The Four Firkins

morimech

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev -2.2%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

Tucked away in a small, and a bit rundown strip mall. I have made a couple of visits to the store. As others have stated, it is a small shop. The beer is organized by style which is nice and a different approach. A nice selection of glassware is also offered. Although there may only be a couple of choices offered here than other stores, I think everyone could find something surprising. The prices are a tad higher than other stores but I am willing to spend a few extra dollars to support a store like this.

07-12-2008 18:01:48 | More by morimech

Tjvan2

Iowa

4.65/5  rDev +4.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | $$$

Was in town for a conference and stopped out of curiosity...plus I needed to pick up some Surly. The place was set up great with all beers divided by type. There is a large cooler area with plenty of good brews chillin'. The thing I appreciated most is that this place had more craft beers and microbrews than anywhere else I have ever been. I prefer this to a large number of import beers. The prices were on par with every other specialty beer place I have been in. I didn't interact with the staff much but they were friendly and carried my purchase out to the car. I would go back here in a heartbeat!

03-13-2013 03:49:31 | More by Tjvan2

minnesotaryan

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +12.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

The first and only exclusively craft beer store in Minnesota. They have all the outside light blocked out, and keep the store at a proper temperature for the beer. They also have a good amount of the IPA's in the fridge. They have a nice little bar where they tap casks/firkins for tastings.

The beer is top notch here, they carry lots of great stuff, it is easy to spend a lot of time wandering the MASSIVE singles wall, or combing through all the bombers and 750s. You are always guaranteed to find something good.

The staff is incredibly knowledgeable, they are also incredibly approachable and will let you know about what is new or coming out. They also remember what you have bought and are quick to make recommendations accordingly.

Don't mind the naysayers, this place is top notch establishment run by great people.

10-24-2012 01:56:31 | More by minnesotaryan

ssimpson89

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I stopped in while visiting on business looking for Surly products and some other locals I can't get in Chicago. I was immediately greeted and asked if I needed help. I was able to get Furious and Surly Fest. I asked for recommendations and was pointed to Steel Toe Size 7, which turned out to be a great pick.

While I was looking over the other 6 packs wondering what to try, the employee suggested a mix a six. He asked me what I liked and helped me make selections from breweries I don't have access to. He was great. I wish I would have gotten his name so I could mention him here.

Nice store that I will visit again when I'm in town.

10-05-2012 01:57:28 | More by ssimpson89

theHoff77

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -11.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$$

I make the occasional trip to the Firk to get my Steel Toe fix.

Atmosphere - Store is nicely set up and has classy feel, and I believe the checkout area is supposed to represent an old abbey. Nice decor with craft beer signs, glassware, and some old beer.

Quality/selection - They split it up by beer styles which is helpful, and there are no macro brews. They have a good selection of quality beers but honestly I don't think it's much different than some decent stores. They also have a nice selection of glassware.

Value - Their one advantage is they tend to be the first place to have a certain beer. Because of this it seems like they jack up their prices. In general their prices are pretty high, at least a dollar more on average.

Service - I have mixed feelings on the staff. It's great that they know their stuff, but some of them have come off as smug. My father came with me one time and asked if they had any Bulgarian beer which he is familiar with because my sister lived in the country for three years and we had a Bulgarian foreign exchange student. I think it was the owner who was a complete ass to my dad by saying there were no good beers from that region and it wasn't worth looking for. It's not like that has deterred me from going back but that definitely lowered my opinion of them.

Overall - I like the selection but the prices and staff need improving. If you really want something hard to find or be the first to get something, then this is the place. If you have a good store by you though I'd suggest you start there.

10-05-2012 00:27:58 | More by theHoff77

JosephThompson

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev -5.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Another stop during my family visit time and I came away impressed. Firstly, there's some dedication here to the collection of labels and artifacts of beer's place in the past. It's a nice feature to kill some time in between choosing your quaff to look at these things rather than, say, Skinny Margarita displays with Skeletor.

Wood all around. Great collection of bottles once head on the rim of the island where checkout is located. Shelving is easy to browse and four to five coolers fill one side of the store. All the local brews are represented well. Was only place I could mix a Surly six pack which is nice for the out of towner.

The selection isn't over the top and won't intimidate you but it felt like they did a great job of finding the quality brands needed to fill out a store that reflects their appreciation for the art.

09-16-2012 14:52:05 | More by JosephThompson

mynie

Indiana

4/5  rDev -10.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$$

Very nice place, tucked away in a strip mall somewhat next to a Target and about 10 minutes from downtown Minny. The interior is woody and smells nice, the crowd is friendly as can be, and the beers are grouped together by style, instead of brand.

This last feature deserves commentary: it rocks. Why? Because more often than not, I'll be in the mood for a certain style of beer, not a certain brand. I don't think "gee I'd like some Rogue today," so much as I feel in the mood for an IPA or a porter. On top of this, more and more brewers have been getting cute with their beer styles, either refusing to list them on the bottle/can or else giving them some asinine name ("spunk lager" or "old timey ale"). I don't care for mysteries, especially when I'm shelling over 10+ bucks a sixer.

Local beers came in single servings, they had a very wide variety of affordable local bombers, and a decent Belgian selection. Overall, the selection wasn't world class spectacular, but it was plenty wide. The staff all knew their businesses, too. The only reason I say this place is "a bit pricey" is because that's how nearly every single beer store is nowadays, since things are so goddamn gentrified.

06-18-2012 17:41:47 | More by mynie

Kjendahl

Colorado

4.84/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Stopped in on my way back to Denver earlier this week. Wow. They say Colorado is the Napa Valley of Beer, but we don't have a store like this. People in the Twin Cities are fortunate to have a store that takes such pride in craft beers. The low lighting was especially appreciated and the selection of warm beers on the shelf was a pleasant surprise. I "import" a lot of beers from Minnesota and the warm beer makes it easier to transport. The prices were on par with everything else I'd seen around the Twin Cities during my stay. Sure, most liquor stores can put something on sale and beat out other stores with volume. But what struck me about the Four Firkins is that as a niche retailer they can jack up prices, but choose not to. I can tell these guys have a commitment to competitiveness and that's as refreshing as good hefeweizen. They even carried my beer out to my car for me. I'll be stopping here every time I'm back in the MSP for sure.

06-15-2012 17:50:28 | More by Kjendahl

ratty918

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

I realized it was only a mile from my work and then one of my bosses described as Disneyland for beer lovers. When I walked in the store I could see why. Great selection refridgerated and dry selection. They have the build your own 6 pack which is pretty common but a great supply of 750ML and pints bottles. Some great small micro beers from Minnesota as well as great selection from around the country and world. Bring a credit card because with all the eye candy you drop 3 digits but get some great selections.

02-03-2012 01:20:33 | More by ratty918

BMoney575

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Visited on 1-25-12

Stopped at the Four Firkins while in Minneapolis for work, and was looking for a good place to score some local beers. The store itself was easy to find and get to, and not very far from downtown.

The interior of the store is styled like a pub, with all of the beers on display and easy to find. Some beers are out on shelves and some are in the cooler, so be sure to check both. I stocked up on quite a bit of Surly, and some selections from lesser-known Minnesota breweries.

The service was good, and the staff seemed to be knowledgeable about the beers they carry, and made some good recommendations.

The best part though, were the prices. While the price of beer in Michigan has been increasing steadily, the prices in Minnesota are very reasonable.

From my research, the Four Firkins came up as the best beer store in Minneapolis, and my experience backs that up. A must-stop if you're in town.

01-28-2012 21:36:48 | More by BMoney575