July 26, 2008 [ Updated June 26, 2009 ]
When traveling on I-80 cross country, this Hy-Vee grocery story is conveniently located at the Mall of the Bluffs exit off the interstate and has one of the best selections in the Twin Cities area (if you consider Omaha and Council Bluffs to be twins). Yes, Beertopia in Omaha has a great selection of exotic stuff, but Kevin and KJ at Hy-Vee CB do an amazing job of stocking some of the best stuff that Iowa can get. This is because they are savvy enough to parasite off of John’s Grocery’s hard work with state distributors to bring in things that we cannot get in Nebraska from time to time. Therefore, I keep this place on my regular beerrun list and am never disappointed. Much of what they have is available in single bottles. They have a Build Your Own Six Pack shelf and they will usually break any six pack for you that they sell. Please remember that this is a grocery store, so most of the nice folks working here will not be able to answer your beer questions in meticulous detail, but if you happen to be there when KJ is working, he will likely know more about German bier than you. The prices are good, but be informed that the State of Iowa charges you additional $ for each bottle as a recycling fee. UPDATE 6/2009: KJ is now stocking OVER 700 different beers. This place is likely the number 2 beer store in the entire state of Iowa after Dirty John’s in Iowa City. Amazing and worth the stop.