Casey Brewing and Blending

I'm so excited...

 

This is amusing. I was there, showed up at 9am and there were probably a hundred people ahead of me. Chilled out with some friends, had good conversation, and drank a few beers while we waited. Insane crowd and Troy and co. handled it smoothly and beer in line = not that bad of a wait at all. I missed out on a ticket for The Cut but whatever. I had a glass in line and enjoyed it. I find it hilarious that people bitch about these things.

 

I get it, people should be allowed to be disappointed, particularly if they traveled and made arrangements for night before, time off work, etc.... you make a great point though if you miss out on one thing, don't miss out on the overall experience of being there and with good people, conversation, and other good beer.

It's the getting MAD about it, or directing that frustration & sense of entitlement at any person is what's ridiculous. No one should feel like they need to go to a Facebook page or a message board to b&m about why they deserved it more than anyone else or how the system is flawed. Granted there are more fair methods than others, but that is left up to the discretion of the brewer.

Just understand you're waiting in line for beer. It's just an adult version of candy. Don't cry over it.

 

I still think it's crazy people drive all the way to Glenwood just for these releases (and yes, I understand, I've driven some crazy distances for beer). I also just check into Four Dogs every week or two en route to Aspen and back and reap the benefits...

 

My wife and I are doing a 4th of July camping/mountain trip with some buddies and were planning to stop by Casey for the anniversary party. I was a little worried after looking at this thread at how crazy it seems to have gotten but was reassured by @beeeeeeer's post.

The plan was to arrive ~8-9ish, set up some lawn chairs in the line, crack open some beers and and enjoy a morning in Glenwood. Not overly concerned with getting a bottle of the cut if it means getting up at 5am. How long do the other less distributed beers (fruit stands/oak theory variants) usually last?

Also, is the overall vibe generally pretty social/chill? Given that the wives going are already hesitant about the idea of waiting in a line multiple hours for beer, wanted to make sure it would be a cool experience. Any insight or pro-tips would be appreciated.

 

Unfortunately you cannot drink in line. - Just and FYI

 

The vibe is very friendly and chill, but cracking beers could get Troy in trouble with the city, so no doing that. Crack a big pot of coffee instead and you will make more friends.

 

Ah, thanks for the heads up. I was dangerously close to being that guy.

 

Reading some of the comments here and on the FB page are very much giving me anxiety about the July event. When I went on Easter in April there was maybe 20 people there when I strolled in around noon. I was able to grab a table and a bottle of everything except for magnums. I doubt I'll ever see that place that empty ever again. Was hoping the 4th of July holiday would deter some people but it seems like the opposite. I have no interest in getting there the night before or waking up in the middle of the night to drive but I have a friend flying in for this and I know he's going to want to get there as early as possible.

Also, I agree driving all the way out there grabbing beer and driving back to Denver is foolish. I always coincide my Casey visit with a camping or hiking trip in Glenwood Springs.

 

To each his own. I make the drive from Colorado Springs so add another hour each way to those Denver numbers. I certainly don't make it up for every release, but I don't regret a single trip I have made over the past year. You consider it foolish, but I consider it worth the trip to bring home world class beer that I love and can share with my girlfriend (who enjoys very few beers but loves everything Troy does). On top of that, I am supporting a family owned and operated Colorado business which means a great deal to me.

 

I always coincide my Casey visit with a stop at The Grind, Bakers Brewery or Backcountry Brewery, but that's just me...

 

So how did the release / 1 year anniversary party go over the weekend? Looks like the released some really good stuff.

 

It was a little crowded and hot (bartender in the corner had his shirt soaked through within an hour), but I thought it ran pretty smoothly. The beers were excellent.

 

They released the following beers:

The Cut Montmorency Cherry (2/person)
Dry Hopped Oak Theory (1/person)
The Low End (2/person)
Brett Loves Citra (6/person)

 

Was my first trip up and I was really happy. It was crowded and warm...but I can't really think of a way around that.
Everyone seemed to get what they wanted, the beers were great, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
I definitely plan to go back to some more. I dunno about all of 'em, but whenever I can.
If you have time, it's well worth planning a weekend trip around.

 

No no....it was bottled. Looked like this (may still have it)
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5812/1864/320/plinytheyounger.jpg

 

Was my first trip up as well and I will be back without a doubt. Given the limited number of people that they had helping out it was executed pretty much to perfection.

My only regret was not getting to try all of the "cellar" stuff at the bar. Most kicked in about 15 minutes.

Really started emptying out around 2 or so - at which point you could walk right up to the bar and get a drink with no wait. Couple that with the view of the Roaring Fork from the picnic tables and what else could you ask for...

 

It was my 2nd time there. I thought it went really smoothly for the amount of people that showed up. It was a little crowded and hot when the doors opened. The 2 Fruitstand beers got kicked in 15 mins. Wish I got to try those. Advanced Oak Theory and Saison batch 1 lasted a few hours. That Saison batch 1 was amazing btw. No one was shut out of beers which was cool and some people even got to go back in line to get a second allotment. Also, some of the lbs around Glenwood and Carbondale have Casey shelfies so we walked away with a ton of bottles.

The way to do it is to get a room for the night. The best decision we made was to leave around 1 to go for a swim at the motel and come back to Casey just before 4. It was pretty empty by that point and we got to hang out and order beer with no lines. Then we listened to Troy speak for a while and we tried a taste of wort thats been aging on cherries for only 3 days which was neat. Tasted like straight cherry juice. Can't wait for the Apricot cut. Troy said he blended 3 of his favorite barrel of Oak Theory for it. I'll for sure be at that release. Troy is such a nice and humble dude so I like to go out there and support what he's doing.

Oh and if you guys are ever in Glenwood Springs I recommend you check out Polanka for lunch or dinner. It's a super legit, authentic Polish restaurant. I was raised on Polish food and this place is as real as it gets.

 

Can we just stop and talk about how delicious The Low End is...?

 

Someone bought the last Oak Theory at the store at Breck about 10 min. before I got there, grrrrr.... But the store in Glenwood had a ton of Saison & East Bank left, as did most stores up there.