BEER HUNTING IN A BRAVE NEW WORLD

The Doom that didn't come to Sarnath

The Senpai will understand this

I went ballistic after making a few unsuccessful attempts to purchase a bottle of Founder's Doom. One time I even saw the bottle in the clerk's hand, but was told it wasn't in the system yet, come back at 3:00. I did; they were all gone. After quelling my need for revenge and destroying all evidence of my plans to make the bastards suffer...blueprints make pretty confetti when run through a shredder, by the way...I settled down and realized that's the way it is now. Why get upset? Founder's isn't in this state and we're lucky to get any of it at all, right? And then I went online and saw how many people in the state did get their hands on it and it dawned on me that most of us don't stand much of a chance at the limited releases that come to our local liquor stores for many reasons. 

Big-ass birds with bad attitudes

People who work for the distributors and the liquor stores will naturally get first crack. The scrupulous ones will limit what their employees can purchase. Scruples, like these beers, are not always easily come by. I do understand this and those who work hard to bring us these beers deserve that opportunity. But then there are those establishments whose employees hold these bottles for their friends, with no limits involved. I've stopped shopping at one place that I am certain engages in this practice. They've disappointed me far too many times and my shredder has yet to feast on the plans meant for them. Anyone know where I can get a rabid cassowary? 

I do know many stores that will hold the special releases in back, waiting for someone to ask for them. This eliminates those people who come in and grab a bottle not even knowing what it is. But the main reason for this is that they don't want the shelf emptied by one person who will use anything he doesn't drink as trade bait or for his own profit. These places usually limit one bottle per person. This is perhaps the most fair way to distribute those offerings that have been thinly meted out. 

A quick aside here: it appears that eBay thought it best to obey the law and the gray market for beer looks to be out of business. I'd congratulate them for it if they hadn't let it go on as long as they did. 

The Beer Hunter

Beer hunting has changed since the days of Michael Jackson. When he was on the prowl for new and exciting beer it was because it was the only way to find it. The beer world has changed considerably since he earned his most famous nomicker. At the peak of his hunting activities in the United States (the mid-eighties to the early nineties),  the American craft beer scene was considered "fledgling". Since then we've added over 2,000 breweries! Each year, craft beer grabs a larger share of beer sales and more and more breweries open. We're starting to get what we dreamed of, but be careful for what you wish. 

The demand for craft beer has risen to the point that many breweries can't keep up and either need to expand their capacity or limit their distribution by pulling out of a few states. Those that want to expand their capacity can't always afford to do so and wind up being absorbed by a larger company, which draws the ire of craft beer purists. I know some who refuse to drink Goose Island since their purchase by InBev. The quality has not suffered, but two things drive this boycott: 1) the beer is no longer as exclusive as it once was and 2) the profits go to Big Beer. I understand and accept the latter; the former is just snobbishness at work. For me, I'll still drink BCBS and do so gladly. 

Is it snobbish to want to try Pliny the Younger, Kate the Great, Dark Lord, Sexual Chocolate and other beers in this exclusive and elusive grouping? Maybe, if it's just to say you've had them. But for many, curiosity comes into play. How good are they? Do they stand up to their reputations? Will they bring me to orgasm? But it's not just these singular beers that we look for. There are amazing breweries we don't get in New Jersey, like Three Floyds, Surly, Russian River, New Glarus, Jester King, the Alchemist, Hill Farmstead and Bells, to name just a few. So the beer geeks will travel, trade or attempt to purchase online. 

When I travel, I always look for the local beers and anything I can't get back home. I research ahead of time to find the best places to purchase beer near my destination. I try not to take away too much time from the family vacations in doing so and, as I've mentioned previously, brewpubs are almost always family friendly and typically have good food. So I always plan at least one meal on any trip at a brewpub. But that's the annual vacation. I've begun to cut back on how much I will travel from home just to find beer. I say this as I plan a one day, whirlwind tour of 6 breweries in the Hudson Valley in August. Believe me though, I have cut back due to lack of time and funds. 

I also used to trade quite a bit, but I've cut back on that as well. Shipping costs can kill you and the stress of packing the box to ensure the bottles arrive unscathed can send one's OCD into overdrive. And then there's amassing special beers to have for trade. You want one for yourself and you need to have one to cellar in some cases. So you may need to buy three of a special release for the sake of trading. I also worry that I haven't given back as good as I got. So I tend to err on the side of caution and have, at times, been a little too generous. Beer trading can get expensive and is one reason I'm a huge fan of leftovers for lunch. 

Purchasing beer online can be tricky. Not everyone will ship beer to New Jersey due to a law forbidding it. I don't know which law this is or the details, but I know that beer clubs never have any qualms in doing this.  It may not even be a New Jersey law. It is a Federal offense to ship alcohol via the mail, but I don't know if that changed when the Post Office privatized. It's all so hard to comprehend that I rarely even try this avenue of securing rare beer. 

So am I just settling back and enjoying the year 'rounds? Have I settled on a set selection of beers that rotate with the seasons? Oh hell no! I've turned to the local breweries to quell my fix for new and exciting brews. 

Let's face it, unless you're single, have no children and have a trust fund that allows you to be exceptionally well off without having to work, there's no way you're going to be able to explore all the beer that is currently out there. Even Michael Jackson probably wouldn't know where to begin, but he'd smile knowing that there are now so many options. 

We, the beer geeks, are getting what we want. Craft beer is exploding across the country. It's impossible to keep up with the new breweries, much less the new releases. It gives me a

Gratuitous attractive female

headache even thinking about trying, so to relieve any cranial pressure I've begun to concentrate on what the locals have to offer. "Drink Locally" is becoming quite a mantra and I fully understand why. The success of the local breweries relies on the support and loyalty of the local drinking population. A successful local brewery is good for the economy and, more importantly for beer geeks, makes for better and easier to find trade bait. Once the rest of the country hears all the hype surrounding Carton Decoy, Kane Overhead or Bolero Snort Blackhorn demand will be created and the trade is afoot!

Just a sampling

Does this mean that I won't rush to my local beer store when I know KBS has hit the store? No. Does it mean that I'll stop getting pissed off when they tell me they sold out at 10:05AM? Absolutely! Probably. Maybe. Eh, we'll see. Hopefully instead, I'll just grab my growler and go to the Coverleaf, Poor Henry's, Copper Mine, the Taphouse in Wayne or Three Wise Monks and fill up on Carton, Kane, Bolero Snort or whatever new local brewery the future has in store for us. With breweries opening at the current rate, it should prove to be quite rewarding. 

BEER HUNTING - BRANCHING OUT

You will eventually come to a point where the local avenues of beer procurement have been exhausted. Your favorite beer stores no longer hold wonder for you, as you become so familiar with their selection that a quick perusal of their craft beer section alerts you what came in that week. You've pretty much tried it all or at least the offerings on the shelf that you're willing to try. Your favorite watering hole continues to rotate their taps with great regularity and even though they're bringing in some great, hard-to-find stuff, it's starting to repeat. But there are brews you hear about in the pod casts or in the beer forums that you can never find. What's up with that?

It's a function of national beer distribution; not every state will get distribution from every brewery. Although I am lucky enough to live in the state with the best distribution of American craft beer, I still need to employ other methods to attain bottles from some of the best breweries in the country. I am fairly new to some of these methods, but I will share what I have learned...and I'm a pretty quick learner. 

BEER RUN FOR THE BORDER

In 1983, New Jersey raised the drinking age to 21. Although Pennsylvania had the legal age at 21 since Prohibition was lifted in 1933, New York didn't raise it until 1985. For three years, young people from the Garden State would drive across the border to purchase beer or drink at bars in the Empire State. And then the Federal government stepped in and passed the Federal Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, forcing all states to raise their minimum drinking age to 21 or risk losing Federal funding for their highways. The days of the interstate beer run came to an end.

Well, until the craft brew movement hit. Back in the day, people would visit Grandma in Pittsburgh and come back with a few cases of Iron City because that's what dad drank when he still lived with her...or something similar with a different city. But it's not the same as today. Many beer hunters frequently cross the borders into a neighboring state to take advantage of better or different distribution. For me, a 25-minute ride to a well-stocked beer store near Nanuet, NY scores me Cigar City, Clown Shoes, Lost Coast, Goose Island, Pretty Things and Two Brothers. I can also travel about an hour and a half to a store in Allentown, PA where I can find Bells, Cigar City, Duck-Rabbit, Lost Coast, Pretty Things, RJ Rockers, Russian River and Two Brothers. Will I ever find a Pliny the Elder there? No, probably not. But can I come across a Bourbon County Brand Stout in the one in New York? Yes. Have I? Yes, I have...and it was the coffee version! 

So seek out good beer stores just across the border into the next state, unless you live smack-dab in the middle of Wyoming and the nearest state border is four hours away. A website that will help you decide if it's worthwhile or not is www.seekabrew.com. Click your state and at the bottom of the page enter a neighboring state to compare to. Look at the list of breweries under that state and you'll see the ones that don't distribute to your state.

ROAD TRIP!

One could argue that the section above constitutes a road trip…and one would be wrong. A beer run involves just what it says: running out to get some beer. A road trip is far more involved and can involve brewery visits, dinner at a brewpub and even non-beer-related activities. Can you do a beer run on a road trip? Absolutely! In fact, I always include a local beer store on the itinerary when planning a road trip. But the point of a road trip is immersion into your destination's culture. Watch a few episodes of "Three Sheets" and you'll get what I mean.

A road trip can be a day-trip or an overnight stay…maybe even a few nights. After that, then you need to skip down to the next section. But however long you stay and no matter how much you intend to do, remain flexible. An itinerary is a good starting point, but all the on-line research in the world won't unearth all the little treasures a city or town has to offer. If you've read my previous blog entries you already know about John's in Mystic, CT or Sláinte in Baltimore. Neither place was on the itinerary but are the places that, when I think back on the trip, make me wish to return the most.

If you're like me, you're a bit of a foodie as well. It typically accompanies being a beer geek. So why wouldn't you also plan to enjoy the cuisine that defines your destination's culture? Could you go to Philly and not have a cheesesteak? Eating barbecue when in Texas is practically the law. There is no way you can go to Maine and not have something containing lobstah. We're planning a vacation to Cape Cod and it will be interesting to see how long it takes before my wife DOESN'T order clam chowdah. So how do you find the best places to go? We ALL know that the "famous" places aren't the best places. The word "famous" is either a marketing ploy or something that was once earned and then resulted in the place resting on their laurels...the Jefferson Diner is a prime example of that. There are exceptions, of course, but not a lot. 

Research all you want, but the best way to find the truly best Chicago dog, Kansas City barbecue or Key Lime pie is to ask the locals. You're going to be in the bars where beer geeks congregate and we know what happens in these places. People drink, they get chatty, they get chummy and you have a new best friend for the next hour or so. These new pals will give you the honest lowdown and may even let you into the "secret spots" that the locals like to keep tourists out of. There are so many instances where taking advantage of a drunk person is SO not cool, but this isn't one of them. Pump them for info and indulge.

VACATION

If you have a family then your vacations are full of museums, historic sites, beaches, nature trails, scenic wonders, zoos, aquariums and amusement parks. But that doesn't mean they're entirely void of endeavors of a beery nature. A little on-line research will help you locate a decent beer store near your hotel/resort. Once the kids are down, make a beer run and look for those local beers you can't get back home. And remember the brewery distribution mentioned above. While on vacation in Sedona I managed to find Big Sky Moose Drool, Alaskan Amber and a bunch of stuff from Deschutes.

Another way to slake the beer beast inside of you and not interrupt your quality time with the family is to have lunch or dinner at a brewpub. I've only ever been to two brewpubs that were not family-friendly, with one of those being passable during lunch hours or when the college kids aren't in town. If you know of a brewpub near where you will be, go on-line and check out their menu. If there's a kids menu listed, then you're golden. It also helps if your spouse is also a fan of craft beer, as is mine. But even if not, then they don't need to drink the beer and will probably enjoy the food.

One problem with buying beer on a vacation where air travel is required is that you either have to drink it all before you go home or, if there's too much to drink, you have to risk packing it into your checked luggage and hope it doesn't break due to the "tender" baggage handling of the airlines. Make sure you know customs laws or risk having it confiscated. Another option is to ship it home. Some beer stores in popular tourist locations even offer this service. That can be costly, especially if you're in another country. 

But what if you can't travel? You're scared to death of flying or you hate staying in hotels? Your car is unreliable beyond your daily commute to work? Relax! You still have options...which we'll cover next time.