I'm in town for work spending a few days at Dow in Collegeville. I'd like to bring some stuff home with me to Minnesota, any suggested bottle shops etc. to visit? Any local stuff I need to try?
Capone's is probably closest/best for a bottle shop https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/11177/ You won't be too far from Forest and Main in Ambler, worth the trip. Otherwise, there are a bunch of threads about what to do in and around Philly.
I'd drive 1/2 or so to Ardmore and visit Tired Hands (both locations). They have bottles from the last several releases that you can still pick up as well as a ton of beers to try, including (I believe still available) Bourbon Only Void. They usually have can releases on Wednesday at the Fermentaria if you're still around Wednesday. The BrewCafe is closed on Monday and the Fermentaria is closed on Tuesday. There's The Beere Shoppe (http://ardmorebeershoppe.com/) near TH, but you should checkout Whole Foods in Devon since it's on the way.
Wegmans has a location in Collegeville right across the street from DOW. They will have most of the bottles available in SE PA.
Also if you head due south on 422 you will hit the town of Wayne which has a Whole Foods. If you head to Capone's though there is a Whole Foods not that far in Plymouth meeting. Only reason I suggest that in addition to what others have suggested is they have a lot of distributors that bring various brands I can't get anywhere else locally (Prairie, Omnipollo, others etc.) But definitely check out Capones, Matt is the owner and is the nicest dude who can help you out if he is in the bottle shop.
Craft Ale house in Limerick is 10 minutes away, they have an extensive bottle list. Also Railroad in Linfield is close as well if you are looking for a bar. https://www.beermenus.com/places/942-craft-ale-house
I grabbed a couple Draai Laag bottles today at Wegman's in Collegeville today and am planning to get over to Capone's tomorrow to grab a few local things from Tired Hands, church works, vault, and free will if available. I can't find much information about Draai Laag and was surprised at prices, is it any good?
You can also see the new bottle releases at Capone's on their website. You'll most likely see something on tap you like there too
You won't get any tired hands at capones. Only place to get bottles is at the brewery. Also should be a can release at tired hands Wednesday, cans seem to be lasting longer, so if you get there around 6 wouldn't be much of a line either. Only downside is traveling down there at rush hour.
Vault and TH are brewery-only for cans/bottles, and church brew works is from Pittsburgh. You might find some Free Will, however.
Free Will should have been at Wegmans. They always have 6 packs of their core line-up and usually the smaller bottles of the sours. Wegmans would be cheaper than Capone's.
