Latest reviews from Newburyport

“tfontana's review is spot on. The only thing I would add it that it's a long haul to get there from the rail trail even though it abuts the taproom. Employees explained that the city refuses to grant permission for a gate and steps, so it's an additional 0.8 miles from the part of the trail where you can see the taproom, to the taproom itself. Part of that is on a busy road with no sidewalks. So be "safe" and drive to the brewery. So close, yet so far.“

Travlr 305 days ago

“Boutique style store with fine wines, cheeses and other delicacies. Selection is limited, but interesting.“

GregMooreNH 1893 days ago

“Right downtown, Leary's has a very solid selection of national beer. Several solid rows, as well as coolers. Worth a stop when in town.“

GregMooreNH 1893 days ago

“Easy enough place to find in the warehouse district of Newburyport--look for the massive wind turbine (and note, they've moved to a larger place at 40 Parker Street, about a mile away from previous Graf Rd. location)! Solar panels galore, as well, as sustainability is a concern of the brewers. Set back from the road, ample parking. Taproom is located at the back of the warehouse building after you walk to the side of the brewing area with the kettles, grains, etc. Taproom is polished concrete floors with high ceiling, clean. Six video game/pinball machines, large screen TV (though doesn't seem so large on large wall) playing sports, music in the background that was not too loud and was pleasant enough. Bar with 15 ladder-back barstools, a train-station style board, 12 taps of brewer's beer (good variety), Edison bulbs, industrial pipes across the ceiling. Also 8 tables that seat 4, 3 that seat 6 and a larger table as you walk in. Looks out on area trail with dog walkers, bike riders, etc. through massive garage door style glass doors that let in tons of light and look like they will open in nice weather. Pop art along the walls along with comic book pages--looks like decor is still a work in progress as there's lots of space to fill. Growlers, cans for sale. Flights of 4 for $8, pints $6-7. Did not try food but heard from other sources that is a bit pricey and wanting. Varied age groups from families with young kids to seniors and everyone in between early afternoon on a Saturday.“

tfontana 2216 days ago

“They easily have the obscurest Massachusetts beer in the county on draft and usually display at least one solid New York offering a week.Reasonable prices for beer. Bar is usually always crowded. Bartenders also have proven not to be the most knowledgeable about what they’re serving, but that’s Massachusetts for ya. Food was bland and unmemorable. It has potential but the way I see it, I don’t think it’s ever going to change. It’s going to stay precisely the way it is until it goes out of business. Side thought: bjdaly, thanks for your thoughtful criticism.“

radarsock 2538 days ago

“Aside for requiring that all purchases paid through a card be made at a minimum of $10, I can’t honestly squeeze out any other critisicms regarding Grand Trunk. That isn’t even worth bringing up it’s so minor, but I had to mention something. Some bottles can be pricey, sure, but this is Newburyport: it’d be surprising if beer bottles in this city weren’t presumed to be somewhat expensive. After 20+ years of serving the community, Grand Trunk has made it possible to come in for a variety of reasons other than beer and cheese, its flagship staples. Gooey, funk-heavy cheeses, pre-made cold sandwiches, coffee, charcuterie meats, hand-carved bottle openers, inquisitively selected beers, and the largest and most impressive wine wall in the entire county make their home here. Boat-owning yuppies and their wealthy white bread parents drop small fortunes to either get precisely what they want, or a new and exciting brand that they couldn’t pass up. Shelved beers are so seemingly random, it’s almost like poetry when you take a look around and find out what’s lurking just beneath the surface. A ton of German beers that haven’t received much distribution and European thrice-yeast-fermented ciders grace their shelves with untiring enthusiasm.“

radarsock 2573 days ago

“Another endearing hidden gem typically carrying solid beers. Bottles are shelved in a seemingly chaotic fashion, splayed randomly on little ledges barely wide enough to keep all of them calmly organized. Anything displayed lower than your knees and you might as well bet that those particular beers are dustier than your great grandfather’s Bible. Browsing has lead me to realize that only a quarter of their public inventory has price tags stickered somewhere on their glass. New England Brewing and Mystic’s Woods series are regulars here, titles that Leary’s has had trouble with in the past.They’re going through a rough patch right now. Because the purchasing of their second wall of beers had been moving at such a catastrophically heroin addicted snail’s pace for months, they decided that it would be best to price cut most of their odder not-moving-as-quickly offerings. Also, now that there aren’t as people buying from them, New England Wine are in turn not buying as much beer for them to buy from them. Great spot when they have it together and when people are throwing their money at the cashier. Otherwise it’s sadly like a ghost town.“

radarsock 2589 days ago

“There’s a large refrigerated unit that stretches the entire length of the back of the store. Large, national macros only take up a small portion with the remainder going to six- and twelve-packs of more commonly found national and regional craft. Things seem to get more interesting as you work your way along the right side of the coolers toward the back of the store. Facing that is a small refrigerated unit featuring smaller, more local craft. The real gem here is the two rows of shelving leading to the refrigerated units. Here you’ll find more high end and harder to find bomber gems (e.g., Dieu du Ciel, Alesmith, Pretty Things, Evil Twin) along with more typical high-end crafts (both foreign and domestic). The store also has a deli/pizza area and is an upscale wine store and liquor. It’s laid out well and is a nice space. Prices for the beer were slightly to the high side but not bad.“

tfontana 2938 days ago

“The store is probably 75% wine and liquor so it’s more that than a beer store. Don’t know about those prices but the selection seemed decent. As for beer, there’s one large refrigerated case at the back of the store, 1/2 of which is typical national macros of varying quality (i.e., light beers up to Heineken), then larger craft brewers (e.g., Harpoon, Ipswich, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, etc.), a smaller cider refrigerator and then three non-refrigerated shelving units of foreign (e.g., Sam Smith’s, Belgians) and smaller crafts (e.g., Six Point, Avery, Foolproof, Troegs). Some prices are marked, which seem reasonable but many have no prices (which I find annoying). Didn’t need any help so really don’t know about the service. Overall, there’s a decent selection of the most common beers around, but you’re not likely to find too many hidden gems.“

tfontana 2938 days ago

“Interesting bar with a mix crowd of patrons. I’ve been here about 4 times. As any place in New England, summer is way more jovial and fun. Winter is just damn depressing. This place has got a reasonable amount of craft taps (over 30) and would be worth a stop for any out-of-towner. Pretty easy to find as well. I have always come here late night so I never had any food.“

AirForceHops 2947 days ago

“Nice little hidden gem here. Cold beer with plenty of craft selections and and isle of warm stock. Also decent wine selection with hard Liquors around the edges of the interior. The prices are pretty decent as well. It’s obvious that the beer manager knows what he is doing. A nice mix of New England brews with a small section for European imports. The guy behind the register was friendly and talkative. Maybe not a place to make a special trip for but without question the best choice in the North Shore, MA. Very good chance I will make a return trip here because of the selection. “

AirForceHops 3478 days ago

“Nice store located in the Stop & Shop plaza. The beer selection is mid-sized, but very well represented. Good selection of local brews. Prices are very good too.“

MaBeer1972 3522 days ago

“This place has a nice feel. It’s still new and shiny, but has a comfortable layed back feel. Service was a bit slow, but otherwise very good. I think they had a bit of an unexpected rush while i was there. You get the three canned NBPT brews, plus two others on tap. They are very accomodating, with free samples and reasonably priced pints and growlers. You can also buy cans here in six packs, and they have mixed sixes so you can try all three cans. They offer guided tours as well. There is no food offered, but you may bring your own. There is live music here 2-3 nights a week.“

WillRunForBeer 3760 days ago

“Great place with a really nice selection of beers on tap from both near and far. I had a Left Hand Milk Stout on nitro along with a local pint. Good live blues music too.“

Vballnbeer 3790 days ago

“Interesting and eclectic selection - relatively small but there’s a ton of interesting stuff hiding out on the shelves. Prices aren’t always clearly displayed, and organization is a little iffy. Well worth a visit, though“

BeerFlavoredBeer 4008 days ago

“Great store lots of wine and a good selection of beer.got to see a lot of beers I havnt seen in along time great staff talked to there beer guy for about twenty minutes and he told me a lot about local beer and was very imformed about what he had in the store .all in all I would go back when I am down that way.“

worminaterx 4040 days ago

“Great store, good selection, friendly staff!“

portwine 4158 days ago

“Located near Route 1 and close to downtown Newburyport, this is a typically organized MA liquor store with the coolers in the back and an aisle of craft beer leading to it. Unfortunately, in it’s current configuration, there are heat vents from the HVAC located directly above and blasting into the beer section - bottles on the top shelves were actually hot; I commented at check-out so hopefully they will make a change. Selection is good with emphasis on New England breweries. Prices were on par to a bit high for the area. Overall a good place to stop in if you are in the area.“

GDTRFB 4187 days ago

“An eclectic faux French bistro/Irish pub/nautically themed decor greats you before turning the corner to a nice semi-circle bar. Plenty of draft selections (35 taps) with a leaning toward big beers, seasonal locals and the occasional rarity. Beer is served a little cold, but seems fresh and clean. Service is attentive at the bar, but mostly stick to talking with the locals and serving waitresses. Prices are a bit high, but not over the top. Didn’t have any food. All-in-all a nice little beer destination for the North Shore.“

GDTRFB 4188 days ago

“This place is fucking CANCER. It has the aesthetic and interior design of a tourist trap dive that most prominently could have been featured as the local hole in A Perfect Storm without any real ramifications being made to the the plot. With the warmth and admiration from local drunkards and useless bartenders all seeking to ignore any popped-in customers in hopes of having the old timers finish the story of their childhoods, it frustratingly made it difficult to stick around. Upon finally getting a barhand, it's your responsibility to let them know which breweries you want to sample. This counter-intuitively is not the the beer kegged at these facilities but rather the facilities themselves. I ordered a Breakfast Stout and all of a sudden I have to clarify that I indeed want Founders. It was an odd exchange as Founders was the only breakfast stout on their list. But this happens often. Once, I ordered a beer and one of the bartenders asked me if it was from Ipswich Brewing. I nodded my head and answered, "Yes, that's the one." The order was wrong, but what's irritating is this system could easily could be changed at the drop of a hat. There were two Ipswich ales on on that night - it perhaps, like all bars, depends on the experience and intelligence of the bartender; however this is a ridiculously stupid and over complicated process that has always given me trouble. Yes, mistakes like this are going to happen here. But it doesn't stop there. These people are rude, too. My pal and myself dropped in a few months back when we were let out early. After showing them our IDs, a manager was called for my friend whom had given them a NH driver's license and myself who had given them a passport. "Why does a passport need to be checked? Isn't NH less than 15 minutes away? I just haven't seen this as a problem before." The manager had taken both IDs into the back and while we waited for her to confirm their authenticity the bartender we had initially given them to, responded, "Well, we don't have to serve you. Just think about that." She then gave us her best shit-eating grin and left into the kitchen. What. The. Fuck.“

radarsock 4284 days ago

“Convenient liquor store located in the beginning of downtown Newburyport. The building is bricked, oldish and comfortable, plus its location is impeccable. Has a harder-to-find selection, however nothing too overly jaw-dropping for New England craft brews. I liked that I could find Boulevard Saison Brett in the fridges and for an affordable price with plenty in stock if I ever ran out at home. There are some damn fine gems in this place, you’ll just have to look. Customer service varies from person to person and I’ve come to realize that people from MA seemingly tend to be a little more smartassy than others, but that’s minor in the grand scheme of things.“

radarsock 4284 days ago

“This spot was a really pleasant find. I love the diversity of Massachusetts distribution. There were many beers here that I haven’t seen for years, including Belgians and Lost Abbey. Great depth and breadth. My favorite picks were, of course, the regional and local stuff, like Pretty Things, Ipswich, and Notch. They have 5% off 6 craft bombers and 10% off 12 craft bombers. The staff was friendly, cool, and helpful. A must stop.“

auerbrau 4311 days ago

“Great selection and a willingness to order and stock new stuff.“

Jtlewis 4507 days ago

“Forgot to enter this rating from a while back. Fairly decent selection with some stuff I can’t get at home including Alesmith and Lost Abbey. Fairly friendly staff. It’s a place worth stopping whenever I’m in the area.“

maniac 5781 days ago

“Despite not having the largest selection of micros, Leary’s does a good job of turning over its stock, thanks to its beer purchaser, Frank. Frank has a wealth of knowledge about the beers available, and is capable of ordering just about any regional beer that he does not have in stock through his many distribution channels. Leary’s is always a stop on our beer purchasing trips.“

2beerguys 6428 days ago