Skibbo's Discount Beer & Soda

hopjuicer

Illinois

4.64/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Stopped here while visiting family in the Bronx. Tommy was very helpful, great customer service. Great selection of craft beers (much better than I thought I'd find in the area) with a lot that I can't get at home. Had Hair of the Dog, Cigar City, Pretty Things, Oskar Blues, Ithica, AleSmith to name a few. Most beers are stored cold. He recommended the double IPA from Captain Lawrence (local brewery I hadn't heard of). Really enjoyed that one. I'll be looking for it in the future. Picked up a growler of Jack D'Or from the the draft selections. Will definitely visit again next time I'm in the area.

04-20-2012 13:24:38 | More by hopjuicer

Tripside

New York

4.08/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

This place is your best bet for craft beer in the Bronx. The owner, Tommy, has always been a pleasure to deal with and makes sure you are aware that he will do anything he can to get a specific beer in that you want. Has 5 constantly rotating taps for growler fills and a great overall selection. Sometimes items are slightly more expensive than other shops in the city but the service more than makes up for it. Additionally, be sure to check the expiration dates as some beers go untouched and the representatives do not always pull them on time.

01-05-2012 05:01:59 | More by Tripside

beenitty

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -7.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

I work in the Bronx and heard some good things about this place, didnt decide to check it out until I heard they got some Goose Island King Henry.

Cool place, kinda small selection of craft beer IMO compared to the major store(s) in Westchester, I'm speaking about both Decicco's specifically.

The quality of the selection was definitely nice. I shop alot and hadn't seen alot of HOTD variations in the NYC area, they had several.
Decent 6pk selections and stuff on tap for growlers as well.

Owner is super nice and chatted it up with me about beer and such.

Definitely a bit (1-2$) cheaper than Deciccos though.

Even though the beer "isle" is smaller than other stores, this place has earned a spot in my rotation after seeing some nice gems that other stores dont carry.

Im always happy to be able to pick up stuff I haven't seen anywhere else. If you make a stop you definitely won't be dissapointed.

12-26-2011 16:35:00 | More by beenitty

Joetheduck

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -6.3%
quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Thank God for this place. Skibbo's is the only retailer I've found in the southeast Bronx to get a delicious hoppy 22 oz or sixpack. Most bars in this area stick to major domestics, plain jane imports, and default Boston Lager as their "craft beer."

So Skibbo's sure is a very welcome change from the area norm.
The owner is always very friendly whenever I go in, I always find something new to try, and there always seems to be a bunch of dudes just hanging out in there.

I look forward to trying more local New York beers next time I'm in.

12-08-2010 06:58:59 | More by Joetheduck

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -10.8%
quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Visited to pick up a couple of growlers and bombers. Its a big, open-front store with the owner (can't recall his name) sitting in the entrance with a slice of pizza and a pint. The workers were very attentive, each asking if I needed any help.

The selection was decent, but the price was exceptional (for NYC at least) 22oz bombers of ST Creme Brulee for $7 was remarkably low and $12 growlers were nice to see as well. The owner offered me and my friend samples of the taps and talked beer with us for a few minutes.

Overall, a small and limited shop, but well kept, reasonable and run by people why genuinely care about beer.

10-20-2010 00:50:13 | More by JohnnyChicago

mugs2395

New York

3.35/5  rDev -24.4%
quality: 2 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Skibbo's lives up to it's reputation as an outlet owned by a guy full of charm who has an obvious desire to do well in the craft beer market and a better selection of craft beer than much of the Bronx, but there are problems and concerns.

As one previous patron mentioned, the "best before" date on the beer seems to be ignored. Problem is...even I couldn't find such a thing as a "best before" date on a couple of the beer I bought. So we can't completely fault Sammy!

I don't pretend to be an expert of any kind, except that I can say that I have become, over 48 years, a pretty expert beer drinker. I am Canadian, and started drinking "Upper Canada Brewing Company" craft beers when most Canadians were swilling Bud and Labatt and Molson's. Upper Canada brews were on the forefront of the craft beer market in Canada.

At Skibbo's, I purchased two bottles of Lagunita's Hop Stoopid. I know this beer, and I like this beer very much. It is one of the IPA's on the market that is reasonably priced, yet provides all the qualities you expect from a high-end IPA--it is well hopped, complex, and a joy to drink from start to finish, with a delicious grapefruit head.

The Hop Stoopid I purchased from Skibbo's was clearly past it's "best before" date. It had lost all the high end "hop notes" common to this beer. It clearly hadn't been sitting in the sun, but it just wasn't the same fresh tasting IPA I had purchased before. I guess a"bad" Lagunita just gets "different", unlike a bad Heineken or Labatt , which tastes like the stuff you go to the can to relieve yourself of after your third beer.

I had the same experience with the Arcadia Hop Mouth Double IPA. It was nothing like the beer my wife discovered at Jake's Steak House in the Bronx. The difference was, again, pretty starling. The High Hop note was completely gone.

I also purchased the Green Flash IPA, which I have thoroughly enjoyed previously--hops missing in THAT IPA would have been a tragedy! Relief--it was fresh and delicious.

Another pleasant surprise was the Flying Dog, Raging Bitch (I kid you not!) "Belgian Style IPA". They deserve an Oscar for imagination at least! Sounds like a gimmick, right? How many IPA's have you purchased before which bear as much resemblance to an IPA as apples to oranges? Well, it's not a gimmick. It is an interesting take on an IPA-- lots of hops , but with that "Belgian" taste as an undertone. As I said, I am not an expert---is it the malts, or the hops, which give it that particular Belgian "spiced-wine" taste??

When all is said and done, Sammy is trying to introduce good beer to the Bronx. But he needs to watch the dates on the beer. Also, the Dogfish Head 60 Minute and 90 Minute are approximately three dollars cheaper at Flair Beverage, which is closer to my home. (And for all those willing to make the drive to DFH in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, you can pick up a four pack of 90 Minute for eight bucks. I highly recommend the place--great food, good service, and...the "Immort Ale"? Out of this world good! I am not the first to say that DFH has really redefined brewing in the USA.)

But back to Sammy and Skibbo's-- his selection is superior to Flair Beverage, but he just needs to get all his ducks in a row. If he does, every true beer drinker in the Bronx will be storming the place, and marveling at how much better his selection is, and, let's hope, how much cheaper than anywhere else.

And , hey, on top of that you don't get any New York (ie. Gristedes every day of the week) attitude!!! !

That in itself is worth the trip.

04-05-2010 16:33:07 | More by mugs2395

Noelito76

New York

4.7/5  rDev +6.1%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

Being that I live close to Skibbo's and the fact that the Bronx has few options for craft beer make Skibbo's a gem for me.

Great service and a pretty good selection. Whenever I want to try something new I get it here. By far the best beer store in the Bronx, and mind you there is one closer to me but it doesn't compare.

And, like the other reviewers I've gotten my free Skibbo's pint glass. The tap selection is always pretty good too and the prices are pretty standard as long as you know what craft beer costs all around.

02-06-2010 15:43:03 | More by Noelito76

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

Looked this place up on BeerFly and stopped in on my way to a rugby game on Randall's Island - extremely convenient location on the way from CT into the city. I couldn't find anything online about the hours, though, so my fingers were crossed as I pulled up at 9:30 on Sunday - sure enough, though, the open sign was on. Needless to say I had the place pretty much to myself, and Tommy was most helpful answering my questions about their growler set-up and giving me samples of a couple of the draft beers (they had SN Celebration, SA Cherry Wheat, 21st Amendment Black IPA, Leffe Brown, and Bud Light Golden Wheat). I wound up getting bottles instead, and found the refrigerated selection to be very solid indeed, with an even better variety of craft singles in the center display area. I didn't take the time to check out their imports. The prices were quite reasonable across the board (including the best price I'd seen anywhere on the Brooklyn Locals), which really impressed me for being in NYC (I got raped just the day before at a small grocery store in Manhattan - ~$15 for a sixer of SN Celebration). Taking the solid selection, growler availability, long hours, good prices, and impeccable service into account, this is one of my favorite beer stores, and one that I'll be sure to patronize again whenever I'm passing through the Bronx.

Cheers!

Edit: I stopped in here a second time, and found the selection to be less thrilling than before; according to the clerk they were having troubles getting all they wanted from their distributors. They had Breakfast Stout on for growler fills (which was cool), but no Founders bottles at all (which was disappointing).

11-23-2009 00:07:27 | More by woosterbill

Brianmerrilyn

New York

5/5  rDev +12.9%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

A true gem in the rough of beer availability in the east Bronx. A full selection of all American craft brewers from Long Trail, Sam, Ithaca, Wehyerbacher, Victory, Rogue, Sierra Nevada, Troegs, Wolavers, Wachussets. Then the Belgian shelves in the middle of the very roomy store located close to the highway. Unibroque, St. Bernadus, Saison Dupont etc. Then there are the growlers!!! Yes, growlers in the Bronx and with 5-6 rotating taps. Tommy Alteri the owner sells growlers at a reasonable price along with good glassware, ice and the usual suspects of other beer and beverages. Check out the wine store next door on your way home.

10-10-2009 03:43:26 | More by Brianmerrilyn

jxhill

New York

4.3/5  rDev -2.9%
quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$$

The owner Tommy was very friendly and extremely helpful on my first visit and sent me away with a nice pair of Skibbo's pint glasses on the house. On later visits he has been just as accommodating and encouraged me to call in any special order requests as well as keep him posted on new beers. This level of service is exceptional.

The selection is ample and well-chosen but not extensive, with a mix of craft and big-brand brews, and runs heavy on IPAs and Belgian beers. Skibbo's also rotates 4 taps to fill growlers, though I've never tried them.

Though the selection isn't mind-blowing, it's certainly helped by the simple fact that the owner is willing to order whatever you like -- a nice touch. Skibbo's is worth a visit.

07-19-2009 23:27:15 | More by jxhill