Bert's Better Beers

jamescain

Texas

4.44/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$$

I noticed while shopping here that some of their beers are a bit pricy. Its not too much of a concern for me since I'm usually visiting NH and I don't have a car so I wouldn't want to make my host drive me around to different beer places to save some money per beer, just an observation.

The first time I went there the store was relatively small, but they packed a lot in. The next year when I returned it had expanded into the space next door. Although the store was larger, it didn't seem like they offered too much more then they had before, just more space between the selves.

Their selection is vast and they carry many local beers and some glassware. The service depended on who was working. The first two times I went the person working was very nice and helpful, the second time he for some reason seemed suspicious of me. I'm not sure why I felt that way I just did, maybe because I had to look at all of the beers. It is slightly annoying that they arrange their beers by style instead of by brewery, so if I wanted to try say all of the smuttynose offering I would have to search throughout the entire store. Its a good beer store and easily the best in the area. If you live in Manchester I definitely recommend going, if you don't and you're just passing through the only reason to buy beer is because there is no tax but every surrounding state, with exception of Maine has a better selection then NH.

07-26-2011 16:59:39 | More by jamescain

mlichens

New Hampshire

4.31/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

It's the best beer shop in New Hampshire. Burt knows his stuff and loves to help introduce folks to his passion. I'm no newbie to beer, but I'm always trying to expand my palate a bit more and this place gets the job done.

However, it is NH and the distribution laws limit what they can carry. I still can't get a Lion Stout in this state, which makes me a sad panda. All the same, that's not Bert's fault so I don't fault him.

There is the not much to say for the atmosphere. It's your run of the mill shop that focuses on beer. There are tastings, which are enjoyable and constructive, but don't expect a huge party.

05-27-2013 06:27:37 | More by mlichens

Doshkin

Maine

4.78/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

This store is an absolute gem. The clerk welcomed me and my friends warmly and offered full assistance with anything we needed. He knew exactly when to lend help and otherwise let us browse. If the three of us gathered in one section with puzzled faces searching for a particular beer, he would chime in and guide us toward the beer we sought. He gladly accepted our opinions about some of his new beers that he'd yet to try, while responding with some great reviews of his own about beers we questioned. This man's clean appearance, knowledge, friendliness, and enthusiasm weighed heavily on my fond thoughts about this store.

The store isn't huge, but for a store entirely dedicated to beer, it seemed the perfect size. Unfortunately, if my friend didn't know the location of the store I probably would have overlooked it on my own. The layout has a nice flow that allows one to naturally wander through each isle without interfering with other patrons' shopping experience. Everything was organized in a very logical sense. You can go to each section of beer and find a beer you love and right beside it will be all of its competitors. This makes it very easy to decide on new beers to try.

The atmosphere was professional, clean, and cheerful. I remember the music being exactly to my taste and I sang along to each song while basking in the glory of all sorts of beer. This really is a kid-in-a-candy-shop type of feeling - my friends and I were having a great time. We made a big detour in our travels that day to visit this store, so we didn't stay nearly as long as we would have liked. Still, we spent a solid half hour to 45 minutes and left feeling like we had unfinished business.

The selection included much more than I expected, having never heard of the place before my friend brought me there. I had a hard time weeding out exactly what I wanted because I could have easily dropped hundreds of dollars and been very pleased with the beer that would have gotten me. I ended up with great selection of beers that I haven't even seen before. The gentleman working was kind enough to bag all of the beer my friends and I purchased into re-usable beer/wine bags that I've used ever since.

Overall I'd have to say this is one of the best beer stores from which I've had the pleasure of purchasing. I can't stress enough how much I appreciated the perfect attention (or lack thereof, when appropriate) that the gentleman working gave us. I really wish this store was closer to where I lived so that I could visit every week. I would truly recommend this store for anyone who desires to buy some great brews while taking pleasure in the whole experience of simply being in the store.

Best of luck to this store and I hope to visit again soon!

01-04-2013 15:13:41 | More by Doshkin

slentz

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in at Berts Better Beers during a vacation to Franklin, NH. First thing I noticed when I walked in is that its very bright and the floor plan is well laid out. There is a huge 4 or 5 door 6 pack cooler as you walk in past the imperial stouts. To the left are more shelves of belgians, ipas, etc. All beers are sorted by style and have a card indicating color, food pairings, abv, etc. To the left is a huge 6-7? door cooler of singles from all over. Here and through out the store you can mix and match your own six pack. This is definitely one of the nicest bottle shops I have ever seen. I picked up some nice White Birch Wild Ale bottles along with some others. Bert and the other owner (sorry I forgot your name) were very informative and helped us along the way. They also have a decent selection of glassware. I wish they had some more "rarer" releases but the White Birch I picked up was actually pretty limited. All in all this is a great place for beer and if you are in the area you should definitely stop in. Thanks again guys!

07-29-2011 21:51:35 | More by slentz

Satchboogie

New Hampshire

3.49/5  rDev -23.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$$

I've decided to re-review this location as things have changed.

The selection is the reason for going to Bert's. They get everything that comes to NH. They have cellared vintages on top of the already impressive selection.

Atmosphere is standard for your beer store: Clean and well displayed. With the recent expansion there is now a ton of space which really helps during tastings. The only knock is I'm not a fan of how some of the beer is grouped by style rather than brewery. I can see how that would be helpful for a noob, but I like being able to see an entire breweries selection in one spot.

Service is pretty good. Bert is a very cool, knowledgeable, approachable guy and most of the staff is pretty friendly. However, there is one staff member (who shall remain nameless) who can be less than friendly.

I used to shop here a lot but I've all but stopped going because of one big reason: Price gouging. While I love having a huge selection, it's not necessary in NH. 99.9% I will take a slightly smaller selection with much cheaper prices than Bert's. It's getting to the point where everything is at least a dollar or 2 more than everywhere else, sometimes it's as extreme as $5 or $6 more a bottle! You lose my business when you get to that point.

NOTE: I put the quality so low because I believe pricing should be included in the rating. I simply don't care to shop at a place that has unfair pricing and think ratings should reflect that. After all, fairness is part of the better business model, no?

07-21-2011 04:26:04 | More by Satchboogie

ALeF

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev -7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Bert’s Better Beers is one of the nicest places to pop into for beer, mead, cider, and superb beef jerky. Bert is extremely knowledgeable about his product and is more than willing to share that knowledge or a good beer story (at a tasting) with anyone.
The store’s selection is topnotch. You can mix your own six-pack from a wide variety of singles off the shelves or cold from the wall cooler. Also, the selection of gluten-free drinks and snacks is such a welcome sight, considering that my spouse has celiac disease. Bert’s might not be able to compete with the local grocery stores ability to sell some craft beer at low prices, but Bert’s is the go to spot for hard to find beers in south central New Hampshire.

06-24-2011 16:13:55 | More by ALeF

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.64/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Bert and Ron have the best beer selection in the state of NH, and have had a serious influence on the increasing availability of craft beer in the state as well.

A new row of coolers and a massive expansion has really ramped up the inventory and will allow the ever-increasing influx of imports and micro's plenty of room to land.

Literally a minute of I93 in Hooksett, with easy-on, easy-off access ramps, Bert's is a no-brainer for anyone heading to the White mountains from points south if you want to save some cash on you favorite brews.

06-13-2011 18:58:35 | More by brewandbbq

bilyboy65

Colorado

4.64/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This place is fantastic. Bert greets you when you enter and is very inviting and knowledgeable. There aren't many beers in the shop that he hasn't tried, so would be a great resource for finding a new beer for a special occasion or as a gift. The first time I visited this place I suggested a beer registry for their website. He hasn't done anything with that yet, but maybe if more people ask for it. HINT HINT...WINK WINK.

The service is fantastic and the only thing that hurts this place is the NH laws about what can be sold and the organization. It doesn't seem to be in any particular order. Would be nice if it was by brewery or style. Also everything isn't marked with the price.

Great points is that everything is available as a single cold or room temp. They have very neat 6pack bags to carry everything home in. I don't think a beer is sold in NH that can't be found here.

05-31-2011 23:08:59 | More by bilyboy65

ElGallo

New Hampshire

4.14/5  rDev -9.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

Finally got to visiting this place while in the Manachester area on business. It's a simple store front in a low-key, industrial-style strip mall. The shop is very inviting, and Bert came right over to greet me when I walked in.

Selection is very good, and luckily more and more labels are coming into NH each month, so it's getting better, though not nearly as good as Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts.

Bottles are arranged nicely, though the organization is a bit hard to figure out, so take a walk around to ensure you've seen everything. Prices are listed on most beers but not all. Singles in the coolers are a nice addition. In fact, that's what I like about this shop the most: everything here can be purchased as a single. I do wish, however, that the prices were in line with more NH bottle shops; the high prices kept my overall rating down.

Overall a great shop with excellent customer service and a fine selection of beer - and only beer :)

02-23-2011 02:55:42 | More by ElGallo

HopNuggets

Connecticut

4.65/5  rDev +1.8%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

I wish this place was around while I was in college at SNHU a few miles down the road. I finally made it in after they have been open for over a year.

Q - Quality of beer is solid! It's an all beer store so you don't have to worry about any other type of booze getting in your way.

S - Service makes this place! Bert is extremely knowledgable as well as the other workers. His facebook page is a great way for people to follow releases as he keeps it updated multiple times daily.

S - Selection is among the best in NH. He has all the specialty beers released in the state as well as some that other places many not have heard of. I have a feeling that local breweries find him and bring him brews to sell.

V - A bit high on prices but the selection makes up for it.

02-15-2011 18:04:48 | More by HopNuggets