Where do you buy your beer? (Pittsburgh, West Mifflin: chapel, homes, buying)

[sstrasser86]

Im new to pgh as of today, and ive come to the realization that I cant just go to my local grocery store and pick up a two-four.

So I ask you, where do you go for your beer. Im talking best selection, microbrews, best prices. Is there a chain of stores that sell beer?

Im living in the shadyside area, but im willing to travel a little for great beer.

Thanks

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

D's Six Pack in Regent Square would be number one on my list for selection. They have the "Beer Cave" in the back where you can mix and match six packs.

[BrianTH]

We live in Regent Square and either buy mixed six packs at D's (a bottle shop--bottle shops are bars/restaurants where you can buy bottles or six packs to go) or cases at McBroom's (a beer distributor, which can't sell smaller units than cases and kegs). They have the same owner. Prices aren't the lowest but the selection is pretty good. Note D's takes $6 off six packs whether solo or mixed, so despite the high list prices that isn't a terrible deal if you want to try a bunch of different stuff without committing to more than a bottle at a time.

House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington (a bottle shop) has some good buzz, but that is too much of a haul for us so I have never gone. Same deal with Vecenie's, a distributor in Millvale.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by sstrasser86

Im new to pgh as of today, and ive come to the realization that I cant just go to my local grocery store and pick up a two-four.

So I ask you, where do you go for your beer. Im talking best selection, microbrews, best prices. Is there a chain of stores that sell beer?

Im living in the shadyside area, but im willing to travel a little for great beer.

Thanks

Time for your first lesson in PA's insipid alcohol laws.

If you want to buy wine or hard liquor, you have to buy it in a state-run store, where the employees can't provide anything approximating customer service lest they be seen to favor one brand over another. It also means their selection is based not so much on customer preference as on what they can get their hands on cheaply. If there's an upside, it's that you don't have to bother shopping around, because they'll all have the same selection at the same prices.

If you want to buy beer at a sane retail price, you have to buy it from a distributor. Minimum quantity: one case. And it can't be a "mix-and-match" case either -- it has to be a single variety.

If you want to buy a six-pack of bottles, or just a few singles here and there, you have to get them at an establishment that also sells it for consumption on-premises; and said establishment is also required to serve food. Translation: you have to buy them at a bar or restaurant, which means paying bar/restaurant prices for them. Many will offer a discount of 10% or so for every group of six bottles you buy, and the discount typically applies to mix-and-match sixers as well. But in any case expect a six-pack of halfway decent beer to run at least $12 or so. Some "bottle shops" are operating on the very margins of the law by acting primarily as dedicated beer stores that happen to have a little 3-table sandwich shop stuffed back in the corner. They tend to be a little cheaper than the places that are bars/restaurants first and bottle shops second. Maximum quantity you can buy for carry-out from a non-distributor (where, I remind you, the minimum quantity is a case) is 192 ounces (or 16 12-oz bottles) per purchase. If you want to buy more, you ring up your first 192 ounces, carry it out to your car, go back in, and buy the rest.

The "bottle shop with a sandwich counter that serves no other purpose but to be technically compliant with a stupid law" places are starting to gain popularity and are popping up around town. A good resource to locate good beer bars, breweries/brewpubs and bottle shops is the Pittsburgh listings at ratebeer dot com. Ratebeer ranks each place on a scale from 1-100 based on user input. The top 5 ranked bottle shops there are D's SixPax n' Dogz (a legit hot dog joint in addition to an incredible bottle shop), House of 1000 Beers, Barley's and Hop's, 3 Sons Dogs & Suds, and The Beer Store. The good news for you is that the best one on the list (D's) is also the closest one to you, less than a 10-minute drive.

if you're up for buying a case, the only two distributors that Ratebeer considers even worthy of mention are Vecenie and McBroom.

[bradjl2009]

You can also buy beer at the following Giant Eagle stores:
Washington Giant Eagle, 331 Washington Road, Washington, PA 15301
Monroeville Giant Eagle, 4010 Monroeville Boulevard, Monroeville, PA 15146
West View Giant Eagle, 1029 West View Park Drive, West View, PA 15229
Pine Township Giant Eagle, 155 Towne Centre Drive, Wexford, PA 15090
Century Plaza Giant Eagle, 9901 Mountainview Drive, West Mifflin, PA 15122
Waterfront Giant Eagle, 420 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
Hempfield Giant Eagle, 6204 Route 30 (Hempfield Square SC), Greensburg, PA 15601
Donaldsons Crossroads Giant Eagle, 4007 Washington Road, McMurray, PA 15317
Seven Fields Giant Eagle, 206 Seven Fields Boulevard, Seven Fields, PA 16046
New Kensington Giant Eagle, 200 Tarentum Bridge Road, New Kensington, PA 15068
Allegheny Towne Center Giant Eagle, 41 Towne Center Drive, Leechburg, PA 15656
Brentwood Giant Eagle, 600 Towne Square Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15227
Market District Robinson 100 Settlers Ridge Center Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15205

Here's a list of their beer list Giant Eagle - Our Beer List.

[Drover]

Do these places have eat-in delis or something?

[Honest Bob]

Not to be combative Eh - but all he wanted to do was buy a 2-4, not get a history lesson.

When in Greensburg - I buy all my beer at Jablonsky's.

Jablonsky Distributing Co in Greensburg, PA 15601 - (724) 834-2958

Us Slavish people got to stick together.
PA law prohibits a beer distributor from advertising.

Jablonsky's carries Straub Beer - St. Mary's PA

I bet you are looking for some good Carling Black Label.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Drover

Do these places have eat-in delis or something?

Exactly--they have a food service area and got the state to agree to grant them a six-pack license. I believe you have to buy the beer there, as opposed to ringing it up at the normal checkouts.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Honest Bob

Not to be combative Eh - but all he wanted to do was buy a 2-4, not get a history lesson.

LOL, nor did he ask for a legal brief LOL!~~

[deathegg88]

Originally Posted by Drover

.......where the employees can't provide anything approximating customer service lest they be seen to favor one brand over another. It also means their selection is based not so much on customer preference as on what they can get their hands on cheaply.

I disagree. At least for me...I go to the Fox Chapel state store in the Waterworks; that place is HUGE. They have a great selection, the people there are always helpful, and order something for me if they happen to not have it. Also they never hesitate to recommend something they have in the store. Not sure what PA store you go to, but you should try another location.