Ale Wine & Spirits Of Powell

RandyJ

Ohio

5/5  rDev +16.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $

First stumbled on this store last winter. It has been my go to store ever since. Kevin and the staff there are always helpful and can give anyone great suggestions. This has to be the cleanest and most organized store in central Ohio. They have a great singles selection that is always rotating and changing and much better priced than Andersons singles. They also have tastings for beer and wine every Thursday and Friday which includes brewery or distribution reps in attendance as well in some cases. Great selection here including all the seasonal and limited releases. I like the fact they send out a weekly email letting you know what releases are coming in for the week. If it is available in the area, I know Ale Wine and Spirits will have it.

06-08-2011 00:00:15 | More by RandyJ

inomniaparatus

New York

5/5  rDev +16.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Ale Wine & Spirits quickly became my regular beer store when I lived in the area. Recently, I have moved to New York City and have yet to find a beer store with the same level of selection and service as this small store in Powell Ohio.

I am a 22y/o female who LOVES craft beer, but when I walk into a beer store, I am typically greeted by people trying to "help" me by recommending me pale ales and wheat beers, and talking to me in a fairly condescending way. I have had one person try to explain to me what an IPA was... Other times, I am completely ignored. This is frustrating, because in most cases, I am more knowledgeable about beer than the employees.

However, at the Powell Ale Wine & Spirits, this is not the case. I am always made to feel welcome. Kevin always takes the time to talk about all the new arrivals with me, and the latest beers that he has tried. The staff here is EXTREMELY knowledgeable, and have recommended some fantastic beers for me to try based on other beers that I like. I have never left this store without taking home a new beer that I have never tried before.

Their beer tastings are top notch, and their selection is fantastic. Essentially, if it is distributed to Ohio, this store receives it. They are also very good about managing limited release beers, and do so in a very fair manner. They are always willing to sell single bottles, and all of their beer is very reasonably priced.

Every time I visit home for the holidays, I make SURE I have time to visit this store.

12-11-2011 16:59:52 | More by inomniaparatus

Fitwitchik

Ohio

4.86/5  rDev +13.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Can only speak of the brews but this place rocks if you love craft beers. The prices are very reasonable and the staff is outstanding in recommending beers to suit your taste.
Speaking of taste, tastings are held every Thursday & Friday nights from 6-8pm and are a fanatastic way to try new brews. They usually have a "theme" which allows you to try several styles by one brewery or the same style by different breweries. Great opportunity for a newbie (like I was) to become knowledgeable. Miss having Kevin at the store but his replacement Kyle is certainly worthy. Can't say enough good things about this place. If you live within a 20 mile radius of the store it is well worth the drive to check out. You won't be disappointed.

09-08-2012 18:25:33 | More by Fitwitchik

Thorpedopedy

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +13.1%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Great tasting schedules with frequent beer rep/brewer participation. The beer guy Kevin has not only had more beers than one can count, but he has an amazing memory of taste from one seasonal release to another. Tell him what taste you like and he's sure to find something you'll love.

In general, the store is wonderful. Staff is always friendly, selection is great. I can always find something at my price point.

The usual tasting crowd is friendly and are by no means know-it-alls. Great place to ask questions and educate yourself through tasting.

In addition, the mailing list gives you weekly/monthly tasting schedules and prices as well as new beers that will be coming to the store. Lots of good craft kegs to choose from too.

01-27-2011 19:39:43 | More by Thorpedopedy

CERNJOH

Ohio

4.73/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

Ale Wine and Spirits (AWS) has been in Powell over a year (as of September 2012). Their staff and owner are very friendly and helpful in the selection of any item you might be looking to find.

My wife and I began going there when they first opened and participated in a couple of wine tastings. It was on the second wine tasting we noticed the beer tastings and have not returned to wine. AWS's beer geek Kevin, got us hooked and now my basement is full of great beers mostly purchased from AWS. They have a great beer selection and do a great job recommending beers to suit your taste. If in doubt when in the store ask. They provide great advice.

Kevin who introduced us to great beers has since left to become a rep for one of the beer distributors, but often attends the weekly beer tastings. Kyle is the new beer geek and does a great job. Tastings are every Thursday and Friday Night from 6 to 8. We have a great group that attends. If you are local to AWS or just passing through I recommend you drop by especially for the tastings, you'll have a great time.

09-08-2012 18:08:16 | More by CERNJOH

recall1242

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +10%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

This store is a little fr from home for me, but is always worth the drive. If your looking for a beer that is sold out everywhere, then your best chance to get your hands on some is in this store.

The staff is always helpful and very knowledgeable about the products in the store. It is easy for a quick question to turn into a long conversation about other beers of the same style and future releases.

The products are well placed and organized nicely, This store is well taken care of, and there is never a dusty bottle in sight. The singles collection is also very helpful to be able to try a lot of new beers. The tastings are always worth a trip into the store.

05-15-2011 23:19:43 | More by recall1242

aarg

Indiana

4.7/5  rDev +9.6%
quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

I am visiting Columbus over the Christmas holiday. Thank goodness for Beer Advocate's list of beer stores! This store was highly rated, so I decided to call them. They were very nice on the phone and said they had a selection of beers from Belgium. I decided they were worth a visit.

When we got there we were greeted as we went into the store. They asked what we were looking for, and someone went with us to the area with the beers from Belgium. He was very knowledgeable about the different beers, able to describe the differences in taste. The selection of quality beers exceeded my expectations. I would rate the selection as a 4.5. I was hoping they might have some of the Kasteel Bier varieties and the Gouden Carolus Grand Cru of the Emperor.

In addition, they had a several different beers from small breweries in Belgium that I had not heard of. Very interesting.

They also had some of the Duvel 4-pack sets with a free glass.

And they also have a very full schedule of beer tastings for a fee, including Belgian tastings and visits from micro breweries.

Overall ...

Excellent selection of quality beers from Belgium, including some obscure new things to try.

Knowledgeable, friendly and helpful staff, willing to spend the time to discuss the differences between beers with you.

The only negatives are the prices are high, and it is a bit out of the way. The Belgian 750ml's were $10.99. I'd be happier if they were $1 less.

But it is worth the trip, if you are ok with spending a bit more to get good beers from Belgium.

12-24-2010 03:36:35 | More by aarg

xdefeatsy

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I really have come to like this store. It's only been open for 1 year as of now but for the past 6 months it has been my go-to place for beer. It is a little bit off the beaten path as others have mentioned, but for those of us who live in the northwest suburbs of Columbus, it's a great local place to get some great brews. I stumbled upon it by accident one day while I was driving up Sawmill Parkway. The space of the store is kind of split between Wine and Beer -- with a nice selection of spirits lining the back of where the cash registers are. They also carry some homebrew supplies. Almost all the beer is cold and goes in a pattern from right to left along the coolers: rare bombers -> local -> micro American brews -> Euro imports -> Non-euro imports -> macro brews. The singles and import selection is not quite as big as Anderson's but it comes close. Between the two stores I can almost always find what I want if it's in Ohio. Their prices are about the same as the rest of Columbus. Kevin is their beer guy and not only is he nice and helpful but he is a walking beer encyclopedia. If they don't have what you're looking for, Kevin will try his best to order it. They have tastings at least once a week for a nominal fee and get some brewery reps to come in as well.

The thing that really sets this place apart from other stores in the area is that you can subscribe to the Beer Club mailing list and once a week, Kevin sends out an e-mail letting customers know what's new in the store for the week and what events are happening. This was especially helpful when Three Floyds made a brief appearance here about 4 weeks ago. I was able to get my hands on some bombers while everywhere else had already sold out!

10-23-2011 16:05:08 | More by xdefeatsy

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

I made the drive up here after hitting up the Crossroads Winking Lizard for some Bambic.

This place is new and it looks it. Its very nice inside. The floor plan was actually given some thought, same with decor and color choices. There is a nice swooping island/counter/shelving display unit that curves around the center of the store just as you walk in. Being half wine, half beer and half liquor (yes 150%) the center display is fronted by wine and backed with beer. The more elegant bottles of each are arranged nicely and attractively on the top of the large display unit.

The way things are set up it took me a second to fully realize their beer selection. Since all the wine is facing the door you walk in thinking its more of a wine store. Luckily the store isnt difficult to get comfortable in and soon the wide beer selection becomes apparent.

I started with the coolers. The long back wall is all coolers for beer. Starting with chilled bombers it moves right to left, going past many doors of 6 packs and ending with imports. I did feel that the imported stuff was kinda segregated though. Being way down on the end, near the BMC and Corona and stuff I could see how some of the better European stuff could be overlooked.

Now, back to that big center display unit. On its lower shelves are the singles. Individually priced for mix and match. I was happy to find North Peak singles here. The Belgians and Belgian styles are on top. All of the new Stillwater beers looked great as they are displayed here.

I mixed a six and purchased a Delirium Tremens with an upside down label (there were several. Epic!) and a Lagunitas Ruben and the Jets which has been long gone since before this store even opened so I dont know how it got there.

Service was as good as it can get. I ended up chatting with Kevin for quite a while. He's obviously one of their designated beer geeks. He is very familiar with their stock and I would have faith in any suggestion he would make. I didn't really need much help but he was friendly and able to ask me what styles I like and tell me what some of his current favorites are. He seemed genuinely happy to have my business. The interaction and getting to meet another local beer geek made it worth my trip.

03-11-2011 17:50:51 | More by MbpBugeye

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.44/5  rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

Visited a multitude of times since they opened. Located on north Sawmill at Home Rd. There is a decent-sized private lot on the front and side of the building.

The interior is cleanly laid out with the beer selection in the back of the store, both in coolers and on shelves (plus a couple end caps). Singles are available. There is also a small bar in both the beer and wine sections. Lastly there is a separate room set aside for private parties, events, etc.

Ale Wine & Spirits stocks a couple hundred beers, including many local and OH breweries like CBC, Thirsty Dog, Elevator, Neil House and GLBC. Many other domestic micros like Epic, Stone, Stillwater, Victory etc. Many imports from the likes of Mikkeller, Fantôme and Wittekerke too.

Service at AWS is top notch. Kevin manages stock and will do whatever he can to fulfill requests. In addition he coordinates weekly tastings.

Overall this is a store I would frequent even if it was not relatively close to home. One of the better spots to hit in the Columbus area.

12-19-2011 01:14:49 | More by Dogbrick