Your beer stores?

You know, there are a bunch of places I could go, here in Rockford (northern Illinois). Several of our grocery stores actually have pretty good selections; when I'm in Chicago or the burbs, I'll hit up a Binny's; and there's a really good store, Everett's, in South Beloit, Wisconsin.

There's one local store here in Rockford, however, at which I find shopping for beer to be particularly rewarding, and so I try to buy the majority of my beer there. The place is called Artale, the last name of the father and son owners, one of whom is pretty much always on the premises.

Artale looks like a wine store, and the front two thirds are. In the back, however, there's an absolutely outstanding and constantly curated collection of craft beer. I can always count on finding a beer or three I've never tried before in one of my favorite styles, as well as a number of buy-on-sight old favorites. As a hophead, freshness counts to me, and unlike the local grocery stores, they have never sold me an old IPA. I can count on either the son-owner or an employee of theirs who is a Cicerone giving me really good guidance on what I buy--indeed, if I do buy beer at a grocery store, I feel like I've deprived myself of half the fun of buying beer: getting to discuss the state-of-the-art in craft beer.

So, if you ever get to Rockford (I-90 goes right by it, and Artale is actually damn close two highway exits), check out Artale...

 

Wish You Were Beer in Madison, Alabama. It's close and well curated. Besides how many of you can say the staff at your LBS think you are "adorable"...or refer to you as "that stout girl".
When a place does me right I tend to stick with 'em.

 

Found a new one that's an hour away that I plan to frequent more often!

 

At least eleven different ones within ~25 miles from my home. They're all over the place!

 

In Iowa its John's Grocery in Iowa City. Just don't go in expecting tons of Toppling Goliath, even us locals have to be lucky to go in on the right day when they have some.

 

Does John's still stock an obscene amount of Belgians? I haven't lived in Iowa City or Iowa at all since 2007.

 

3 shops that I rotate going to - two are part of the same chain, just on different sides of town, and with markedly different selection when it comes to rarities (and one has a 40-tap growler station, so yeah). The third is actually a liquor store with a smaller but usually solid craft beer selection - and given that this store isn't quite as popular, usually can find some sweet deals there.

 

Six

1. ) the one that offers the best selection and singles but charges a premium. Staff is very friendly.
2.) The one that offers a pretty good selection and has slightly better pricing. Staff is courteous and let's me browse.
3.) The one that has average selection but is close to work and has plenty of room to allow me to relax and read the inventory.
4.) The one with OK selection but great specials and no bottle deposit.
5.)the one close by (in town)
6.) The one even closer by (walking distance)

 

All of them?

 

Its about the same as it has been over the years, its more about what they have in-stock, what's available and what time of year it is.