Stearns Liquor

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.09/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | $

I stopped here for some shopping during a week-long trip to LA. During that time I had the chance to check out a LOT of shops from Long Beach to Pasadena, Hermosa to Glendora. So within that one week timeframe I feel I can give a good comparative analysis.

Prices were on par with most other shops. 95% of the selection was the same too. There were some noticeable bottles missing here which I saw in quite a few other places:
Parabola
Seizon Bretta
Several HOTD bottles

I chalk that up to the high regard this shop has in the community, as people make it a point to stop here and likely buy all the very special stuff.

On the other hand there were a lot of European bottles which I didn't see in too many other places. So overall it's worth a stop regardless of the loss of some of the hottest brews.

05-12-2013 03:24:31 | More by TurdFurgison

calidelphia

California

5/5  rDev +10.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $

Well... I've been frequenting Stearns for about 5 years now and don't normally do reviews. I felt this was well deserved.

Great selection, knowlegable staff (Danny's awesome. Ask for him), competitive pricing, clean store. All IPAs kept cold in the cooler, as they should be. Stouts, Barleywines, etc. line the shelves at room temp. Also has an expansive selection of Ciders and Mead if that's your cup of brew, I mean tea. Plenty of parking as well.

Not sure what the below reviewer is griping about. Danny has bent over backwards to get anything that I've been looking for and has become a great friend over the years. I don't see how that's a crime. He has never held anything for me that another customer has asked for before I arrived. It has always been first come first served since my first visit. I feel extremely lucky that this shop is a 15 minute drive and I have plenty of options closer by.

04-24-2013 00:28:58 | More by calidelphia

USMCretired

California

2.39/5  rDev -47%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 2.25 | $$$$

If you like a beer store that hypes up everything, posts on facebook, hoards the good stuff for regular customers than this might be your spot.

They think keeping an in your face social media presence is the way to gain customers.

Decent selection but very expensive, about half is refridgerated with an ok 6 pack selection. The thing I dont like is that the manager reserves all the good stuff for his friends or keeps it for himself. I'm ok with holding stuff back, but I never see any vintage stuff for sale. No, a 2011 Double Bastard does not qualify as vintage. Also, its a bad thing when beers don't have price labels.

02-14-2013 03:30:03 | More by USMCretired

AndrewSmith

California

4.87/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | $$

This place is a great hidden gem of a liquor store in Long Beach. This is the go to place to find all great craft beers. The biggest selection of beer in town. Staff is very friendly and will assist you in finding the right kind of beer for you. I love supporting local places so I will shop here, even if BevMo has a couple things cheaper every now and again. Great selection of liquor as well.

02-11-2013 23:56:35 | More by AndrewSmith

eazlyamuzed

California

4.78/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Great selection and knowledgeable staff. They treat their regulars well!
There are several coolers on the back wall filled with a huge selection of craft beer. All their IPAs are in the coolers. Stouts are on the shelf at room temp. There is the ability to build your own 6 pack, although the selection of beers for this is limited.

Prices for the most part are reasonable, although, I've seen a couple of beers that are significantly cheaper at BevMo. I'd much rather come here and support a small local business than BevMo though.

12-10-2011 22:25:18 | More by eazlyamuzed

jefftheduke

California

5/5  rDev +10.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $

This store is amazing, the owner really knows his beer and is a beer geek himself. He makes great recommendations. The atmosphere was great, I was practically dancing to the music and the beer geek talk is flowing all the time. The selection is great and you will never leave the store disappointed. I used to go to hi-time, but find the selection here as good or better. If you are within a few hours of the store it is worth a visit. To the previous reviewer, try taking a piss at the in-n-out down the street, it's a bottle shop not a restaurant.

11-19-2011 05:06:45 | More by jefftheduke

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.91/5  rDev -35.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 1 | selection: 3.5 | $$$

Decided to do a little driving while in the area for the Beachwood Sour Fest. Hit up this place, just a normal exterior liquor store in not so beautiful Long Beach.

Bright store, cute tall skinny girl behind the counter. Nobody else inside. Stone display. Usual beers, picked up some Stone Cherry Chocolate Stouts, some Telegraph cork & caged stuff. Nothing else really piqued my interest, I had picked up a lot of their good stuff elsewhere already on my trip.

So I bring $30+ worth of beer to the register, pay for it. Really needed to use the bathroom, so I asked to use it before I left. "I'm sorry, restrooms not available for the public." I'm not the 'public' I'm a customer. No dice.

Decent place, shitty service. Use the restroom before you go.

09-27-2011 16:22:36 | More by Beerandraiderfan

j47paco

California

5/5  rDev +10.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

This is, hands down, thee best bottle shop experience I've ever had. I visited Stearn's on 8/18/11 around 11:00am and was warmly greeted by Danny (the owner). He gladly talked beer with me for the entire 20 minutes I was there. He was knowledgeable, honest and sincere. He made several recommendations and I gladly picked up a few of his suggestions. Danny has a genuine love for craft beer and it shows. I wil definitely be going back despite the fact that it's 25 miles from my house. The selection is incredible! Everything you could expect to find, and more! Keep up the great work Danny!!

08-19-2011 03:53:00 | More by j47paco

romwarrior

California

5/5  rDev +10.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Another addition to the chorus of praise for Stearn's, but it really is as good as everyone is saying. They have a great selection and will try to get something if you do not find it. They get plenty of the hard to find releases but have strict limits to allow everyone to get some (something I applaud). And Danny is always there to steer you in the right direction. He is a beer geek just like the rest of us so he has usually tried everything he has and can make good recommendations. You can always call him and he will always let you know if they have something or not. He is active on BA as well and sometimes posts stock alerts here.

Located right off Lakewood Blvd, it is very accessible and parking is a breeze. This is definitely a place worth seeking out and going a little bit out of your way for.

07-13-2011 21:48:04 | More by romwarrior

Cavery

California

4.78/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I just want to add to the praise of Stearns Liquor Mart by saying that the place is run by the nicest guy I've ever met in a beer store. He secured me one of this Parabolas (1 bottle limit, reasonable and respectable) and was very helpful in pointing me into the right direction of beers that I might otherwise have been missing. I grabbed a supplication, Hair of the Dog Blue Dot DIPA (his recommendation), and I had to restrain myself from buying his available Alpine beers due to diminishing cooler space. The whole time that I was there he talked so enthusiastically about beer; and you can tell he is totally sincere with everything he says. He never tried to sell me on anything, and wasn't pretentious at all about his beer knowledge. I also should mention that I hated the idea of swooping in, grabbing a parabola, and leaving. I mentioned to the owner that I would most certainly browse the store before I departed, but he reassured me it wasn't necessary to get anything but the parabola. Obviously I ended up buying more, but not because I felt obligated to. I bought more because I was intrigued by Danny's (I think it was Danny) recommendations, and because his charisma made for an expectadlly pleasant stop. All of these factors help make my Stearns Liquor experience more than just a beer run; which is in direct contrast with my other LA store experiences (not naming names). I called and stopped in to about 8 stores before securing the parabola, and my wife was reaching a boiling point with me. After the stop at Stearns all we did was talk happily about the experience all the way home. Thanks Stearns!

06-16-2011 22:56:05 | More by Cavery