of their singles policy, there are some strewn about bottles. Not unsanitary.

Overall, it's as good as it gets out here. Enjoy!
Oct 29, 2007
Photo of Chaz
Reviewed by Chaz from Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -9%
After years of making Van's my first stop in the area, it was only a matter of time before I'd find Family Beer and Liquor. No question, it's a funny name alright, and given its almost obscure location you might mistake it for a fireworks outlet, especially given the size of the place! There's something like 20,000 square feet of floor space here, devoted pretty evenly between beer, wines, spirits, and accessories. And by accessories I'm talking about party supplies, snacks, and light (non-alcohol) refreshments in addition to tobacco and related products. Any way you slice it there's a lot of space to fill here, and they do an admirable job of doing so.

But we're about the beer here at BA, and I'll give Family all due credit for maintaining the largest variety of beer in the area. It's well merchandised too, with craft and specialty beers situated near the front of the store, in a couple of small aisles promoting the mix-a-six pack technique. I've never had to ask staff for recomendations, but I don't doubt that they get plenty of requests for help with beer choices. As far as craft choices are concerned, Family Beer has you covered, with Bell's, Founders, New Holland, and Victory on hand during my last visit. I almost forgot Left Hand, Avery, Rogue, and Capital - not a bad selection at all. Imports run the gamut from Canadian macros to Belgian Trappist ales to German standys like Warsteiner and Paulaner. In fact, if don't see something on the shelf it may still be on hand in the store, so just ask: last time I was there I picked up a German beer that I knew was in stock (Allgauer Buble) but I had to ask the staff to find it for me, and they were helpful and didn't seem put-upon by my inquiry.

As for chilled beer, there's a good mix of both macro and specialties located in the familiar display coolers (sorry, no 'beer cave' here) along the near right hand side of the store. There's also a section for Macro cases and 30 packs further back in the store, and here you'll also find more representation in the form of regional specialties like Berghoff.

I complained a bit (sorry) about past-code and old stock beer over at Van's down the road, but from what I can tell Family do a better job of rotating out old stock. The oldest beers I found here were six month old brews from Anderson Valley and Left Hand - I took some of each home and found them neither light-struck nor off, so that impresses me a bit.

After three visits I've come to regard Family Beer and Liquor as an essential visit while I'm in the area, and I look forward to springtime and my next visit!
Feb 27, 2007
Photo of DaPeculierDane
Reviewed by DaPeculierDane from Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%
Surprisingly decent and very large liquor store in the middle of nowhere. I happened to be going to a wedding reception at the Silver Eagle convention center across Hwy 20 so this made for a great stop to stock up on A-bar supplies.

Selection included: Roughly 2 dozen Belgians including two that aren’t found in Madison, where I’m from, (Rodenboch Gran Cru and Redbach), Ommegang, FFF sixers, Heather Ales, nearly the full line of Bells (mix and matchable), plenty of good Germans including some rare finds, DFH, Great Lakes, Capital, Victory, etc… Bells beers were refrigerated. Most others were not.

All sixers appear to be mix and matchable but there isn’t any standard pricing. Seems like they charge what ever they feel like. Prices don’t make any sense either. Some Belgian 750s were 3 to 5 bucks cheaper than they are in Madison whereas others were 3 to 5 bucks more. Same story for craft sixers. Age was indeterminable on many products. Dust wasn’t present on any bottles but some brews could have been bad as storing conditions were pretty poor. Staff didn’t seem to know a thing about beer.

Overall a great shop who’s selection would hold up in a major city even if it’s service/pricing might not. Since it’s out in BFE I have to give it a good rating.
Jul 25, 2006
Photo of neonbrown82
Reviewed by neonbrown82 from Nebraska

3.65/5  rDev -9%
I made a beer run to East Dubuque earlier today to pick up some random out-of-state beers for an upcoming tasting. I had heard about this place from co-workers and it is the closest place I know of to get good beer that is not available in Iowa. The name of the place is classic as well. I can think of fewer things less wholesome than a good 'ole family beer run.

The place is right off of Highway 20, which is the same road that takes you across the mighty Mississipi if you are coming from the west. The google maps directions are decievingly complex. I was attempting to turn around and head back until I stumbled into the parking lot while doing so. I didn't think for a second that the store with the huge lady bug on the outside was the liquor store that I was searching for until I read the huge neon sign. Very easy to find, even by accident.

As for the quality of the store itself, I had been warned about buying old beer from this place, and I'm glad I heard about that. Sure there is plenty of stuff not available in Iowa, but much of it seems out of date. Most of the beer is kept warm with the exception of BMC and some other products like Bell's, which they had a decent selection of. A lot of the six packs were picked through, missing a beer or two. Evidently you can take singles out of whatever six pack you want, but there didn't seem to be any method to their madness. Other than this simple complaint, the store seemed quite clean and had an enormous selection of wine & liquor.

The staff seemed almost completely unknowledgable about beer. I would have liked to have known how old the Victory Hop Devil was since it didn't have a bottled on / consume by date on it. No help, however.

The selection is pretty good though. A decent amount of Bell's, a lot of Dogfish Head, very limited Great Lakes, a lot of stuff I didn't recognize by name. In addition to that, there was the standard fare of big name micros.

I will probably make this beer run again in the future, but I figure if I'm going to Illinois on a beer run I might as well add another hour to the trip and check out some of the places in Chicago.
Jan 13, 2006
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

3.15/5  rDev -21.4%
The name of this place cracks me up. I mean really, what says "family" quite like liquor?

Family Beer and Liquor is located right off the highway, in a building that looks like it might have once been a grocery store. Inside there's a definite liquor store feel, though, replete with toothless clerks, country music, and dirty floors.

The selection wasn't very wide, but there were tons of things you can't get just over the border in Iowa. Victory and Skullsplitter were my purchases, along with a bomber of Titan 2X IPA and some Flying Dog Seasonals. There's a small selection of run of the mill Belgians, too.

A decent place, I guess.
Aug 18, 2005
Photo of hero27
Reviewed by hero27 from Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%
Family Beer & Liquor is a good-sized liquor store right across the Mississippi River in East Dubuque, Illinois. Their beer is located in the middle of the store, right ahead of you (and a bit to your left, to be specific) as you come through the door. They have two main aisles of beer. They have a pretty good selection, definitely respectable...especially their domestic micros. Lots of sixers to choose from. Not only that, but you can buy every one of them by the bottle if you so choose. I had a great time looking through their selection, considering that in Iowa I can't get a lot of the brews they had in stock. Victory, DFH, and many others that I usually can't get my hands on. They have the staple beers by the major microbreweries...nothing too crazy, though. 60-minute, no 90-minute IPA...HopDevil, not Hop Wallop...you get the drift. If you're looking for Belgian or other European offerings, you'll probably be a bit dissappointed. They have Chimay and a handful of the easy-to-find Belgians, but nothing that you can't find elsewhere.

They also have a cooler with many of the popular micros in it, which is nice if you need a beer fix in a hurry. The prices are very respectable as well...certainly much better than any of the places in Iowa simply due to the Socialist way our beer is distributed.

The help (when I was there) was virtually void of any actual beer knowledge..but they do carry your alcohol out to your car for you, which was a nice surprise.

Overall, a great store for us Iowans because it is right across the border and carries a lot of the higher-alcohol domestics that our local stores have a helluva time getting their hands on.
Feb 22, 2005
Family Beer & Liquor in East Dubuque, IL
Place rating: 4.01 out of 5 with 22 ratings