As far as I'm concerned, Riley's is the best beer store in Madison. Best selection of singles, best selection of 6-packs both domestic and imported. Typically has a good selection of sour beers and other oddities from Belgium and elsewhere. I could spend hours just walking around here and it is always very hard to walk away with just a single six-pack of singles.

The one knock on Riley's is that it is in perhaps the least convenient location in Madison. Unless you are walking there or taking the bus (and especially with the recent construction) it is an adventure to get to this place. I actually haven't had trouble getting parking in their 6 spot parking lot, but I dread the day when that lot is full because there is nowhere else you could park and get to this place.

That being said, it is always worth the adventure.

reviewed on: 2009-08-23 14:27:17

Riley's is very convenient for downtown visitors (and residents) of Madison. There is a 6 or 7 car parking lot and the outside of this location seems just like another 7-11 or convenience store.

But once you get inside, then you'll notice there is a big difference here.

Riley's has two different sections for craft beer. In the very back there are coolers and warm beer storage. The coolers have sixers, primarily Regional craft beers with a focus on Wisconsin beers. The room temp six-pack section is directly in front of the coolers and that area offers a different selection than what you can find in the coolers.

When you are done with your perusing here, you shouldn't forget that along the North-East wall they have another room temperature and cooler area that is devoted to singles and "create your own 4-pack" (there might be a create your own 6-pack plan too, but all they seemed to have at the moment were four pack holders).

If you are in the downtown Madison area, you really shouldn't miss Riley's. At the time of our visit (the day after a big campus party) all of the employee's seemed to be hung over (I asked) and you could tell they had been busy recently. I found half consumed soft drinks in their cooler and there were beers moved around and they needed a general restocking. But even with these small issues, Riley's was a great stop and a great beer store.

reviewed on: 2007-05-10 07:46:08