Concord definitely isn’t short on places to buy beer. Whether you’re looking to sit down and enjoy one at an establishment or pick something up to take home, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for somewhere in the city.
But for the real brew afficionados out there, maybe the selection at 7-Eleven or Market Basket just isn’t sufficient. Maybe you’re looking for more variety than traditional stores like that have to offer.
If that’s your predicament, you should really consider heading over to Barb’s Beer Emporium (249 Sheep Davis Road) to try mixing your own six pack.
Barb’s is something of a beer superstore, with more than 600 varieties in stock. Talk about options, huh?
The place specializes in beer – as its name may suggest – so you won’t find much else inside except for some salty snacks (including alligator and kangaroo jerky). You will find plenty of beer, though.
As you walk into the store, you notice that the entire perimeter is lined with refrigerated cases. There are also a few aisles of warm beer, but Barb’s has a vast array of already-chilled brews.
At the back end of the store, there’s a big refrigerated case full of individual beers with a sign overhead saying you can make your own six pack. This is the fun part.
It’s hard to not feel like a kid in a candy store when you’re standing in front of just a massive wall of interesting and hard-to-find beers, empty six-pack box in hand.
I didn’t have time to count them all, but it looked as though nearly all of the varieties the store carries were available in single bottles, ready to be mixed and matched in endless combinations.
I wanted to try to round up a bunch of beers I had never tried, heard of or seen, and I found plenty.
Take the John Stark Porter by Stark Brewery, for example. With the familiar name and a hat-wearing dog on the can, it was a must-get. Same goes for the Miles & Miles Dry-Hopped Pale Ale, featuring astronaut Alan Shepard on the can.
I wanted to try some beers from somewhere a little farther away, too, so I grabbed a Milk Stout by Left Hand Brewery, Vanilla Porter by Breckenridge Brewery and a Crisp from Sixpoint Brewery, all out of Colorado.
With one beer left, I grabbed a Wells Banana Bread Beer from the U.K., because why not?
Head over to Barb’s yourself and see what kinds of combinations you can make!
