Tag: places

Crafty Beer – Lafayette Village, Raleigh, NC

Crafty Beer Shop logoNext on our hit list of places to visit, Crafty Beer Shop!  They currently have two primary locations, one at Five Points in Raleigh, the other at Lafayette Village on Falls of Neuse Rd, also in Raleigh.

Crafty Board
Crafty’s Beer Board

I had the pleasure to visit their North Raleigh store on Falls of Neuse with one of my friends.  Upon walking in, the atmosphere was very inviting, warm and pleasant.  Plenty of places to sit, at their bar, at individual tables and outside.  Everyone who was there was very social.

Looking around, there is a very large selection of beers, sold generally by the bottle, not the case or six pack.  On Wednesday, they usually have sampling from various breweries (Aviator the evening I visited) and encourage exploration.  The store also carries some great “craft” snack food from small businesses.  I will tell you, the Ghost pepper peanuts, so worth the burn!

Mike from Crafty Beer
Mike from Crafty Beer

Mike was our bartender for the evening and was very knowledgeable as well as very affable.  What’s on tap is displayed on a bright tv panel and kept up-to-date.  I had a hard time choosing, so Mike offered a flight, so I could try many beers for a reasonable price.  Eight dollar flights?  So worth it!

What a Crafty Flight
What a Crafty Flight

 

 

 

Friendly to families stopping in, as my wife and I have swung by on weekends, the staff are always happy to answer questions that you may have.

If you have a chance, I definitely suggest if you are looking for a spot to be a regular, this is absolutely in my top list.

Cheers!

Lafayette Village location:

Phone: (919) 703-0874
Address:
8450 Honeycutt Rd,  Suite 108
Raleigh, NC 27615

Email: wendy@craftybeershop.com

Hours:
Sunday:  12 pm – 8 pm
Monday:  Closed
Tuesday:  12 pm – 10 pm
Wednesday:  12 pm – 10 pm
Thursday:  12 pm – 11 pm
Friday:  12 pm – 11 pm
Saturday:  10 am – 11 pm

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Wine 101 in review

Shelves of beer at Wine 101's Beer Library
Shelves of beer at Wine 101’s Beer Library

One of the reasons I started this blog is the level of excitement I get from discovering new beers and new places to get them. My friends laugh at the almost child like behavior I exhibit when I find something they like as well, or a place where they agree with my love of. The Raleigh/Durham area is full of such places and I have only scratched the surface so far.

For my inaugural location review, I want to focus on one of my favorite locations that friends and family enjoy as much as I do, if not more so. Wine 101 is such a place.

Started in the Fall of 2008 by a gentleman named Joe, Wine 101 initially had a small craft beer presence, with that being secondary to wine. Thank goodness that’s changed! As time progressed, in response to his customer’s desires, Joe has expanded to carry a large selection of craft beers as well as a solid selection of wines. If you love good drink, he and his staff will help you find it.

Wine 101 Beer Library
Beer Library

Recently, the Wake Forest location expanded into nearby storefront space, creating what is now referred to as The Beer Library, which has a great tap tender by the name of Rufus (@BeerLibraryWF on twitter).

What can I say about the staff? They are always friendly and helpful with loads of knowledge to share. The clientele are the same, as Joe and his team make Wine 101 all about the community.

There are two locations you can visit, both with great selections of beer, and wine, taps with fresh kegs, and they do growler fills. They frequently will host events, like Tap Takeovers, where a brewery will be featured for tasting, frequently with a representative there to speak about it and sometimes share swag.  They also have regular tastings on Fridays, 5-7 and Saturday 2-5 in both stores.

Wine101 pulls
Wine101 pulls

Joe has set up membership programs called the Beer and Wine clubs that have great benefits, particularly for those who buy frequently and are well worth the membership fee.

For more information, check out their website at www.wine101nc.com

Store locations:

Wake Forest:

3325-104 Rogers Road
The Shoppes of Heritage
Wake Forest, NC 27587

Raleigh:

5910 Duraleigh Rd
Raleigh, NC 27612

A great big THANKS goes out to Wine 101 for being there for all of us who love good drink!

Wine 101 Beer Library
Wine 101 Beer Library

EDIT NOTE: Thanks to the folks at Wine 101 for the pictures!

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