Half Time

iBeer16

New York

5/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

This place is right down the street from me and is basically where all of my money goes. They stock basically everything you could imagine that is available in New York. They have a great selection of U.S. micro brews, Belgian beers, UK, along with a lot more options. They offer mix 6 packs and prices are fairly reasonable. It's the size of a normal CVS but full of beer, they have great gift baskets available, about 8 taps for growler fills, growlers, glasses, warm and cold beers, and a great selection of cigars. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Couldn't reccommend a beer store more than this place, perfect in my mind.

02-08-2012 06:42:09 | More by iBeer16

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -8.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Never been to the store but did place an online order with the company. Took advantage of their Christmas free shipping special on all orders over 100 dollars get free shipping. Awesome.

From that order I placed I got 36 new beers, a six pack of Jai Alai IPA, and a six pack of Left hand milk stout.

From their I e-mailed, called, and waited until finally was told that I needed to make some substitutes so the order was 42 new beers and a six pack of Left Hand Milk Stout.

Total order took around two weeks to get to my house and everything was packaged well, no breaks, and quick shipping (UPS)

Quality of the beer has been from stealer to rather old (A couple beers being at least 3-4 months old) but everything was not skunked or affected from sunlight.

I would consider doing this again if they get more beers in or offer another free shipping deal. Most prices seem to be very fair from $1.59 to upwards of $2.40 per single which I am used to paying with 15 dollar mix and match prices. Not bad.

01-20-2012 01:21:10 | More by DrDemento456

BigPlay1824

New York

4.94/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

this place is by far the best beer store i have yet come across, incredible selection, i mean absolutely incredible. broken down by country of origin on the shelves. huge cooler space, massive quantity, always have the newest stuff and also the freshest. staff is incredible here, always willing to help, answer questions, and just shoot the shit in general. awesome program where, if you buy $100 worth of beer, or, as i learned on my most recent trip, anything the cashier feels is deserving enough, you get a free glass (or two) from their pretty good glass selection. i believe 10 growler taps that rotate frequently. slightly pricey but id pay even more. really an awesome store and i recommend it to all

12-28-2011 03:00:20 | More by BigPlay1824

mpcrump

Indiana

4.56/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

I was visiting Marist College for a seminar and investigated the area for some craft beer experiences. Normally, when I'm out of town I simply look for brewpubs since I find the local dining and beer an enjoyable experience.

This place has a formidable selection and is relatively well organzined - country, brewery, and style. Very large selection. Being from out of town it was almost too big but that is a good problem to have.

The prices might have been slightly on the high side but I don't think it is quite fair to rate it a bit pricey.

The staff is rather cold but not rude. I'm used to someone greeting you and wondering what you are looking for here. I was in the place for almost an hour and never was approached for assistance. Not that I wanted it but that seems odd to me.

Overall, if you are in the area take the time to visit. You will find lots of beers you will want to take home with you.

12-27-2011 02:56:19 | More by mpcrump

Vylo

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Website is FANTASTIC. As someone with few decent liqour stores in the area, I have taken to online orders to help me out with selection.

Some places I was luckly to come up with a dozen beers to order, the largest was just over 60.

I lost count at over 400 beers on this website, and have had to split up the orders. Note, that is just the beers I WANT. They have well over 1000. They also have a lot of rare beers I have been seeking out for ages, and things I have never heard of before. Retired beers that would be hard to find, you name it, they stand a good chance of having it.

Prices are decent, you can get individual cans/bottles, they run specials (including free shipping!). They ship quickly.

AWESOME store.

12-24-2011 11:21:49 | More by Vylo

spipenge

New York

1/5  rDev -78.7%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1 | $$$$

I saw the flyer from Half-Time Beverage in the latest issue of the magazine. My father is a Sam Adams fan, so I ordered their sampler for him. I ordered the item on the 19th. They charged my card and emailed me the same day saying I'd receive a tracking number from the shipper. I emailed them on December 21, December 22 and December 23 from their website (they don't have a number to call on their website). They never got back to me. (By way of reference, I ordered something for my Step-Mom at Wine.com on the same day to go the same address. It came from California and actually arrived on December 22.).

I called them on December 23 (after looking them up on "the Google"). I told them I never received a tracking number. They told me that the package would arrive on December 27...8 days after I ordered it. They are in New York, and my Dad is in Ohio...so not a very long way. With a cough drop in his mouth or a bite of a chicken sandwich, the man told me that there are problems with the automated tracking system. I then asked why it took three days to even ship my package (I ordered it on 12/19 and the UPS tracking systems says they did not ship it until 12/22). The guy tried to tell me it took three days to pack and send to the shipper. He then told me that UPS doesn't work on the weekend and is closed Monday. He told me that "things get busy around the holiday." I told him about my Wine.com experience and his response was to roll his food or cough drop around in his mouth, but, other than that silence. Never an apology, never a real explanation...nothing.

You guys have a great magazine. I've come to love good beer. You guys are too good to have any association with this outfit. You should end any association with them.

12-23-2011 18:42:55 | More by spipenge

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.38/5  rDev -27.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5 | $$$$

I've stopped here many times on my travels across the Hudson Valley. Used to think highly of this store, until my last visit this past weekend.

Sure, Half Time is a huge store. A veritable supermarket of all things beer. But guess what? There is only ONE aisle for American craft. That ONE aisle is neatly arranged and colorful and has some (few) brands I cannot get downstate in NYC like Great Lakes, Clown Shoes and Three Heads from Rochester, but it still is only ONE aisle. World's largest selection of beer? I doubt it.

A good variety of Alesmith and Bruery bombers, plus more Elysian than I have ever seen. The excitement ends there, though. No rarities, no barreled brews, no "oh-my-god-gotta-have-that" bottles. Yes, they got a lot of beer, but nothing really that you will not see in your local shelves. Stone, Sierra, Dogfish, Weyerbacher, Jolly Pumpkin... whatever.

The only exciting brews were BEHIND the counter (as if they were afraid they'll get stolen or something?). There they had the barrel-aged Mikkeller Black Hole series, priced at $15.99!!

Indeed, the price is perhaps the worst thing about Half Time. Everything here is two-to-three dollars more expensive than in Manhattan. Why?

One thing I did like is the reduced-price beers upfront by the entrance, including Hoppin' Frog Black&Tan and a bunch of seasonal/Christmas beers. I also like the fact that you can get tap beer to go in containers as small as a pint (16 oz). How cool is that!

There is not much service to speak of here... no beer nerd cruising the aisles offering help. A lil' cold but just fine at the registers. Sorry, Half Time, but you are just not for me.

10-05-2011 15:55:00 | More by DoubleSimcoe

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev -8.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | $$

This is simply the best store in the area, one of the best I've ever been to, and a can't miss beer destination if you are anywhere in the vicinity. Tremendous selection organized by country, shelf after shelf of bottles, tons of refrigerated beer, growler station with a half dozen or so excellent choices. Staff is up and down, not everyone knows their stuff here or is always super friendly but that's a minor knock. A disinterested teenage girl at the cash register or a college student stocking shelves who doesn't know what Cascazilla is ain't a big deal when you're here. At least not to me, because I'm always overwhelmed with choices.

Nice selection of glasses here too. Weekly sale items and an excellent website (halftimebeverage.com). Go here and buy stuff. Make it a day and hit up Keegan Ales in Kingston, the Gilded Otter in New Paltz and Hyde Park Brewing in...Hyde Park.

08-28-2011 04:15:09 | More by tobelerone

Johnnyfacelift

New York

4.72/5  rDev +0.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$$

My dream Sunday is when my wife and I drive across the river and have a day that includes some time in Babies R Us, a stroll through the mall, an excellent lunch @ CREW followed by some beer shopping @ Half Time. This is the place where all the beers are stocked according to region of the world, brewery and style. The aisles are clearly marked, you can make your own sixpacks and quite a few of the brews on the shelves are also available cold in the cooler. You can get your growler filled from 8 or so different rotating taps, and you can also grab a quality Saranac soda or various other odd or common soft drink for the ride home. At the register they have the new arrival end cap for those last minute impulse buys and behind the counter are some hidden bomber gems that bring the whole experience together.

The only downside(s) would be that there's not really much assistance by the staff... unless you're there during a tasting or you catch the right enthusiastic beer drinker, and the prices tend to be a bit higher than some other smaller stores. But otherwise this is a must for anyone looking for a "beer warehouse" that has everything and then some.

PS:-) Stock is well rotated and the older brews are set out on a designated kiosk as clearance beer... sweet!

08-19-2011 02:36:40 | More by Johnnyfacelift

merc7186

New York

4.2/5  rDev -10.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

When I walked into Half Time, I had my sights set pretty high because of all the great reviews it got (from people who visited the store). It advertises itself as the Worlds Largest Selection of Beer..and mind you, I haven't been around the world to check every beer store but it still doesn't have the volume that Beers of the World in Rochester has. With that being said, it still has a vast amount of different beers but I was kind of disappointed that it only had one aisle (both side, 5 levels high) of american craft beers. I will say that their distributor tries because they get a lot more of the better brewers than we see from the upstate brewers (Bruery, Cigar City, Founders, Firestone, etc) and there selection was a nice change of pace from the stuff I typically see. Their selection was a 4 out of 5 and some of their prices were good and some were higher. I recommend stopping by when in the area and I will be shopping their website in the future.

08-08-2011 23:25:45 | More by merc7186