How Good is Your Bottle Shop?

I have a couple places that I go to regularly, and a few more on the "once in a while" list.
My # 1 is Julio's Liquors, Westboro, MA. Pretty well known on here, I think, especially in the New England sub.
Huge beer selection from all over the world, nearly always fresh, the people are always great and know what they're talking about - or are willing to find out if they don't know.
My second isn't really a beer store, though they're top shelf on wine. They are getting better with the beer, as the next generation of the owners is taking more and more responsibility. My family has been shopping there since I was maybe 3 or 4 years old, and they've never steered us wrong. They don't have a lot of rare or unusual beers (though I did get a 4-pack of KBS there this year) but for the daily drinker stuff they are pretty good.
Next we have a Craft Beer Cellar opening up in the next month or 2, and I presume that will also be one of my haunts.
I'll see when they open as far as the people go - I presume the beer selection won't vary too much from the other CBCs.
We also have a Total Wine coming in, as well as a Wegmans (not for another year + there,) that I presume will have a liquor license.
I'll probably occasionally go into those, but the others will get most of my business.

 

My hometown bottle shop is terrific, Union Beer House in Lebanon, PA. The place has been around for a long time, used to be pretty much just a 6-pack place, with lots of 24 ounce cans of Miller Lite and such being sold and consumed on premise. Recently, a younger member of the family that owns the place took over, and he has done a tremendous job of turning it into a genuine craft beer bottle shop, hugely expanded selection, keeps it fresh, and keeps the variety moving. They also added draft beer and growler fills. The place has real character, and friendly service.

Lebanon, PA is a quirky little town in Central PA. I am grateful that this young fellow took a chance and made this shop what it is. He has brought great craft beer choices to me that weren't locally available before.

 

When I lived in Virginia, Bon Vivant was just starting out. My son, a Cicerone, helped her do a few food pairing events when they started out. Glad to hear they are around doing well. Cheers!

 

Well, I have one bottle shop called Veterans with a really nice selection that gets rare and unique stuff in from time to time and announces it on Facebook. They are about 12-15 minute drive away and not really close to anywhere else I go. Their prices are high but the guys who work there are knowledgeable and friendly. Unfortunately the prices have caused me to go there a little less.

Another place that has a great selection (and high prices): Coal Train is about 20-25 minutes away so I don't go very often. They don't keep up with social media and are not good about reserving stuff. I've also seen them stash beers that they have in limited quantities so you have to ask if they have any.

Third place is close and has the best prices and the lowest tax- but their beer sits there forever. Selection not quite as good. They still have some special anniversary beers from last year, and last years vintage of some BA stuff. They also had some "Enjoy by 7.04.15" beer still on the shelves. They mistakenly ordered about 30 cases of Good Juju which is a summer ginger flavored beer from Left Hand and no one bought it, now they are trying to blow out this huge amount of beer no one really wants (It's not bad, but not highly sought after). So yeah, their beers don't sell real well. The owner is pretty old-school and he doesn't do anything with social media. Basically running the store like it's the 90s. He does have beer and wine tastings on occasion.

 

Would you count Nikki's in Providence as one of the better shops, or perhaps Yankee Spirits in Swansea?

Cheers

 

Well, I've got 2 within a fairly short distance from me. Rt 62 Butts&Brews is the best in Stark County, OH in my not so humble opinion. Finally, craft available from a drive-thru if one so desires to use it. Decent tobacco& head shop as well. The lowest possible prices on everything, knowledgeable and passionate employees. Its a gem alright! The other shop is the Snack Box, right here in Louisville, OH. It's very unassuming exterior could fool one into thinking "this just looks like any other Qwik-E-Mart type of hole in the wall place, they won't have anything decent". You walk in there, and BAM, craft brews dominate an admittedly ridiculous amount of shelf and cooler space. The employees aren't too knowledgeable, but they sure have heart. This is only about 10 minutes, if that, from my house. Naturally, I go there a tad bit more, but I'll always stop into Rt. 62 Butts&Brews if its not out of my way to do so.

 

I shop at Binny's. They have great selection, prices and service. Beer, spirits and wine, they have it all.

 

I consider myself a "regular" at 3 bottle shops:
1. Grape + Gourmet in VA Beach... srsly, this is the best bottle shop in the area. Probably the whole state. Kevin rocks. I'm only in there about once a month, but I always buy at least a case of stuff when I visit. Got a new growler fill apparatus.
2. Norfolk Total Wine on 21st... yeah, yeah, it is TW, but it is a go-to... it's close, directly in my way on the way home from work. 4 new taps for growler fills.
3. bottleBOX in Norfolk... only a month or two old, but oh so awesome. Only a couple blocks from the TW above. 12 taps for growler fills. They get stuff in I have never seen in the area, like obscure MD beer and western VA beer. Small, but great.

 

I live in MA but have visited these guys multiple times, definitely an excellent shop. Big selection and from what I could see fewer issues with freshness vs Total Wine and the like.

 

Love my 3 shops.
In town, basket of cheer, Dothan, al
And my longer Hauls for other state distribution - maltitude in columbus, GA and wine world in Panama City Beach FL. About 80 miles away for those but worth it.

 

I do a majority of my shopping at Bert's Better Beers in Hooksett, New Hampshire. It is worth a visit if you come to this area. He carries over 800 beers and is very knowledgeable. Mix and match. Tastings every Tuesday. Opened in 2009. One of the things I love about this place is that he has a temperature controlled cellar and during the holidays he brings out beer he has been cellaring for a while. This past spring he sold a 6 pack of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot featuring one beer from 10-11-12-13-14 and 15. He also put together a four pack to celebrate White Birch's 6th anniversary featuring the 3-4-5- and 6 Anniversaries. Even the brewery no longer had any 3s or 4s.

 

I actually travel to beer stores when I go on vacation and Wieland's in Columbus has a brew girl there who is top notch and very helpful as is Buehlers in Wooster Ohio.

Around my home town in Cincy, Jungle Jim's is excellent, and so is Country Fresh Market. Venture into northern Kentucky and Party Source, DEPS, and Partytown offer an excellent array.

Cheers

 

One benefit of living in NJ is the number of convenient bottle stores. I have 4-5 favorites. Three of them are on my route home from work. They have different distributors and I sort of know what I can find in each.

 

I have several and all of them rock, Alberta's a freak for imports and you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you what we get up here

 

I shop at Binny's as well, but certainly not for their prices.

 

I've got a great selection of shops in town: grocery stores with wide selections, specialty stores whose higher prices mean rarer stuff sticks around a little longer, and 2 bottle shops with contrasting strengths. One bottle shop rates lower on service for me, but they do a great job of breaking up packs for singles and has stuff the other doesn't.

My favorite bottle shop has a well curated selection of local and distributed bottles, makes occasional trips to other cities to bring in stuff not distributed here, and maintains an interesting rotating tap list. It's not strictly beer-related, but the kicker is that they are constantly hosting community events and fundraisers for various local organizations. I've connected with many people I may not have otherwise because they put a lot of effort into supporting local musicians, philanthropies, the LGBT community, etc. in addition to brewery tastings, a sour event, and heavy participation in the local Beer Week.

 

We have Westside Liquor here, and their selection is amazing at both St. Cloud locations. If it can be had in Minnesota, it can be had there.

 

I looked that place up. What an incredible tap list. You are a lucky man

 

I would have to say my local is top notch. Khoury's Fine Wine and Spirits here in Las Vegas.

11 handles of great limited release and solid locals

Probably one of the smallest, yet mist highly curated selections in town. That keeps beer fresh and gives you an opportunity to try many different styles.

Service is what keeps me going back. There is always a beer pro in the shop and you can see them walking out of towners or people new to craft up and down the aisles pointing out what they may like.

They embrace the bottle share culture and have built community.

Cheers!