Simply put, what's the craziest thing you've done to get in a great craft experience or particular beer. For me it was convincing my friends it was worth it to drive a few hours to Ohio through the snow just to get me some three Floyds. And yes, it was worth it. I'm sure many BAs have similar and even more extreme stories, lets hear them.
I have to drive by the local mall to get to total wine.. If you have been to Winston-Salem, you know that's risky dedication.
About three years ago, I convinced my friend to drive 645 miles to get me a handful of Colt .45 Double Malt bombers!
Drove 3 hours to Kernville with the wife and one-and-a-half year old kid to get some Citra DIPA - with the flu...only to find out that they had sold out the day before
I heard there were cases of Bourbon County Stout stacked up at a Jewel-Osco in a rough area in Chicago...when I got there they had about 30 cases just sitting there...I left with 3 cases...MSP to CHI and back in under 24 hours.
The craziest was getting up at 4am, driving through 3 states, and standing in line in the cold for 3 hours for the Westy release.
Man, Hanes mall is really not so bad. I thought it was too, until visiting other parts of the country.
Mine was an insidious plan. I spent years getting my wife into craftbeer, constantly making her try new things. She now loves it. Now all our vacation spots must include some great breweries.
My ol' lady couldn't believe I'd spend as much on a six of Sierra Nevada, as I would a twelve of Milwaukee's Best.
You're right it's not as bad as large cities. However, in cities, people can drive. It is scary the things you see in the car around here.
Not crazy really, but I drove nearly 10 hours to visit DFH, then drove to the brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, THEN drove (4 & 1/2 hours) to Williamsburg, VA. Same. Day.
3.5 hour detour back through Montreal to hit up 3 different depanneurs and stock up on everything Quebec beer before making the 8+ hour drive back to Portland in the snow. My girlfriend even picked up the tab at one spot because we got mostly stuff she was interested in and I decided why not.
Me and a buddy got on a 7am ferry from Victoria to Vancouver, then took two buses and a skytrain to get to Central City Brewing, for their Imperial IPA, which we weren't even sure was going to be available. Turns out it was, and we lugged 4 growlers of it back to Vic in a duffel bag by the same route. 2 Ferry trips = 4 hours, $30. 4 Buses & 2 Skytrains = 2.5 hours, $5. 4 growlers of IIPA = $90. Trip I'll remember forever = Priceless
Since June I have been buying my favorite beers(3floyds,Revolution, NewGlarus, Half Acre, Pipeworks and Goose Island) and loading up my car and driving around the country sharing them with brewers from some of my favorite breweries, bartenders, state troopers, Tire America employees, liquor store employees, random people I meet at breweries, bars and gas stations, local BAs, bar cooks, cops and hotel emplyees. I have met some amazing people and the Beer Karma has come back 10 fold. I want others to experience this and tell their stories. For each story told I will match it with one my own and hopefully we can spread Beer Karma and take beer sharing to a whole new level. Gone will be the days of horders and what emerges will be a beer sharing comunity that has never been seen before. Cheers to to you my BA brothers and sisters! Fitz
I have been doing that for years, sharing a great beer with a stranger that appreciates it is priceless. This year I bought 34 bottles of KBS, traded 6 had 4 for myself and shared the rest. Also showed up at a local bar with some fresh Pliny, HT and Lunch for a mini tasting with the staff. Most of the beer I have traded for has also been shared with others, and as you mentioned it gets paid back. I have been given random beers like Westy, HT, etc out of the blue so it is all good.
Man, that sounds like so much fun! Ill stop short of saying I wish I was childless and single, but I wish I had gotten into craft beer and had money before I got married and had kids. Wouldn't trade what I have, but wish I could have had this experience! Luckily I made my family young, perhaps when the kids grow up the wife and I can travel the country sharing awesome beers. Wines too, we also love wine. But not as much as beer. The finest wine is not as satisfying as the finest beers
I was on my way home the other night and needed beer. I had to exit 1 mile early for the new bevmo on my way home. Firestone Walker XVI was $24.... so I got 2 bottles and another two bottles of lagunitas cappuccino stout to go with it. My normal 20 minute drive home was 28 minutes that night. Crazy.
Which brings up a question: If you killed a man in Reno (in Nevada), why did you you get sent to prison at Folsom (in California)? An exchange program, ya know like when a Swedish teenager comes to live with ya for a year?
I salute those that have gained enough beer karma for ten lifetimes. I try in my way, but will find it hard to match the awesomeness I have been shown by BA's throughout the world so far!
All the 'driving' tales here reminded me of visiting friends and family in Michigan and going a little out of the way because I wanted to visit the Bell's brewery - without doing any research other than an address on my gps I had visions of a brewery tour, tasting room, etc. - only to find out when I got there that Bell's brewery is just that -a brewery - in the backwoods of some corporate park - no retail, no admittance beyond the front desk - the girl working there was a little surprised at my 'expectations', but kindly directed me to the store and cafe 30 miles away in Kalamazoo - which was nice - my wife did some well deserved eye rolling on that trip -
Another story. Last Thursday we got 16 inches of snow in northern NY. Next morning my wife and I got up and left the house at 8am (after getting stuck in the driveway for an hour.) We drove to the Grand Isle ferry, and after crossing into VT, cruised down 89 to the Alchemist cannery. They ran out of Heady shortly after we arrived, so it was perfect timing on our part. Bought a case and a half, and thenwe bushwacked it over to Hill Farmstead (an hour+ drive on small, snowy roads.) We JUST managed to beat the crush of growler fillers. Then it's back to the ferry, back to NY, where enjoyed the spoils of our labor. 8am-5:30pm total triptime. Why? Because we care.
My buddy said he would never drink Blue Moon or any other beer under the umbrellas of BMC. I poured a bottle of Blue Moon Spiced Holiday Amber into a pint glass and told him it was Hoppin Frog's Frosted Frog. He guzzled it and never knew the difference.
In one day I drove 5 hours round trip from MSP to Duluth to get 5 Fitger's Barrel Aged Edmund Fitzgerald bombers. Completely worth it! Especially since they had it on tap when we arrived
Hmm. My girlfriend isn't into craft beer, yet our vacation spots still always include great beer (think Vermont..). I wonder how long she'll stick around haha
I suggested to the owner of a local bar to have a "silent" release of Pliny the Younger. The "silent" part was that the announcement of the release would go out 1 hour before the tapping. He liked that idea and let me know ahead of time of when the tapping would be so I could plan accordingly.
I like this thread! Thinking of what to write brings back plenty of good memories. When I was in San Antonio my buddy and I would knock off of work early and go hit up breweries, take tours, or volunteer to help bottle. While not crazy my favorite experience was watching an amazing thunderstorm from a rural farmhouse while sharing several incredible brews as we waited for the rains to die down. Quite possibly the craziest thing I've done solo was "detouring" through Albuquerque on a trip from Texas to San Francisco but the Elevated IPA from La Cumbre made it all worth it!
Driving coast to coast twice (four weeks total on the road!) in a giant van a few years ago and NOT going beer shopping along the way because I didn't realize what was out there. Oh if I knew then, what I know now...
