Half Time

ElGuapo

New Jersey

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

first of all, the service was excellent. from the phone call before my 2 hour and 40 minute round trip, (speeding like crazy) to the guys helping me locate and select anything i needed.

the selection is absolutely amazing. they have 8 oz bottles up to collector's edition vintage 2000 Duvel in 3 Liter magnums. cases and sixers. best of all, they will let you take any single bottle you desire which is wonderful for the beer sampler. i spent quite some time in the store looking around, and i only found one thing to be bad. there is so much i wanted, i passed on a lot to save $ for others, and i ended up with 6 beers in an hour. then i decided to just go for it. upon leaving, i had about two cases, mostly 12 oz bottles with a bunch of pints, imperial pints, and 750 mls. total came to a little over $120. believe you me, you could spend about $500 - $750 without covering everything you want.

I've made 2 trips now, and after my second trip costing around $150, I am only starting to get through their 1000 beer selection.
if you are within any distance, GET THERE! i promise you will not be disappointed.

12-18-2002 15:54:49 | More by ElGuapo

paceyourself

Connecticut

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

It's true, it's true everything written in previous BA reviews is true. The selection and variety of singles is incredible. I traveled 3 1/2 hours and 169 miles round trip and i'll do it again. My only complaint is i went a week to early. Starting next week they will begin a monthly " meet the brewer series" first up is Victory. They'll have samples and an opportunity to ask questions. I only spent $78 but could have been much more, they have kegs of Allagash Grand Cru and Dogfish head WWS waiting to come on tap for sale in 10oz., 1/2 and full gallon growlers. The sevice was fantastic and knowledgeable. The manager gave me a free Wagner Valley pint glass for traveling so far.

12-08-2002 15:11:01 | More by paceyourself

doho95fu

California

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

I don't want to beat a dead horse...... but I will - This is by far the best place I have ever been. I don't mean beer place, I mean place, period. I work in Westchester County, NY and live in Fairfield County, CT so this trip on the way home from work entailed 2 1/2 hours of drive time - no problem and I will do it again. It is spotless, new, well organized and huge. There are people replacing singles in the fridge minutes after they have been purchased. The aisles are laid out by region, and it is incredible to see an entire aisle of USA micros (Belgian, German, English, Czech, etc. all well represented). I went there with certain beers in mind, and literally every one was there. I figured on being there for twenty minutes, but it ended up being 1 hour plus. I just began to panic, there is almost too much variety. Here's what I came away with:
Westmalle Triple x 1
Celebrator Doppelbock x 1
Rogue Imperial Stout x 2
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout x 6
Magic Hat Humble Patience x 3
Dogfish World Wide Stout x 1
Dogfish Shelter Pale Ale x 4
Ommegang Rare Vos 750 x 1
Rogue Shakespeare Stout 22 x 1
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale x 2
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA x 1
Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout x 1
Pilsner Urquell x 6
Victory Storm King Stout x 6

All this for under $80. Not bad for a store of this quality.
I purposely didn't even go near the growlers and taps because I wanted to save it for next time.
It is great to see a beer store take pride in their craft and to treat their product with the same reverence as specialty wine stores. I only wish everyone could have a store like this within a few hours drive.

11-27-2002 06:48:49 | More by doho95fu

maristfan

New York

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

Words cannot describe it. Get in your car, plane, train, whatever it takes and visit Half Time. You won't regret it. I attended college nearby and saw the birth of this beer mecca but couldn't imagine the greatness that it has become. Pilsners and Lagers and Stouts OH MY! First stop to make in the store is the micro-brew-on-tap center. Shortly after that, clean the drool off your sweater and head to the cooler after cooler of choice beverages. I entered the store hearing good things and was curious but didn't expect to purchase any that night. I left the store with a "variety is the spice of life" mixed 6 pack of micro-brews, of which I had only one before. Really, the previous posts and mine aren't exaggerating when we say that this could be the best beer distribution center in the lower 48 and quite possibly the best in the beer drinking world. I live in a small town upstate, very near a brewery that is known by few (Davidson Brothers)...to my delite Half Time had two of these brews on tap and even more on the shelves. They are in search of the scotch ale from there which could quite possibly become my favorite of all time. To quote the man I talked to "We get our beer." I have no doubt that a visit to this store will leave you smiling and pennyless...both good things when it comes to good beer!

11-09-2002 21:46:43 | More by maristfan

slander

New York

4.74/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Great Caesar's Ghost!! This place is awesome. I guess I had to see it to believe it. Located just a few miles south of the Mid Hudson Bridge on Rte 9 (northbound), big and new and shiny and clean. An aisle of american micro brews galore. I happily scored me a few single Bert Grant's beers, some Middle Ages this, some Rogue Imperial Stouts that, just a huge singles make your own six pack heaven. Coolers and coolers of just singles. An aisle of Scottish and English and Irish and German and Belgians, oh my. I scored me a Liefman's Goudenband (edit: I came back and scored 4 more Liefman's Goudenbands and am hoarding them), I am one happy camper. Oh yeah, and a couple of Cantillion's to boot. All sorts of stuff I've heard of but have never seen and all sorts of stuff that I've just flat out never heard of but will be doing research on (hmmmmn, if only there was a very informative beer website where people wrote descriptively about all beers and I could reference them). State of the art, a dozen live taps for pouring 10oz sampler bottles, 1/2 gallon or full gallon growlers and the system is done up right!! and the staff seemed alot more up to beer snuff than the Budweiser beer swill lackeys you usually get at your local bevee. The guy me and Davo were talking to used to brew at Woodstock Brewery in Kingston and was knowlegable as all hell about everything we hit him with (and he's a good barleywine man on top of that). I dropped $71 bucks there and I'm sure I'll be doing the 90 mile pilgramage there again real damn soon.
Well worth the hike, says I.

09-29-2002 21:58:29 | More by slander

Shiredave

New York

4.36/5  rDev -7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

If your a beer geek on the east coast and havent heard of Half Time, then your not paying attention.
5000+ sq. ft. of retail space.
Well over 800 different beers in stock (NOT counting Malternatives) ... more arriving all the time.
100+ ft. cooler w/ 31 doors.
12 doors of specialty Imports and domestic craft brews
All bottles sold individually. More than 550 sold cold singely.
Breaking 6-packs is encouraged. Special keg orders are welcome as well. If you know what you want and are willing to pay, give them a week or 2 and you can get almost anything.
12 taps for Growlers to go- All craft brewed US micro's, Belgian Ales, Traditional British and German Beers. Growler sizes vary from 10oz up to full gallons.
Tap selections change constantly with season, availability and demand.
This place really is " The Ultimate Source" on the east coast and beyond.

09-05-2002 23:07:06 | More by Shiredave