Let me be very clear from the start: the 5 stars are primarily for the beer selection. Not to imply they're poor in any regard, as they have a very respectable wine section as well (they carry Amon-Ra, for example, which I don't think I've seen anywhere else yet). But sheesh, if you like Belgian and other good beer, this is THE store to visit in the state of Colorado. Period.
They don't have an enormous selection of everything under the sun a la Wilbur's Total Beverage (et al.), but that is in fact an advantage. They carry only the good sh*t, and it sells quickly. So no worries about dusty old oxidized bottles to be found here (as is too often the case with warehouse liquor stores). Choose from top artisanal breweries like Dupont, de la Senne, De Dolle Brouwers, Fantome, Hanssens, de Ranke, Drie Fonteinen, Nogne, Olfabrikken, Cantillon, Panil, and many more.
The beer buyer clearly knows the best from the rest, because he doesn't waste time with a glut of fizzy yellow Indian, Russian, and Lithuanian lagers. It's a focused selection, and THAT is what makes a good beer store. Try to cover too many bases and you can't sell enough to keep the stock rotating. Some beer certainly does age well, but the fact is most do not, so this is a bigger issue than the average consumer realizes. Bigger is not better. It may seem dazzling to walk into Total Beverage and see a huge array of beer from around the world in front of you, but you have to be very careful to avoid old stock. What dazzles a beer connoisseur is finding the highly sought after brews (and in good condition).
They do have a nice assortment of American micros too, if that's all you're after...there are certainly a few gems to find among those as well (Jolly Pumpkin's Fantome-like brews, for example).
Not to mention they have very good prices, and discounts on top of that. This is a family-run store that I am truly happy to patronize, because they have a good business model...I can't remember how many times I've special-ordered stuff here, yet they're always happy to oblige (and get such orders in quickly).
While it's definitely not a one-stop shop, it's whence I do roughly 80% of my cellar-stocking. They've got what I want, it's that simple. read more