Has 99 Bottles become outdated?

Not really, no. Not every bottle shop has to be a bar as well. I don't live nearby though, so I only stop in to pick up bottles on my way through.

 

99 bottles is fucking awesome. Who cares if you can't drink beer there?

 

They do have growler fills. Or at least they did the last time I was there (6 months ago).

 

Also, remember that in most of the rest of the country the idea of drinking draft beer at a bottle shop is pretty foreign. Buncha spoiled brats out here

 

FWIW, a bottle shop offering beers on tap isn't something that really draws me in. When I want to hang out somewhere and have a beer or two I'm not usually looking for a bottle shop, and when I'm looking to buy bottles my priority isn't to have something on tap.

Personally, my favorite bottle shops are the ones that offer a nice selection at reasonable prices, and those will never be outdated in my book.

 

Considering that 99.99% of people who frequent 99 Bottles use their cars to get there (it's in a strip mall in the middle of Federal Way suburban sprawl), I'd say not being able to drink while shopping is a good thing.

 

And getting in and out of that strip mall is a total clusterfuck. Who wants to be impaired even slightly? I have a hard enough time navigating it totally straight.

 

Visiting my parents in Rochester, MN last winter was the reality check I needed after living in SE Portland for almost a decade. After living within a 10 minute walk of the Brass, the Station, Hawthorne Hop House, Cheese Bar, and a handful of other kick ass bars I had pretty much forgotten that most people have to drive for more time than that just to hit a liquor store, and once they get there they can't drink a beer.

You're absolutely right John, we are ridiculously spoiled, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

 

Looks like you got your wish. I just got my e-newsletter from 99 Bottles stating they now have beer on tap.

 

So can you just buy the bottle you want and open it? Heck, take it over to that sushi place and crack it open there.

Personally, I think they should stay as-is unless they plan on expanding/remodeling. The store is not really set up to have people in there drinking all the time. No public bathroom either iirc.

 

I love 99 Bottles and am almost done with my 3rd punch card from going there so frequently. I do not see the purpose of drinking in a bottle shop besides small tasters and flights. We don't eat our groceries at Safeway either. Bottle stores are designed to encompass a beer loving social atmosphere, but it is a retail establishment that is there to quickly let people find what they are looking for and at a great price. If the place offered pints, people would demand tables and then the store would have no room. That would require a store expansion or removal of some beer varieties to make room. At the end of the day the business is set up perfectly to help us have a huge selection of beers at a very reasonable price. We have bars for a reason, and too many for anybody to have a reason to complain.

 

Human sacrifice. Dogs and cats living together...mass hysteria!