Overwhelmed at the beer aisle?

I'm finding it harder and harder to find stuff I haven't had (or want to try) in some of the bigger stores like Total Wine (plus I wonder/worry about how long some of it has been there), but I have a smaller store near me that is very craft focused that is always getting in new stuff which I frequent more often.

 

I see it as more of a quest to try everything.

 

I've yet to feel overwhelmed in the beer aisle. I'm much more overwhelmed these days when I walk down into my cellar to pick out something to drink.

 

Fuuuuuuckno!!!!!

 

Im to the point that the only thing purchase is seasonal or one offs so I love new brews

 

All the time. My Wife knows what I like and she's great about finding me new beers. We have one store in our area that sells singles, usually 250+(small amount compared to big cities) different beers, I think there's a point you just go blind.....lol

 

I do that too, but what happens if they have nothing on your list? In that case I look for the highest IBUs and ABVs. Is there such a thing as to hoppy? In my case, not yet.

 

I never understood my wife's love of window shopping until I started going to bottle shops. Rarely leave Mari's in Reading PA in under 90 minutes, with about the equivalent of 2 cases. And love every minute of it.

 

Beer buying is an event for me. My main bottle shop has some great staff. I wind up bullshitting with the beer guy about new releases, upcoming fests, and what homebrews we are working on before I even get to see what's new and pick my brews for the weekend. Find a place that has good staff, my guy has steered me away from a few bottles I would have otherwise picked up.

 

I was for awhile. Living across the street from a high-quality bottle shop and having no class before noon my senior year of college ended that.

Like others have said, you get used to it.

 

Back in November I went to a few large bottle shops in MA and was definitely overwhelmed. I can't imagine what it would be like to go the the west coast and go to some shops. Might have to do that some day.

 

You know what is more fun? Get a hand full of those cheap plastic bracelets and go into the beer store. Grab a cart and fill it up with everything you want. Step back about 6 feet and toss the bracelets into the cart. Pick the beers out that you were able to successfully get the bracelets on and buy them. Before you know it you will be a hit at the store...or thrown out.

 

Think about how easy and uncomplicated your life would be if you loved Budweiser. Anywhere you go in the US and in many countries your ideal beer would be available in almost any store.

 

'Scuse me for being a grouch, but can we retire that lame comment? The vaaast majority of posts, threads, forums, etc on the internet thingy are "first world problems."

Unless you're posting a question on where the nearest potable water is, or if you can trade animal hides for food, or what hours of the day electricity will be available, it's ALL first world problems. And personally, I'm glad all my problems are of the first world variety.

 

Going to a great beer store is often one of my favorite weekly activities...and I am only slightly embarrassed by that.

 

I can't relate to this AT ALL. Being from Winnipeg, the barren wasteland of the beer world, there are less than 100 beers available in my province. And most of them are crappy lagers. We do get an OK selection of Belgians, but mostly, my buddies and I drive into the US, 3hrs each way, to stock up on Surly, Founders, Bell's, Victory, SN etc.

I sincerely WISH my problem was I couldn't decide which awesome beer to buy at my local store. Instead I'm forced to decide which beer is kinda drinkable.

 

Well, don't expect me to attend the retirement party. They'll probably only serve American Adjunct Light Lagers anyway, since that's all it deserves.

 

I haven't been overwhelmed in a while but let me tell you about my first trip to fort Wayne to get a little work done/buy everclear and three Floyd's.

This was back in 2010 so things were less crazy and I wasn't even a member on here yet. I went in to three stores and had to choose from cases of 09 bourbon county bombers, a variety of behemoth vintages, all kinds of three Floyd's beers just chilling, Thomas Hardys ale, nemesis, samichlaus for two dollars a bottle, and a bunch of locals and beers that had too high of an abv for Ohio. Needless to say I had my first haul but nothing has ever overwhelmed me like this trip.

 

its a process of elimination more than finding