By the Bottle

Our closest beer store is called By the Bottle in downtown Vancouver, WA. By the Bottle was voted best beer store by the Northwest Brewing News Readers Choice Awards in the state of Washington for 2009. At first, we had a hard time believing that, as it is a small store. Surely there is a bigger beer store in Seattle that could beat ours out. Since then, we have been to two Seattle beer stores, and two Portland stores, and we have realized the gem we have in our back yard.

While By the Bottle is small, it is well lit with UV filters on the lights to prevent light damage to the beer. While all the beer stores have knowledgeable staff, By the Bottle’s owner does something different with her store that sets it above the rest – how the beers are organized. Their website states, “Overall, domestics and imports are grouped separately. Then, they are designated by region, and then by style order from light to dark. So if you’re in the mood for a domestic stout, all of the brands of this style will all be in one place. Placards above each cooler door clearly indicate the organization.” We find this system of organizing the best. Think of it this way, those two beers would be entered at a competition together, so shouldn’t they be shelved together? With By the Bottle, they are all in one place, and that is great when the mood strikes you for a particular style of beer.

If beer isn’t your thing, like it isn’t mine, By the Bottle does have a small selection of ciders, including Ace Cider, and a few meads out of California.