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The Quest
for the Holy Grain
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Best Beer
Retailers
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Baltimore Area | Washington, DC Area | West Virginia | Pennsylvania | New York | Maryland | Switzerland | Northern Virginia | Deutschland | Ohio | Delaware
What makes a beer retailer one of the best? Here are our criteria:
Selection - The store should
carry a vast amount of beers, with a diversity of styles.
Service - Staff should be willing to help and knowledgeable
about beer.
Freshness - I've gotten some stale ones...check bottling
date if possible. Layers of dust do not bode well.
Quest Factor - Lots of single bottles...especially
single 12-oz. bottles where you can mix
and match a six-pack.
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Please help! If you know the name of a great beer retailer that's not listed here, email us at walter@beerquest1k.com Download this Notesheet for evaluating a Beer Bar, Brew Pub or Retailer. |
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Outlet Liquors Outlet Liquors is located on the busy stretch of Route 1 known as Coastal Highway, just outside of downtown Rehoboth Beach. It has all the macros, a nice selection of craft beers, and some of the imports as well. One great feature for a Questor is that you can mix and match, making your own sixpack. Outlet has the distinction of selling the most Dogfish Head beer of any retail store anywhere. The staff was plentiful and helpful. My receipt tells me that Wednesday is Ladies' Night, and that there is a free wine tasting every day from 4-6 PM. |
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Atlantic Liquors Atlantic Liquors bills themselves as "the greatest liquor store in the world!" and why not? Of course we Questors head right for the beer. The store is half show room, half warehouse, and Atlantic carries hundreds of different brands of brew. They have all the macros, many craft beers, and the locals...Evolution, 16 Mile, and the omnipresent Dogfish Head. As you can see from the photo, Atlantic also carries many 22 ounce and 750 mL bottles. If you are looking for a great retailer on the shore, don't miss Atlantic Liquors! |
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Vintage Estate Wine and Beer The Vintage Wine and beer store is a Questor's heaven in Boardman, Ohio. They have over 800 craft and imported beers sold individually. Beyond the sales floor is a small bar with perhaps six tables and 10 stools, serving an aggressively rotated 12 taps. Buy one of the 800 other beers and they will open it for you in the bar. One can carry a draft beer (or bottle) with them as they shop. The bar sells flatbread style pizzas that are large and quite reasonably priced. Tell the friendly onwer what you are looking for, i.e. local beers, and he knows right where they are. A wonderful experience. |
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Bier-Spezialitäten-Laden
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| Drinks of the World Directly below Brasserie Federal, one floor down, is a beer store... |
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The Wine Source Located just off The Avenue in Hampden, hon, is the Wine Source. We don't know why they don't put the word "Beer" in the name, as the folks there tell us that they carry about 1100 different brands, and are getting in new beers all the time. The Wine Source is excellent for a Questor as they have tons of sixpacks, plus many individual pints, bombers, and 750's. Included here is a tremendous variety of Belgians. They have a large shelf containing individual 12 oz. bottles, from which you can mix a sixpack at a 10% discount. I found the staff very helpful.
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The Perfect Pour Located in a large shopping center just off the intersection of Rts. 108 and 175, The Perfect Pour has a sizable portion of their floorspace given over to beer. The have hundreds of varieties, mostly micros and imports, including a vast number of Belgians. You can also find a nice selection of beer glasses. The staff is extremely helpful and will aid you in your selections if that is necessary. Of particular importance to Questors...you can mix a six pack; all beers are also sold singly. Call to inquire about their next tasting, or better still, visit. |
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Frank's Cut Rate Liquors
Nestled away on a residential street in a corner of Hampden sits Frank's Liquors. Although not a gargantuan outlet, Frank's has a large, well-planned selection of microbrews and imports. They carry well over 100 brands, and if they don't have what you are looking for, they will try and get it for you. Selection and service are what helped Frank's win a City Paper Best of Baltimore Award. |
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Jason's Wine and Spirits 9339 Baltimore National Pike - Jason's is an upscale establishment that carries a few hundred varieties of microbrews and imports. Jason's has a large selection of individual European half-liter and pint bottles of unusual beers and ales. |
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Super Discount 5605 Baltimore National
Pike Doesn't look like much from the outside, you'd expect maybe malt liquor? But Super Discount has around 500 varieties of microbrews and imports, including Belgian and specialty beers. Oh yes, the prices are great. |
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Total Discount Liquors 1438 Liberty Road, Total Discount Liquors, with a 10,000 sq. ft. store, offers an outstanding selection of imports, micros, and hard-to-find single bottles. Pictured is their mix-a-sixpack shelf which is an economical boon for a Questor. It's worth the drive to Eldersburg. |
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Corridor Fine Wine 3321 Fort Meade Rd. Look at the sign. The Quest firmly believes that the word "beer" should be displayed. Wine notwithstanding, Corridor is a beer-hunter's paradise, giving Questors the opportunity to search through hundreds of arcane microbrews and imports, including many Belgians. Pictured is the Mix-A-Six shelf, both intriguing and economic for a Questor. Inventory includes cigars and gifts, and the staff is efficient. A Foamee favorite, Corridor is conveniently located near the B-W Parkway.
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Wells Discount Liquors
6310 York Road Baltimore, MD 21212 Email: wellswine@aol.com Phone: 410-435-2700 |
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Wells has been
named Baltimore's Best Liquor Store at least 5 times, and with good
reason. With 1200-1400 different beers in stock, its the champ in my
book. Aside from numerous 6-packs, Wells has an unrivaled selection
of single bottles from around the world...Belgium, The U.K., Germany,
Eastern Europe...a field day for a Questor. Salespeople are helpful,
I have not been disappointed in freshness so far, and they offer a wide
variety of beer glasses.
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The Belgian Shelf |
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Guess what? It's near the beltway. For cryin' out loud...put BEER in the name. |
Beltway Fine Wine 8727 Loch Raven Blvd. 1000 different beers and they don't even have "Beer" in the name? Oh well, trust us, they have beer. A varied mix of micros, imports, and single bottles. They do have a large selection of single 12-oz. bottles, but no discount for a sixpack. Salespeople were helpful...one guy went out of his way to give me directions to Racers. Beltway is worth a visit. |
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Honeygo Wines and Spirits Honeygo Wine & Spirits may just be the "Perfect Pour of the East." The beer list is simply amazing for such a small place. Around 500 beers in total, most of which are sold as singles with a 10% discount on a mix pack. The beers are rotated out every couple of weeks so there's a new selection all the time. The imports include many Belgians, Germans, and U.K. offerings with myriad other countries represented. The microbrew section is impressive, with several hard to find beers. Bernie and his staff are fantastic and will gladly help you out (even going so far as to order a particular beer you want). |
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Staples Corner Liquors Located in the Crofton-Gambrills area, Staples Corner is a pleasant surprise in a region not ordinarily known for beer variety. The store stocks hundreds of micros and imports, and has a large selection of bombers, 750's and Belgians. Proprietor John Fisher is always looking for new brews to stock and is willing to take suggestions from his customers, even if they be tall, staggering, chiorish Englishmen. Staples Corner also offers a small rack of mix-and-match bottles, and they definitely merit a visit |
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State
Line Liquors Plain and unassuming,
just a stone's throw from Delaware, you'd never know from it's storefront
that State Line is a beer hunter's jackpot. They carry somewhere between
800 and 1000 different beers, neatly stockpiled, macros, micros, and
imports. |
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Bella Vista Beer Distributors738 S 11TH St 38,000 square feet of beer! Whoa! Although no one was quite sure how many different brands of beer are carried here, it's got to be around 1000. And don't forget the kegs, sixtels, cigars, and glassware. The staff was extremely helpful in assisting this Questor to make his selections. There were brands of beer here I haven't seen anywhere else. There were also variety packs from breweries I didn't even know existed. Asia, Europe, American micros and TV beers...all were liberally represented. And there is even a cathedral-like Belgian Corner. It has to be seen to be believed, and any Questor in Philly has to hit Bella Vista. |
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Capone's Restaurant & Beer Capone's has been voted the #1 Beer Store in Pennsylvania, probably due to the reason that they have tucked 600 different brands into a very small outlet attached to the restaurant. They weren't cheap, as evidenced by the fact that I walked out with two boxes of beers for about $150, but there were some hard-to-find ones here. It's worth the effort if you're in Norristown. |
Beer Mart A place to stop for cases when you're in Reading. Only five minutes from Canal Street Pub! Excellent array of imports, macros, and micros. I've never seen so many microbrew variety cases...never bought so many, either.
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Brewers' Outlet Though there are several outlets in the Lancaster area, I prefer this one, as we can jump off of Rt. 30 East and easily exit to Rt. 222 North to Adamstown. Brewer's Outlet has great beer, great prices, and great variety.
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Quick 6 Beer Mart This was a nice find. About 200 different kinds of beer, in 6-packs and single bottles. The inside was mostly tables...you could buy a beer,open it up, and sit and talk. They made sandwiches, and I even saw a guy get a cold pitcher of beer. A great place for a Questor or anyone else to frequent.
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Springfield Beer Distributor |
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| Stone's Beverage Center Don't judge it from the exterior...go in and see Stone's selection of beers. They are helpful and have hundreds to choose from.
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Pletcher's Beer Distributor Pletcher's
offers the largest selection of beers in State College. Regionals, macros,
micros, and imports, you won't be disappointed. They probably stock
about 350 brands. The staff was friendly, numerous, and eager to help. |
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The Foodery Jack Lee's Foodery is a deli, convenience store, and beer emporium extradonaire. Stocking over 700 different beers, Jack and his helpful staff will be glad to advise you on your next beer tasting, dinner, or fest...or you may just want to browse on your own. They have a second location in Northern Liberties, and a third is on the way. |
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Spry Beer & Soda The first thing you need to know about a Pennsylvania Beer Distributor is that you have to buy a whole case. Having said that, Spry has hundreds of different beers to choose from, including many locals, micros, and imports. The prices are good, and the crowd is friendly. Stop in on your way up or down I-83. |
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The Beer Centre I stumbled across this gem whilst searching for another distributor which must have closed. I'm glad the Beer Centre was open. Hundreds of beers available...some great Pennsylvania micros, imports, U.S. micros, and offbeat brews at great prices. Remember out-of-staters...you have to buy it by the case. |
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Fenwick Beer & Wine Located in a cottage amid an urban setting of tall office and apartment buildings, the one-time living room of this tidy little dwelling is home to over 400 different U.S. craft beers and imports. And that number is growing. There is on-site parking, the interior is clean and well-lit, and Fenwick Beer & Wine hosts beer and wine tastings every Friday afternoon. This Questor found a couple of African beers here that he had never encountered anywhere else. |
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| Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits Located in the heart of Chevy Chase, just south of the circle, lies one of the best beer selections in the whole region. Chevy Chase W & S offers over 1200 (I didn't count) varieties of beer, mostly in individual bottles. Each one is tagged, telling the price of the individual bottle or 6-pack. Needless to say, there are micros and imports that you won't find anywhere else nearby. There are plenty of Belgians, bombers, and offbeat offerings. Staff was helpful and knew their stuff. Give it a try...it's worth negotiating the traffic. |
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Astor Liquors Inc. 364 Domer Ave. 301-776-7585 I had not visited Astor Liquors in several years, and was I surprised to find a selection of well over 300 different beers, including many micros, and a rich selection of single bottles including British, Belgians and Euros. Conveniently located right on Route 1, Astor is worth visiting and worth going back to. |
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18208 Village Center Drive Olney, MD 20832 301-774-7593 I got it from a reliable source that Olney is most likely the best beer retailer in Montgomery County. I won't argue. They have hundreds of brands, including many different single bottles, which is helpful to the Questor.There are many micros and imports, with a vast array of Belgians. You should check it out. |
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Throx Country Store You would never know it from the exterior. There are no flashing beer signs or brewery logos. Yet Throx Country Store has as extensive a selection of beers as you are likely to find in the area. I didn't count, and the young person who helped me wasn't sure, but I would guess they have several hundred different beers. They have a large selection of bomber bottles, and many more six packs...and this is important...the customer can purchase one beer out of any sixpack in the store and mix-and-match. The store also sells gourmet deli subs, sandwiches, and barbecue. In addition, they feature all kinds of salads and gifts. |
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Rick's Wine & Gourmet Things were hopping on a Saturday afternoon at Rick's. Beer, wine, and food samples were all being dispensed by the staff, and beers were moving out in vast quantities. There were no cases as far as I could see, no macrobrews...just over 400 different brands of microbrews and imports; many hard to come by. It is a haven for the Questor, especially one from out of town. If you are anywhere near Rick's, stop on in. You'll end up filling your trunk. |
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Norm's Beer & Wine Don't let the outside
fool you...Norm has about 400 different beers tucked back in his corner
location in this Vienna strip center. Norm himself was very helpful
as to making selections, and has a great selection of micros, imports,
and individual bottles. Questors
do not want to miss Norm's if anywhere in the area. |
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Finger
Lakes Beverage info@fingerlakesbeverage.com This is the niftiest beer store I've ever been in. It's like a museum or library... an homage to beer. Not enormous, but not too small either, there is aisle after aisle of nothing but beer; they advertise that they have over 600. Each aisle is the same: cases on the lowest level, 6-packs at chest level, and singles at eye level. The first aisle is imports, some common, some obscure. Then 3 more aisles of nothing but american craft beers. They have a long shelf of Belgian Bombers, and a complete display of Unibrou products. And all kinds of locals I hadn't seen before.I didn't discern any order...locals, regions, and nationals were jumbled together. As I was checking out I noticed that I had missed a nook that had macros and soft drinks. There's always next time !!
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Ashbrook Liquor Outlet
They have a nice selection for West Virginia. About 100 different beers. Bombers, micros, regionals, plus the standards.
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"He was a wise man who invented beer" ... Plato |
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