Is anyone here a beer mooch?

By what OP is saying, how's that being a mooch? Doing what you can to reciprocate seems sufficient to me, otherwise ya'll would need some new friends. It's not like you are showing up empty handed all the time expecting to drink their beers. Driving, picking up what you find all sounds good.

To me, a mooch is someone who shows up consistently with the expectation of not reciprocating by any method even if capable of doing so, circumstances aside. Not a penny in a pocket nor a pot to piss in - venture to say we've all been there and have had to rely on the grace and generosity of others (ok...getting beyond beer here) at one time or another. We each do as we are able. There's different ways of not showing up "empty handed". Generally speaking what goes around comes around. Things even out if anybody's bothering to keep score.

RichD - you not crazy, man (well, I don't know that for a fact...). I don't even think about trading for much the same reason. Trading implies equity so what's equitable? How do you square that up? Trailer full of Grey Sail and Foolproof for a Cantillon??? (and I'm not picking on the locals either since I like 'em - just saying).

 

Homebrew moochers are at the bottom of the food chain.

"Oh you brew your own beer? I need to try it. Give me some."

I can't stand those fuckers that try to invite themselves around to scab my beer. My standard reply is "I have a better idea - you bring a six pack of anything you like and after we're done drinking that we'll get stuck into my homebrew."

Moochers run a mile when they here this.

 

I guess if I was invited to someone house and they had a great selection and they said have at it, I would. That said, that sounds like a party and how can one be a mooch at a party? unless they said before hand BYOB....

I home-brew and I always bring a ton of my beer, even if I am the only one that drinks it. I tend to get invited allot.

 

Do what I did. Work your ass off for 20 years and only then allow yourself to get into craft beer.

 

All that work just to put the ass right back on?

 

Sometimes I'm the moocher and sometimes I'm the moochee. It all seems to even out over time.

 

That's just crazy talk Jim.

 

I like people excited to try my beer, I'm more annoyed by the person who turns their nose up without trying it. Thanks guy for having so little confidence in me that you'll turn down free beer.

 

This right here is all the proof anyone should need that you are not a mooch. Dude, you are doing everything you can to be a good friend. That's really all that matters.

 

Same here. I often buy 6 packs of beers I haven't tried... because I usually like them enough that I'd rather get 6 than pay the premium for singles.

Often, I have wayyyyyy too much beer to finish by their optimal dates, so I'm constantly bringing in beer to work or bringing over way more than I would normally need to a BYOB party.

I don't mind. I like introducing people to great beer and someday they can always pay it forward as well.

 

I agree about the ZD and Hoponius Union trade matter with you.

Just to nitpick, highest rated lager is Ayinger Celebrator.

 

I do not know a single person who is into craft beer like I am. I'd love to mooch a bit, and wouldn't mind being mooched off a bit in return.

 

I think the majority of us fall into this category. Sometimes my friends have great stuff to share and sometimes I do. But it is the sharing and the camaraderie of friendship and our mutual love of good beer that make the experience. Even when it is sharing something as common as a Stone IPA or DuPont Saison, it is all about a good time and sharing in something we all love.

 

I like to leave rare'ish beers in friends/colleagues bags/coats etc with a little inscription or drawing on the label.

I genuinely enjoy hooking people up with stuff they might not have been able to get their hands on otherwise. A few times people have reciprocated, but that's really not the point at all, despite my relatively low income level, surprising someone with a beer brings a good bit of joy to my day.

 

Sounds dirty.

 

I often feel like a mooch because I can't keep up with my tasting group buddies. They are active traders and travel and I have a wife ready to kill me over my beer spending so I bring what I can....but they always make me feel welcome even if I don't ride in on a whale.

 

A little anecdote. A couple of months ago my neighbor, who doesn't like IPAs of any kind, showed up at my door with 3 - 12 oz. bottles of Double Jack that he bought by mistake. Before he discovered his mistake, he opened one and took a sip. Damn shame he drain poured it but at least I got the remainder of the 4pk. He didn't expect anything in return but when I went on a road trip, I brought him back some Yazoo Sue, which he thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn't a planned trade and since we don't share the same taste in beer, we don't share alot of stuff but nevertheless it was the type of experience that is woefully lacking in today's world but one that the craft beer community seems to embrace.

 

If you have friends who are generous you should feel privileged. If someone offers me a beer, meaning I made no hint of wanting it, I'll take it and not feel guilty if I don't give anything back to them. I'm not a generous person, typically. If someone gives you something, they should not expect something in return, otherwise their motives are sullied. If you take something someone offers you, that is perfectly fine. If you feel obligated to repay them, fine. If not, that's fine too.

 

Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, you have plenty of access to great beer at your local stores. I understand your situation, and it's good that you're going out of your way to try to repay your friends' generosity, I just think it's not exactly a great state of affairs when everybody thinks that the only beers worth buying required being on some list or going to a beer release.