The Promote Your LHBS Thread

[FedoraDave]

It occurred to me that we share links here for online suppliers, as well we should, but why not devote a thread (maybe even make it a sticky) to the websites and info of our Local Home Brew Stores? We come from all over, but we're not so spread apart that some of us may live close enough to an LHBS and not be aware of it. And we need to support the good ones. They not only supply us with fresh ingredients, but they carry equipment, they can give advice on brewing and kegging and help in developing recipes, and many of them host homebrew clubs, sponsor events, and do other things to promote this great hobby. My LHBS certainly does all those things, so let's share the web links to these businesses and promote them the way they promote us.

http://www.ckhomebrew.com/news.php

[RickBeer]

My LHBS happens to be Adventures in Homebrewing. They don't do as much in store stuff as I would think they should, or at least they do a poor job promoting it. But they have great sales from time to time, and even better specials like on kegs. Lucky they are local to me (although a 16 mile drive).

[D_Rabbit]

My LHBS is Jays Brewing. https://www.jaysbrewing.com is owned by Jill and Thomas. She snuck in to buy it out from the worthless prior owner who was driving it in to the ground. It was a nasty shop with pet cats and grains all over the floor. Prior owner didn't care anymore.

Jill and Thomas have been awesome and really transformed the shop in to a thriving hotspot for local home brewers. They dumped every penny from their first year of ownership back in to the store and it shows. My club hosts our meetings as the shop now and it works out for both parties since we usually buy stuff while there.


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[bpgreen]

There are several stores in Utah and I just found out there's one closer to me than the one I use, but they've been my shop since I started brewing.

The Beer Nut

[RickBeer]

There are several stores in Utah and I just found out there's one closet to me than the one I use, but they've been my shop since I started brewing.

The Beer Nut

I am not at all surprised that a Utah brewing place has to hide in the closet...

[bpgreen]

There are several stores in Utah and I just found out there's one closet to me than the one I use, but they've been my shop since I started brewing.

The Beer Nut

I am not at all surprised that a Utah brewing place has to hide in the closet...

Stupid autocorrect. Fixed in my post, but preserved in your quote.

They were in business 15 years before it was legal to homebrew in Utah. Before that, although it was illegal to brew, it wad legal to buy, sell, possess the ingredients, because all of the ingredients can be used for other purposes. In fact, one time when I was stocking up on lme, somebody asked me if I worked at a bakery, since that's where they sell a lot of the bulk lme (also why lme that's a week old is unusual).

I haven't visited their website in a while so I was surprised to find that they have free shipping on orders over $59. I doubt if that applies to bulk orders of lme, though. That's where I really save money. It's only $2/lb if you buy above a certain amount.

[Dawg LB Steve]

The Brew Mentor, very knowledgeable owners, always willing to help.
http://www.thebrewmentor.com/

[Kealia]

Yeah, I'll plug my guys: Seven Bridges.

they are about 6 minutes from my house and everything they carry is 100% organic. That means it's typically a little more expensive and there are a few things that they can't get but for the most part I can get what I want from them.

My other LHBS would be MoreBeer as they are just off my route home from work. It's about 45 minutes from home, but I will stop there after work on occasion if I want to look at gear (it's where I bought my SS BrewTech fermenter and BrewBuilt kettle) or need something special (or just plan ahead).

[alb]

Mine is Brewtensils in Kettering, OH: http://www.brewtensils.com. If they don't have it, they'll try to get it, and the prices are reasonable. I've never been uncomfortable in there. It doesn't feel like a boys' club; if your'e a brewer (or want to be), the more the merrier! Located next door to Belmont Party Supply, with a very large selection of beers and Spirits, some schmancy wines.

And I'll go ahead and mention my gas supplier, too: http://www.weilerwelding.com. Good guys in there. One especially knows his stuff about beer gas and CO2 and brewing.

[MadBrewer]

Here is mine http://www.brewhousesupplies.com/

Real nice place. Clean, organized and great selection. I can be there, get the goods, chit chat a bit and back home within an hour. Only short coming is most of the specialty grains are Briess. Nothing wrong with that for the most part, but sometimes Briess can be plain and even bland some other malts are excellent.

[RandyG]

Hey All, thought I'd let you know about my LHBS .

1. Speilgrund Supplies( mostly wine, some beer supplies) 15 min. drive
2. Bailees Homebrew supply(my GO TOO store) 16 min. drive
3.Grain Bill. (SJ Porr's store) -20 min. drive
4. Scotzin Bros.(Where I get my Muntons kits) - 30 min. drive
5. Lancaster HomeBrew store ( good prices,BUT,only LHBS where hops r not refridged) 40 min. drive

so you can see whenever I need some kinda stuff,I have many local spots to shop,as well as the Reading Glass store in the Lancaster Outlet Mall who carries Mr. Beer supplies. Guess I,m pretty lucky.I see that many of my fellow brewer have long distances to travel to get beer making stuff. Bless the Internet........lol

[brewnewb]

I really miss these guys since we moved from PA into OH. They are about a 35 minute drive now. They started selling homebrew supplies about 5 years ago. Top notch people in my book.

http://jrsbeer.com/brands/homebrew/

TRUE STORY
I had the BEST customer service experience ever there. About 3 years ago I purchased all the beer / cups / etc ..... for my daughters wedding from them. My son in law asked me to get a case of Blue Moon so I did along with cases and cases of the basic domestic varieties.

Well a few months after the wedding they called me and apologized for over charging me. They rang up a KEG of Blue Moon by accident instead of a case. They caught it during inventory because they do not stock KEGS of Blue Moon. They actually took the time to trace the transaction back to my debit card to find my name.

They asked me to come in to process the credit and handed me a $25 gift card for my trouble. They laughed at the register when I walked back up with a case of Blue Moon.

It pains me to buy beer from anyone else. I still drive down that way to get my hair cut by same gal for 16 years so I always stop in and buy something, even if I don't need it.

[FedoraDave]

Wow, Brewnewb, great story! I would go back to that place again and again; they understand customer service, and they earn the loyalty!

The guys at Cask & Kettle have earned my loyalty in similar, smaller ways. When I told them I wanted to start kegging, but didn't even know where to begin, they spent a lot of time working with me and explaining things, and they helped my poor brain understand the way the whole system works, and gave me the confidence to put it all together.

The best thing they did for me was help make my daughter's wedding gifts a success. They wanted to give each of the two groomsmen one of those wooden six-pack holders that have a bottle opener installed on the side. No doubt you've seen them, and I'd seen them at the store, so I asked about them. I was told the guy who supplies them makes them by hand, using reclaimed wood he gets from local demolition sites. He hadn't been around lately, but they said they'd contact him and see what he could do. Not only did they get three (my daughter gave one to her husband), but the story that goes with them is that the guy got the wood from a 200-year-old barn! There were still remnants of red paint on some of the wood. That made them that much more special and unique than a cookie-cutter piece made from Home Depot lumber.

[LouieMacGoo]

There are actually 2 Adventures in Homebrewing here in Michigan. The big store out in Ann Arbor where Rickbeer is and the smaller (original) store in Taylor which is about a 20 minute drive from my house. The other LHBS is WineBarrel Plus. It's a pretty good party store (Bottle Shop) with a really good homebrewing presences and it's only about a mile from my house. It makes it really easy to pop in and get any thing I need last minute

[berryman]

I had a nice LHBS in Lakewood, NY called Grains and Grapes that was open for a couple years and they closed temp. to move to a bigger store front and never reopened. I go to Dunkirk Homebrew now, about the same distance. http://dunkirkhomebrew.net/