Julio's is obviously kingpin in MA (I live 10 min away which is a +), But is there any other stores with good beer selections? I heard good things from Vin Bin.
Austin Liquors in Shrewsbury & Worcester. Wegman's. Yankee Spirits / Sturbridge. Kappy's in Fitchburg is okay. Stan's in Athol is a great store. Also Colonial in Acton if that's central MA to ya, or the new CBC in Westford. Not much else comes to mind. Few and far between!
Admittedly bias( I manage The Vin Bin in Hopkinton and buy for both stores), we do have a very good selection of craft beers, really good wines, and the Marlboro store has a unique liquor section as well. Wegmans has a ton of stuff and ridiculously good prices on most everything, PLUS the added benefit of being a full grocery store/cafe/butcher/everything else. CBC really knows what they are doing as well with a great selection and knowledgeable staff.
That's cool man. I actually live in Hopkinton and I just found out there is a Vin Bin store here. I thought Marlborough was the only one around. I go to Price Chopper roughly 2-3 times a month and I never went to the small strip they have.
Always a good selection at Vin Bin in Hopkinton. I think it flies under radar because of Julio's Wegmans does have the best prices. But stuff goes fast and stays on shelves forever. Last year I got a bottle if Black Ops for $20.
I was in the Marlborough Vin Bin on Monday night and was checking out the Brewmaster Jack. They had 3 varieties in the cooler, but one of them was bottled back in March so I skipped it even though I was super excited to try it -- definitely disappointed. The Vin Bin in Hopkinton has a much better/bigger selection than Marlborough -- I was surprised that Marlborough had such a small selection. I will vouch for Hopkinton though -- super friendly and a nice mix of stuff. Always helpful when you want to know about a specific beer.
The Marlboro store is admittedly a much more wine focused store. Our beer space there is about 1/2 of what we have in Hopkinton. I will check on that particular freshness issue immediately. I appreciate the heads up!
All the Brewmaster Jack stuff I see is close to accident with plenty of dust resting on bottle. I took a chance 2 weeks ago and bought the Saison. Figured I was safe no hops anyway. Shared with friends and everyone was impressed. I will buy again
Living in Western MA, Brewmaster Jack is one of my new favorite readily available go-to beers. IPA and porter are outstanding, the Hop Essence / single hop series is impressive so far, as is the saison. It's great he's starting to expand distribution east, to get more recognized as one of the state's best. FYI, website says they're available at Sperry's in Marlborough and Hudson as well.
Sucks is coming to Hopkinton on Monday. We have already gone through 5cs or so, so its out at the moment, but expected back on Monday.
OHaras in Worcester has a good selection, but not huge. Tons of Mikkeler, Haand, and Nogne. Some of the singles have been sitting awhile, but there are some good finds to be had. Mass Liquors, also in Worcester also has a solid selection.
