Hey, how's your local sharing community?

bret27 · Jun 2, 2026 at 7:28 PM

No. 6+ hour drive.
Geographically I’m pretty lucky too. In Santa Cruz I have Sante Adairius just a few minutes away.
I’m also within driving distance of San Jose and SF, so I have access to a lot of cool breweries and great people.

colts9016 · Jun 4, 2026 at 6:05 PM

doomXsaloon said: ↑

Aged in whiskey barrels, perhaps?
Click to expand...

No comment

2beerdogs · Jun 4, 2026 at 11:25 PM

thebeers said: ↑

I can’t speak for everyone, but I rarely monitor the regional threads other than one or two I follow, so if somebody posts something new there I usually won’t notice. New initiatives may take some one-on-one outreach to reach critical mass.

The main share I group I’m a part of came together largely out of the NBS BIF. Someone mentioned wanting to try a bottle I received, I invited them and another BA over to try it and some other beers, and then expanded the invite list during the next round and again the round after that.

I also invited in someone else I met when a famous BA was traveling to town from Europe and invited folks to meet him for a beer. Someone else reached out to me saying they had a bottle I commented on in some thread. And sometimes folks bring in one of their friends.

Now we largely rotate the shares between people’s houses, so I haven’t hosted at my place for a couple of years. I will say that rotation has made me more reluctant to invite in new people, because I hesitate to invite an online acquaintance / stranger to somebody else’s home.

Simultaneously, many people got kicked off or otherwise left BA and gravitated to Slack and Discord — and, more locally, also just texting. Official BIFs and trades, while still sometimes occurring, have largely been replaced with muling and gifting. Only a few of us are still on BA.
Click to expand...

One of these days Arthur. One of these days. IP

2beerdogs · Jun 4, 2026 at 11:27 PM

bret27 said: ↑

I probably go to a share every couple months.
There’s a couple bars/breweries that do a weekly share, that’s open to anyone.
Another brewery does a big one every 2-3 months.
Then there’s big events like DLD and SARAthon, where it’s a madhouse.
Also several groups of friends will periodically do shares.
I’ve met some people through ba. But I’ve also met some from Facebook or in-person events. Instagram too. Or just friends of friends.
I consider myself pretty introverted. But in the last few years I’ve built quite a local beer friend group. Mainly by showing up, but also sharing and being generous. And trading keeps things fun.
I feel like beer karma is real too. Most of the biggest or most expensive “whales” I’ve gotten to try have either been opened by friends or I just happened to be in the right place, right time. And the people sharing these aren’t asking for anything in return. Like me, they just want to share the exciting stuff with friends.
Click to expand...

Really?!? Where?!? I’m in Orange County. Also time around eastern LA county.

2beerdogs · Jun 4, 2026 at 11:29 PM

bret27 said: ↑

No. 6+ hour drive.
Geographically I’m pretty lucky too. In Santa Cruz I have Sante Adairius just a few minutes away.
I’m also within driving distance of San Jose and SF, so I have access to a lot of cool breweries and great people.
Click to expand...

Oh. Just saw this. I’m far.

thebeers · Jun 4, 2026 at 11:36 PM

2beerdogs said: ↑

One of these days Arthur. One of these days. IP
Click to expand...

I’ve got a fancy new Phase Three / The Bruery “Next Tuesday” collab I’m bringing to the next share in honor of that first share with all The Bruery goodies you sent.

doomXsaloon · Jun 5, 2026 at 12:28 AM

colts9016 said: ↑

No comment
Click to expand...

Hey, how's your local sharing community?

bret27 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,064) Mar 10, 2009 California
Pooh-Bah Trader

colts9016 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,391) Jul 2, 2007 Idaho
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,837) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

doomXsaloon Savant (1,112) Jul 22, 2009 New York
Trader

About

Contribute

Fun

Boring

Hey, how's your local sharing community?

bret27 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,064) Mar 10, 2009 California Pooh-Bah Trader

colts9016 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,391) Jul 2, 2007 Idaho BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,837) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

doomXsaloon Savant (1,112) Jul 22, 2009 New York Trader

bret27 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,064) Mar 10, 2009 California
Pooh-Bah Trader

colts9016 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,391) Jul 2, 2007 Idaho
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,837) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

doomXsaloon Savant (1,112) Jul 22, 2009 New York
Trader