Sarah S.
Yelp
You know when you find that special spot....
That little nook in your guy's arm you want to curl up inside of....
Or that killer angle for taking your hottest selfie....
Maybe it's that special ingredient you needed to make your sous vide steak perfection.
Binny's in Lincoln Park is all of that for me. Does this show I have problems? For sure. But do I give a flying hoot? Heck nah!
This Binny's is an adult's candy store full of everything and anything you could possibly drink that has even the smallest dash of liquor in it. I think I spent 30 minutes slowly going up & down the craft beer aisles trying to take it all in and attempting to limit myself to buying just a few things. I did pretty well on this first trip just buying 2 bombers, 2 6 pack and one mix & match 6 pack. They have a fabulous collection of craft beers, domestic sludge and some fun international beers, as well as malt beverages and hard fruit drinks. It's pretty cool because the beer is divided by region but that also made it a bit more confusing in finding certain things. Also, there were some things in their advertisement such as a mixed 12 pack of Deschutes that was supposed to be on sale but was nowhere to be found.
Most of the store seems to be made up of wine & hard liquor so if those are your things, then there are a ton of selections for you. It ain't mine, so I didn't pay it much mind. There is a huge, really cool section they call the Champagne Depot, which is really more of a Champagne ballroom because it's so big. I have some girlfriends that love the bubbly so I know where to go now to get them some special fizzy stuff.
If you walk through these rows upon rows of bottles, past the champagne room, you come to the crowning jewel of this Binny's which separates it from all the rest. Their amazing taproom.
The tasting room at Binny's is in a massive area which was formally Lincoln Park Pumping Station built in 1905 and has been completely renovated. This is not a normal tasting room...it features RARE craft beers. I had two flights of beers I had never tried before and each flight of 4 was just $12. One beer that was in my tasting of 8? Goose Island's very sought after Bourbon County Barleywine 2013. Delicious and totally random that it was on tap. I was such a happy girl that I could not stop gushing! To boot, the bartender was such a nice lady! She was eager to help and answered all my questions. I was sad this space could not be rented out because I thought it would be amazing for various events. She said they do host special Binny's events in the taproom though.
The tasting room has prohibition newspapers blown up and framed which I found fascinating, as well as old wooden beer crates and barrels. The decor goes really well with the wooden table, over-sized comfy brown chairs, wood paneling and flooring & insanely high ceilings with brick everywhere, even brick inside of a drain pipe up high. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and just felt at peace hanging out here. If you want to sit outside in the fresh air, they even have a sweet patio to relax on.
So let's recap (and add a few sections I haven't yet mentioned)~
-Walk in humidor for cigar folks
-Wine cellar with fancy expensive wines & liquors that is locked & you must have someone open for you
-Tons of craft beer, hard liquor, and wines (most weekends they have someone doing samples)
-Largest selection of sakes & sojus I've ever seen around, including at Asian markets
-Huge Champagne Depot
-Market where they sell cool cheeses & some other random items to go with your liqs
-Pimped out taproom with patio that offers pints & flights (beer/wine) & cocktails & slushies
-Amazing staff
-Great Binny's prices
*You can check stock before shopping on the Binny's website*
*Be sure to join their Rewards club*
Binny's in Lincoln Park - why didn't I discover you sooner?! I have many future plans of coming here for some liquor shopping but getting in a solo flight in the kick@$$ taproom before perusing the beer aisles buzzing. See you soon, new BFF, see you soon.