Brilbeck's Corner Market

Brilbeck's Corner MarketBrilbeck's Corner Market
Brilbeck's Corner MarketBrilbeck's Corner Market
Store

200 Avery Ave
Syracuse, New York, 13204-1828
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.71
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
33
pDev:
17.52%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Cooker_stp:
Photo of Cooker_stp
Rated by Cooker_stp from New York

4.48/5  rDev +20.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75

Dec 19, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of ClavisAurea
Reviewed by ClavisAurea from New York

1/5  rDev -73%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1
Drove by today and there seems to be a massive renovation in progress inside and out. I do not believe the store is open right now and I have no idea when they plan to reopen. I'll check back periodically. I'll also update my rating when something changes.
Oct 13, 2015
Photo of Woody13209
Rated by Woody13209

4.31/5  rDev +16.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Mike is very knowledgeable! Pretty good selection. It should be getting even better soon.
Jul 18, 2015
Photo of CNoj012
Rated by CNoj012 from New York

5/5  rDev +34.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Fantastic selection, great prices, whales every now and again
May 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.6 by Soloveitchik from New York

Nov 29, 2014
Photo of Brenden
Reviewed by Brenden from Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
Brilbeck's is a cool little place, bigger on the inside. It's a little tight but not terribly cramped between the aisles. The selection is good. It carries lots of locals and plenty of bombers and 750s. There are a few singles in 12 oz. bottles or cans, but I do wish there were more. It's almost got a "back room" space toward the rear of the store, which is a little more sparsely stocked. The guy at the counter both times I've been was a middling sort of salesman. He wasn't completely aloof, but he was passively interactive, so to speak. It is a cool place worth a look around where you will find something to take home.
Oct 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by dzlle25 from New York

Jun 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Edward19 from New York

May 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

May 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by AMCimpi from New York

May 19, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by MichaelStoudBeard from New York

Jan 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Baab200 from New York

Dec 07, 2013
Photo of Edwaka01
Reviewed by Edwaka01 from New York

4.44/5  rDev +19.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Stopped in early in the morning to kick my Syracuse beer-day off right.

A - tiny little corner store on a back street in a decent neighborhood. Inside is cramped, but there is a nice small-place vibe here. I dig it.

Q - Beers (from what I inspected) were all reasonably up to date, and most were either in the cooler (cold) or on racks in a store that was fairly dimly lit (no light-struck bottles).

S - I asked the man working - maybe the owner - if there was anything new/exciting/rare. He led me around the store and pointed out a few things he didn't see ofter (Ten Fidy, Pearl Jam, Oak Yeti) and a few other things he thought I'd like based on my tastes (stouts/porters/barleywines).

S - Not a huge store, so what can you expect? Found stuff here I'd not seen before, and a bunch of other cool things.

I think they had subs/deli food, but I didn't get anything but beer.

Side note: I went here before heading to The other Syracuse beer store (that one) and was blown away by the superior selection and customer service here at Brilbeck's. CHEERS BRILBECK's
Feb 08, 2012
Photo of Lawl3ss
Reviewed by Lawl3ss from Texas

4.41/5  rDev +18.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
One of the better stores and a bit of a legend in the Syracuse area- definitely my personal favorite. The place actually has billboard space around the Syracuse University campus about three miles away- pretty unusual for a corner shop that's about the size of a two-car garage.
The larger Wegmans may have them beat for selection and sometimes price, but not by much, and it takes three times as long to navigate the megastores.

Located in the historic Tipperary (Tipp) Hill Irish neighborhood, there are at least six pubs within four blocks or so of this place if the selection isn't to your liking, though the atmosphere at a couple of them isn't terribly different. It's family owned and operated, and if you stop in more than once it's likely you'll get to know the staff. They can be a bit brusque at first, but they take care of their regulars and will order in just about anything you can think of if they can and take requests for the growler offerings. They also host beer sampling from local-ish brewers a couple dozen times a year, which is nice, though the poor guys are always at a pretty cramped-looking foldout table in the only corner available.

As for selection- They've got most of the local and regional brews available, and pull in offerings from most of New England in addition to the bigger national craft breweries. They also have an unusual number of large-bottle European imports, mostly from the UK or Belgium. There's a rotating tap/growler selection, and usually a couple oddball offerings sitting on the counter up front, usually surplus from a one-off order for a customer. At a bar I once overheard a warehouse guy for one of the local distributers complaining about how he hated filling orders for Brillbeck's thanks to the number of line items that had to be double-checked. I'd estimate that they have about 150-200 beers from 50 or so breweries available at any given time.

If I have to say something bad about the store, it's their "waste nothing" policy, you'll generally see last month's Saranac seasonal advertised by the front door getting cheaper every week. $10 for a case is terrific, but shandy in October? Similarly, a lot of the higher-end beers in the mixer rack are approaching (or sometimes past) their best-by dates.
Jan 02, 2012
Photo of Reagan1984
Reviewed by Reagan1984 from Massachusetts

2.6/5  rDev -29.9%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 2.5
This is the highest rated beer store in Syracuse??? Serious?

Wow, talk about perspective... I must be so spoiled living in the greater Boston area. I am not trying to be dramatic, but this place's selection and atmosphere wouldn't hit the top 50% of craft stores in MA. I realize this may sound bombastic, but I don't really mean it this way. I am just trying to compare this location to the stores I shop at every week.

This is a tiny corner store in a residential area with a decent selection. Nothing special and a really cramped floor space. The guy working the counter really had no idea what I was asking about and didn't seem up to talking about their selection.

I grabbed a six of Flower Power and got out of Dodge. They did sell growlers and the three beers on tap were Harpoon IPA, Smuttynose IPA and Sierra Nevada Celebration. Decent choices. I can't fairly provide perspective vs. other stores in the Syracuse area, but this would be below average where I live. BTW, the Wegman's that I visited near my hotel had essentially the same selection.
Dec 20, 2011
Photo of rlee1390
Reviewed by rlee1390 from Indiana

3.86/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Stopped by after a trip to Syracuse for the NYS High School Football championship.

As the name suggests it is a corner store. It have an aisle or two of actual food; peanut butter, bread, cereal. Nothing special but they sell more than beer.

In the back of the tiny store they have a decent selection of beer. A bunch of local stuff, Ithaca, Southern Tier, Middle Ages etc.

Wide range of all the Sam Adams and Magic Hat beers, even the recent short batch series from SA. Good selection of DFH, even have some WWS for 7.99 and a variety of their 750mL.

There was a mix a six option, I didn't really investigate as the beers offered were ones I've already had (Smuttynose and Brooklyn regulars).

Price is the best part of this store, as I said the WWS was cheap, SN Northern Hemisphere was 3.99. All around good deals.
Nov 26, 2011
Photo of keithmurray
Reviewed by keithmurray from Connecticut

3.33/5  rDev -10.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5
Brilbeck's - visited this place last week on a trip to the SYR.

This is a little corner store and they have a pretty good selection of american craft and some imports. The import portfolio isn't as strong, as they have Chimay/Belhaven/Unibroue/Duvel. The domestic craft was pretty good, they had a lot of regional brews such as 3HB, SYracuse Brewing, Ithaca, Cooperstown and Dundee. They also carried stuff like Lagaunitas, Avery, Stone and Great Divide. The prices were fair for what they were selling, most 6 packs didnt exceed 9.99. Service here was non existant, as they had some girl who looked like she was cbout 20 years old working the register. I asked if they had mix a six pack option, but they only allow certain bottles to be mixed and what they had in th emix a six section was unappealing. Overall, this is a decent place to search for craft if you are in the Syracuse area.
Nov 07, 2011
Photo of CaptDavyJones
Reviewed by CaptDavyJones from New York

4.44/5  rDev +19.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
There is nothing more to add than what has already been said by fellow reviewers about this place. Probably one of the best places in Syracuse for craft beer. Only one word can describe the selection of beer they have at this little grocery shop; HUGE.
Also, you can tell them to order beers that you are interested in, and they will try their best to get it.
Have got my hands on rare beers in this neck of the woods, like Avery's Mephistopheles, Beast Grand Cru and Samael's, DFH 120 minute amongst others. Definitely worth visiting if you are in the area.
The only negative I could think of is their make your own 6-pack section, which had some bottles past their expiration date. However, the cost of the 'make your own 6-pack' is cheaper than other stores (Wegmans for example). Some of the 22 oz bombers are also past expiration date (however, most of them are high ABV).
Oct 16, 2011
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Places like this are a gem to find; not big, not fancy, located in a quiet neighborhood, and is a small town "mom and pop" sort of vibe to the store. The store is tiny and for a tiny store, the selection is vast. Compared to a much larger store, it can't compete, however, the beers they do offer are a solid representation of good mainstream craft brew. Some of the brewers represented (but not all): Southern Tier, Stone, Heavy Seas, Breckenridge, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Avery, BrewDog, Smuttynose, Weyerbacher, Middle Ages, Ithaca, Duvel, Chimay, Three Heads, and a myriad of others I can't recall right now! For a tiny store, the selection was stellar, but, I was a little concerned because there's alot of bottles being stored on the shelf in a store that didn't appear to have AC, I was there at 9:30 PM and it was very warm inside, thus warm bottles on the shelf. Needless to say, the beers I purchased came from the coolers because I didn't trust the heat. I also want to say, one of the bartenders at the Dinosaur recommended this place.
Sep 13, 2011
Photo of fmccormi
Reviewed by fmccormi from California

3.6/5  rDev -3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4
Brilbeck's is a nice little find in Syracuse. They have a good and interesting selection, with a large cooler. It's amazing how much and how many beers they somehow cram into that little space, but I'm glad they do.

There really is no atmosphere or service to speak of, since it's a corner store. Prices are fine, generally about what you'd expect to find anywhere else. Nothing is discounted, unfortunately, seeing as some of the beers there are definitely out of date. They also have three taps, though I've never filled there.

Expect to find most of the widely-available craft breweries there (in both six-/ four-pack form, and bombers), like Stone, Full Sail, Lagunitas, Rogue, DFH, Great Divide, Boulder, etc. Also, expect to find some of the less-distributed Northeastern breweries, like Clown Shoes, Middle Ages, Southern Tier, Sly Fox, Weyerbacher, Smuttynose, and Ommegang. In addition, they have an interesting selection of Belgian and Belgian-style cork & cage bottles, like Unibroue and Maredsous -- definitely unexpected for a corner store.

Overall, a nice find, and covers my beer needs in Syracuse when I want something beyond the purview of Wegmans.
Apr 18, 2011
Photo of mbusster88
Reviewed by mbusster88 from New York

3.55/5  rDev -4.3%
This place is so small most would probably pass right by it. However, after just a few minutes inside you can find some great stuff. Lots of Stone and random bombers from different brewers. Cooler has a decent selection of cold stuff ready to drink. The six pack section is decent, some stuff I have not seen before. Boxes of loose bombers on the floor are cool to open up, sometimes holding something rare or odd. Seems like the inventory turns over enough to not worry about dates, however, so much of it is bottle conditioned so no worries. They always have a few beers on tap for refills, 3 I think. Staff is nice if you ask a question, otherwise they manage the rest of the store. Definitely a friendly place to go with good prices and a nice selection.
Nov 17, 2010
Photo of Metalmonk
Reviewed by Metalmonk from North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
I love these sorts of places, the beer stores that look like they couldn't possibly stock more than Bud Light and your usual sort of stuff. This is just your typical, nothin'-special neighborhood corner market from the looks of it, but a few steps in and you realize that they've got a serious selection of beer.

There are lots of local NY/PA/Northeast breweries represented, and I picked up some bottles by Pretty Things, Long Trail and others that I don't have access to in Virginia. Lots of Belgians too, and the usual German and English imports. Very much American craft-centric, though. The girl working the counter was pleasant enough, although she was busy texting or something behind the counter. No big deal, as we didn't need any help anyway.

The aisles are real tight, especially in the very back where you're basically doing all you can to fit between the shelves and have a look. And DO look, as I found some cool stuff hanging out on the usually-overlooked bottom shelves. My only caveat is that some of this stuff has been her awhile: they have Pretty Thing's Jack D'or that was bottled in Nov. 2009, and there were a few Great Lakes selections that have a best-buy date either already passed or coming up very soon. This is why I've given the "quality" rating a bump down the scale...but you can help with their turnover by visiting this off-the-beaten-path store. It's definitely a must-visit for any beer lover in the Syracuse area...
Aug 16, 2010
Photo of JustinJTisdale
Reviewed by JustinJTisdale from New York

5/5  rDev +34.8%
This is the greatest place in syracuse NY to buy beer. If the friendly staff and reasonable prices arent enough then the selection will completely blow your mind!

For a little hole in the wall grocery store they have literally everything. Its like some sort of interdimensional void where any beer you could think of off the top of your head exists in some corner of some shelf in this store and its priced for less than you expected.

The owners are very polite and somewhat knowledgable and more than willing to try to get any beer that they may not have (which has been rare for me). There stock is well kept and rotated and stored accordingly as well.

This place gives quality service a whole new meaning. Drop what your doing and go get a six pack there now!
Jan 19, 2010
Photo of craftaholic
Reviewed by craftaholic from New York

4.45/5  rDev +19.9%
This is surely a well kept secret in the syracuse area but is worth finding.

I recently went there after a visit to party source and I must say the only thing that PS has them beat on is the 'mixer sixer'. Now they do have a small selection but buyer beware it isn't anything past maybe 25 beers to choose from. If brilbeck's allowed such a thing as PS with the whole store then they would reign supreme.

That gripe aside lets get down to the nitty-gritty. They have an amazing selection of stuff you just can't find in this area. From rarities from DFH to even past Stone Vertical Epics. They aren't lying when they say they have the best selection around because there were things I wouldn't dream to find inside when I first walked down the crowded aisle. The store could use an update in terms of product display and size but it really is about content here and they had just what I was looking for to plunk down a pretty penny on my beloved suds.

An added bonus after my amazement to their selection, their management really is top notch. I asked if they had glassware available and his reply was "yeah ill give you some" I asked how much and he gave me and my friend 2 of the new sam adams pints each on the house. He then told us about the tastings that they do.

If you are in the 315 area then this is your one stop shop. Just dont expect the 'mix six' and you'll leave a happy camper.
Sep 21, 2009
Photo of mintjellie
Reviewed by mintjellie from Canada (ON)

3.3/5  rDev -11.1%
Additional note : Re-visited on June 5th, 2010. Noticed that the bottles of Maharaja were from June 2009. It's too bad that a lot of breweries don't date their products, because seeing that bottle of old DIPA made me pass on a lot of things that could have been fresh. They also could have been old though, too. I passed on Sly Fox Oddyssey. I passed on the Double Bastard. I passed on anything hop forward without a date, all because one DIPA was old stock. I ended up getting Great Divide Hercules because it was clearly dated as bottle at the end of April this year. I got the Arrogant Bastard figuring it's popular enough it should move fast. The entire point of this additional note? If the Maharaja was old, then anything on the shelves could have been old. Be careful buying anything hop forward here, as it might not be moving fast enough.

---

Beware the beers at the front of the store on the clearance rack. The ample selection at the back of the store are ok though. Some are a little dusty, but most of them seem ok. They must do a decent volume on their craft beer sales here.

Service was good enough. Never really tried talking beer with the lady stocking the shelves or the girl working cash, but they seemed extremely polite and didn't mind me taking my time in the extremely narrow aisles they were also trying to work in.

Good variety of American craft beers with a small selection of imports. I had a fair amount to choose from. The party source seemed to have a wider selection though.

According to the person I was visiting down there, some items were cheaper than The Party Source, and some items were more expensive. Prices seemed comparable to other places I've shopped in Syracuse (The Party Source, Wegmans).
Jul 07, 2009
Photo of Conrad
Reviewed by Conrad from Canada (ON)

4/5  rDev +7.8%
As a passing-through visitor, I am glad we had a GPS in the car, because Brilbeck's is a little hard to find if you are not a local.
Thanks to the picture on BeerFly, I knew what to expect. No disappointments. However, it is smaller inside than I would have thought. The selection was more than enough for my needs, and the folks were very helpful.
I would have liked to see more Belgians and a wider range of distant craft beers, but then again, it is a small corner store.
I will make the return trip next time I am through Syracuse.
Oct 30, 2008
Photo of williamherbert
Reviewed by williamherbert from New York

4.2/5  rDev +13.2%
A well-kept secret in the Syracuse area, Brilbecks is a tiny convenience store with a surprisingly good selection of beers. They have all the college-kid favorites such as Busch/Bud/Miller, etc. But you can also get good sixers of Dogfish Head, Brooklyn, Southern Tier, and lots lots more.

The cooler has a terrific selection 22oz beers as well as six- and twelve-packs. There is only a tiny amount of non-beer related fare in this bar (peanut butter, toilet paper) but if you are looking for a good quick-stop place to pick up some good beers, Brilbecks is a great place to start.
Sep 15, 2008
Photo of wailingwench
Reviewed by wailingwench from New Mexico

4/5  rDev +7.8%
Ahhh, Brilbecks. The little corner store that could. Finally made the drive from the University area after stumbling past the sign on Wescott Street that advertised the Most Beers on any Hill, or something to that extent.

Cheers: the prices here are way better than another store in town whom I will not mention. Coolers line the right side of the store, full to the gills of liquid goodness. Awesome selection of NY micros, especially Middle Ages. A MA sixer actually costs less here than at the brewery. The other half of the store consists of random munchies and tobacco products. True slackers paradise. Paper bags to hide your purchases from the prying eyes of the local fuzz.

Jeers: some of the brews belong in the Smithsonian. Beware of the clearence brew box located in the front of the store.
May 28, 2008
Photo of papat444
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
This is my second store i visited on my trip to Syracuse.
Buried in a residential area, has a corner store look to it & a look inside confirms this.
Guy at the cash was watching TV but was helpful.
Lots of great brews available but again, the dreaded "singles" selection was also lacking . Although a couple more types of single bottles were available, some of them were out-of-season seasonals & at least one was expired. Not good at all for me.
I ended up buying a Jahva, Dragonslayer & Okocom O.K. Beer. Have a good slection of beers at room temp or in coolers.
Overall, fairly ordinary place that i don't think i'll come back to.

Note: Don't buy Middle Ages bombers here (6.99$) when you can get them at Wegmans (Rte.11) for 4.99$!
May 21, 2008
Photo of MTNboy
Reviewed by MTNboy from Germany

3.8/5  rDev +2.4%
This place has a great selection beers you don’t see that often. There are a lot of imports and nice selection of micro’s and macro’s and good percentage of them are cold too. I noticed quite a bit of old beer here as well which as we all know can be a good thing or a bad thing. There was not much to the organization of the beers as well. The prices were real good on some brands and I would say great others. The store clerk was not very knowledgeable of beer or friendly for that matter but seemed very proud of her selection. She said they had been working on it for a while. The store also has a great selection of munchies. It is pretty cramp in the stores itself and there virtually no parking. It is not located far off West Genesee Street. It is definitely worth the visit.

2nd visit. I wanted to add second review. I went into Brillbeck's the other day and there was a gentleman working there and this guy was on point. He knew his stuff and was the nicest beer store guy in Syracuse. I guess it is all about who is working the counter.
Sep 08, 2007
Photo of BeerTruth
Reviewed by BeerTruth from Connecticut

4/5  rDev +7.8%
Located in the Tipp Hill area which is a nice Irish part of the city. Not exactly the most spacious but it does it's job. Lot's of selection of Northeastern brews. Most beers are offered cold and warm which makes it quite nice. If you search around you can find a rare beer here or there. I always end up leaving with something, so expect to do the same. The clerks are fairly helpful. I Highly recommend checking out this place if you're in the area then perhaps hit up some of the Tipp Hill bars for a night of fun.

edit: They started selling mixed six packs, nothing extraordinary but still nice to have. They also have three rotating taps for growler fills and a nice rack of recently released Souther Tier bombers.
Jan 23, 2007
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.05/5  rDev -17.8%
I was looking for something convenient near downtown Syracuse, so checked this out based on the one rating. You won't walk out of here emptyhanded, and the prices are quite reasonable, but don't expect service, knowledge, single bottles, carrying the bottles out, or tremendous selection. Having aid that you can get all the locals, a few Belgiums, a few Germans, and some Luginitas. It was a plus to have several inside or outside the cooler. Cute cashier. Not top 3 beer stores in the area-but could be number 4.
Sep 04, 2006
Photo of HankNew
Reviewed by HankNew from Spain

4/5  rDev +7.8%
Brilbeck's advertises that it has the "Best Selection of Domestic and Import Beer or Tipp Hill or any Hill" - so naturally I had to check it out. They certainily didn't have anything there that you wouldn't find at Party Source on Erie or Galeville in Liverpool, but if you live in the Western-Syracuse area, this is a good store to head to. They have all the usual suspects, plus Lagunitas, Lost Coast and a strong selection of Victory. Their strongest point is that, unlike most other craft beer stores, all of their six packs are available both warm and in the fridge. Service, while they didnt seem to knowledgeable, was very helpful and friendly. While I may not make a return trip to Brilbeck's it's a great, reasonably priced option for anyone in the area.

Cheers!
Apr 04, 2006
Brilbeck's Corner Market in Syracuse, NY
Place rating: 3.71 out of 5 with 33 ratings