October 13, 2009
What can I say that hasn’t been said already about Bottleworks?...probably nothing. What is/was probably a model for many other bottleshops that have since opened, they have had to change a little to stay current with the times. That change came in the form of draft beer for on premise and kegs to go. I just love shops that are doing this now as it is great to enjoy a beer while shopping for beer. Since they got the taps, they have been rotating through some decent stuff and have been trying to mix it up a bit so it isn’t the same stuff that you will find elsewhere around town. Oh yeah, they also have one of the best bottle selections as well as a cellar that is insane. They are constantly bringing stuff out for sale all the time. The current staff is super friendly and helpful and do a great job.

August 23, 2009 [ Updated August 25, 2009 ]
Just a solid brew store......not a huge selection but a pretty darn good one...plus they have 5 taps hooked up so you can sip while you shop. Smaller than I anticipated but still a "must visit" if you’re in the area. I’m going to be there tomorrow for the Port/Lost Abbey tapping.....gotta love that!! Let’s just add to my already solid rating.....Older Viscosity on Tap! A 7 brew deep Port Brewing Taster...for a dollar?! These guys rock. Got hooked up with bottles of Temptation and Consecration too.....can’t wait to come back.

June 11, 2009
One of the best beer stores I have been to. I particularly like that they have a little bar so you can drink a beer while you browse the coolers (I was fortunate enough to try the wonderful Bottleworks Wild Ale, brewed by New Belgium). Great selection and helpful staff. It was hard narrowing down my choices to just a few that could fit in my luggage. I was hoping to see some more from Russian River and Hair of the Dog, but overall I can’t really complain. They had an excellent selection with fair prices and a knowledgeable staff.

June 1, 2009
This place is world class? I appreciate that they keep things dark to keep the bottles from being light struck, but this was kind of ridiculous as it was nearly impossible to read any of the labels. The store itself was little more than a walk in closet with a bank of cool chests on either side. There were two employees there on a Thursday afternoon, and neither of them said anything when I walked in the door even though I was the only customer. They were to busy breaking down boxes and making plans for the weekend. I had three beers I wanted to get on this trip to the West coat, and the shop had only one of them, Pliny the Elder. Their aged beer selection was impressive, but you have to be pretty hard core to drop the kind of money they were asking for some of the bottles. Except for the selection of Pacific North West stuff, there wasn’t anything here you couldn’t really get at any well stocked bottle shop although iwill give them props for being one of only 2 places I’ve ever seen the De Dolle Oer Bier Reserva in a bottle. Meh. Maybe if I lived there and got to know the place a bit better I’d dig it more, but you know what they say about first impressions.

May 28, 2009
Long the big dog in town, I think the competition from the new kids on the block is doing some good; I really like the the new tap setup and cleaner, more spacious feel it has given the place; could never stand all those boxes in the middle; the selection gap has definitely gotten smaller over the last year or so with other shops surpassing them in terms of # of bottles and almost equaling in rarity; staff is in general is great and the connection with Brouwer’s insures the top flight releases and anniversary brews of course; the prices have been steep lately with the vintage releases, but that will only grow in other shops as more special releases are held back; all in all BW is still the top tier of Seattle bottle shops and one I’ll always continue to hit

January 9, 2009
For someone who lives in Atlanta this place was a gem. It is fairly small, but packs a punch with beer. I was able to purchase nothing but beers I have never seen nor tried before. I was able to get Hair of the Dog, Dogfish Head World Wide and 120 minute I.P.A. I was able to get some Bear Republic stuff, and Pliny the Elder. I was very impressed. This beer seems targeted towards specialty beers considering they did not have many six packs. I didn’t care I was there to get the stuff we can’t get in Georgia. My brother purchased a 2002 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot barley wine that was amazing. For someone on the East Coast this place had an awesome selection. As I said earlier, it is a bit small, and some of the beers are expensive, but who cares, you can’t find these beers in Georgia. I must say, that this place was in a cool part of town. For those of you from Georgia it was in a place like Little 5 points, but nicer. The scene was really cool, and when I go back to Washington this year, I am going to take a trip to

January 3, 2009
I had heard tale of Bottleworks before I moved to Seattle, but for four months never bottled to check Google Maps and see where they were. Last week I did just that, and to my shock saw that it was well within walking distance. So I made way for the Belgian enclave, at last stumbling on it by the sight of familiar bottles in a window display. I was impressed by the very pub/brewpub feel of the store, where the lights had been purposefully dimmed and yellowed, and the walls covered in Belgian glassware and posters. I later found the old-timey feel to be a nuisance as I strained to read beer labels in the unlit refrigerators. The selection is extremely comprehensive - the best I’ve seen in Seattle - but I feel like they know they have rare beers and charge an impressionable amount. I’m not certain whether they were aged or not, but the prices for their Fantome selections were outrageous, while other bottles seemed to be very competitively tagged. I’ll have to ask about the Fantome selection later, but ot

December 29, 2008
I’m always excited to visit the best store in a new city. They usually disappoint. This is no exception. It is always super dark in here. Coolers are organized by style which is helpful. Selection is large but nothing ever really impresses me. They have some really rare cantillon and other belgian lambic shit beers that are like $50. Prices are slightly elevated. Biggest selection I have found in Seattle but I have usually found most of the beers I have ended up buying at the grocery store. A good selection of PNW beers. Ive never been solicited for help by anyone there.

December 29, 2008
Tremendous selection, Belgians, world wide and a swath of domestic craft breweries. They had Hair of the Dog that had been aged for eight years. Minor complaint too much was refrigerated. Great place not to be missed.

October 31, 2008
Pretty awesome bottle shop, with plenty of PNW beers and Belgian / international offerings, along with plenty of vintage items (750s of De Dolle Dulle Teve, 2003 Bigfoot, etc.). Really dark overall, to the point of being tough to read labels, oddly enough. Kind of expensive overall, but a lot of these things you really can’t buy anywhere else. Excellent selection, with some rare finds even after being a landmark for so long.