Abe's Cold Beer

Abe's Cold BeerAbe's Cold Beer
Abe's Cold BeerAbe's Cold Beer
Store

1301 W Broad St
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 18018-4920
United States

(610) 997-0831 | map
abescoldbeer.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.46
Reviews:
81
Ratings:
107
pDev:
10.09%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of SouthCrescent
Reviewed by SouthCrescent from Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -9.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
I’ve only been here once thus far (June 2022), but the selection and layout of the place far exceeded my expectations. Prices are on par with where they should be, and this is now my go-to spot for beer purchases when in Bethlehem. Better than anticipated, for sure.
Jul 28, 2022
Photo of LoganFarinhas
Rated by LoganFarinhas from Pennsylvania

4.64/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
They just have snacks, no meals or anything this is mainly a beer store.
Nov 26, 2020
 
Rated: 3.94 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

May 14, 2017
 
Rated: 4.88 by jmg480 from Pennsylvania

Aug 11, 2016
Photo of Theredphone
Rated by Theredphone from Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 5
You could spend hours creating your own six pack In this tiny place. Great for variety and conveniently located
Apr 10, 2016
 
Rated: 4.52 by WookieNextDoor from Pennsylvania

Mar 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.84 by Robearsboozin from Pennsylvania

Feb 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.79 by GratefulJack from Pennsylvania

Jan 02, 2016
Photo of kbusch18
Reviewed by kbusch18 from Virginia

3/5  rDev -32.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 4
It is truly sad the potential that is wasted here. Yes they have a great selection of beer, however their lack of respect for the beer is evident. Not sure if it is a bad store manager or just overall a group of owners only looking for income.
Dec 30, 2015
Photo of Brushkanna
Reviewed by Brushkanna from New Jersey

3.81/5  rDev -14.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3 | selection: 4.25
MKy complaint is the bad 70's almost disco music one guy in there plays and his constant whistling to the terrible music, makes me want to leave. The beer selection is good. Prices are high, but i belive that is due to the weird PA beer laws.
Mar 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.23 by Statu from Costa Rica

Jan 05, 2015
Photo of JNForsyth
Rated by JNForsyth from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -15.9%
Vast inventory of beer, not organized but a good way to browse an hour away. Pricing seems to trend on the high side for the area.
Dec 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by anteater from Oregon

Oct 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.96 by BigRizz62 from Maryland

Aug 19, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by pep from Pennsylvania

Aug 09, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Afroman from Arizona

Aug 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by gl1800rider from Pennsylvania

Aug 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by TrackcoachLVPA from Pennsylvania

Jul 23, 2014
Photo of macesq
Reviewed by macesq from California

2.58/5  rDev -42.2%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5
There are two arguments, I believe, that I hear most frequently regarding the value of supporting locally owned small businesses. The first, perhaps more quintessentially "liberal," centers on distribution of resources; a society with more independent owners distributes resources among a wider group of persons. The second, perhaps more quintessentially "conservative," centers on the value of localism as such; the local community is preferable to a larger society of unknowns and local business owners deserve money in a way out-of-town big businesses do not.

I'm nonplussed as to these two arguments, for reasons I need not concern you with. Frankly, I prefer smaller-scale establishments in the most selfish way -- what they have to offer me. In the abstract, the human touch of (for our purposes here) a small six-pack store provides benefits out of reach in the faceless retail outlet of big-box bureaucracy: attention to details with which only beer consumers concern themselves; friendly and personal service; a sense of passion in seller as well as buyer for the goods being transacted. These things, moreso than abstract structural concerns, make me inclined to pay a higher price for beer from a small business than from a large seller peddling six-packs within its echoing facade.

Abe's, the six-pack store of the locality of my youth, unfortunately offers few of the benefits for which I'm happily willing to pay a premium. To be sure, they offer a wide variety of beers; and although that advantage is dwindling in the Lehigh Valley market, they remain the only place to buy singles of great beers (the make-your own six-pack section at Wegman's remains sparsely populated with good brews) and do have a spread of six-packs only approached by the recently-renovated Allentown Wegman's. However, service is often surly and they attend to remarkably few details. Beers can be many months out of date; organization, layout, and general upkeep evince a general lack of respect for consumers; and they can't be bothered to shave off the price stickers on every bottle with a razor, a staple of dingy corner liquor stores and high-end wine boutiques, but lost on Abe's.

All of which would be no sweat off my back, frankly, even for a slight premium. The ability to make your own six-pack of top-tier brews really is worth that much to me, even if you need to check the born on date of every bottle you pick up. But Abe's isn't just a few dollars more than Wegman's, a fact which I could accept unblinkingly. Abe's is as expensive as beer stores in New York and Washington, D.C. Hell, I recently had a bottled beer at a craft beer *bar* in New York shortly before returning to the Valley to visit family; when I stopped in Abe's I saw they were selling it to-go for just a dollar less. That would border on unacceptable even if Abe's offered the benefits of a small business that cares about its goods and its consumers. That Abe's is run like a convenience store with a six-pack license that stumbled into the world of craft beer in a beer-starved Lehigh Valley market only makes this more ridiculous.
Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by GeorgiaBeerGuy from Georgia

Jun 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Latarnik from New Jersey

May 26, 2014
Photo of bshiban
Rated by bshiban from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -4.7%
excellent selection but $$$$
May 23, 2014
Photo of NJBeer265
Reviewed by NJBeer265 from New Jersey

4.64/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Went here on the way to a bachelor party in the Pocono's and glad I did. The place doesn't look like much from the outside but huge selection inside, I could have spent hours in this place. Big Make-Your-Own 6-Pack section, big bomber section and a ton of International beers. Emma is amazing and if you e-mail ahead of time they will set aside large quantities if you are looking. Sign-up for the e-mail blasts.
May 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by yourefragile from District of Columbia

Mar 19, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Josh1981 from Pennsylvania

Feb 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by JohnnyPoops from Pennsylvania

Feb 02, 2014
Photo of derek984
Reviewed by derek984 from Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +9.9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
A great local place to find beers from all around the world, some very rare and hard to find. Sign up for their email blast to get up to date emails on some of the rare things they get. It can get disorganized from time to time, but they have thousands of bottles of inventory, ask if you are looking for something specific. They have a very nice and knowledgeable staff. You could shop at Wegmans which has a small selection or shop and support a local business with an even better selection!
Jan 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.6 by NonicPanic from Pennsylvania

Dec 02, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by acurtis from New Jersey

Oct 22, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Oct 18, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by Dawkins from Pennsylvania

Oct 10, 2013
Photo of TTripp725
Reviewed by TTripp725 from Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -44.4%
vibe: 1.75 | quality: 2.5 | service: 1.75 | selection: 3.5
A decent selection of beers. Not of the greatest of places but with limited options to get craft beer six packs, I don't have much of an option. The arrangement of the store is very poor and has no reasoning. Its like they get the beer in stock and then just place in on the shelf so you have rows of beer three six pack deep and none of the six packs are the same, so it is very time consuming. When asked if they can obtain a certain been beer its like it's an inconvenience for them and they brush you off
Aug 30, 2013
Photo of skiofpinsk
Reviewed by skiofpinsk from Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -10.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75
As my local bottle shop now that I’ve relocated to Bethlehem, I felt it was time to put up a review for this place.
It’s an easy place to get to, but it can sneak up on you as it’s slightly set back from the street to allow for parking, and can be somewhat hidden by the Mint on one side and a dollar store on the other. Just a heads up.
They manage to pack a wide selection into a small area. A variety of countries and styles are represented. Beer is arranged mostly by country, with most brewery offerings grouped together. It can get a bit disorganized at times; if you don’t see something the first time walk by again or ask the clerk. They’re usually pretty helpful and know whether they have something or not.
Prices are fairly decent. Being familiar with Philly suburb pricing, Abe’s prices are about the same and sometimes slightly higher.
Be sure to check dates on some of the styles that have a limited shelf life. I’ve made the mistake of grabbing something past its prime a couple times.
They do get some hard to find stuff, including Cantillon and Founders Backstage series. Some of the most recent Black Note release made its way there as well.
Selection is very good; it’s hard to walk out without finding something that suites your tastes. A wide variety of styles are present; the last time I browsed through they had two Goses available. I can’t remember the last bottle shop I was in that even had one.
I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area. Just be sure to check dates on some of the more time sensitive styles.
Aug 01, 2013
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

4.32/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 5
Holy hops! This place is insanity. And not the Weyerbacher version. I'm talking the real-deal insanity. I walked in here and saw tons of stuff I didn't even see at The Foodery in Philly, or have seen anywhere else for that matter. Love the mix-a-six. That alone ensures I'll be back. Found a J.W. Lees Harvest '08 for a reasonable price and didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Service will vary at times, I think. But, this place is awesome. If I lived in the area, I may be in here twice a week.
Jun 15, 2013
Photo of Budinetz
Reviewed by Budinetz from Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev -0.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
This place has an awesome selection of beer, some of which is has a reasonable price tag. If you really dig around in this place, you can turn up some pretty awesome finds. Some of the main stream beer that people are really hunting for, Abe will jack up the price due to supply and demand, but that's how you do business and I get that. I must say though, overall very good value for most of the beer available and for PA this is probably the best beer store in the Lehigh Valley. The staff is very knowledgeable as is Abe the owner. Place has later hours also, which is nice for the late shift beer lovers out there. I can definitely walk in here and spend 2 hours looking around, there is THAT much selection. You are able to purchase just one bottle if you wish, or mix and match six packs! Awesome!
May 12, 2013
Photo of TheBigBoy
Reviewed by TheBigBoy from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -8.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75
Lots of Beers, all different kind of beers. I try to stop here whenever in Bethlehem area. $12 for a mixed six is pretty standard and you will likely see some beers here never encountered. Many other sixes and single bottles to pick from as well. I know they do some special orders for "hard to finds" often as well. If near, just stop here. Warms and cold to go. You'll be impressed.
May 09, 2013
Photo of Neorebel
Reviewed by Neorebel from New Jersey

4.81/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
This is hands down one of the best places to buy beer in NEPA/NJ area. The owners and staff are very helpful and knowledgeable, and most importantly, fair with selling coveted limited releases. I scored a Bell's Black Note here recently. The selection is great, with a lot of beers that are somewhat harder to find in your average PA bottle shop or supermarket. The prices are reasonable, if you are used to what single bottles generally go for in PA. Def. hit them up if you are in the area.
Apr 14, 2013
Photo of dcoms233
Reviewed by dcoms233 from Pennsylvania

4.74/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
A great place for 6 packs and bombers in the Allentown area. He knows his beer and goes out of his way to ensure that he has a good stock of both the regular and rarer beers.

If you are into craft beer and in the Allentown area this is a place you must stop by at!
Feb 03, 2013
Photo of NEhophead
Reviewed by NEhophead from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
What a pleasant surprise while traveling through Central PA this past week. Easy to find on West Broad St., this place looks like a pretty standard convenience store, but once you look closer you soon notice that practically every inch of the store is stocked with beer...really good beer. As a New Englander, a lot of Abe's selection was news to me including offerings from Bethlehem Brew Works, Sly Fox, Flying Fish, etc. In addition to a ton of local stuff, offerings included pretty comprehensive lines from Pretty Things, Stone, DFH, Mikkeller, Nogne, etc. Definitely a place to stop in and stock up if you're even remotely in the area.
Aug 20, 2012
Abe's Cold Beer in Bethlehem, PA
Place rating: 4.46 out of 5 with 107 ratings