Viking Premium Beverages

Store

237 King Ave.
Columbus, Ohio, 43201
United States

(614) 299-BEER | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.18
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
12
pDev:
14.47%
View: Place Reviews
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Rated: 3 by sethpezar from Ohio

Aug 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by DrewSp from Ohio

Aug 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by BigAlofOrion from Ohio

Jun 24, 2014
Photo of hyprlt
Reviewed by hyprlt from Ohio

3.43/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 4
There are two stores under this ownership. However there are many stores in the area that are operated the same way. What mostly happens in these places (viking included) is the owner just tells the sales rep that he wants to have all the hard-to-get, rare, and less purchased items. This doesnt necessarily mean they understand how to market it, store it, price it, etc. The owner and attendants are usually nice, but it definitely has that bodega dusty shelves and dusty bottles thing going on. Either way, its still nice to have a great selection in the neighborhood.
Aug 29, 2011
Photo of zimm421
Reviewed by zimm421 from Ohio

2.4/5  rDev -24.5%
vibe: 1.5 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 3.5
Definitely not a preferred location of mine, but I've stopped in here a few times when I was looking for a special release, or was in the area for other business.

Overall, the selection is pretty decent, but I've never been there the same time as another customer. Seems like business has to be slow for them. Because of that, freshness is definitely a concern for me when I stop in. The one time I asked a question, I got a very snappy and rude answer; definitely wasn't happy about that.

As mentioned below, the single employee I've ever seen is always watching TV and won't say a word to you unless you say something first. Parking is also horrible here. You have to drive around back and park along a shady alley. If you're looking for a limited release or are in the area, stop in. You never know what you'll find. Other than that, there are much better locations in Columbus, don't go out of your way to stop in.
May 11, 2011
Photo of MbpBugeye
Reviewed by MbpBugeye from Ohio

2.29/5  rDev -28%
vibe: 1 | quality: 2 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5
Went lookin for KBS. Didn't find any here.

This place is just like you'd expect from a shitty little carryout. Dirty, hot, the floor slopes to the back, the attendant watching TV.

There was a small wall of singles that I didn't notice til I was on my way out. There are bombers and 750's of various things, but nothing super cool or new. I'd probably never buy an IPA here, freshness is a huge doubt for me.

I would stop in here if I lived really close and needed a quick 6 pack or something.
Mar 18, 2011
Photo of Philby11111
Reviewed by Philby11111 from New York

3.4/5  rDev +6.9%
Stopped in during a recent business trip when looking for some craft beers to take to my hotel. Good selection of micros, craft, and imported beers (wine too), especially for a store the size of a postage stamp.

There was an entire wall of coolers full of 6 packs, another cooler of 22oz'ers and other shelves of warm 22oz'ers. They did offer a cooler of the fizzy yellow stuff too, just in case you need some for someone who doesn't know any better.

The only thing lacking was service, as it was basically non-existent. To be fair, I didn't need ask any special questions, but no help or suggestions were offered either. I'm usually pretty easy to up-sell or cross-sell when it comes to craft beer. They missed the opportunity to send me on my way with more.
Oct 24, 2007
Photo of ndekke39
Reviewed by ndekke39 from Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +19.5%
I had vaguely heard of this place for a while, but because of the appearance I had never gone in, even though I lived three blocks from it. Honestly, from the outside I would only have thought this was another seedy corner liquor store. So imagine my surprise when I wandered inside one night and found myself facing a wall of bombers of craft beer, with a lot of my favorites from Stone, Hoppin' Frog, Alesmith, Rogue, and others staring at me.

I've since been back once and have enjoyed the place. The shelf in front of the door has mainly bombers of all sorts of things. Nothing too exceptional, but it's good to know that they are available. It's best to just wander slowly along the walls of the store: the walls are fully covered in coolers full of mostly six-packs. One cooler has some bombers and single bottles for sale individually, but a majority of things are in packs. Still, there's a great selection: New Holland, Fuller's, Dogfish Head, Great Divide, Bell's, Founder's, Goose Island. Again, nothing super exceptional, but it's still a very wide selection.

The only problem for me is the pricing. Many of these beers are a little more expensive than other beer stores in central Columbus. Some bombers and six-packs I've found are roughly $1 more than at other places.

That being said, it's a great find, and definitely a place I won't pass up if I'm looking for a good selection. I think it is most certainly worth checking out for any beer fan in Columbus.
Sep 08, 2007
Photo of becktone
Reviewed by becktone from Ohio

3.05/5  rDev -4.1%
I visited this store about a week ago whilst I visited a friend in Columbus. I don't know the Columbus area that well but I can tell you this, if I went to Ohio State Univeristy, I would probably do my beer shopping at Viking Premium Beverages, or Premium for short. They have a pretty decent selection, better than one would expect from a store that looks like any other run down corner store. I've heard it said that they boast 450 different beers, well this is not true. However, they do probably have the best selection within a 5-10 minute radius of the campus. The actual number of different beers they carry is probably somewhere between 100-150. As the the different number of breweries, maybe a third of that. Not all that bad, but I've been spoiled on The Party Source in Kentucky, Riverside Wine and Imports in Kent OH, and 101 Bottles also in Kent OH. Prices did seem a bit higher than I was used to, sixers more in the $9-10 range instead of an $7-9 range.
Nov 04, 2006
Photo of AtLagerHeads
Reviewed by AtLagerHeads from Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +10.1%
A good stop albeit in a congested university area and with very limited street parking. The store is spacious enough, but seems cold and unfriendly. Very good selection of lots of different beers with many refrigerated, at least as many not. A big plus is the number of singles that are readily available. Indifferent service and good pricing only the lesser beers. Unless I could not get to other Columbus locations, I'd not make regular stops here.
Sep 06, 2003
Photo of Dogbrick
Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +10.1%
Located near Ohio State campus, this store has a tiny side lot, otherwise it is street parking. The sign in the window says "450 different beers!". The interior is a typical convenience store, with lots of shelves and flourescent lighting.

While the 450 beers tag is obviously an exaggeration, they still had a surprisingly good selection. Unfortunately they were on the pricey side. Another down side is that several beers had a good coat of dust on them so use caution. Luckily they carry lots of singles. They also have specials with decent pricing (although it is on stuff like Dixie Jazz).

The staff seems on the quiet/suspicious side, but that probably has a lot to do with the area in which they operate. Worth another visit, but honestly I would make the drive to Andy's or Palmer's if given the choice.
Jul 08, 2002
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Rated by Wildman from Ohio

3/5  rDev -5.7%
Okay, while they have a good selection of beers, they tend to be $.75 to $1.50 higher than the other places I go to.
Jun 02, 2002
Viking Premium Beverages in Columbus, OH
Place rating: 3.18 out of 5 with 12 ratings