[roger]

I've whined enough in the past about our last LHBS closing 2 years ago.   

I've basically made a retailer in the Omaha, NE area my "Local" supplier.  It's about 2-2.5 hours each way.  I make a big run once a year and if I happen to be in Omaha for some family thing I can stop and pickup smaller stuff.  Online gets me yeasts and gee-wiz type stuff when I need it.  You can make it work.

Paul

The LHBS in Savannah closed over a year ago. Like Paul, the closest is 2.5 hour drive each way (in Charleston for me).

When I worked in Ohio, there were multiple good shops on my commute. It forces you to plan ahead, which is a fairly good thing, plus I can generally support businesses I feel are doing things the right way.

[tommymorris]

We have a mediocre one that has been in business since I began brewing in the mid 90's (and actually long before that). It's a health food store with homebrew and wine ingredients on the side actually.

Every other one that opens is usually closed within a year. And there have been three since about 1996 aside from the afore mentioned.

+1. I recall the crazy lady that used to run it yrs ago. The new lady is a lot more down to earth. They seemed to stock up a while back but the inventory is thin again (as of a cpl weeks ago). Though I couldn’t tell by the lack of inventory, I asked if they are planning to continue to have the HomeBrew corner of the store and they said they were. We’ll see.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Is Alabrew in Birmingham a good homebrew store? I have never been.

[BrewBama]

Never been there either.

[majorvices]

We have a mediocre one that has been in business since I began brewing in the mid 90's (and actually long before that). It's a health food store with homebrew and wine ingredients on the side actually.

Every other one that opens is usually closed within a year. And there have been three since about 1996 aside from the afore mentioned.

+1. I recall the crazy lady that used to run it yrs ago. The new lady is a lot more down to earth. They seemed to stock up a while back but the inventory is thin again (as of a cpl weeks ago). Though I couldn’t tell by the lack of inventory, I asked if they are planning to continue to have the HomeBrew corner of the store and they said they were. We’ll see.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Not sure which crazy lady you are talking about! Hahahaha! Myrna at the old location was an absolute wack job. This is the only "health store" where the owner chain smoked behind the counter. The entire store reeked like a hippy bar: cigarettes and patchouli. The joke among the Rocket City Hombrewers was that every malt they sold was smoked malt.

Then there was her daughter, sweet heart but died of alcoholism. There was another one and she was less crazy but still a chain smoker but at least she smoked outside.

[majorvices]

We have a mediocre one that has been in business since I began brewing in the mid 90's (and actually long before that). It's a health food store with homebrew and wine ingredients on the side actually.

Every other one that opens is usually closed within a year. And there have been three since about 1996 aside from the afore mentioned.

+1. I recall the crazy lady that used to run it yrs ago. The new lady is a lot more down to earth. They seemed to stock up a while back but the inventory is thin again (as of a cpl weeks ago). Though I couldn’t tell by the lack of inventory, I asked if they are planning to continue to have the HomeBrew corner of the store and they said they were. We’ll see.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Is Alabrew in Birmingham a good homebrew store? I have never been.

I have heard it is. The owner and I have conversed over FB once or twice. I have never been either.

[Drewch]

We have a pretty good LHBS in Montgomery.  The owner's a good dude, his inventory is respectable, prices are reasonable, and the LHBS makes a natural center of gravity for the homebrew community -- so I try to buy from him preferentially if he has or can get what I'm looking for.

[ynotbrusum]

My LHBS is surviving, but mainly because it is also a cidery and wine maker with a small bar and tables - the homebrew section is probably a quarter of the whole place, but they are great about ordering anything special and it comes within a week, typically.  I patronize it to keep it going and because it is pretty convenient - a 20 minute drive from my house.  The staff are award winning homebrewers turned into commercial cider and wine makers and their taps rotate with local brewpubs' beers and hard to get foreign beers, so stopping for a beer while picking up homebrew supplies is a real treat.

I sure hope that it stays in business.  Homebrewers are notoriously cheap (me included), but having a local specialty store justifies some extra support beyond seeking the absolute best pricing available, unless you are willing to buy online exclusively.  So on this issue, I support the local business.