What's your beer buying strategy?

Depends on the day. If I'm on a mission, I'll go in with a specific beer in mind (usually rare or limited, sometimes announced by the shop). I'll procure it before browsing, but usually will buy something to go with it.

If I'm browsing, I'll go in with a few beers in mind but a specific beer back-up plan: say my shop doesn't have Big Bad Baptist left, I'll happily leave with my beer back-up plan, which is something I know they have in stock. This prevents me from leaving empty handed or disappointed. Plus, it helps my rep as a loyal patron.

That being said, I don't limit myself to one or two bottle shops (even if I may lead them to believe that I do...)

 

I go to the shop, and if I see a beer that I've heard about or that looks interesting, I buy it! Haha

 

Couldn't have said it better man.

 

My strategy is to NEVER use a cart. If I can't carry any more, I've gotten enough.

 

I decided in 2014 I was going to drop $100 every month to slowly grow my beer cellar. So the first Saturday of every month is a great day. Really just trying to commit to stocking up for tastings so I can bring some goodies. Probably won't age anything for more than 2 years.

During the month, I make stops at my local shops 1-2 times a week and poke around the inventory and check for new releases. Usually have a draft or two if there's something interesting. Usually don't spend more then $50 a week, but sometimes I got nuts on a new release.

 

Depends on the week. Sometimes I go in just because I want to look around, and I'll usually grab something new (something that catches my eye/something I've heard is good/etc.), and sometimes I'll go looking for something specific (a new Half Acre/New Glarus/Goose Island/etc. beer).

For weeks when there's a new release that I know I want to try, I generally only buy that (examples being Velvet Merkin, BCBS, etc.). I made an exception last week for Surly Darkness, because I haven't had a bottle of Juliet yet, and most places around me are sold out, so I picked up one of those too (2 bottles of Darkness + a bottle of Juliet = an expensive, but successful 3 bottle day). I try to limit it to one new release a week, because there's just too much I wanna try, and I neither have the room, nor do I have the money.

 

Saga

 

I buy the beer and then I drink it. But sometimes, I buy the beer...then I trade it.
I know that might seem a. It strange on the site.

 

I ask my wallet

 

So would this work?:
"Drinking beer is my main strategy for hooking up with women."

 

First I look for beers that have been specifically recommended to me or I've heard raved about. Like, I was surprised to find a Founders Imperial Stout on the shelf today.

Then I look for old favorites and beers by breweries I already like.

If I'm really looking to try something new I'll look at interesting stuff on the shelves and look up the BA score.

 

How much do you charge your loyal customers yourself?

 

This is a fun thread, thanks to the OP for starting it. As a relative newbie to craft beer (> 1 year), but who is dating a beer fanatic, I go for styles I know (anything lighter than stout and red ales) and usually decide based on label art, style description, and ABV. I think the label art is key because people who make good products tend to care about the packaging as much as the product itself. Not always the case, but often enough that its well worth it.

 

Seasonally, I try to get cases I really enjoy, some of which I can age, like backwoods bastard, bourbon county, and otherst to consume/share right away, like hopslam, celebration, sucks, etc. Other times, I like to pick up a mixed 6 or 12 pack of stuff I've never had before, but looks "good" to me on a given day. "Good" is usually defined by my previous knowledge of the brewery in question; for example, if I see Cigar City Hopped on the High Seas, which I've never had before, I'll likely buy a can or two becausd I know I like Jai Alai. This helps me try news beers, and seems to work out well. Of course , I have my staples, too.

My problem arises when, peaking back at my case strategy, I find myself buying every bottle/case available to me of those favorite seasonals. But I suppose that's where the sharing occurs.

I also have a cellar that's more or less stocked with beers I can age, barrel-aged stouts, high abv stouts/IPAs (120 min), and other unique beers I'm unlikely to see again any time soon I don't mind experimenting with. I do like to buy backwoods bastard/bourbon county in quantity because I want to age them for future enjoyment.

 

I go for what I haven't had yet and what I may be craving at any particular point. Recently I've been on a huge IPA kick, so I went out to Total Wine and made a six pack of Victory DirtWolf, Stoudt's Double IPA, Stone IPA, Great Divide Hercules IPA, Thomas Creek Class Five IPA, and Jai Alai IPA. All new to me and all IPAs. Before that it was a Porter kick and before that it was just a free-for-all what I havent tried yet and what sounded good to me at the time.

 

My strategy is to Look at the prices of the top shelf Belgians and make sure I plan out my next home brew day. I hate paying for something that I can come kind of close to making for 1/10 of the price.

 

A buddy of mine has a cupboard full of specialty/limited release beers like the Bourbon County Stout and others that he had been saving, but we all brought beers to his house and had this huge beer tasting party out of it. We brought beers like the Stone Enjoy By IPA, Brooklyn Black Ops, Matilda, etc... It was a lot of fun to break out a little bit of everyones' collection and share the wealth. We all had a blast and each got to try something new that we either didnt know about or simply couldn't get our hands on fast enough.

 

I look for something new and interesting. If nothing strikes my fancy I go with some thing I know I love like Wipeout or Sculpin, sometime a flanders like Rodenbach Grand Cru or Duchesse......