Recent Tastings and News

Recently had the Granite City Wags Wheat beer which had a malty, wheat, mildly hoppy and citrus aroma with a crisp, citrus, wheat, lightly spicy, malty and hoppy flavor. Clean on the palate and very drinkable. A nice refreshing beer on a warm Indiana summer day and definitely worth a try!

Mad Anthony has a new Altbier available which is malty, mildly hoppy and clean and easy on the palate. Another refreshing beer on a warm Indiana summer day and worthy of a try.

There is a new S & V bottle shop located at 9960 Illinois Road, Fort Wayne (260-432-2181). I met with Ryan Merrell, Manager, and this store has 14 shelves of craft beer and 29 cold cases of micro and macro beers which is the largest in Fort Wayne according to Ryan. A Grand Opening will take place at a later date. Today from 4p.m.-6p.m. at this store Five Star Distributing will be pouring free samples of Fat Tire, 1554, Skinny Dip, and Sunshine Wheat.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr Ryan has a vivid imagination. I've been in there & over 70% of the cold cases are designated to all the domestic "water" I mean beer. It is quite a disarray when the craft beers are intermixed with the macros and becomes disheartening when trying to find your choice of craft/micro beers. Additionally, 14 shelves of craft beers does not compare to the selection offered by Belmont-Lima Road. Just ask any of the BA members, including the author of the afore-mentioned posting, who regularly shop at Lima Road. Lima Road is also constantly recommended on BA threads as the place to shop. Mr Ryan Merrill, please stop tooting your own horn and let the BA members do the talking. Nobody likes a braggard--especially one that can't back up what they are stating.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, I hate to say it but I have been in both places and the Lima Rd. Belmont can't hold a candle to the S&V on State Rd. 14. Why only the mention of the Lima Rd. Belmont? You wouldn't happen to be the manager there, would you? I also compared the cooler doors available for cold beer - they had 29 cooler doors - and you?? The other major difference is the cleanliness of the S&V. I shop both places and will continue to as well (work out north, live southwest) it is just my opinion that the S&V is by far a bigger and more variety of beers.

Anonymous said...

I've never been to the S&V but I think the Cap n Cork on Dupont has a better selection that the Lima Rd. Belmont. How is that place still open? There are never any cars in the parking lot.

Anonymous said...

So when are you looking @ the empty parking lot--during the late night or morning hours? The parking lot maintains fullness on the weeekend busy time. I know the manager out there and he takes a lot of pride in his store and I'd have to disagree with the other statement about cleanliness. Comparing a brand new store to one that has been open for 8 years is like comparng an apple to an orange. Of course a brand new store is going to be a bit cleaner than an older store but let time show the difference.

Anonymous said...

I've seen alot of good selections in the Ft. Wayne area as far as craft & import beers go. I am from Muncie & wish we had the selection of stores Ft. Wayne has. But I must say - I was up in Ft. Wayne last weekend and I have NEVER seen a more beautiful liquor store than the S&V on Illinois Rd. WOW!!!! That place is a palace. Has to be one of the nicest in the state. A must see!!

Anonymous said...

I live in southwest ft. wayne, chestnut hills to be exact, anyway the S&V on State Rd. 14 is one of the best, cleanest, most modern places in the city, let alone of liquor stores. They have a great selection of craft beers. And the wine selection, well, it speaks for itself. I know the manager there, (got to know him as I have frequented the store) and what a knowledgable and helpful person when it comes to spirits, beer, and especially wine. I've been to a number of different liquor stores, all of which seem to be dark, gloomy, and dirty. The S&V is actually enjoyable to shop at. As a female, it is exactly the kind of "liquor store" I would shop at. 5 stars to the S&V on State Rd. 14!!!

Anonymous said...

I don’t often post, but as impressed as I am with this new S&V location on Illinois, I feel it deserves my praise. I live out north-east on Coldwater but I work on Illinois, and have been going to this new store for a few weeks now. First, while I am not much of a wine connoisseur, their wine stock is by far the best in town. Their wine room alone houses some of the best selections that my wife could hope for, and on average the prices are lower than Belmont and Cap & Cork, especially with their case discounts!
However, my love has always been good beer. I should mention that a few managers and distributors told me that the first scalding post found at the top was written by the day manager of the very same Belmont-Lima store mentioned in that post. He certainly has some points; it would be nice if the craft sections were more unified. However, the selection is amazing and the knowledge possessed by their evening manager on beer styles, history, and recommendations has really made me a loyal customer.
Most importantly, customer service means a great deal to me. I am willing to go out of my way for a clean store whose employees always have a nice greeting for me, are passionate about what they sell, and are willing to work with me to help find what I may like. Mr. Ryan and Mr. Matt, with their passion for wine and beer respectively, have earned my respect and business. Mr. Leonard of Belmont-Lima, while his store has a fine selection of craft and import, has unfortunately left me feeling lost many times. With a demeanor that tends to match his post above, a bitter attitude and sour response to my past questions have made my choice easy. I hope readers give S&V Illinois an opportunity to win them over, they sure won me over!

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