A different point of view.....from a lone texan.

Discussion in 'Southwest' started by BgThang, Jul 16, 2013.

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  1. BgThang

    BgThang Initiate (0) Dec 23, 2007 Texas

    Just 6 short years ago I moved to austin and found this website about advocating for beer. I went to my first BA meeting @ the draught house on december of 2007 and met some people that are good friends to this day.

    I sometimes reminisce about how Texas used to be a very desolate place for craft beer. How I would enjoy getting to try a fresh stone IPA, fresh sierra nevada pale ale, or estatic about finding st.arnolds texas wheat beer at a local place or on a trip in to the big city of houston. I will be the first one to tell you that Texas has come a long way and how great it is to be able to find beers from breweries like firestone, goose island, alaskan, southern tier, brooklyn, ballast point, deschutes, etc.... at your local market. What about the good old days and the excitement, the adreniline rush of going to the local market before spec's overtook austin as a walmart of beer and liquor.
    The current growth of the beer market in Texas is awesome and exciting, however I do miss the old days. The days when you almost shot a load, because someone brings a russian river sour, or opens a beer for some unknown out of state local place that is mind blowing.
    I find it hard to get really excited about new beers or old styles revisited anymore. Not saying I do not enjoy them I have just lost that excitement/wow factor.
    Anyways, back to your cold beer in hand.
     
  2. jl28r1

    jl28r1 Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2011 Texas

    Well said!
     
  3. Ford

    Ford Initiate (0) Sep 8, 2012 Texas

    I remember when finding an Abita Turbo Dog on tap somewhere was a huge win...

    (I actually still like Abita Turbo Dog... there I said it!)
     
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  4. videofrog

    videofrog Maven (1,256) Nov 13, 2010 Texas
    Trader

    I believe St. Arnold Texas Wheat is still available at Majestic Liquors in Granbury. Please post your review in the Cellar Forum after you've taken your trip down memory lane. :stuck_out_tongue:

    I also started exploring better beer in '07, but didn't go crazy until '10. Maybe one of these days I'll make it to BA bottle share. Good thoughts in the OP. For me, the excitement does wax and wan, though. Hopefully your battery recharges and the thrill of the hunt returns!
     
  5. xpimptastikx

    xpimptastikx Initiate (0) Oct 8, 2008 Texas

    I miss Grapevine and the singles selection they had. It was a great thing when I first got into beer. I also miss being able to trade a growler of Live Oak Hefe for pretty much anything I wanted.
     
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  6. FUNKPhD

    FUNKPhD Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2010 Texas

    I remember when the easiest way to get some in Houston was to order a keg.
     
  7. BgThang

    BgThang Initiate (0) Dec 23, 2007 Texas

    I was going to mention grapevine, loved that place. I will pass on the wheat thank you. I used to get excited about finding shiner when I wasnt in Texas back in the 90's, thought I was the kewl KAT on the block. How little did I know.
    We had gotten a keg or two and filled bombers up and traded those. but people were bitching and questioning our methods. We put a price I believe like $8 a bottle because a growler was like 16 and was twice as much. people bitched because the keg was cheaper to buy. fucking trolls.
     
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  8. air

    air Initiate (0) Mar 28, 2007 Texas

    I will disagree on one point: the days of opening something unknown from somewhere else local are far from over. At the rate of new breweries opening, it's getting more and more difficult to keep track of everything on a nationwide scale, and that realization is important - knowing to how to set your expectations on what you can/can't get.

    I generally don't chase after whales since I'm no longer fortunate enough to travel frequently and excitement towards them has died down for me. The overall community is why I stick around and you're not the only person who shares these sentiments. It really wasn't that long ago when this state was pretty desolate for craft. Blows my mind that there's still progress to be made too.
     
  9. BgThang

    BgThang Initiate (0) Dec 23, 2007 Texas

    Was not trying to imply these days are over, I am implying with social mediums like facebook, reddit, etc.. and more and more websites like BA popping up the obsurity of a new place is no more. PERFECT example. Jester king. Before it brewed it's first beer people from all over the world was talking about it. This is a place that brews on a very small scale relatively speaking. Sure there are some hole in the wall places out there and startups that are not in the spotlight, but just 5-7 years ago it was more common place to be surprised or overly excited because some new start up, no one has ever heard of and said person that brought the beer,just happen to stumbled across a place. Now, excitement seems to translate in too how much I can trade it for vs true enjoyment of said beer. People who have gotten in to the craft beer scene recently , will be excited understandably. I wait patiently for draught house to start brewing again, or the next release by founders, etc... but i'm not salavating and just not excited enough to even pop wood.
     
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  10. air

    air Initiate (0) Mar 28, 2007 Texas

    Thanks for clarifying and yeah, I get what you mean. Also see: Hill Farmstead, Crooked Stave, Prairie. That's just another part of the hobby we'll have to accept as time goes on.
     
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  11. DanzBorin

    DanzBorin Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2012 Texas

    I haven't been on BA for very long, but I've been into craft beer since the late 90s. I know exactly what BgThang is talking about. In 2005 the DR hunt really got a lot of us going on harder to get beers. Other than that I just bought new beer and tried and true favorites every time I went to Specs. This went on for years until my Girlfriend said she was going to Michigan did I want her to look for some new beers. I googled the area and ran across this Three Floyds place. I've been in trouble ever since. Regional favorites, brewery only goodies and trading beer.

    The thing I'm really sick of is the 300 bottle instawhale of the week phenomenon.

    Toppling Goliath and Hill Farmstead are great, but based on their geography and small bottle counts, people hold them hostage. They aren't the only breweries doing this, but are two of the bigger known as of late. I don't see the same hype for Lawsons, but they are every bit as good.

    I have been really lucky with beer traders. Yes we try to even up money, but it's never about rarity. Just sharing good beers that aren't available in other markets. This is what craft beer, trading, and advocacy should be about.

    Of course we all want to show up at a bottle share with something really neat and show off our big guns, but in the end, it should be fun first and foremost.

    Drink on!
     
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  12. champ103

    champ103 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Sep 3, 2007 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Ditto on this whole thread. The people I meet at the first "official" Houston BA bottle share at Greg's 6 years ago are still among some of my best friends in Houston. Then we started at the Gingerman, and well, yeah.
     
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  13. BgThang

    BgThang Initiate (0) Dec 23, 2007 Texas

    Also BTW I have had awesome opportunities due to the kindness of people like miguelmandingo, atxdeliveries, jluers, beer pilgrim, and xpimptasticx as well as several other gracious members on here to try rare beers.

    Biggest disappointment was kate the great (see my review on here it is hilarious), BCBS RARE and blabaer as there are other whales that have been disappointing. I find it almost a rarirty for a whale to live up to it's hype. Hunahpu, KBS, abyss, sculpin, RR sours all whales at one time and have met the hype I believe. A lot of People hate texas and texans because of our arrogance. And this unfortunately transcends in to the beerscence
     
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  14. champ103

    champ103 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Sep 3, 2007 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I will say that the Southwest group, and specifically the Texas group are among the most tight nit on this site. I still follow the Great Lakes, and Midwest groups because I use to live there. Though they are no fun:wink:
     
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  15. DanzBorin

    DanzBorin Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2012 Texas

    The beauty of it is we may be arrogant pricks, but you get to know us and you'll find we are really extremely nice people who will bend over backwards to help people out.
     
  16. pwsoldier

    pwsoldier Initiate (0) Apr 26, 2007 Minnesota

    I hear ya 100%. I remember feeling the joy of a hundred Christmas mornings when Ruination came to TX. Now I have a hard time getting excited about KBS and Devil Dancer. It's amazing that we're getting these beers, but the thrill of the hunt isn't what it used to be.
     
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  17. Lutter

    Lutter Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2010 Texas
    Deactivated

    Man you guys are a buncha whiners. Of course, I was never in it for the hunt, just trying and sharing great beer.

    Come to the next ATX bottle share and I'll excite you with some beer. :wink:
     
  18. BgThang

    BgThang Initiate (0) Dec 23, 2007 Texas

    I think you missed the point lutter, I was not talking about physical/sexual excitement. LMAO
     
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  19. Lutter

    Lutter Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2010 Texas
    Deactivated

    You'll have to get my wife's permission first. *rawr*
     
  20. cfh64

    cfh64 Pooh-Bah (1,996) Aug 16, 2005 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Now I figured out why I'm jealous of the Austin bottle shares.
     
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