Vinnin Square Liquors

toastdog

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

This place has always (at least for the last five years or so) been one of the better places to get craft beers in the Salem/Swampscott/Marblehead area north of Boston, but in the last few months they've really gotten their game together. They have a new beer buyer who's apparently eager to make beer a bigger part of their business. He's stocking lots of stuff I've never seen in the area - Weyermann's, Port Brewery, Jolly Pumpkin, Oskar Blues- as well as a number of really quality smaller makers, like Tuckerman, Schmalz, and your obligatory-for-here Smuttynose, Ipswich, Sam Adams, etc, and he's willing to take suggestions, point out the new offerings, and talk beer and the beer business.

The big-bottle section has been growing, and turnover seems good. In the past I saw a lot of dusty bottles, but that's been becoming less true. They're also making an effort to keep green bottles - like that nice big 750ml of La Chouffe Houblon, out of the flourescent lights. The Belgian selection is strong, the American big beers (barley wines, DIPAs, American Belgian-styles from Ommegang, Unibroue, Southampton) are there (including a bunch that are new to me), and the staff are beginning to get good at making suggestions.

Not everyone on the staff there is a beer guy, but they're making an effort that's really paying off. My beer stop of choice for the coastal North Shore.

09-16-2007 21:36:27 | More by toastdog

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -20.5%
quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$

After settling in at the house we rented for the week, everybody hit the Stop n' Shop for groceries & i went across the street for my first of many stops at a beer store in Massachusetts. Very good selection of imports & domestics. Many six-packs & to my dismay (as i learned at other beer stores) breaking a six-pack was not possible. I had to hunt down an employee though, maybe it was break time? When i asked to purchase single, he showed me a spot in the refrigerator where they sold 6 for 6,95$. Good deal i thought, but upon closer inspection, many were seasonals that had past their prime or the occasaional Heinekein or Corona (no thanks). I declined & took a sixer of SN Summerfest & Smuttynose Shoals, both very good.

08-31-2007 14:42:13 | More by papat444

waughbrew

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -19.3%
quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4

Along route 1A right next to Whole Foods in Swampscott.

Pretty big place, stocked well with wines, liquors, and beers. An aisle of room-temp beers and then a wall of cold beers. Good selection, but spotty. Some rogues, but not all, some stones but only a few, etc. The only surprises are that they keep a number of Westy 12s and 8s in stock (Oh no! They will burn in hell! ;P ) A decent selection of local - Ipswich, Fisherman's, Harpoon.

Some of the beers seemed a little dusty, and the place wasn't beautiful or anything. Nobody was around when I wanted to ask about breaking up six-packs. The cashier was not very pleasant. This probably has the best selection that I have seen so far on the North Shore, but since I live right in Somerville the only reason that I might have to venture here again is the immoral Westies.

03-22-2005 03:40:39 | More by waughbrew

HighGravity

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -10.8%
quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4

I've enjoyed this store for years and it's where I bought my first "good" beers some time ago. Some great finds can be had here, but that's partially because a lot of their stuff sits on the shelf for a long, long time. I bought a very dusty old Rodenbach Grand Cru Mag and several 1996 De Dolle Stille Nacht last time I was there (Couldn't believe my luck). They stock some great beers, but be carefull of the freshness, some stuff I've picked up form there are way past their prime.

08-18-2003 23:14:25 | More by HighGravity

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -8.4%
quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4

Vinnin Square Liquors on Rt. 1A is Swampscott has a large selection of beers. However, I found many of the bottles outside of the cooler to have dust on them and appeared not to be fresh. This is fine for some of the high alcohol beers, but they have past seasonal beers for sale as well. I felt the prices were also slightly higher than other liquor stores.

This store does have a large selection micros and imports, mainly from England and Belgium. I found several beers I never heard of including a stout from Japan. If you are looking for a particular beer or something different they just might have what you're looking for. Oh yeah, they have a very large wine and spirits selection too.

12-20-2002 11:53:06 | More by WanderingFool

Jason

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.6%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4

A great place to get several seasonals, the occasional barley wine and odd import. They have fresh bomber of the Big Beer Series from Smuttynose, a decent vintage selection and several Trappist beers that are somewhat hard to come by. Be wary of freshness, there are some imports that have been there for more than a year or two but the domestics turn quick as far as I have seen.

07-04-2002 13:35:20 | More by Jason