Looking for a great bottle shop in Chicago

Lincoln Park Binnys x<howevermanypeoplealreadysaidit>, Beer Temple x<howevermanypeoplealreadysaidit>

 

I don't know if I would have gone to Manny's unless you recommended it, but that deli is right up my alley. Thanks!

Thanks! I'm thinking I'll hit both. After years of experience, traveling around cities with beer is easy with the right equipment. Finding it is the challenge. However, thank you all for your help.

 

I'm heading to Chicago this weekend as well (coming from MN!). Are there any other bottle shops outside of all of the ones previously listed that move things slower and might be more likely to have decent shelf turds?

 

Puerto Rico food and Liquors has some great shelf turds. Anything rare gets snapped up quickly, so don't expect that, but he has bells cherry stout from 2013, some 2013 Ten Fiddy, and some other stouts/Belgians/barley wines that sit.

 

I wouldn't recommended LP Binny's to someone visiting. It is very easy to walk out of that store with old beer. A place like Capone's or Beer Temple is much more focused on freshness. LP Binny's is good for locals who know what they are looking for.

 

manny's is def a chicago classic for their corned beef and pastrami. cant go wrong with a huge sandwich and some spicy brown mustard

 

You're definitely right that if there's ambiguity on what batch a certain beer is, avoid Binny's. For example, I refuse to buy SN Hop Hunter there, because theirs are still from June (whereas BT got some within the last month or so).

However, if you're coming to Chicago looking for something like current Pipeworks, Three Floyd's etc., Binny's is still a great place to go, and as a liquor store enthusiast (that sounds bad, I'll admit), I think that huge chains like Binny's are worth visiting just to wander the place. Plus being able to drink beer while doing so doesn't hurt things.

With that being said, you're never making a mistake going to a place like The Beer Temple. If you have any interest in non-beer alcohol, however, Binny's (or a place like West Lakeview Liquors) is the way to go.