The Beer Temple

Monsone

Illinois

5/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Stopped in on opening day.

Atmosphere - Really cool layout. Clean and new but with some very solid design choices. The register stand that is made from reclaimed Bourbon County Rare barrels. Beautiful solid wood top on that as well. The shelving also very nice for a beer shop.

Quality - No crap here. Every item on a shelf or in a cooler belongs in a craft beer store. From local craft to imports, almost every beer is great.

Service - Chris and Margaret are tremendously helpful and friendly. They were also pouring free samples from 3-4 beers at the time.

Selection - For an opening day selection this was pretty top notch. Three Floyds sixers (Gumballhead), Bourbon County Coffee, Green Flash, etc, etc. Will be exciting to see how the inventory develops over time, because there is plenty of space for additional bottles.

Food - DIdn't see any food offerings (but Pork Shoppe, Urban Belly (BYO) and Kumas are all in stumbling distance)

Value - This is high end beer (and some wine), so it isn't cheap per se, but the prices are right in line with the West Lakeview, and Binny's in Chicago. When you considering the free samples that they plan to always be pouring, I think that represents a good value.

Overall, this beer boutique has tremendous potential to be the best beer shop in Chicago. Will they ever do the volume that Binny's does? No. But do think they could rise to the top fairly quickly based on selection and customer service.

NOTE: They plan on starting on shipping on some time. And FREE PARKING behind the building.

01-07-2013 19:27:35 | More by Monsone

Efay

Illinois

5/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

So I'll admit it, I'm fairly new to the craft beer scene. As a young Chicagoan that has a babyface I get carded constantly and guffawed at whenever I'm trying to find rare beers around Chicago. It was very disparaging. However I got lucky with The Beer Temple. I've watched many of Chris Quinn's videos online and was ecstatic when he said he was opening up a beer shop right down the street from me on Belmont and Elston. I've now been there countless times and believe it is a superb shop.

The atmosphere is extremely friendly. I've met brewers from Spiteful Brewing and Deschutes Brewery giving out samples, beer aficionados that were very helpful on teaching me the ways of the Chicago craft beer scene, as well as regular people who are just interested in something new.

Chris also tries to label when the beer was brewed so you can always have guaranteed freshness of each beer available.

Chris is always happy to help and has never given me a bad recommendation when I'm looking to try something new. He's always proactive with customers and is extremely knowledgeable on each brewery that he sells.

Awesome selection. Holds majority of Chicago's local breweries as well as from all over the country. There's really something for everyone as he has a vast amount of styles available. Chris also gets a decent selection of whales that go off the shelf quick! No worries though, He usually has many rare beers out for a sample pour. I've been lucky enough to have had KBS, Darklord, Blacknote, and others through the sampling.

Overall this is my to go place when buying beer. A great guy whose really passionate about beer that doesn't mark up prices or cater to a certain crowd.

02-06-2013 01:57:52 | More by Efay

justyouraveragebeerguy

Illinois

5/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

The Beer Temple is every beer geeks dream. It gives the brewpub atmosphere just minus the food, and beers on draft (hopefully thy will be able to fill growlers soon!). The cash wrap is made with old bourbon county rare barrels which is beyond cool. All the bottles are dated for bottling date. If you want a fresh ipa this is for sure the best store in all of Chicago to find it. You are greeted by Chris and Margret Quinn who are beyond friendly. They give the whole place a sort of "mom and pop" attitude. They will never try and sell you anything. Both of them always have a good sense of just guiding people to find what they are looking for. The selection is unparalleled. The beers he has sitting on the shelf are some times ridiculous. I have gone in and seen 3F golden blend just sitting there calling for me. I do like how he doesn't hold beer for anyone and usually just puts it on the shelf. If it is super limited there will be a sign politely saying (one per person). I never in my life thought a beer store could be a destination place but this one definitely is. If you are in Chicago and a fan of craft beer, this is a must to stop by.

03-25-2013 01:32:03 | More by justyouraveragebeerguy

NSK79

Illinois

5/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

I learned about the Beer Temple and Chris Quinn shortly before it opened. I live in the western suburbs so it took some time for me to stop by and I'm very glad I did. This has become a regular stop for me every time I'm in the city.

Chris and Margaret have an outstanding selection that is not overwhelming as you might find in a larger chain store. Everything they have is high quality and fairly priced. My favorite aspect of the selection is the availability of smaller Chicago breweries that you might not find elsewhere in the suburbs, including Pipeworks, Spiteful, Begyle, Half Acre, 18th Street, etc.

Chris's recommendations are always excellent, and he goes out of his way to have daily tasting selections for all who stop by. His tastings and new arrivals are always posted to his twitter and facebook feed as well which is becoming invaluable in searching out great beer.

If you haven't checked out the Beer Temple podcasts, I highly recommend those as well, they are extremely educational, yet very laid back and quite funny as well.

04-04-2013 01:46:05 | More by NSK79

3146Tony

Illinois

5/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

A true gem in the craft brew availability in Chicago. A full selection of world wide craft brewers with a touch of Chris Quinn and staff make this place an automatic "Top 20 Things" to visit in Chicago.

Selection is growing daily and when you see there space you can image what there availability is going to look like. Chris goes out of his way to explain and review any of your questions or concerns. I have visited The Beer Temple numerous times and always felt that homey atmosphere. Chris and staff are extremely friendly and full of beer/wine knowledge.

★★★★★ (service, knowledge, pricing, fresh labeling, plus hosting free daily tastings)

04-04-2013 20:58:38 | More by 3146Tony

AshleyK

Illinois

5/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

When I first went to The Beer Temple on it's grand opening day I had absolutely NO IDEA what to expect. I'd been to Binny's and other liquor stores a million times and always felt that the craft beer section was stuck back in a corner and no one really knew about it or appreciated it.
My boyfriend and I had even talked about how cool it would be to open a craft beer only store. Well, someone was way ahead of us!

Chris Quinn is knowledgable, kind, and humble about his store. He's not a snob and doesn't care about much other than the happiness of his customers. I was blown away not only by the crowd on the first day but the support local beer nerds and brewers were showing him - buying his beer and congratulating him on such a job well done.

Since I live in the western suburbs I don't get to visit this gem quite as much as I wish I could but everytime I'm in town I do my best to go visit the store and ask Chris for his latest beer recommendation. Also, I can't not mention the fact that he knows where it is when it comes to good beer spots in Chicago!

Well done Chris! Now we just need one more of you out in the burbs ;)

04-05-2013 19:20:20 | More by AshleyK

Treebs

Illinois

4.93/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | $$

Chris has been planning this for a while and it's great to see it finally come to fruition. Congrats Chris!!

I really enjoy the atmosphere of the shop. Semi-industrial with lots of exposed brick and high ceilings, yet cozy and modern. The front desk/cashier's table made from old GI Rare barrels is an awesome touch and the shelving is nice and clean. Freshness dates everywhere the eye can see, or at the very least dates of when the product was received if freshness dates aren't available. No old product will ever be put on the shelves, or kept on the shelves, just like it should be.

What can I say about the quality that isn't already apparent. This is a top notch, clean shop that Chris really takes care of. The passion shows.

Chris and his wife provide impeccable service. Friendly as always and they both treat each person the same. Be it a beer geek like me or someone that doesn't the difference between a stout and an IPA, each person is treated with respect. All questions are answered with out the slightest bit of arrogance that some shops tend to have. Oh, and I forgot to mention the free tastings that Chris hosts daily. What more can you ask for.

The selection is very solid overall, especially for being a new store that just opened up. In Chicago you have to play the game a lot of the time to get what you want, but it's nice to the selection of local, regional and imports that Chris has already established in a short time the store has been open. The prices were all reasonable and on the normal side of the spectrum across other local stores.

Great to see this store finally open. Cheers.

03-16-2013 01:52:57 | More by Treebs

valgalder

New York

4.93/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | $$

My new favorite bottle shop in town. Small, but has a continually growing and changing. Owner, Chris is very friendly and knowledgeable about every beer he sells and does an excellent job recommending you something based on your preferences without being a salesman. They also proudly display dates on every bottle in the shop so you know you're getting the freshest products available. Prices are also very competitive compared to bigger stores. If you're looking for cases of cheap beer, go elsewhere, but if you're looking for a few bottles of something rare or special give this place a try and you won't be disappointed.

05-03-2013 19:05:23 | More by valgalder

oN3xM

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev -0.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$$

When you first walk into the Beer Temple, you're greeted by a huge selection of craft beers and the very friendly staff, Chris and Margaret. Both are very knowledgeable about the different types of beer and are very approachable. If you're looking for a rare beer, The Beer Temple has it, had it, or will be getting it soon. Everything from Belgians to lambics, stouts, and IPAs.

The atmosphere is easy and relaxed. The staff is just a few feet away ready to answer any questions or help find a special beer. They have tastings almost every day - most beers you've probably never had before. I've left with quite a few beers I would have never bought had they not been apart of the tasting. You can expect to pay a little more for your beers than you would at Binny's, but the experience and wealth of knowledge from the staff is well worth it to me.

Overall, the Beer Temple is a great place for people new to the craft beer scene and for experienced veterans. A highly recommended craft beer stop to anyone living in Chicago and those visiting. Oh, and free parking behind the store! Cheers.

03-31-2013 16:08:01 | More by oN3xM

sbxx

Illinois

4.87/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | $$

A small, independent version of Binny's craft beer department with similar prices. What sets them apart is the service and the quality of the selection. You won't find old, dusty six-packs sitting around. You'll be getting quality beer that's fresh, as well as extremely knowledgable owners who are very willing to chat with you about beer and will never make you feel silly or dumb or out of place.

I wish I lived closer. I would shop here regularly.

05-25-2013 06:28:00 | More by sbxx