Galena River Wine & Cheese

RTrain12

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $

Stopped in here this past weekend on a trip to New Glarus WI with my wife. I havent been here in about 10 years when I was a kid with my parents. Not much has changed other than my love for craft beer. Its a very nice little shop with a small craft beer selection. But if you base there selection off of the towns size, I'd say it's just right. Like mentioned below everything is sold in single bottles. My big finds were Founders Double Trouble, KBS, Breakfast Stout, Nemesis, and Backwoods Bastard!

They also have alot of cheese, deli meats, oils, and wine.

04-02-2011 17:47:58 | More by RTrain12

ferrari29

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Bar-none, probably the best place in Galena to buy craft brews. Most of the beers here pair up very well with the large selection of deli meats and cheeses (very good) from around the globe. The wine selection dwarfs the beer, but no worries. You won't be disappointed.
The staff is very friendly and very knowledgeable about their beers. At the time, my uncle purchased 4 bottles of Madame Rose because they were very hard to come by in the Chicagoland area. No limitations, I dig, bu a bit on the pricey side.

12-18-2012 04:25:51 | More by ferrari29

polktheimpressionist

5/5  rDev +16.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

This place really kicked up my interest in trying new beer. I was extremely impressed with the numerous selections of beer, wine, cheese and meats. What took me by surprise was the variety of balsamic vinegars and olive oils, so many flavors and varieties to taste! Where I live we do not have those luxuries so it was very refreshing. You can also by single bottles of beer here which is always a good thing. My biggest compliment to this place was how welcoming it was. The staff are very friendly and helpful to my grandmother and I. It's always really cool to be able to enjoy an establishment with my 87 year old grandmother (who loves wine) and be able to relate to her on a level that we both understand while receiving excellent service at the same time . This place will remain in our yearly road trips for years to come.

10-31-2012 18:24:41 | More by polktheimpressionist

emerge077

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

This was a cool place, not a beer store exclusively, but more of a general gourmet shop. Lots of goods like wine, coffee, cheese, deli meats, custom made olive oils, and more.

Beer was past the deli counter, in the back corner. Everything was available as singles (accounting for the high service score), i'd estimate 100 total. Lots of Port/Lost Abbey, Dark Horse, Founders, Bells, Southern Tier, Ommegang, Hoppin Frog, Clipper City, and some of the Amber Ale from Galena Beer Co. (soon to open their own brewpub down the street). Imports like Lindemans, Sam Smith, Celebrator, etc. Some windows were open and allowing sunlight to hit the beer shelves... not good. Picked up a few singles, some coffee, and a pound of morel & leek jack cheese.

The cashier turned out to be the owner and chatted with us for a little bit. Seems they get seasonal beers in, and rotate their stock. Overall a must-stop if you're spending time in Galena, and need some beer/wine/snacks for the hotel.

07-24-2010 05:14:29 | More by emerge077

deereless

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Don't let the name fool you, this place has more than wine and cheese including a commendable selection of some quality beers. Some of the U.S. standouts include Bell's, Three Floyd's, Founder's, Goose Island, New Belgium, Moylan's as well as a few quality imports from the likes of Chimay, Lindeman's, Unibroue and Samuel Smith. I've spoken with the owner and the actual selection at any given time can vary based on availability (Three Floyd's is a tough one to get and keep in stock) but generally they carry around 120 beers with no macros. The person that I spoke with was very knowledgeable on beer (as well as wine and cheese). Though I wouldn't necessarily suggest a drive from Chicago to stock up, if you are visiting Galena and find yourself in need of a quality beer then this place can certainly offer you something. The prices may be slightly higher than what you can find in a larger city but they are still quite reasonable for the area.

12-17-2008 02:34:20 | More by deereless