Mcmenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop

With so many locations with their own vibe, this was a pleasant departure. Some high tops and regular seating, but the whole place is a mash up of liquor store, bar and we'll appointed gift shop. Has a light and casual vibe that is great for a quick drop in. Cocktail selection is limited, but the options to select and pour from sale stock is exceptional.

In our wanderings, my wife and I are discovering new places all the time, but this one took us both by surprise. Wandering down 23rd, we came upon this shop while waiting for the Tavern & Pool location on the other end of the block to open up 10 minutes later. What a cool shop! There are simply hundreds of microbrews on the shelves or in the coolers here, many of them obscure or unusual draughts, of all flavor profiles, from stouts to sours. Even drinking vinegar! Behind the counter, a healthy selection (~24) of brews are available for filling bottles and growlers. McMenamins alcohols, memorabilia and paraphernalia, souvenirs, gifts, interesting treats and snacks, and a healthy selection of "tools of the trade" (coasters, bottle openers, glassware, etc) fills out the shelving island in the center of the store. If you can't find something you like here, head to a dive bar up the street and order a Budweiser, because this place isn't for you. I'm more of a hard alcohol imbiber myself, but I could get lost in the adventure of picking out a handful of cans (you can build your own 4-packs here!) and rolling the dice. In fact, the adventure has already begun! The 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop has jumped straight to the top of my go-to places when I want to try something new, exotic or just plain different!

The draft beers at a McMenamins are reliably good but rarely memorable, so the fantastic selection at the 23rd Ave. Bottle Shop comes as quite a surprise. The coolers and shelves are stocked with great beers in a huge range of styles, and the tap list is also delightful. You might think you wandered into Belmont Station by mistake.

The staff were very friendly and helpful. I had no idea what I wanted, so they offered suggestions. They walked me through tasting some of their whiskeys and told me a lot about each of them. I didn't have any food while here as I was just searching for a bottle to get as a gift. It was a very pleasant experience!

This is a super cool place to get drinks and hang out. I like that it’s similar to a convenience store with wide variety of beverages to choose from. If you’re looking to stay and have drinks, they have beers and cider on tap as well. They also have some cute novelty gift items. Overall, I really liked the vibe of the place.