Big Z Beverages

cosmicevan

New York

5/5  rDev +9.9%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $

Wow...what a first experience at Big Z!!! Truth be told, I'd been there many times a long time ago when it was under different management (and I was into beer in a different way).

In any event, had a really great first experience. As I walked in, was immediately approached by the staff. Really friendly and really cool to talk with about beer. I got some great recommendations and had a really nice conversation about craft beer.

The store was neat and organized and had a fantastic selection. There are a bunch of other good spots in the area, but I felt like the layout was the best here and the bottles all seemed pretty fresh...seemed like they really care. They are also in the process of building out their growler station to be a tasting bar and I was told about upcoming events and specials they were having (30% of growlers and 10% all new york brewers in honor of the Jets still being in it). They are really into supporting the local guys and it showed.

I picked up 2 1/2 growlers for this weekend (Captian Lawrence Double & Southern Tier Jahva!!!)...and managed to grab a few bombers as well since I noticed that their prices were far lower than anywhere I had seen on a few of my favs (Ommegang - Chocolate Indulgence for less than $10 AND WITH A 10% NY brewer discount!!!!).

I plan to head back next weekend for a local brewer tasting and pick up a bunch more. (Re-)Finding this place was amazing and I had a great first experience.

Oh and I forgot to mention, the owner tossed me a really rare and hard to find (in NY) west coast beer from his private stash. SUPER DUPER COOL!!!!

Worth the drive for anyone on LI.

01-23-2010 20:12:34 | More by cosmicevan

Greywulfken

New York

4.71/5  rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

My third favorite beer place on LI!

Vibe: huge warehouse; their tap area is like a small bar in an airport hangar

Service: the guys there are all awesome - they are knowledgeable, friendly, and cool.

Selection: a bigger selection than Beer City, probably on par with Superstar in Huntington. My only gripe: they seem to get overlooked by some of the elite beers that come around, or at least they're gone so fast (maybe they get a small stock?) that they're often out of what I'm looking for when I get there, whereas Beer City and Superstar in Huntington still have them. My favorite thing is that they have an area dedicated to a few racks of loose singles, allowing you to easily customize a 4-pack or 6-pack, and (ready? Best part:) they cut you a discount based on how many singles you buy.

Prices: same as everywhere else - but note what I said about their singles section above

04-29-2012 19:19:35 | More by Greywulfken

sevenarts

New York

4.24/5  rDev -6.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

A great Long Island distributor with a good-sized selection of craft brews, Belgians and just good beer in general. All the usual suspects are here and there's a good chance of finding some rarer finds as well. My other go-to Long Island stop, Shoreline, has a comparable selection and there are always some things I can find in Shoreline but not Big Z, and vice versa, so they're both must visits. The shelves are well laid out and one advantage over Shoreline is that the bottles at Big Z generally aren't dusty, so there may be better turnover here. Prices are reasonable and comparable to other places on Long Island.

12-08-2011 17:06:03 | More by sevenarts

Pete27lax

New York

5/5  rDev +9.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Awesome distributor! Definitely my first choice of places to go whenever I feel like going on a good beer run. Great selection of from all over the US and imports that I can't find anywhere else on Long Island. The staff there is extremely knowledgeable about all different styles and breweries. They are very nice and helpful as well. They have an e-mailing list for when they bring in rare releases. Great growler station that is generally pretty cheap. Always a fun trip when I go there. If you're anywhere in the area Big Z's is definitely a place to check out.

07-30-2011 19:17:53 | More by Pete27lax

joefuzz

New York

4.5/5  rDev -1.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Absolutly amazing bottle shop. They hd such a huge selection that I spent well over an hour looking at all they had to offer. And the staff had no problem with any of this, they actually seemed to enjoy the look of wonder as I aimlessly wandered around the store. They were very happy to answer any of my questions as they arose as well.I joined the email list so I can be kept up to date on what's in stock so there is no need to make the 30 minute drive from my house if they don't have what I want. I will be returning to this place very soon.

06-25-2011 02:26:42 | More by joefuzz

MikeyMikee

New York

4.86/5  rDev +6.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Really great place...Good selection and send out emails whenever they get some awesome beers (if your on their email list). Have beers from all over the US and a huge imported section. Most of the guys that work their are very knowledgeable.. I often have lenghty conversations with the staff about current beers, their suggestions and how we both feel about different styles. Overall its just a fun place to go...they have weekend tastings which are also awesome. The growler section is awesome as well. I visit Big Z's at least once a week..definitely worth checking out if your in the area.

06-03-2011 04:19:20 | More by MikeyMikee

vfgccp

New York

4.5/5  rDev -1.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I love this place. Beyond the well documented selection, Z's goes above and beyond to foster a sense of community with their customers.

Personally, Shoreline and Big Z's are my two favorite BD's on the island. Here's a quick rundown of how they stack up imho.

+ Z's has more knowledgeable staff
+ Z's growler selection of tap brew is unbeatable
+ Z's is more much customer friendly, with weekend tastings and a weekly email blast for regulars to let them know what's new in stock.
- Shoreline's entire craft beer selection is sold by the bottle
- While both have awesome selections, Shoreline tends to have more beers per brewery than Z's (typically 1.5x to 2x), which gives you a chance to explore off-the-beaten-path brews from some of your favorite breweries.
- For some reason I feel like Shoreline has a slightly better turnover than Z's, although I'm not sure why because Z's always seems to have more traffic.

---Big Z Review---
A: Medium sized with an open warehouse feel to it. When you walk in there's a shelf line of craft on the left, a by-the-bottle selection of craft on the right, and a bar with a dozen or so great beers ready to be poured into growlers.

Q: Above average job of managing their inventory to keep the selection varied and the turnover high.

Ser: Fantastic service. Everyone is more than willing to help you out and most are very knowledgeable about their beer selection. There're a few staff members that are better on the register than the floor, but they're loveable none the less.

Sel: Nice bottle selection with an outstanding growler portfolio. They don't have the largest bottle selection on the island, but what's there was definitely chosen with care. Big Z's has gone to some lengths to build relationships with breweries, and more often than not you'll find cool brews that are almost impossible to find anywhere else. Their keg of Stone Vanilla Smoked Porter that they shared with their customers at a free tasting one weekend, and offered growlers for sale while it lasted, comes immediately to mind.

04-16-2011 13:21:49 | More by vfgccp

billyshears

Maryland

4.85/5  rDev +6.6%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This is pretty much my go to place. Rick and Eric are both cool guys and know their beers. If you have any queries about if/when they're getting a certain beer in, they will look into it and get back to you. Their selection is pretty much the best on the island, and carry the best beers a NY store could legally obtain. They always have great stuff on tap for growler fills and occasionally get in some very rare stuff you won't find anywhere else in Suffolk! If I had one complaint, it would have to be that it's EVERYONE'S go to place, so the rarer stuff goes quick! Make sure you keep up with the newsletters.

Great Selection, great growler fills, great guys. Not really much more to say.

01-12-2011 19:38:47 | More by billyshears

BEEarl

New York

4.85/5  rDev +6.6%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

One of the shining stars in craft beer stores here on Long Island. Rick and the gang at Big Z really know their craft beer. I've learned more about good beer from visiting this store than I ever learned from going to craft beer bars.

Located in Huntington on Rte 25 (on the way to Dix Hills and Eat Northport), it's ultra-convenient for just about anyone living in the Huntington area and beyond. There are a few beverage stores closer to my home, but going to Big Z feels like a trip to the candy store for this big kid.

The huge growler station is impressively packed with a nice mix of local and non-local brews. On a recent visit they were even offering a craft beer from a little nano-brewery in my neighborhood called Blind Bat Brewey. Great stuff!

And the knowledgeable staff aren't the only folks in the store who know about great beer. I've found myself losing a half-hour just talking about beer with some of the other customers.

Great beer store, great staff, great customers. Check it out!

11-21-2010 22:56:39 | More by BEEarl

r0nyn

New York

4.7/5  rDev +3.3%
quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Nestled right in the middle of Huntington, New York, Big Z is an easy-to-miss pulloff on Jericho Parkway, but be prepared to be impressed once you get inside.

Doesn't look like much on the outside, but once you step in, there's tons of floorspace and room for most kinds of beverage imaginable. Craft brews are on the left side, with a long row of racks extending about halfway down the length of the building. There are a few coolers dedicated to craft adjacent to the long racks, and there are also a few shelves off to the right as you step in full of 12 oz bottles for a make-your-own sixer experience. Some glassware is also available for purchase. A very-new looking growler station with at least 4-5 taps is off to the right as well, with mostly local offerings, but a few gems like Southern Tier and Victory.

Quality is top notch. All the beers that should be fresh, like IPAs and other lower ABV brews are well within their expiration dates and beers that do well with some age have at least a few months on them. I was quite impressed with the selection they had. Lots of reputable breweries represented across a wide variety of styles. The usual suspects like Rogue and Stone, but they also had a few harder-to-find brews from Goose Island and Founders.

Prices are a bit more costly than I'm used to, especially with the bombers. I'm used to paying about $6-7 for my Stone IRS, not $9-10. The 12 oz bottles are a bit more reasonably priced, and there's even a standard discount offered based on how many bottles you buy.

The staff was friendly, asking if I needed any help. Pretty knowledgeable as well, answering my questions when I asked about some Founders and Goose Island brews, and letting me know about when they expected to get things in as well as some specials they were running.

All in all, this is an extremely high-quality beer store. I just wish it wasn't so far away from where I live, because I'd definitely be back.

10-26-2010 18:17:23 | More by r0nyn