Cardinal Wines and Liquors - Crystal Lake

305 W. Virginia St. (Rt 14), Crystal Lake, IL, 60014, United States
(815) 459-4050
Latitude: 42.23203, Longitude: -88.33390

website

Wifi Available
Cask Beer
Indoor Smoking
Available Parking
Beer Pricing: $$$
Public Transit
Proper Glassware
Outdoor Seating
Family Friendly
Selection: 4.13 | Atmosphere: 3.25 | Service: 3.75
74.2
out of 100
Overall Beer Mapping Score
Based on 2 reviews.
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emerge077 (360)
Monday 17th of December 2007 09:53:14 AM
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Stopped here yesterday, and really don't feel the desire to return.

The craft beer is sequestered into a small corner area, cases stacked right in the middle leaving just a few feet of aisle space in front of the limited shelving. It was an awkward layout, 2 average sized persons couldn't pass one another. There is a long open cooler on one side, that holds most of the import singles on the left, and craft on the right.

Alot of bottles were dusty in the open cooler...the bottle of Stille Nacht I bought turned out to be flat and past expiration. There was a good selection for the limited space, I noticed Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, 3F Black Sun stout, ($11.99 Alpha Klaus?). They had a good selection, but limited to certain lines line Lagunitas, Flying Dog, Breckenridge, etc. There were also many good options like Founders, SN, Goose Island, etc., but the pricing was high on some stuff. Your average German, Belgian, Euro imports, nothing out of the ordinary. I stopped to look at a small cheese cooler by the register, and the lady in front of me kept staring like I just beamed down from the mothership. Guess nobody buys cheese here.

They probably have one of the better selections for the area, but then again it's a bit of a beer wasteland out this way.
Selection: 4.25 | Atmosphere: 3 | Service: 3 | Food: N/A
68.3
Overall

HopSing (9)
Saturday 17th of March 2007 03:25:24 PM
link
I've been shopping at this store for over 5 years. For the last 2 years it's been between home and work for me, so I have been frequenting it more often.

The store is on the south side of Virginia Street (aka Route 14)in the middle of a stretch of restaurants, gas stations, laundromats and other small businesses. It looks to have be a small grocery store at one time.

The craft beer selection, was for a long time, below average. However, in the last year or so the efforts of their young "beer guy' Jeremy have begun to show.

Enter the store, hang a left in front of the registers and go straight back and you will find a good selection of regionals, including Three Floyds, 2 Brothers, Capitol, Goose Island and Sprecher always in stock. Chimay, Abbaye des Rocs, Golden Draak, Gouden Carolus, Delirium Tremens and Westmalle are among the Belgian beers displayed. There are also a few Kreiks and other styles.

North Coast, Lagunitas, Avery, Summit, Flying Dog and He-Brew are among the other domestic crafts.

Unibroue is also fully represented.

The down side of the recent upsurge in selection is (IMHO) an inordinate increase in prices. Location and selection however, wins out again more often than not for me.

If you're in the area, check this place out.
Selection: 4 | Atmosphere: 3.5 | Service: 4.5 | Food: N/A
80.0
Overall

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