Where do folks shop?

Rapid in Stoneham and Liquor Junction is 99.9% of my MA shopping. Very rarely a different place. I have one spot in NH as well that I keep to myself because it's very good for ease of getting limited releases and I want to keep it that way.

 

Usually stop at Julio's if back home visiting family, otherwise I typically go to Pemberton or Ball Square. If going to Trillium downtown, I always stop by Fort Point Market afterwards to see what's kicking around. Occasionally swing by Dion's in Waltham during my lunch break since its only a couple miles away.

 

Most of my shopping is done at Fort Point Market and Trillium due to proximity to my office and lack of options closer to home. CBC Fort Point is also an option, but the three times I've been in I've walked out empty handed (due to higher prices or not having what I wanted).

When closer to home I'll purchase at Castle Island if also there to hang out, and when desperate Wines & More in Mansfield. On very rare occasions I've purchased at Yankee Spirits Attleboro and Wegman's Westwood.

 

Liquor Junction (Woburn), Wegmans (Burlington), Market Basket (NH - for great sales and no bottle/can deposit). Between these 3 places I'm covered for whatever I need.

 

I'll throw in a non-MA answer. Nothing but a convenience store within about 20 minutes from me but at around 40 minutes I have a few options I check out pretty often. Big Fatty's Crowler Pit is a good stop (usually in conjunction with River Roost) and Woodstock Hops and Barley.

The grocery store is about the same distance and has a great selection (for NH distro). This is where I grabbed some CBS this weekend. Hanover or Lebanon CoOp.

When in Waterbury, VT (once a month or so) I always check out CBC but usually just to look around.

Probably 55% of what I drink comes in the mail from friends and BA's, 40% from breweries, 5% from retail spots. Before Alchemist re-opened for retail sales it used to be higher for retail for Heady drops. The retail is mostly for something specifically interesting or Lawson's Finest bottle drops at Hunger Mountain or Warren Store.

 

CBC has two on my commute home, usually there.

 

I've been exclusively going to Ball Square for about 8 years now. There are great people working there who treat the customer very well. More importantly, they're into more than just IPAs and love German styles, English styles, Belgians...etc.

Their prices are fair, and you can do a mix-a-six with anything in the store. This is a huge perk for me because I almost always do a mix-a-six due to the wide variety of options these days.

I'll stop at Pemberton every once in awhile, mainly because they're right around the corner from me. For some reason they tend to get beers in before Ball Square, so if it's something that's harder to get and I'm not sure Ball Square will get it, I'll shop there. They also have some unique stuff you don't see elsewhere, Trillium for example.

But I try to avoid them for a few reasons.

1) High prices
2) No mix-a-six
3) I like to support Ball Square if I can

Otherwise, nothing against Pemberton, it's a really nice store overall with a great beer selection.

Beyond that, I'll go to Trillium Fort Point maybe once a month, and then oddball purchases here and there at other stores and maybe a brewery.

 

Rapid for the 16oz 4pks or decent limited release stouts and the like.
Total Wine in Everett as its close to home and the danvers one as its close to work. I'll get my 15pk founders or sierra nevada or lagunitas there or whatever other 12 pack I am looking for.
A wee place in Saugus called nasty nonnis is a good stop on the way home.
Went to liquor junction in reading yesterday. Seemed OK, but nothing out of the ordinary.
There's Vinnin also which you can buy online and pick up. Managed to get some Christmas bomb from there and not worry about chasing it down.

While RedStone have a generally great selection, their prices are too high a lot of the time and I don;t like these special release events like they have on Black Friday.

 

Pemberton has a great selection, but it's bloody pricey.

 

There are no great beer stores in or around Canton so I shop at Wegmans in Westwood or direct at breweries. Occasionally Wines & More in Mansfield/Walpole if I feel like getting price gouged. I'm looking forward to Yankee Spirits opening in Norwood.

 

I go to Vin Bin in Hopkinton or Crafted in Holliston. Great variety and great people at those two spots.

 

I love Ball Square, but I became a pretty big Atlas guy too. Very similar selection (maybe outside the belgian shelf at BS) and almost always a couple bucks cheaper.

 

CBC Newton, Marty's Newton, CBC Framingham. I almost refuse to shop at places that don't allow you to buy singles, at least not for cans. Otherwise I'd shop more at Dions & Gordons in Waltham/Watertown as they have good selections & are super convenient.

 

I usually stop at CBC Belmont once a week or so. I also go to the Wegman's in Burlington a ton, because it's both my grocery store and a fantastic liquor department.

Every now and again I go to the Olde Bedford Package Store, because it's between my Ace Hardware and my pet supply place.

And once in a blue moon I'll go to Lincoln Liquors in Bedford (usually on a trip taking me to get Brueggars Bagels or to go to Whole Foods) or Burlington Wine and Spirits by the H-Mart and Market Basket in Burlington.

I used to go to Redstone in Stoneham, but the traffic up 95 towards the 93 interchange is usually pretty awful so I don't go there anymore.

 

2 NH spots I like, City Beverage in Seabrook right off of 95. And in North Conway I really like Vista Country Store.

 

FYI the Yankee Spirits in Norwood is doing a Pappy 25-year tasting at noon Saturday. Line's probably already pretty long, but hey, worth peeking into.

 

My SO makes weekly or bi-weekly trips to the Alchemist brewery to stock up the fridge. Other than that, most of my purchases are at my local grocery (where I can get Foley, Frost, and Upper Pass cans). Even the chain supermarkets carry Switchback stubbies, Zero Gravity and Shed cans (which are seriously shockingly good lately). So my actual beer store time is pretty limited- mostly CBC in Waterbury every few months for a few rare bottles, or the local bevy/gas station 5 minutes away so I can get liquor, too.

 

What do you recommend from shed?