The Quest for the Holy Grain
The Boneyard

 

Alas, nothing lasts forever. Bye and bye, and for various reasons, some of our favorite establishments are forced to close their doors. This then is a page both nostalgic and melancholy, devoted to our Best Brew Pubs, Beer Bars, and Beer Retailers that are no longer with us.


Retailers - United States

 

 

Hunger & Thirst
Craft Beer and Provisions
920 Landis Ave
Lancaster , PA 17603
phone: (717) 208-3808

Hunger & Thirst is a delightful combination of beer bar, gastropub, bottle shop and marketplace located on the northeast side of Lancaster not far from F & M University.
The bar in the pub seats about 20 patrons.
In addition, there are about 15 tables in the bright and tastefully decorated dining area.
The gastropub has a draft beer selection numbering 24...all carefully selected.
There are also about 30 bottled beers in the cooler.
In addition to this, any of the more than 200 beers from the bottle shop may be served to a thirsty customer at the bar.
After the Questor has been served his beer at the bar, he may browse through the bottle shop to see what may be taken out for consumption elsewhere.
At the time of our visit, the gastropub was offering food and beer specials on certain nights of the week, such as Gourmet Taco Night, Oyster Night, and Burger & Brew Night.
And in the marketplace one may find an assortment of provisions and gifts for the home. Hunger & Thirst would be a welcome addition to any neighborhood; I wish there was one in mine.


WGAL8 reported that Hunger-N-Thirst's last day in business was April 29, 2023.
Sorry to see them go.


 

 

Throx Country Store
1488 Senseny Road
Winchester, VA 22602
540-662-7155

You would never know it from the exterior. There are no flashing beer signs or brewery logos. Yet Throx Country Store has as extensive a selection of beers as you are likely to find in the area.
I didn't count, and the young person who helped me wasn't sure, but I would guess they have several hundred different beers.
They have a large selection of bomber bottles, and many more six packs...and this is important...the customer can purchase one beer out of any sixpack in the store and mix-and-match.
The store also sells gourmet deli subs, sandwiches, and barbecue. In addition, they feature all kinds of salads and gifts.

Both Yelp and ratebeer.com report that Throx is not longer in business.

 

 

Craft BeerCo
545 E Market St
Leesburg , Virginia 20176
(703) 777-7162

Craft BeerCo is a bottle shop and growler station in a strip center on Market Street just about 4 minutes southeast of downtown Leesburg.
As of the time of this writing, Craft BeerCo was carrying about 400 different kinds of beer, in singles, 6-packs, and bombers.
One addition that makes them stand out is their growler station, offering between 30 and 40 draft beers at any given time.
This station also features tap takeovers from time to time.
Craft BeerCo is certainly worth visiting if you crave craft beer, either as a stop on Leesburg's vibrant beer trail, or as a destination in itself.

After only a few years in business, Craft BeerCo has closed it's doors.

 

 

Thirsty's Quick Stop
2914 E Market St.
York , PA
(717) 755-5969

Thirsty's is a bottle shop on the east side of York.
They stock about 450 different kinds of beer, any of which can be purchased as a single.
The employees were helpful, and a 10% discount is given for a 6-pack.
Thirsty's also has 6 taps for dispensing drafts, 5 of which rotate.
You can take your beer into the adjoining sipping room and watch TV as you enjoy.

As of the Summer of 2021, both Yelp and Foursquare list Thirsty's as permanently closed.

 

Good - Ta - Go
1640 Orchard Drive
Chambersburg, PA 17201
(717) 446-0138

Good-Ta-Go is located right off of Main Street, just south of downtown Chambersburg, PA.
Good-Ta-Go is all about beer, sold for both on and off premise consumption. They offer 30 drafts which can be had by the pint or growler. The interior is dominated by two long walls of cooler, containing approximately 350 different bottles of beer. All beers can be purchased singly, which is extremely helpful for Questors. If you are thirsty, and none of the 30 taps struck your fancy, you can purchase a bottle, open it, and consume it at one of the numerous tables in the store. Or take it outside to a picnic table if weather permits.
What's that you say? Buying and drinking beer made you hungry? No problem...Good-Ta-Go can provide you with a variety of hot dogs and sandwiches that will take care of that.

Good-Ta-Go closed due to new beer laws which allowed distributors to sell 6-packs, according to Herald Media.

 

 

The Beer Monger's
3000 S Queen St, Dallastown, PA 17313
(717) 501-4251

Beer Monger's is a beer bar and bottle shop located on Route 74 between York and Red Lion.
The bottle shop has around 400 different beers, mostly craft and imports, for individual sale.
There is also seating for about 36 patrons at a large community table and several smaller ones.
Pub food is available, and draft beer is also served.
We tried the egg rolls which were scrumptious.
Growlers can be filled.
Next door is a very large barroom, featuring 18 taps.
The bar, which is sizable, can seat about 30 imbibers, and there is other seating, and 2 pool tables.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances Beer Mongers is officially closed. We're very sorry it's sudden. This saddens us very much. Thank you for your business these last eight years. " facebook post 6/2020

 

Quick 6 Beer & Food
1510 W Market Street
York, PA 17404
717-846-8646

Since the Quick 6 store on Mt. Rose Ave. closed its doors, the location on W. Market Street has become my go-to bottle shop in York.
They have hundreds of different craft beers from which to choose, including singles and 6-packs, and any single can be removed from a 6-pack.

As of summer, 2018, Quick 6 closed its doors.
Not a shock, since the other Quick 6 closed less than 2 years ago.

 

 

Red, White & Bleu
127 South Washington Street  
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 533-9463

Red, White & Bleu is tucked back inside a leafy nook just off of the Falls Church main drag of Broad Street. In order to find it, you'll probably have to be seeking it, but if you're a Questor, it would be a good idea if you did.
Red, White & Bleu offers well over 600 different brands of beer, the vast majority being craft and imports. All of the beers are singles, making it superb for Questing, including 12-oz. bottles, cans, and bombers.
The staff was extremely helpful, and there is off-street parking.

Red, White, and Bleu closed for good in March, 2017.

 

Quick 6 Beer Mart
1200 Mt. Rose Ave.
York, PA 17403

This was a nice find. About 200 different kinds of beer, in 6-packs and single bottles. The inside was mostly tables...you could buy a beer,open it up, and sit and talk. They made sandwiches, and I even saw a guy get a cold pitcher of beer. A great place for a Questor or anyone else to frequent.


Sadly, Quick 6 Beer Mart closed on Mt. Rose Ave. in late 2016.

 

 

The Holy Hound
Bottle Shop
55 W Market St
York, PA

The Holy Hound Bottle Shop is located
on Market Street in York's business district, right next to The Holy Hound Taproom.
For my money, it is York's best bottle shop.
Holy Hound boasts nearly 800 different kinds of beer, with new arrivals every day.
The vast majority are American craft brews, with emphasis on the many breweries in the region.
They can be purchased in singles or 6-packs, and the prices were reasonable.
The Bottle Shop features a state-of-the-art growler filling system, from 8 different taps.

Holy Hound Bottle Shop closed in March, 2017, after only a short time in business.
The Holy Hound Taproom is going strong, mind you, but we'll miss the bottle shop.

 

Enchanted Forest Wine & Spirits
10010 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City , MD 21042
(410) 465-4262

Enchanted Forest is a very useful store to the Questor, as it stocks at least 500 different beers.
 Wait a minute! It was a very useful store.
Sadly, Enchanted Forest went out of business in late July, 2016.
There is a very large single-bottle rack with hundreds of choices. One can mix a six-pack and get 10% off.
The staff is friendly and there is usually someone on duty who is knowledgeable about the beers. They will gladly help you with your selections.

 

The Loft/Barnyard Wine and Spirits
7926 Crain Highway South
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
The Loft is a diamond in the rough for beer lovers.

The liquor store features 600-700 different imports and microbrews crammed into a tiny area. Not only 6-packs, but hundreds of individual hard-to-find bottles can be located. They have a small, mix-a-sixpack shelf. Staff is courteous and helpful.

Whoa! Our sources tell us that as of 2/07, The Loft/Barnyard is CLOSED! What a loss! And the building has burned down.

 

Rick's Wine & Gourmet
3117 Duke St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-823-4600

Things were hopping on a Saturday afternoon at Rick's.
Beer, wine, and food samples were all being dispensed by the staff, and beers were moving out in vast quantities. There were no cases as far as I could see, no macrobrews...just over 400 different brands of microbrews and imports; many hard to come by. It is a haven for the Questor, especially one from out of town. If you are anywhere near Rick's, stop on in. You'll end up filling your trunk.
Rick's Wine & Gourmet closed their doors for good at 6 PM on December 31, 2012. They lost their lease.

 

Olney Beer & Fine Wine
18208 Village Center Drive
Olney, MD 20832
301-774-7593

I got it from a reliable source that Olney is most likely the best beer retailer in Montgomery County. I won't argue. They have hundreds of brands, including many different single bottles, which is helpful to the Questor.There are many micros and imports, with a vast array of Belgians.
You should check it out...
Nope...not now !
Olney Beer & Fine Wine closed at the end of April, 2013 !

 

 

 

 

"Life is Uncertain.
Don't sip."

...Lagunitas Brewing Co.

 
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