Hi, all. My first thread, so please be kind. I did a quick search and couldn't find anything along these lines, so here goes. Let me first say that I absolutely love this place and can't believe that I hadn't found it sooner. You guys have been very inviting and friendly so discourse here is pretty seamless. Thanks for that. Now to the meat & tatties. I'll be turning 50 this week and will be having a party that will last the weekend. How would you all handle this kind of celebration/situation from a beer perspective? I'll be opening up my cellar which is mostly barleywines, imperial stouts, traditional sour beers, and Belgians, with German beers (mostly bockbier) and hoppy beers for casual drinking. There will be other beers and non-beer drinks because not everyone who is coming enjoys beer (weird, right?). Would you just open what you wanted, when you wanted or would you do some type of theme? Kinda leaning towards mostly Belgians on Saturday for the party, but I don't want to limit people if they enjoy something different. Thots?
Happy Birthday to ya.,. and welcome! This B-day is special. I’d pick out the Top 3-5 cellar brews to share with the tightest circle of friends, and buy a couple of classy cases of something Local (and crowd pleasing.,) for the party. Thin out those Sours.,. and if you want theme, go Autumn Fest brews.,. That’s just me.,. So, Cheers!
Sounds like a party I would enjoy going to! If it was me, i would probably just pour what I want when I want because it's my birthday but would definitely have some local and approachable stuff for those who aren't into stout, barleywines, etc. Happy Birthday and welcome to BA from a fellow Pennsylvanian!
So, my wife and I do something similar every year that we call our annual stout party. In actuality, it's now morphed into a stout, barleywine, pinot noir and champagne party, along with a growler of pils or ipa (as a palate cleanser). My wife also prepares a pretty lavish spread... we're typically eating leftovers for the next week or two. It really ends up being a lot of beer and food (even though I typically barely put a dent in my cellar). I don't think there's a wrong way to organize this sort of event. You're providing a great selection of beer and food, so your guests are going to be happy regardless. What I always tell our guests is that there are no rules. If you see something you want to open, either go ahead and open it or you can ask me to open it. Everything is fair game or I wouldn't have put it out (I have a large table and/or counter where I place all the bottles and cans with multiple bottle openers). Certainly you could have a beer style themed party instead... I can't see any reason not to if that's how you want to go. However, I go with the free-for-all for the reasons you stated. Not everyone likes every style and of course there are some who would prefer to drink something other than beer. I really don't think you can go wrong, no matter how you decide to set this up. I will say this though. If you really want to make this an all weekend event, of course go ahead, but... I know after the stout party I'm typically pretty worn out. It usually lasts 4 or 5 hours at least, and despite my best efforts, I invariably consume a fair amount of beer. My wife and I do a preliminary clean up after the party which usually takes an hour or two. We usually have to run the dishwasher 3 or 4 times. The next morning I do a more extensive clean-up, and trot the left over beer back to the cellar. I vacuum stop the left over open bottles. My point being, its pretty hard to imagine another day of partying. I'm usually feeling pretty worn the day after, and the idea of another day of copious food and alcohol is not attractive. Just something to consider. Obviously, you should do whatever you want (and feel comfortable with). Have fun and congratulations on your 50th birthday!
I like this thought. Definitely x 2 I like that. Maybe I'll pick up some festbier, just for good measure? Thirded! Will probably just pour what I'm in the mood for on Friday and Sunday while trying to keep a mostly Belgian/Sour theme on Saturday. I have mini-kegs and magnums that I'd like to open. SO EXCITED!!!
I feel you on all of this. I REALLY do. Trying to pace myself is going to be difficult. One of the great things about this is that it'll be going on at a rented house that's not close to our actual one, so we're only bring what we need and I won't have access to my entire cellar. Prayers, please!
Drink lots of water and take food breaks. I'd also second the idea of having a decent pilsner or American pale ale on hand as a potential palate cleanser if big stouts/barleywines/darker beers are going to be the main show. Don't forget: Water can be an excellent palate cleanser on its own. As for the main lineup? Go with your gut based on what you want and what you'd most like to share. The rest will fall into place. Have fun!
I definitely need this reminder. I'm good on the eating bit, but I'm pants at drinking enough water! Call me crazy, but I'm a Miller High Life guy. Champagne of beers, that!
Does that work well for you? In my experience (and I've seen others state the same many times), a wine vacuum stopper ends up removing more carbonation rather than preserving it. You might be much better of using a plain silicone plug or an expanding one.
I started this journey when Norm from Cheers died (up until then, I'd only have an occasional wine cooler, like, on my birthday or at anime conventions) And at first, almost every beer I tried was really weird and bitter tasting (and while a lot of them still have a little bit of that aspect for me, I think I get what people are talking about when they talk about the 'acquired taste') Also when KingCobraJFS died the other day too, I knew I had to double-down on my beer journey, and honor the drunks who enriched the lives of many, myself included When talking about drinking, most people end their conversations with "Cheers". Me? I'm gonna go out by saying "TMDWU, tewbz"
Love it ... and you're not crazy. I thought just the other day it's been too long since I've put a sixer of Miller in my fridge. I legitimately enjoy that beer from time to time.
Nice. My sister and I had a huge fight the other day, but if she's still willing to invite me over for the con in her hometown in a few months, I'd definitely have to into getting another custom six-pack for that lol
It works OK. Might not be the best method, but I have quite a few stoppers and figure it's better than nothing. Some bottles I'll just recork, depending on the fill level. The vacuum stoppers seem to work best on bottles with a low fill level. So that's what I tend to mostly use them on.
If it's not too late, you might want to order a bulk pack of wine bottle stoppers - especially since your party is a multi-day one.
It's your birthday so you should do whatever you like or want. Personally, I'm cognizant of the fact that not everyone is a fan of AALs, which is why increasingly I've been getting a growler of craft pils or helles for our stout party. That seems like a good compromise for those who prefer a lighter style palate cleanser (but don't want an AAL). However... If you're a fan of MHL and have that on offer, I'm sure your guests will adjust. It's your birthday, please yourself.
Great suggestion. I have an Italian Floor Corker and a "normal" butterfly bottle capper that I'll make sure to bring.
Well, I do eventually kill them all off, but not in a single sitting. It can take a week or more to polish off the residuals.
