So are you ready for my recap of our bourbon-rye-scotch whiskey tasting--I'll give it a shot! Three tiers within each category (low, middle and HIGH)--within each category--that's some whiskey business. We had guests dropping by--so the house was neat. Once our friends were there--it was full of spirits. They had to score all the whiskeys, identify if it was bourbon, rye or scotch, and whether the bottle was a premium brand or top shelf--and this put everyone in a dram good mood. It was a barrel of laughs, I could barley get in a word edgewise. But that's ok, I had to grain and bear it. Some spirited arguments broke out over which was the highest priced bottle -- but fortunately no friendships were on the rocks over it. Did everyone enjoy the event? Here's proof -- they're asking us to repeat this. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot We got everything we needed for our soirée at Binny's, from the Filthy cherries to the mixers to the fine liquor to the mixologist implements. read more

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Binny's is the place to go for the best selection of alcohol in the Chicagoland area, with 46 locations throughout the area. We wanted a hard-to-find lychee malt beverage from San Miguel brewery, but unfortunately didn't find it. But the visit wasn't a total loss. In celebration of Cinco de mayo, most tequila's were on sale so decided to pick up a bottle for our hosts before visiting their home. Teremana Tequila Blanco is a well rated brand, founded by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. The store was well organized, though it was difficult to find all the tequila brands since they didn't seem to be in any particular order. You know they have a big selection when you wish the choices were organized like in a library. Checkout was easy, with plenty of cashiers ready to help on this non-busy day. read more

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Thought that if you win the lottery that bottles you get a chance to buy would be close to MSRP. That was not the case for me. The excitement of winning the lottery happened when I got the right to buy the one bottle I really didn't want and it was at double the top end of MSRP. I looked at the bottle for a second and then walked. Let someone else have it and that high price. Completely disappointed especially given how much I regularly spend at this store. read more

Everyone is friendly and helpful. Found just what I wanted. They are always my first choice for alcoholic beverages.

I remember when they were Gold Standard Liquors! I had the privilege of being a vendor with Gold Standard, would call on Pat Collins, a great buyer. Many great memories, I retired some years back but continue being a Binny's customer, using my binny's key tag on my key ring. I was down in Springfiled in August for meetings found the Binney's down there. We picked up a bottle of single malt scotch since we were there for state business meetings over night. read more

Super cool place, with a lot of rare and distinctive beverages. Service was fantastic as well. I wish they had one of these in Southern California. read more

Fantastic selections!! Found some harder to find whisky, plus all of the typical l. I would recommend.

If Wine was Candy, I could say that Binny's Beverage Depot made me feel like a "Kid In a Candy Store"!!! Overwhelming feeling as I walked in to see rows and rows of wines perfectly marked by region and varietal, and plenty of stock and GREAT prices. I have been here once before, years ago, as I do not really live in the Chicagoland area, but never hesitate to come in Binny's as my first choice to buy wine. Why? Why, because you can find almost ANYTHING you are looking for, it is so well organized row by row and PLENTY of stock of the individual choices that I have needed so far. I do not have a count as to how many wines they carry, but it would definitely be an interesting number. This is like walking into a large retail warehouse of wines and liquor. I was getting ready to go to a dinner party with friends that do know wines so I wanted to make sure that I was able to get a little bit of everything. What better place than Binny's. Working my way to the Pinot Noir Isle, I went right to the Belle Glos, and low and behold the Clark and Telephone variety was stocked up, not ever seen in any wine store I've ever been to. Perfectly marked shelf tags with detail of the wine and WOW, a very competitive price. I found all he varietals easily and proceeded to purchase Ghost Block Cabernet, Plumjack Syrah, and Cru from Vineyard 29. My point being, if one knows wines, there are not many places that I could find all four of these in one store. I wanted to walk around to see more of what Binny's is all about and came to the conclusion that is I had UNLIMITED funds and time, I may have walked out with a truckload of what they carried. I was so impressed with their WINE CELLAR, which contained incredible varieties of amazing wines in Liters, 3 Liter and Magnum bottles, nicely displayed. Pretty much would persuade any wine collector to step up to the plate and buy these for their cellars. Top notch wines and what a collection. Beyond the wine? Another story in itself. They have an amazing variety of liquors and also a "Rare and Collectable Spirits" room for high end scotches, whiskey and Tequilas, just to mention a few. Back in their liquor section, I saw sizes of bottles I have never seen before and HUGE and attractive back wall displays of the most popular liquors, and again, at phenomenal prices. Again, nothing you can't find in the liquor department. What is Wine and Liquor without having the opportunity to purchase a great cigar. Binny's has as big a Humidor room as their Collectable Liquor and Wine rooms. In contrary to what I have read about their staff, we had a GREAT experience. One of the staff, by hearing what type of wines we liked, did recommend some of the same type wines at less expensive pricing which I thought was commendable. They were always there to ask questions and the checkout process was easy. PRICING at Binny's is the best part about the shopping experience here. There is no question that you are getting a great value because I looked at wines I have bought in the past and it doesn't get that much better or close to it. I am assuming that because of their size and the inventory they stock, they buy in great volume to achieve these price points. Back in South Florida where I live we have similar "warehouse" type retail operations, but I can confidently say, they don't hold a candle to Binny's Beverage Depot. Next trip, I am coming with my Steal, Insulated Wine Luggage and I am going to stock up and ship bring my wines from Binny's back with me on the plane's luggage compartment. read more

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Great knowledgeable people and incredible rare selections. I would definitely recommend if you are looking for bottles that are hard to find

Our family aren't big drinkers and I frequent Binny's mostly for wines and favorite Hogaarden beers. I5m a fan of Ausleysa and sweeter Berenausleysa. My son, much more a wine person than I am now, mentioned a Trackenberenausleysa (late harvest dessert), so I picked one up, asking a bunch of questions ($70), in anticipation of the holidays. When we opened the bottle Thanksgiving Eve (regular flop-armed corkscrew), the corn immediately cracked and slipped into a narrow bottle. We fused to save it, but was impossible. I felt like crap because I wanted it to be special for my son and his wife. I called Saturday (11.25.23) and was told if I hadn't purchased with a Binny's card, I was, 'out of luck on a refund (the Binny's sticker is on the bottle).' I've never received anything but the best customer service there, and had a couple disappointments returned over the years. I'm so pissed-of and disappointed. Careful about complaints at a once courteous, consumer-oriented brick & mortar. read more

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This review is about beer and specifically IPAs. Binny's selection of IPAs is great. The unfortunate part is they have too large of a selection and buy too much. This means they don't rotate their stock out in a timely manner and many, if not all of their beer is old. IPAs should be consumed within 30 days of being brewed if possible, it can be longer, but no longer than a few months. I have found some to be 9 months to a year old. There are times I can't find a single IPA under 30 days except for Hop Butcher which is a weekly delivery and small volume, which is optimal. In speaking to Binny's Highland Park staff, they indicated the root cause is they order too much. I have found better luck at wholefoods and Heinens. They stock less, thus turn it over more frequently. I hope binnys sees this and makes changes. read more

Great store, generally great pricing, and excellent staff. All of the wine managers are super friendly and very knowledgeable. They just opened a kitchen that is used for classes and for cooking during some of their tasting events. We were there for one of those and the food they served was delicious. Grilled hanger steak, sherried mushrooms and caramelized onions with a touch of cream. It all paired very well with the remaining wine we had after the tasting. This is our favorite beverage depot to shop for better than wholesale club wines! read more

I'm so tired of this location's attitude. Have had consistently rude employee and manager interactions. It's like the customer is bothering them when they ask questions. They also are super condescending if you look like you are under 40. Pretty bad idea to treat young professionals that way. Clearly you don't know your customer. I carry a 500 bottle wine cellar, and an extensive bourbon collection too. As a sommelier I also know the supplier side quite well. Lying to me about what you have is comical when I know full well you aren't being truthful. Have come in before and asked about something and the person will tell me "nope". I come back when my person is there not even an hour and a half later and he goes and grabbed it for me from the back. Someone also mentioned this already but they consistently hide bourbon and when you ask about stuff and you know they have it (I have some insider information from suppliers) and they pretend they don't have it, then it's dishonest. It's also against the law according to the ILCC. Problem is they know the ILCC won't investigate them as they're big enough to push them away. To be fair, this is not indicative of all their staff. Tony Batio is awesome, for the record. He has tons of people who come to see him and he takes care of people and you can tell he cares. Tony the beer buyer is also a great guy. Love talking to him about things he has tried and whatnot. Chris, who is one of the wine managers, on the other hand, does not. Have had numerous issues with his attitude, and recently did again. He's dismissive, he's rude, and treats your clientele like dirt. I've actually helped a customer before when he wasn't helpful to them when in the Bordeaux aisle. The other customer remarked to me "what a snot" when he was sarcastic about the difference in two bottles. He doesn't care unless you ask him about high priced stuff. Waited a handful of days to say something here but decided enough was enough. That guy is on a power trip and needs to be reprimanded. I'm done shopping here too unless this gets addressed. I don't mind paying $5 more to somewhere to treats it's people right. read more

This is an awesome Binny's, I love it for its beer selection and the knowledgeable staff in helping me pick the beer or suggesting new ones. I'm always in and out in a flash. They have a large selection of wine and spirits. Sometimes I walk around just looking at the selection. While doing a look around I saw a shelving unit with the last of the bin, which is the clearance rack. OH YEAH! Bought some Japanese whiskey and some flavored gin. I will definitely be back. read more

Stopped in because another store didn't have what we were looking for. Glad we did! It only did we find it, it was less expensive than other places that also carry it (but we're out). Wheelchair accessible and easy to find what you're looking for. If you can't find it, the staff will help! read more

My favorite local Binnys. I love the huge selection of different items in stock (especially discount items) and the amount of harder to find options for beer and liquor here. This is especially nice as the great selection extends to both top-shelf and bottom-shelf items. The aisles are nice and spacious here and cleaned well. The service is friendly, but not overbearing as you browse through all the different options available. The only drawback I can think of is that this Binnys is in a bit more busy spot than other ones and it'll be a little harder to cross the street from the parking lot, but this isn't too difficult. Overall, great place to buy alcoholic beverages with good prices and selection. read more

I HAD to visit this store because I just had lunch at Max's Deli next door and Max's Deli DOES NOT HAVE ADA restrooms. My instinct was right--Binny's has Cadillac ADA restrooms. So... next instinct was to patronize such a great, welcoming to disabled business. As I found myself browsing for a purchase, I realized I had a dream last night about an "aged rum." I found a wonderful woman who could help me. She confirmed "aged rum" exists and directed me to Plantation Rum aged 5 years. I sampled it when home and it had the same mellow profile in my dream--an early Mother's Day gift from the Universe. Another absolutely cool feature of this Binny's store is its in-store demonstration kitchen. Mega kudos for this! Definitely put this Binny's on your map! read more

The best selection of wine and spirits I've found on the North Shore. Voluminous wine selections. Incredible and rare spirits. The most helpful, available, and knowledgeable customer service attendants as well. And the prices are competitive. Because of the volume, the discounts are plenty. You can also find many beers of the world as well. Includes a walk in refrigerator to drink right away or on your way to a party. I only wish it were closer to my house. Tops around here! read more

Binny's Beverage Depot in Highland Park was my number 1 stop for wine, beer, and liquor years ago. When they remodeled the store they had several tastings, themed food and adult beverage pairings and often had the owner, brewer, distiller in the store to talk with customers about their products. Also, Binny's HP had nice tasting events (some at a modest cost) and some at no charge. I went to a champagne tasting once that was just lovely. Lots of goodwill at that time and prices were reasonable and certainly comparable to competition in the area. About a year and a half ago (pre-COVID) the tastings described above stopped. In fact I used to get ads from Binny's describing all the beverage themed events (mostly at the Lincoln Park location), but not at the Highland Park location any longer. I tried to find out why the events stopped, but never could get strait answer. I expect they felt t was not profitable enough. So at this time (Pre-Covid), I would purchase 80-90% of my adult beverages here. One day, and after purchasing some whisky, I grabbed two empty box's on the way out, with my purchase in hand and a younger lady screams at me, you can't take those and I ask why not. She continues to scream, because they are for customers. I ask what am I ? She says they are for customers who need them. Again, I ask what am I? I think of this engagement every time I go in that store, which is much less frequent now. Additionally, I find their stock low and prices not competitive with Costco, Liquor Barn, or Woodman's where I know go now 90% of the time. Generally, Binny's in Highland Park is around 30% higher for many of the products I prefer such as White Claw, Laphroaig Select Scotch, and Larceny Whisky. Binny's seems to mostly promote their Clark & Sheffield Brand when they do have a promotion (probably a higher mark up for them). I once was impressed with Binny's Highland Park, but rarely go there, or buy anything from them anymore. read more

What a wonderful liquor store the store is. I recently went in here and I was with my friend who also wanted to buy some liquors. We were greeted by a bunch of selection of different liquors. This store is definitely the best liquor store that I could ever been. It is big and the whole place is definitely filled with liquors. It is clean and everything is well-organized. It is also well-stocked and some are full stocks and there are also some that are sold out or only a few stocks left. Every liquor that I could think in mind is literally available and everything has a various choice. They also have this rare and collectible spirits selection which is really nice. The prices on the other hand, are of course fair and reasonable. So, to the people who love liquors out there, I highly recommend you this store and everything you might wanted would literally be available in here. Me and my friend bought quite a lot and no worries at all because everything is in a good quality, we do not only buy local but also some foreign drink that we love to try because it is such a great deal. We will definitely be back! read more

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Great wine and beer selection. They have something for all tastes as price ranges. They often bring in new and interesting wines too so you can find new wines to try all the time. read more

Binny's Beverage Depot - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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such a beautiful store, so beautiful and big, but the cashier was so RUDE. I believe she was training because there was a younger cashier next to her, but this old lady had the biggest attitude. She said "I can help someone over here" quietly, without making any eye contact, the customer in line in front of me said "sorry i didn't know you were talking to me". We approach and she's checking us out, we say we don't want the peanuts for a penny, but a couple seconds later we change our minds we want the peanuts. We didn't even insert the card yet, she says "Oh, NOW you want the peanuts?? here just take them for free" and she practically throws it at us with so much attitude. Should've gotten her name. I'll shop at this binny's again if she's fired. We didn't do anything to her, we were so nice. read more

Worst experience. Curbside is incorrectly labeled- No idea of what customer service is. Left my truck up onopen. If i have to leave the car to close my truck curbside is pointless! read more

Binny's is great! Large selection of all things alcohol! We especially appreciate manger David and wine manager Tony! Both are experts and so very knowledgeable. Tony really knows his wines and can help you make the perfect pairing or find that just right sipper. We love the special events that Binny's throws. A few that we have been to recently include, wine, champagne and whiskey tastings. Just be sure to have either a DD (designated driver) or a taxi to call. The only major drawback to Binny's is that they close early on Saturday nights! 7pm! You would think Saturday would be a busy night but what would I know I'm usually pretty busy on a Saturday night drinking my wine. read more

Binny's Beverage Depot - Champagne tasting 12/6/13 - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Here's what you need to know: Binny's is a Chicagoland gem, And the Highland Park location is one of their best. 1) Incredible customer service, 2) amazing selection of wine, beer, and spirits, 3) best pricing anywhere and a price match policy if somebody beats their price 4) rare to find stuff that can be special ordered, and 5) 2% value frequent shopper rewards program (excludes beer though). I've been going to this Binny's for 3 years and have never had anything less than a perfect and happy experience. The staff (Mike - customer service manager in particular) is very engaging and always delighted to help with recommendations and excited to share their immense knowledge of products. I never buy a special occasion bottle anywhere but Binny's because they have an amazing storage facility which is humidity and temperature controlled. That's exactly what you want for the $100+ bottles. I will continue to invest and frequent this establishment for years to come. Love my neighborhood Binny's! read more

Service was disgusting here . Never shopped at this location. Asked if they could check if they had a favorite beer in stock and could you check. Usually a Thursday delivery. Woman had here back to me. Guy signaled (customer behind you. Never turned around. They would not call back. Guy walked away toward back. Found the beer, and the same guy who I thought was bringing it up. Standing, chatting. These people are GEMS. I'll keep shopping at the Chicago locations. One star is too much. And these were NOT the clerks who check me out. read more

Consistently bad experience here. Not as good of a selection as other stores, also the managers are super cagey about having "allocated" bourbon. Such a lame thing about all binnys really. But the manager today telling me "I can't disclose any information about weller" like it's some national security threat. read more

Good selection of beers overall and reasonable prices. Small selection of cold beers as well as singles available for some of the lower abv and pales. This is a build your own six pack type of experience for $10, similar to grocery stores. You won't find any of the rare types here but you can definitely try some of the typical ales produced by some Local breweries and figure out if you want to give their more limited releases a buy. Overall a good experience where the workers are there if needed but don't bother you as shopping. Seems to be a Chicago tradition and I understand why. read more

My dream Binny's in the north 'burbs! Previously, I've only visited the one on Dempster, and while even a small Binny's is a great place to shop for booze, their Highland Park location is so large! So much more parking! So many more bottles to explore! What more is there to say? If you're thirsty, come here and you will probably find anything that you need to quench that thirst. Not sure what you want? Then ask someone! Their friendly and knowledgeable staff will happily help you out. I love wandering their aisles of vodka and cordials. It goes get a little bit crowded Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, but that is to be expected. Clearly, the North Shore know the best place to go booze shopping! read more

Hard to keep track. This might be the largest one in the chain. No Cook County liquor tax, so there is that. Within the chain, there is a lot of expertise. So, if you have hard questions concerning: Spirits, Wines, Beers, if someone at the store can't help, someone in the chain should be able. This one has a small party/conference room, and a demonstration kitchen (the kind that makes wanna-be celebrity chef's jealous). read more

This store always has good sales. The store is a bit small however the staff is very knowledgeable about all the products. One time I was searching for a rare beer. This didn't have it in their system the one of the employees was going to a beer show and picked up a case for me. They called me and I went to pick it up the same day. Great service they really go out of their way to find what you are looking for. Limited selection on many liquors and beers. However the the staff is very helpful here. read more

This is good sized Binny's with good selection of wines from around the world, nice spirits and beer selection, including my favorite cognacs, and friendly knowledgeable staff. Also important: some of the wines are really good value, hard to match elsewhere. Examples include Oregon Pinot Noirs and Piedmont red wines, like Barolos and Barberas. read more

Discount liquor? What's not to like? Better prices than BevMo out in California, and better selection too I think. And it's great when they have samples! read more

I love making cocktails, so Binny's is my "go to" place to pick up the staples. They even have some unusual items at reasonable prices. There are some boutique items that we have to get via the internet, but all in all, a good selection here. The service is just ok. They don't seem to have people that want to help sell their stock. For example, when I pickup my Bombay Sapphire, someone might say, "I know of a great gin cocktail using elderflower." or something along those lines. We go there often enough, and have one of their loyalty cards, that you would think they would "market" better. Oh well... they are open again since the car went through their front window! Whew! read more

I feel Binny's have the best liquor stores in Chicago and the Highland Park location (while not as large as the "castle" location) is the best place for spirits in Cook County's "far north". Liquor: Keep an eye out for specials - you'll find some nice scotch for a surprisingly good price sometimes. Beer: Great selection that rotates through the seasonal offerings of some of the better midwestern microbrewerys. Six-packs range from $5 to $9 and there are large single bottles as well. Wine: The best thing about buying wine at Binny's is how knowledgeable their staff is about wine. I depend on them in helping me to make my selections. The reason I'm giving 4 instead of 5 stars is that sometimes I'll wind up with an employee who doesn't know enough about wines. Instead of admitting it and directing me to a more knowledgeable employee, they try to fake their way through a recommendation... very awkward. This location also has a nice small humidor although the prices are slightly higher than some other tobacconists - there is actually a tobacconist in the same strip mall just north of Binnys I'll go to instead. Finally, be warned that Binnys has a VERY strict carding policy. If anyone in your party does not have ID, they won't sell to you for 24 hours unless you return with that other person's ID. read more

Huge selection of craft beers, wine, and liquors, at competitive prices. The Pros: The staff is really helpful and friendly. They will chat you up and make sure you have everything you need. The selection of craft beer is as good as it gets and they have a very knowledgeable buyer and staff. The other stuff I can't speak to as much. The Cons: Not really any. However, if you are an aficionado, you should follow them on Twitter. The secret is out, so limited runs and very popular seasonal items sell out super fast. read more

We used Binnys for our beverage supplier for our wedding. They were great in helping decided quantities that would be needed and also in suggesting popular items people sometimes forget. Anything unopened can be returned which was awesome! We were able to return a few hundred dollars which always helps post wedding. The only downside is they won't deliver kegs; you must pick them up. Also, the credit card you use to pay for the kegs must be the person who picks up the kegs from them. read more

I'm giving them an extra star because they have a beer in stock that is really hard to find. My beloved DoD is closing soon and they no longer stock the beer I was looking for-Troublette, a nice Belgian white by La Caracole. There's really nothing too different from this Binny's from any other Binny's except they have cases of Troublette. read more

I cannot go to Binny's and spend less than $60. I'm convinced it's impossible. Their staff is super friendly and helpful, especially when making wine recommendations to a newbie like me. The gal who helped me pick out a cabernet mentioned some flavors in the wine that I bought which I was skeptical about. Sure enough, I could taste the subtle flavors she mentioned. Their craft beer section is out of control, in a good way. I can spend hours wandering the isles picking out sixers and usually end up with way more than I can carry. Their humidor is quite nice and the gentleman who runs it is very knowledgeable, but can be snarky. All in all, a great stop on the way home from work. read more

The Niles store is definitely decent for the midsize location it is(and more often my travels take me near that one, vs. this location), but this store definitely takes the cake for nicest one I'd seen in the 'burbs so far. Insane amount of wine selection for those into wine(I'm not, but my jaw dropped when I realized they had a dozen or more aisles devoted to wine), very nice craft beer selection despite that I wish the beer cooler had a little more selection(a la the level of variety I'd seen at Mariano's), and a cigar humidor room that had a great selection of cigars. Love the fact that I noticed that the cigars already have the IL tobacco tax added to them(and no Cook County tax as well!), and you don't have to guess the tax of what they'll all cost. A little bit of a disappointing con for this location(and only other one, besides the beer cooler issue above) is that they don't have later Saturday and Sunday hours. Luckily I was here on a Friday night so it wasn't an issue, but I think it'd help to extend the Friday hours to 9pm, and bring this store in line with the Saturday night closing hours of other Binny's locations. I see a new trifecta tradition developing for me: HPB, Binny's, and hitting the Botanic Garden. read more