Their motto is "No crap on tap; our wine is fine," and if you're new, they ring a bell when you walk in the door.
They have nearly 800 different beers, 12 on tap and more on the way. And you won't find those like Budweiser and Coors at Vintage Estate Wine and Beer in Boardman.
After coming in No. 2 last year, those are a few reasons owner Phil Reda said the business, this year, hit No. 1 on Ratebeer.com's list of best beer retailers in the world.
"This is huge," said owner Phil Reda. "It's like the gold medal of Olympics."
After coming in No. 2 last year, the store inched out one in Denmark, Copenhagen, this time around for the No. 1 spot. It was also named No. 1 in the U.S. in 2009.
Reda said Ratebeer.com is one of the most respected resources for craft brewers. It boasts being the largest beer competition in the world and said over 2.47 million reviews of 110,000 beers worldwide were tallied to come up with rating lists released Thursday.
Other categories included best beer bars and best brew pubs in the country and the world.
Reda attributed his store's rise to the top to a long list of additions undertaken in 2009. They added more employees and more beer. They even built a tasting lounge.
This year, they plan to add another eight beer taps and finish up a remodeling project to install a Tuscan-style terrace. In April, Reda said they'll host one of the largest craft beer festivals in the area as a fundraiser for the HandsOn Volunteer Network.
Reda said he took on the store, part of which used to house a hair salon, in 2008. He said he takes pride in supporting craft beer breweries.
And while customers can expect 12 beers on tap and 14 wines to taste, what they won't find is a TV.
"That's one of the things people love about us," Reda said. "You sit in there and have human interaction."
The store is located at 7317 South Ave.
To view Ratebeer.com's list of top breweries, bars and retailers for 2010,
click here.
