I went to the Bottle Shop at Local 44 last night and was highly impressed. The folks at Local 44 know their beer and it definitely reflects in the great selection of bottles offered in their new shop. Local 44 is one of my favorite bars in the city and what I consider to be the best bar in West Philly. There is always a warm, neighborhood feel and they consistently have a fantastic tap list.
Two weeks ago, Local 44 expanded by adding an attached bottle shop next door to the bar. According to their website, "Our bottle list rounds out at just over 500". The shop is basically divided into 2 areas. There is a refrigerated section with single bottles and 6-packs that is separated by style (red & hoppy, Belgian, etc.). The highlight of my visit though was the second room, located a few steps away, that housed a remarkable selection of high class craft beers. The aesthetic layout to showcase the bottles was simple by design yet visually appealing to a very high degree. I could easily spend a good amount of time looking around here! Some examples included Rodenbach 2009 Vintage Oak Aged Ale, Firestone Walker 14th and 15th Anniversary Ales, and also brews representing Lost Abbey, Dogfish Head, Russian River, and Trappist Achel. A lot of hard work went into the construction of this shop and it definitely paid off!
In addition to the bottles, there are also 2 taps of hand-pumped ale pouring behind the counter. Customers can sit at the 4-seat bar and enjoy a fresh glass of beer while shopping. Currently on tap: Yards ESA and Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA.
Along with Local 44, the staff at the bottle shop are very friendly and approachable. Definitely ask any question you may have because the guys here are extremely knowledgeable about the products they sell. I already drank the beer I purchased last night (Port Brewing Co. Mongo IPA, Weyerbacher Simcoe IPA) so I guess I'm already due for another visit. See you soon!
http://local44beerbar.com/bottleshop.htm
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