I’ve always been a bit wary of stepping foot inside of BevMo! First of all, they seem like an evil franchise, like the Wal Mart of booze or something. On top of that, I’ve become wary of exclamation points after my negative experience with Eureka! Amber. But somehow the stars aligned that day, and I gave it a go.

I had just come back from the Bicycle Casino, where my friend Sean Bill* and I destroyed the competition at our single-table sit-n-go tourney. This is important to the story, so that you know I had a wad of cash burning a hole in my pocket. Because I don’t want you to think I go and drop $45 dollars on beer on a regular basis. Usually it’s never more than $10. But when you’re at a place like this that’s at least a 30-minute drive from home, sometimes you need to stock up on beers you don’t see that often.

For the first ten minutes, I didn’t touch a thing. Just did a cursory examination to inspect their selection and variety. If I had been better prepared I would’ve had the digital camera with me to document their inventory. They’ve got two big racks of unrefrigerated beer, and one long row of freezers, making two and a half aisles of beer. They do a great job organizing by country of origin, which is kind of neat. Like a United Nations of beer, all sitting around with a little placards in front of them that say what country they’re from.

I picked up a couple bottles of Bear Republic that I don’t see too often, the Big Black Stout and their Red Rocket Ale, both selling for $2.99. I had never seen Lost Coast’s 8-Ball Stout ($3.49) before, and seeing as how I’m a big fan of their Great White, I thought I’d give it a go.

Then I thought I would go for some more expensive beers, figuring I would get a better deal. Avery’s The Reverend and Anderson Valley’s Brother David Triple both set me back $4.99, and so did a 750mL bottle of Jacobsen Saaz Blonde. The bottle is very distinctive, I had seen it before at The Farms where it was selling for $8, so I had to get it.

Also in my basket were a couple of organic beers, Santa Cruz Mountain’s Organic Dread Brown Ale, and Mateveza, a California-made pale ale infused with yerba mate. The label caught my attention, it had a gourd and bombilla sitting on top of a map of South America. Who would put yerba mate in beer? I’m betting dollars to donuts that the guy behind this is Argentinian. Seemed strange enough that I couldn’t not give it a try. Both of these beers were just under $4.

Lastly, I picked up some Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen for $4.39. I must admit, I bought it solely based on it’s badass label, but when I looked it up on Beer Advocate, I realized what a great beer I had picked. Reviews will come eventually.

Overall, there are way too many beers to list. They really shine with their selection of craft beers. Most of the 22oz. bottles are unrefrigerated, while most of what’s kept cold is in six packs. You can NOT break up six packs, which is always a real disappointment. But if you’re looking to try something new, BevMo! is a great resource. Too bad its in a huge shopping center with a Target and a Best Buy. If you’re lucky, you can snag a meter across the street or around the corner on La Brea.

Also, if you’re in the area, it’s worth stopping by the Formosa Cafe or Jones if you’ve never been there before. They’re not good places for beer, but fun bars nevertheless.

BevMo! Beverages & More
7100 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 882-6971

* Name has been changed to protect the innocent. He ditched work that day to play cards. What a swell guy.