Rick's Wine And Gourmet

supernaut

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Wow, what a great selection this place has.

Solid array of Belgian (especially solid selection actually) and U.S. craft brews from coast to coast. The service was also quite pleasant, and seemed eager to answer questions. As other reviewers mentioned, there are also a host of other primo chocolate/cheese/wine goods that tempt one into blowing even more money.

Seems as how I live less than 2 miles away, I really see no way out of making this my new "homebase".

Now knowing that there are tastings every Saturday, I'll surely be a weekly guest. I would recommend that any BA passing through Alexandria make a special effort to drop in at least once. Very happy I did.

02-26-2006 20:23:06 | More by supernaut

gbarron

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Rick's has been my 'homebase' of beer buying ever since I moved to the DC/NoVa area back in 1996. As the name implies, it is, at its root, a wine shop that carries lots of gourmet items like cheeses, nuts, etc. But they also have a great beer selection and some of the best prices in the DC area.

The beer area is not huge, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in depth. They are constantly rotating new brews in and out. Sometimes this means that they no longer will carry one of your new favorites, which is a bummer, but it also means they will have new ones for you to try. They also do not skimp on bringing in seasonals when available. They have an ample selection of American micros - both east and west coast, and in particular a great selection of 'local' (Dominion, Clipper City, Victory, Frederick, etc.) products. They also carry numerous imports, and have a particularly large Belgian selection, which IMHO is essential to a good beer shop. Their single beer selection was recently expanded and you can find 22oz. bombers of all sorts.

Service at Rick's is always impeccable. They have lots of people around and they'll always ask you if you need help if you look lost. They are also very knowledgeable about the products they carry and won't try to blow any smoke about their opinion of a beer. Finally, their prices are among the best in the area. When I first started going to Rick's, I was pleasantly surprised to see several Sierra Nevada products for sale at a mere $5.50 for a sick pack. Over the years, of course, that price has gone up, but Rick's still prices their beers fairly and you can usually find something you want to try in the $6.99 range.

Parking is almost never a problem and the store is easily accessible from Duke Street west of Old Town Alexandria. Only day they are not open is Mondays (used to be Sundays).

12-21-2005 19:44:15 | More by gbarron

hopsaplenty

Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +12.3%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This is my "regular" store and well worth a stop if you are passing through the area. A great selection of craft beer from across the country: Avery, Great Divide, Stone, Three Floyds, Anderson, North Coast, Victory, Smuttynose, Magic Hat, and Stoudt's just to name a few; coupled with a wide assortment of Belgian, English, German, and Asian beers. Lots of bombers, 750ml bottles, and other single bottles, and they are able to accommodate your multi-case purchase as well.

They host regular tastings on Saturdays, and they are willing to special order anything their distributors carry. The staff is knowledgeable and content to let you look around on your own, but able to answer your questions.

They do have a small, double door cooler, packed with a variety of bombers and six-packs, and some wine as well, but most of the beer is stored on the shelf. The windows are tinted and mostly blocked by stacked empty case boxes to further reduce any sunlight-induced problems.

They have a huge selection of wine and gourmet food, and I agree with other reviews that "Beer" could be included in their name. Or maybe not, since leaving it out might keep Rick's a well-know insider's secret.

09-21-2005 11:51:00 | More by hopsaplenty

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +12.3%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

Stopped in during the afternoon on a Saturday, with a couple of NoVA/DC BAs.

Sort of tight quarters in the beer area, but what's in there is impressive. Cases stacked floor to almost ceiling, singles spread throughout, micros, from far and near, imports from the mundane to the downright rare.

Counted myself lucky to have gotten out less than $100 lighter, and I had been to Norm's and WF/Vienna right before this stop!

If you're in the area, this is another must stop in the NoVA region, although I will admit that there seems to be quite a few "must stops" around here. Amazing that they all seem to have a few exclusives that the other places don't have, complementing each other well.

08-09-2005 22:18:57 | More by ppoitras

SwillBilly

Virginia

4/5  rDev -3.4%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Rick's is my go to beer store since I work down the street from the store. I go there about once every 2 weeks to re-up my beer fridge. Rick's has a very good selection, especially if you are into single bottles. Lots of imports (Belgians, Germans, etc...). Good selection of american micros as well. Full selection of DFH, Anderson Valley, Stone, Great Divide, Victory, and many others. Bob, the beer guy, is knowledgable and is willing to make recommendations on new arrivals. He even has given me full bottles from tastings they do on the weekends to try. Their prices are very reasonable compared to other stores in the Alexandria area, especially when compared against Balducci's or Total Wine. Overall a very good store. Big wine selection as well with very knowledgable wine experts. Well worth the trip if your in the Old Town Alexandria area.

08-02-2005 20:05:17 | More by SwillBilly

skynxnex

Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +12.3%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I've been to Rick's three times now and have always been happy. On Saturdays they have beer tastings. Last time, it included a Belgium farmhouse ale, Moninette, an Indian pilsner, and two APAs (one of which was Red Seal Ale, that I liked enough to buy a six pack of, along with a sixpack of Czechvar. The trip before I got Fuller's ESB and Ottercreek Copper Ale).

They moved around the shevles in their beer section since the last time I was there and the beer area is much easier to walk around and see all the beer they have. Good selection of Belgium beers, English, and American micros. None of it chilled. The service was very nice and helpful; Rick seems to be there a lot of the time. Both guys I've delt with there seem to be knowledgable about beer as well as wine. None of the beers seemed old and dusty. Their prices are about the same as most places in the area. It also has a large selection of wines, as others have said. It's definately a nice place to check out if you're in the area. Telegraph Rd exit of I-95/495 then west on Duke St will get you to it.

03-17-2005 16:48:50 | More by skynxnex

HylanJodocus

District of Columbia

4.7/5  rDev +13.5%
quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5

I was browsing through the BeerFly directory and saw that this place would be pretty convenient to where I live. Until I checked the mapquest link I hadn't realized that it is less than a half mile away. Upon entering I was greeted by one of the managers who later asked if I needed assistance. He was happy to help or leave me to my own devices, which was nice. Their wine selection, as indicated by their name, is quite large. Had I not searched the directory I wouldn't have realized they had beer, and they have quite a selection to choose from. Belgians, English, American Micros, are all well represented here. No dust on bottles or anything like that, they have a good rotation. I ended up purchasing a 750ml of Gouden Carolus D'Or, a six pack of both Dogfish 60 Minute IPA and Dogfish Raison D'Etre, as well as a four pack of North Coast Pranqster. Their prices were good compared to some other places I've been in the D.C. area. The Dogfish six packs I picked up were going for $7.99 each. For those of you who choose to venture there, which I highly recommend doing, it is to the right of the Giant supermarket (if you are looking at the Giant). I agree that "Beer" should be added to their name somewhere.

02-04-2005 20:04:44 | More by HylanJodocus

chricullen77

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4

I just started going to this place about two weeks ago and now I am hooked. I pretty much just wrote this place off being just a wine distributor. Boy was I wrong. The service here is outstanding. I just told the guy what I preferred and he gave me several reccomdations that were outstanding. I know total beverage is just right up the street, but this is definitely whrere my main source is now. Best selection, but the only thing I wish they had was the option to buy singles. Make sure to go on Saturday when they have free tastings. Thank you Rick's Wine and BEER Gourmet!

11-13-2004 07:12:10 | More by chricullen77

meathookjones

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +13.5%
quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I finally went here to change up the scenery from the usual Norms and Vienna Whole Foods, not that there is anything wrong with them. After first walking in the store and turning right I knew this was going to become a regular on the rotation. I was present with many cases of various micro stacked on the floor in front on several shelves of excellent beer. They had a great variety of micros and imports. There was also a good amount of stuff that Norms and Whole Foods didn’t carry which makes it a good complement to those. I talked to the beer guy for a while and can’t remember his name but he had a good bit of knowledge. He said that he has been getting a good bit of business from BA’s lately and its been helping greatly. There are tastings here every Saturday as well. This one is up there with the other big 2 stores in Northern Virginia make sure you don’t pass this up if you are in the area.

10-26-2004 14:34:01 | More by meathookjones

ManekiNeko

Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +12.3%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5

Wow. Wow. I sez it again, wow. This place has a selection that rivals Norm's in the least, and comes close to Whole Foods Vienna. I walked in to the store on a Saturday afternoon and immediately got in line for the beer tasting. Didn't feature much of interest, but I always like to see that sort of thing going on. I then spotted some of the Casta line, which is something I've been half-heartedly seeking for awhile. While sipping my free beer, I glanced at the cases of Smuttynose, Old Dominion, and Victory lying about. I also spotted a shelf of bombers devoted to Rogue, Stone, and Great Divide to name a few.

I exchanged pleasantries with their beer guy, who seems to follow the biz well enough to know what's what. Everyone also dug my beer related shirt, so I guess I'll tack on some extra for ego-stroking :P

Seriously, I then turned the corner from where the beer tasting was going on and found a good selection of regionals, Belgians, Brits, and Germans. Prices are right, and while I didn't see every single friggin' Trappist there, I saw a few others worthy of getting excited about.

In short: If you live in Alexandria, this place is worth giving your $$ to.

07-18-2004 20:52:55 | More by ManekiNeko