Best Places To Buy Your Favorite Beer

Whether you're looking for a specific beer or just want to explore new options, there are plenty of resources to help you find your favourite brew. From mobile apps like TapHunter and BeerMenus to websites like RateBeer and Hop Culture, you can discover local bars, restaurants, and bottle shops that offer a wide variety of beers. If you're looking to buy beer online, you can check out platforms like CraftShack, Untappd Shop, and Brewvana, which offer unique selections and deliver right to your doorstep. So, whether you're a craft beer enthusiast or just looking for a cold one, these tools can guide you to the perfect pour.

Local bottle shops

For instance, City Swiggers, an Upper East Side staple in New York City, offers a great selection of reliable beers and new releases from breweries like Barrier, Grimm, and Interboro. Similarly, Top Hops Beer Shop, a quintessential NYC bottle shop, provides a robust craft beer education curriculum along with highly sought-after beers.

St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe in Brooklyn may not boast the largest selection, but it makes up for it with curated lists of draft beers, bottles, and cans. Owner-operated shops like Alphabet City Beer Co. (ABC Beer Co.) are also excellent choices, as the owner's expertise can guide you in selecting the perfect beer.

Some bottle shops are also associated with breweries, making them ideal for those who want to try new beers or seek out specific releases. These shops often have exclusive collaborations and limited-edition beers that can enhance your drinking experience.

Additionally, many local bottle shops now offer online ordering and delivery services, making it even more convenient to get your favourite beers without leaving your home.

Online beer delivery services

• Craftshack: Craftshack is an online store that offers a diverse range of craft beers, including IPAs, stouts, sours, and more. They provide detailed descriptions of each beer, highlighting the ABV, commercial description, and price. Craftshack also offers gift boxes, cocktail kits, and a subscription service for regular deliveries.
• Tavour: Tavour is a beer delivery app that brings unique craft beers from top breweries across the country straight to your doorstep. Their selection includes highly-rated IPAs, stouts, sours, and other styles, with new beers dropping daily. Tavour is a great option for those seeking variety and the opportunity to discover new brews.
• Sipsy: Sipsy is a beer delivery service based in Los Angeles, offering a large selection of beer, including imported, craft, and local options. They carry various types of beer, such as IPAs, Japanese beer, Belgian beer, and more. Sipsy provides free delivery within 30-60 minutes in select areas of LA, ensuring that your beer stays cold and is ready to drink upon arrival.
• Beverages2U: Beverages2U provides alcohol and beer delivery services in Pennsylvania and Virginia, with plans to expand to other states soon. They offer a wide range of craft, import, and domestic beers, as well as non-alcoholic options. Beverages2U also has subscription options for weekly or monthly automatic restocking, providing a 5% discount on all subscription purchases.
• DoorDash: DoorDash is a well-known delivery platform that offers alcohol delivery in certain locations. While they deliver a range of alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, liquor, and seltzers, the availability may vary depending on your area.
• Uber Eats: Uber Eats has expanded its services to include alcohol delivery, filling the gap left by Drizly, which is no longer in service. Uber Eats can handle all your alcohol delivery needs, providing a convenient way to order your favourite beers and other alcoholic beverages directly to your door.

Each of these online beer delivery services offers a unique selection of beers and covers different delivery areas, so be sure to check their websites for more information on availability and pricing.

Brewery websites and apps

Many breweries now have their own websites and apps to help customers find and restock their favourite beers or discover new releases. Beer fans can also rate and review beers on sites like BeerAdvocate and Untappd, the world's largest social media craft beer networking app with over 11 million fans worldwide. Untappd has recently launched its own e-commerce platform, the Untappd Shop, which offers over 250 beers in collaboration with some of the best breweries in the country. The app also puts together exclusive, limited-edition bundles and quarterly beer boxes stuffed with rare and highly-rated beers.

Another app, Oznr, allows users to sign up for brewery bottle societies and membership clubs, and stay updated on discounts, deals, and news from their favourite breweries. The app is currently available in select cities and is adding more top-tier breweries to its roster.

CraftShack is an online marketplace that connects consumers with retailers, servicing orders between customers and smaller, craft-centric bottleshops. Customers can also save on shipping by ordering larger quantities.

For those who want to try craft beers from all over America, Brewvana's Brews Less Traveled Beer Club is a travelling beer box subscription that visits a new American city every month, hand-selecting local brews to send to its members.

Half Time is a New York-based virtual bottle shop that offers one of the largest selections of beer and cider around. Customers can order anything from a single can of beer to a whole case, with shipping available to select states. The platform also offers Beer & Cider of the Month Clubs for those looking to expand their horizons.

Tavour is another app that lets customers fill up a box over time with a rotating selection of beers before shipping out the full package.

Beer-focused social media apps

There are a plethora of beer-focused apps available to download, each with its own unique features and capabilities. Here is an overview of some of the most popular and notable ones:

Untappd

Untappd is one of the most well-known and widely used beer-focused social media apps. It is a comprehensive platform with over nine million registered users, making it the largest social network for craft beer enthusiasts globally. The app allows users to "check-in" to various beers, rate them, upload pictures, and connect with other beer enthusiasts. One of its standout features is the ability to search for nearby bars, breweries, and beers, making it perfect for those looking to explore new and uncommon microbrews. Untappd also provides a trending beers section and allows users to earn badges for checking in, adding a fun and engaging element to the beer-tracking experience.

Beer With Me

Beer With Me is a social application with a unique focus on connecting friends over their shared enjoyment of alcoholic beverages. The app allows users to notify their friends when they are drinking, inviting them to join. It offers a simple interface with a big drink button to select your beverage of choice and either check-in or open a map to find friends already at the pub. While the app provides a fun way to connect with others, some users have suggested improvements such as enabling direct engagement between users and the ability to create friend groups.

BJCP Styles

BJCP Styles is an app derived from the Beer Judge Certification Program, serving as an extensive encyclopedia for beer lovers. It provides detailed information on almost all styles of beer, including light lagers, pilsners, meads, and ciders, along with their aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, ingredients, and history. This app is ideal for homebrewers, beer judges, and enthusiasts who want to deepen their knowledge of different beer styles.

BeerMenus

BeerMenus is an app that goes beyond just providing menus. It offers users the ability to explore the tap lists and stock lists of their local bars and beer stores. Additionally, users can create a list of beers they've tried and follow individual beers, receiving notifications when they become available. This app is perfect for those who want to stay ahead of the game and be the first to try new releases.

BreweryDB

For those with wanderlust and a love for craft beer, BreweryDB is a must-have app. It allows users to plan the ultimate brewery road trip, providing a map to search and filter for nearby breweries, tracking brewery tours and hours. Users can also create personalized boards to curate collections of their favorite beers, breweries, and brewery routes.

Drizly

Drizly is a convenient app-based service that delivers craft beer, wine, and liquor directly to your doorstep. With Drizly, you can order a variety of craft beers in 12-packs, six-packs, or by the bottle, and have them delivered in under an hour in most cases. The app also offers scheduled deliveries, making it perfect for planning ahead for special occasions or gatherings.

These apps showcase the diverse range of beer-focused social media platforms available today, each catering to different needs and interests within the beer community. Whether you're a casual drinker, a craft beer enthusiast, or a homebrewer, there's an app to enhance your beer-related experiences and connect you with like-minded individuals.

Local breweries

Cincinnati, Ohio

The Cincy Region is known for its breweries, with over 80 across the region. The area's brewing history dates back over 200 years, when German immigrants added traditional lager styles to classic ales brewed by English and Irish settlers.

Today, you can find a range of unique American beer styles and fun taprooms to enjoy a cold one. Some popular spots include:

• Rhinegeist Brewery: A kid-friendly taproom where you can play ping pong, corn hole, and wiffle ball.
• MadTree Brewing: Grab a wood-fired pizza with your brew.
• Urban Artifact: Sample real fruit sour beers in a historic church setting.
• Braxton Brewing: Raise a glass on the rooftop with a view of downtown Covington.
• Third Eye Brewing: Located in the Northern Lights District of Sharonville, you can pair your beer with a bite to eat.

There are plenty of other breweries in Cincinnati, each with its own unique atmosphere and offerings.

Burlington, Vermont

Burlington is known for its love of beer, and its craft beer scene is deep-rooted in the culture and livelihood of the city. The greater Burlington area offers a plethora of great beer options, with half a dozen of Vermont's top breweries within a 5-minute drive of the city centre.

Some notable breweries in and around Burlington include:

• Burlington Beer Company (BBCO): Located along Flynn Ave in the South End, brewing some of the region's best beers.
• Switchback Brewing Co.: A pillar in the South End brewing community, offering unfiltered and naturally carbonated beers.
• Zero Gravity Brewery: A popular watering hole for craft beer lovers, located inside American Flatbread.
• Simple Roots Brewing: Passionate about crafting quality, easy-drinking beers.
• Vermont Pub and Brewery: Vermont's original craft brewpub, founded by a renowned craft-brewing pioneer.

There are also several other breweries in the Burlington area, each bringing its own twist of flavours and ideas to the taproom.

Frequently asked questions