A nod to the bottlo

So my posts to date have all been about pubs, breweries and their beers but there is an important area of "all things beer related" - the bottle shop. 

Too often bottle shops won't really stock a range of craft beers as the market is still small, [and the fresher the beer the better for 'crafties'] but there are a few that standout as great places to buy beer for that footie game on the TV or the BBQ...

So my favourite has been +Beer Cartel but it's not really that convenient to get to for me, or anyone really (it's in an industrial estate in the back streets of Artamon) so if are planning a party or event, head there to pick up some unusual and beers from all over the world. How they manage to get such a wide range of beers from every country known to man is impressive! And with the US, NZ and UK craft beer scene so good, having a place that stocks a decent number of beers from there and elsewhere is great. 

I also have to give +little bottle shop of Glebe a little/big shout as well as it too has a few very hidden gems, and considering it is small makes it even better.

But I have to say my 'go to' bottle shop is  +Balmain Wine Shop.   

The dedicated craft beer sign... that's a 'good sign' it's a good place.

a fridge of international beers

A couple of fridges of craft beers with a focus on inner west breweries

What I really like about it is that it has a focus on inner west breweries, which there are many, and many of them are some of the best in Sydney. But they also have a wide array of other craft beers over their many fridges! They also do a really good selection of world beers, from the bigger breweries (opposed to the more boutique breweries that the beer cartel offer) and they also have another couple of fridges full of your normal lagers and the traditional chiller room you walk into on a stinking hot day to cool down for slabs of beer (I love that term - slab of beer; it really is a better way of saying a crate!). I really do believe that Balmain Wine Bar has the formula - normal beers, through to global lagers with a big mix of Australian and then inner west Sydney beers all in the mix. Shortnecks, longnecks and slabs are all on offer. 

The only thing that is missing is growlers (a big bottle of 1.89 ltrs traditionally which you use to refill your beer with. The upside of them is it is cheaper as there is no bottling costs for the brewery but the downside is that it has to be drunk on the day otherwise it will go flat).