Corral Liquors

buddyweiser

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +39.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$

I've lived in the area my whole life but havent been there in over a year untill recently and they have re done the whole store with more coolers and more microbrews, the place is just immaculate compared to what it used to be. I rarely used to shop here because some of their stuff is a little pricey but if you are buying bulk the owners will give you a hell of a deal on a case opposed to buying 1 bottle. I was buying alcohol for my friends bachelor party and got a keg of Pabst 4 18 packs of bud and a case of canadian mist. the guy gave me a discount on the case of vodka plus free shooters and had this kid take everything to the car for me lol they even have a drive through so you dont have leave your vehicle. my only complaint is the deposit on the keg was kinda high but they gave it back when I returned the keg and tapper.

05-06-2013 23:47:43 | More by buddyweiser

bnes09

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev +8.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | $$$

Having bought beer on several occasions at the Corral in Granite City, I thought I would give this place a try. They have an ok selection of six packs, four packs and a few random bottles. They do have a build your own six pack section but the selection is awful. You cannot take any bottle from any six pack for an individual price like in Granite City. You have to pick from the weak selection they have on the shelf. You can choose from a few Sam Adams, Schlafly, Boulevard, and Abita as well as some mass produced imports. Nothing special about the beers in the mixer sixer section. You pay a flat $9.99 for all mixer sixers or $2 for any individual bottle you want. In the back of the store, you will find a few single bottles, and several six packs. There is an ok selection here but my main complaint is the outrageous pricing. A 500mL bottle of Hobgoblin (which is not that special of a beer) costs $5. A 4 pack of Founder's Curmudgeon was $19.99. One six pack that was reasonably priced was Hibernation ale for $11.99. On a more positive note, the staff were friendly, helpful and willing to help me find what I was looking for. Overall, I would avoid this place unless it is inconvenient to travel to Granite City.

09-28-2011 02:25:12 | More by bnes09

emerge077

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev +7.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Zero expectations based on the prior reviews... plenty of times there's the potential for good finds in unlikely places, but certainly not getting any hopes up.

The place looks tiny from the front, yet is very deep. Carpeted aisles up front, musty funk, and astronomical liquor prices. Beer is far in back, away from sunlight = good. Case macro beer takes up the back area = not so good. Dusty aisle of import singles and sixers on the way to the beer area. Craft six packs line the wall in the back, and a couple shorter shelves in the center. Nothing too exciting, some seasonals, but not a bunch. Founders, Schlafly, Boulevard (old Saison, no other smokestacks), Flying Dog, Goose Island, etc. Usual suspects. Looking at dates, Schlafly seasonals are less than 3 mos. old, though the mix-a-six area was terrible, all 18 mos. old or more. Coolers were sad, full of macro crap, 4 Loko, and Champale. One oddity was Hill Farms (?) Pilsner, one last sixer, which i've never seen before or since.

The ladies working here were nice enough, though I got the vibe they weren't about to hear no sass talk from anybody. Signs on the door mentioned their assortment of gag gifts for sale. Life is in the details my friends.

01-25-2011 04:28:06 | More by emerge077

japetus

Illinois

1.65/5  rDev -45.9%
quality: 1.5 | service: 2 | selection: 1.5 | $$$

Preface: This Corral has NOTHING to do with the Granite City Corral, which always has a quality well maintained selection.

Having lived in the area and formerly frequenting this place (which was once more than decent), I must warn any craft beer lover that doesn't know better. Avoid this place like the plague! Has the usual suspects (SN, Lagunitas, Schlafly, Boulevard, Pyramid ect.) that you have come to know and love around this area along with a small selection of Belgians. 90% of the ales are bombed out and depleted and some are 2 years past drink by date. Anything that could possibly age well is long gone and picked over. Owner could care less about craft beer and is doing a disservice to the craft beer community for selling old beer at drastically/borderline insane inflated prices. Lagunitas bombers $9, and that is just the beginning...further down the rabbit hole it goes! The only saving grace about this place is that you MIGHT be able to find some older Belgians...but be prepared to pay. Keep driving down to Corral in Granite City, go to Food and Fermentation in Godfrey, or the new Randall's in Florrisant. Any of these choices are a 20 min or less drive from here and you will save money and patience. They do have decent prices on BMC, if that is your thing.

01-11-2011 03:18:40 | More by japetus

StlHopHead77

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev +3.3%
quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | $$$

I've lived near this place almost my entire life
and I've never realized that they offered much more than a few decent micros(Boulevard,New Belgium,Magic Hat)and the typical line-up of macro-piss.I guess I had never made it back to the corner of the store that housed some more worthwhile offerings.They do carry Avery,Great Divide,Left Hand,TommyKnocker,Ommegang,Lagunitas,
Clipper City Heavy Seas,Hoppin Frog,Founders and Victory.My only issue there is that alot of these beers were way past their prime.I looked at a bomber of Great Divide Fresh Hop that was a year old and I found a few more suspect sixers.I was on my way out the door when the owner stopped me and told me to go back and grab something and he would take two dollars off.I grabbed a 22oz. Lagunitas Gnarleywine and with the $2 discount paid just over $7.They do have a mixer sixer section upfront but it was comprised mostly of out-of-season seasonals and a few more undesirables.If I could be convinced of the freshness of a few more of these beers this place could become a really nice spot for me but until then I'll do my shopping elsewhere .

09-20-2010 11:48:55 | More by StlHopHead77

dakid618

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -6.6%
quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5 | $$

This is the closest beer store to my house so I frequently shop here but would rather drive the extra distance to go to the Granite City location. They generally have a decent collection of six packs(Avery, Dogfish Head, Lost Coast, Left Hand, occasionally Three Floyds, Great Divide, many more). I always check dates on six packs as they have a slow turnover rate. No mixer-sixers here which is unfortunate. Decent prices on bombers here, $5 for Avery bombers, $7-8 on Hoppin Frog, $6 on Ommegang 750mL, $7 on Oak Aged Yeti, $5 on Lagunitas. Some imports including Chimay, Lindemanns, Delirium Tremens and Nocturnum. Overall an alright store but not great. The employees generally know very little but are nice and willing to help. Last time I was in I was picking up some bombers and a 750mL of Framboise which they were out of but the owner came over and said he would give me two 375mL bottles for the price of the 750. The best thing about this store is beers that sell out fairly fast at other stores will stay in stock longer here and sometimes you can find a gem. I would like this store alot more if they had mixer-sixers.

03-02-2009 06:18:46 | More by dakid618

Goliath

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -6.6%
quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5 | $$

From what I understand, the same people who own the Granite City Corral own this one too. The problem with this one is no one knows about it and it's in a bad town (Macro beer rules here). Quality is ok, but keep an eye on the dates. I've seen many bottles in this place that the other Corral used to carry a year or so ago. I don't have proof, but I think that the supplies at this store just didn't sell which is why they're still on the shelves. It is however nice when you're looking for certain things. For example, they had Bigfoot long after it was sold out everywhere else.

In any case, they have a pretty nice selection. The imported selection is nowhere near that of Granite's, but the micro list is decent. It's not quite as good as Granite's again, but they carry a few things the other store doesn't.

As far as service goes, well you might be better off helping yourself. There's always a guy who asks me if I need help, but I just say no. The girls at the register definitely don't know anything. I bought a 6 of Bigfoot and when it rang up $13.85 one of the girls picked a bottle out of the carrier to examine the "expensive beer". I suppose I can't fully comment since I never talk to the guy that asks if I need help. Who knows, he may be a beer genius and I just have been writing him off as a trash drinking local.

A nice little spot, and it would probably get some better brews if they got more attention. Can't mix 6ers like at Granite, but no worries. You may run into a gem here that everyone passes up.

06-29-2008 03:57:27 | More by Goliath