Village Bottle Shoppe # 1

jamescain

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I used to live two blocks from this place. This is the store that helped me get into craft beer. They cater to two different clientele at this location. One: the college student who is buying multiple cases of BMC swill for beer pong of whatever else, for which they have a large walk-in cooler to keep their kegs and cases cool. Two: the small but growing craft crowd. Across from their small wall of coolers, which stock some craft 6 packs, they have a small but pretty impressive shelf of craft beers. You could break up six packs from this shelf if you felt like it. This is how I was able to expand my pallet. Don't be deceived by the facade or the size of the store, they bring in good stuff. It is mostly other college students that work there, but they seem for the most part to know what they are talking about and put up with the drunk crowed that comes in often. If you happen to be staying at the Purdue hotel, it is very short walk to this shop and you probably wont be disappointed by its selection.

07-25-2011 17:06:46 | More by jamescain

atoulouk

Indiana

4.39/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 5 | selection: 4.25 | $$

I live in Lafayette and this location of VBS has become my go-to store.

VBS Vine is a smaller store, so you can feel a little cramped and the vast majority of the space is taken up by mountains of cheap beer for college students. The store is right on Purdue's campus.

The craft beer selection is very good, however somewhat small. Fortunately, I have been able to form a relationship with the manager there and I am able to get most everything I am looking for, but I cannot promise that would be the case for a walk-in. They still have a lot of great craft brews from across the US, not much going on import wise.

The service at the location is absolutely top-notch. Everyone there is very knowledgeable about craft beer and willing to help you find what you are looking for. They often times, but not always, have great gems in the back that they will sell to those willing to ask ('09 BCBS one time).

Very happy with this store and I buy from them when I have the choice.

03-20-2012 18:37:36 | More by atoulouk

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I live 1.5 blocks from here.

Terrific place for what it should be, and what it actually does. It should be the stop for cheap swill for campus. And that it is. Massive mountains of Keystone and Busch. Walk-in cooler with almost everything they have ready to drink. And if you don't see it, ask.

Also has a great craft selection. It varies with season, but a good variety of Founders as well as local brews from Lafayette Brew Company and People's Brewing. I even got a bottle of Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra after I asked for DFH. Aged 5 years!

Talk to the guys in there if you're looking for something, odds are they know where you can get it. Great store.

12-09-2011 17:14:55 | More by boilermakerbrew

HandsomeBrew

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

From outward appearances, the Village Bottle Shoppe on Vine doesn't seem like a store that would be worth looking into for craft beer. It's a relatively small store that is mostly frequented by students of nearby Purdue University. As a result, the store is understandably dominated by stacks of BMC beers and hard liquor. In spite of this fact, the store manages to maintain a very nice, though undersized, craft beer section at the back entrance.

This section has several coolers full of 4-/6-packs as well as a cooler full of individual 12oz and 22oz bottles. There are also a couple of ambient shelves filled (mostly) with individual 22oz/750mL bottles of beer from a very wide range of breweries. These shelving units are framed by racks filled by even more beer from individual craft breweries (New Belgium, Goose Island, Southern Tier). For the space allotted, the selection is quite impressive, and the prices are on par with any other store in the area.

Even though the store's selection and pricing stand alone as being very respectable, the service is its best feature. Every employee I've spoken with has been more than willing to answer any questions I have or just to talk about beer in general. They're all very knowledgeable and genuinely seem interested in talking with anyone who wants to know more about the brews in the craft section. Also, if you don't see a beer you're searching for, be sure to ask about its availability. Because the craft beer section is so modest, there isn't always enough space to put every beer on display. They won't always have what you need, but there have been a few occasions where the staff has gone to the back and brought me a beer I was searching for. Everyone working at this VBS location is very willing to help however they can, and I've never had anything but fantastic experiences with any of them.

All in all, I recommend stopping by this location if you're in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area. You'll find a very good selection of brews, and you'll be more than satisfied with the service!

07-08-2011 03:54:37 | More by HandsomeBrew

newrbrewr

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Decent amount of beers. In sixers, 12oz singles and 22s. Market prices I'd say for high quality beers. VBS used to constantly have commercials bragging about their beer selection when I was younger. They helped me get into craft beer with their variety. If you like craft beer and need a place to go and find one, this place can get your fix. Impossible to leave here without a couple of great beers. Love the place, and will always be a customer, however, I only go here when I'm close by or have a certain beer in mind that I know they have on hand. My 'go to' store is a different Village Bottle Shop.

08-14-2010 04:52:47 | More by newrbrewr

Infernal75

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +0.2%
quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | $

My go-to store in the area. To be as succinct as possible, the store is small and the selection is mediocre at best. BUT, this store manages to beat other stores in the area for me because of the rotation. I'm in this store at least once a week and EVERY week the selection is different, something that just got released has hit the shelves. A larger store has a larger selection, but you never know how long that IPA you've been eyeing has been on the shelves, this store only stocks fresh, quality brews. Ask the staff and you can get most selections cold or even reserve something that's being released that week. If you're in the area, one visit to this store is NOT enough, check back regularly and you'll be surprised how often this store's racks shift.

07-03-2010 04:53:22 | More by Infernal75

lotsaswigs

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +0.2%
quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Although the smallest of the Village Bottle Shops, this is my go to store. Given the location and what you find inside, there's no doubt 30 stacks and liquor are the bread and butter of this store, but the craft section is pretty impressive given what they have to work with. The manager is very helpful and knowledgeable about beer in general and appears to have a good relationship with many Indiana breweries and his distributors. He tries hard to get in as many limited releases as possible and carries a good cross section of what's available in the state. If you go during the evening or weekend service can be hit or miss, but there's usually a guy or two in there that know their beer. The biggest downside is the size of the craft section, but when 9 out of 10 of the people coming in are looking for cheap swill, it kind of puts them in a bind. Overall this is a great store that's worth the visit if you're on campus.

06-24-2010 20:05:26 | More by lotsaswigs

aasher

Indiana

4.21/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

This location is the primary beer store on the outskirts of Purdue's campus. They feature an adequate craft beer selection. It includes both a five doored cooler as well as several beer racks devoted to craft varieties. They feature Bell's, Three Floyd's, Southern Tier, Dogfish Head, Goose Island, Great Divide, and Founders just to name a few. They also have additional Indiana breweries such as Barley Island, Back Road, Bee Creek, Upland, and Lafayette Brew Co. They also receive beers that are considered "rare" for the area such as Founders KBS and Goose Island's Bourbon County Coffee from time to time. Most beers are available at room temp or cold. They also feature a good amount of singles and bombers of quality craft brews. The day manager, Ro, is more than helpful when it comes to recommendations or help finding a quality beer. He travels the area so is very knowledgable of Northern Indiana's micro brews as well as others around the country. The night staff is also helpful with beer tips or opinions, as they seem to have tried alot of the beers they feature. If stopping by Purdue or just rolling through West Lafayette, I'd highly recommend stopping in to see what they've got.

06-03-2010 01:07:43 | More by aasher

muskabeatz

Indiana

4/5  rDev -3.4%
quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Typical college campus liquor store for the most part, with mountains of Keystone in the middle of the store. However, this location tends to the needs of the Beer Advocate as well with a modest craft beer section, which would likely be larger if the store itself weren't so small. The craft selection seems to be steadily growing, and is always being updated with the latest and greatest. The manager really tries hard to provide everything he can for the customer, as he really cares about craft beer. Come during the day and you will get great service, as the manager will gladly answer your questions or provide his input on your prospective purchases if desired. Service in the evening is not always as great, as there is a pretty heavy flow of college kids coming and going, but that's to be expected...

Overall, it's a great little store, and I would highly recommend it to any BA's that happen to be in the area.

05-12-2010 19:31:49 | More by muskabeatz

spointon

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -7%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

I am a Purdue alumni and I get back to the Lafayette/W. Lafayette area a few times each year.

This store is located just off campus in the village area. Though the Village Bottle Shop out on Sagamore Parkway has a better selection, this place does pretty well considering its small size and what must be a huge demand for cheap college beer and liquor.

Not a destination per se, but if you are near this store its definitely worthy of a vist. If I still lived close by I would be a regular visitor.

04-29-2010 05:42:45 | More by spointon