Surly Darkness Day 2013

I also had a Prius parked in that lot, and we thought about sleeping in it -- so thankful that we didn't and that I had my keys with me all night!

 

Perhaps a kind of immoral mathmatics?

Signed The Swede

 

Yes, this really happened. Quite the story, but it took place. Never caught the guy.

 

Non-Euclidean, Cthulhu-esque Geometry homework, yes.

 

Any chance you remember any of the tips he gave you? My brother makes those glasses too.

 

I wouldn't be adverse to said tips. I have a bunch of surly bottles and wouldn't mind more glasses (my wife may say otherwise but at least these'll look prettier...) I saw Omar walking around with one (poured my habanero stout into it twice times for him which I mentioned earlier int his threat, still jazzed he dug it a lot).

 

I talked with Josh about this too. IIRC, He said a friend made it for him and basically, he scored the glass with a basic glass cutter where he wanted the top edge to be, put hot water over the score mark (put the top of the bottle in hot water?), then put it under cold water and he said the top just basically falls off, but maybe have to use a little force on the neck to lever it at most. Then you just use fine sand paper to make the edges smooth.

This video (instructions starting about 3:40) is a much more detailed explanation of what Josh told me. Sounds fairly easy if you have a glass scorer and a way to hold the bottle steady to get a straight line. I've seen other methods using a string that you light on fire then cool the bottle quickly, but the results seem less predictable.

I might give this a shot if I get ambitious. Let me know if anyone has any luck with it.

 

Impossible. He wasn't even there at 2 AM.

 

This is correct. I've made many a candle this way. Pro tips:

• use some sort of clamp to stabilize the bottle when scoring and sanding
• get a drill bit sander adapter for a power drill. sanding is much easier.
• lips of faith bottles work really well. some wine-shaped 750s are trickier

Good luck to any who try it!

 

make me a glass or two this year? will hook you up for your troubles.

 

2 kids + 2 jobs + grad school + new business = no beer craft time.
But, I do have all the equipment and a garage full of bottles if you need a new hobby...

 

Awesome time at my first DD. I didn't camp out. Went at about 11:30 to try the cask pours, which were all great, oak aged bender was my favorite. Came back at about 2:30 and got in line. Managed to get my 4 bottles. Nice to meet a few of you.

 

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/dining/230087571.html

 

This was on Kickstarter a while ago and I was tempted to get it. Looks like what you guys want, and it can be ordered right from the company now.
http://www.bottlecutting.com/pages/faq

 

Can anyone explain how Surly is able to sell the beer on-site for this one day? Given all the hurdles of Minnesota's three tier distribution system, I've always been curious how this day is different from being able to sell bottles and/or growlers from the brewery every other day of the year.

 

Info here

 

Because Brooklyn Center has municipal liquor stores and the city uses their liquor license and sets up a temporary "store" at the brewery the day of the event.

If Surly ever moves Darkness Day away from the old brewery, they likely won't be able to sell bottles at the new brewery and everything would have to go through liquor stores. Unless, they can convince the city of Minneapolis to allow for something similiar (doubt it).

 

Thanks Sean! I figured they weren't conducting this by having a bunch of people look the other way for one day but I never knew that it was Brooklyn Center Liquor that was "selling" the beer. Guess that explains why the cost of a bottle runs about the same as what (most) other stores were charging.

 

I believe you can sell 750s and growlers on site at any brewery in MPLS (indeed does as far as I know), which is why I was confused when I heard DDay would continue to be at the current location.

 

You can but MN State law prevents it once you get too big. It's not just MPLS there's plenty of others around MN that do as well. Pour Decisions for example here in Roseville. There's others, but I just woke up from a nice afternoon nap so my brain's in a fog.