Will buying LOCAL reign supreme?

hmm If local means with in 50 miles... I hate to say it but the quality is not there. If local is the state and area around it, I am most certainly enthusiastic about supporting and buying local.

 

Its getting crazy.. Most definitely I don't have to drink anything from outside the US these days.. And no disrespect to the other states making great beer but now its getting to the point where I don't have to drink outside of California or hell even outside of LA country nowadays. Three Weavers is literally down the street from me, El Segundo Brewery a little ways off then Smog City, Strand, and Monkish to the south of me. These guys are making great stuff

 

I consider local beers around me that don't see much distribution except for states/regions around them. So I'm 90 miles or so from Charlotte, Asheville, and Columbia SC. They all have 'local' beers, as well as the beers from my city/area. I however, drink both local and beers from other states as much as I can. I support a nearby brewery when their beer is better than a national one.

 

Nothing beats (for me) drinking fresh and local beer with local folks at the brewery. Even better when you can chat with the Brewmaster while doing so. I love the idea that there is no additional shipping needed to get the beer to retail (so no additional waste of resources, nor pollution added to atmosphere, nor possible degradation of product). For beer of equal or better quality than beer sent from afar it is a no brainer to drink local.

 

New? Not off the top of my head. I'd stock up on seasoned vets offerings from Unibroue, see what's available from Dieu du Ciel, Le Castor, Charlevoix, Trois Mousquetaires and Dunham's been releasing some interesting things lately. If, for some reason, you make it to Ottawa, then Beyond the Pale is worth checking out and LCBO to stock up on cheap Rochefort 10, 8, Westmalle Tripel and the likes

 

Most of the beer imported 1,000's of miles from California and Europe is better crafted/better quality than most of the local/fresh stuff I seem to try from the source.

 

I know the feeling.

And it's not that they're indecent or infected or something, it's a matter of whether or not they are equal to the best of what I can buy on the shelf at the retail store.

 

My regular store just got order of Spaten O with bottle date of 8/11/14. Owner is sending back. Assuming distributor knew it was old stock.

 

The distributor must have also assumed no one would look.


Oh, I almost forgot....

 

Hey man, I'm about to move to DC. What breweries are worth visiting down there? And could you recommend any great liquor stores?

 

I'd be happy with 2 year old beer if it was imperial stouts and strong belgians

 

Right now I barely ever buy local unless I'm at a bar or restaurant and there's no other choice. Most of my beer fridge is filled with stuff that I can't even buy here. 30-40 trades in the past 5-6 months does that.

I'm sure that the trading bug will fade and then local will be what I consume. Until then, I'd really love to try some more stuff that I can't get here.

 

I found a Prima Pils in the North Bay a few weeks ago that expired in Nov 2013. The beer and I moved to NorCal from PA at about the same time. Damn shame.

 

I buy whats good. Don't really care where it comes from