The "grass is greener" mentality

Is this a reference to the "there are no rare beers in Washington" meme?

And the grass is definitely greener, objectively, between certain locales. For example, the Bay Area is ~15 years behind San Diego, beer-wise. I drink local, but some places really do have better beer.

 

I'd say less of an evolution and more of a quiet acceptance. I'll admit that I sometimes feel like I'm missing out on some great experiences because I can't get my hands on some of the heavily hyped beers. But then I remember that 'm able to find beers that I enjoy immensely without the hassles of trading. That's not to say I wouldn't love to try a Heady Topper or a BCBA stout, but I'm not going to waste time and energy worrying about it. If I have the opportunity, great. If not, well, I'm enjoying the beer I am drinking enough that I really have no reason to complain.

 

The grass is greener
In the mind, but not the glass
The grass is greener

 

For me, it's less "the grass is greener" than "the grass is different." I'm lucky to live in SoCal, with frequent trips to the Bay Area to see family and friends, but the fact is, there's no true equivalent out here to stuff like Heady, Hopslam, Double Sunshine, etc. (Especially Heady.) So I'm starting to target my trades more specifically towards these particular, "different" beers. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy other locals as extras, but it's rare that I drink something and think that I can't find something just as good at my local bottle shop.

 

This is it in consider of the OP's questions. We here in Seattle have access, whether local or distributed here from other locales, to some of the best beer in the world. To that end, I have never been enjoying a Fremont Brother or a Boneyard Hop Venom and wished I was drinking a Heady Topper or a Kern River Citra instead. I have never been enjoying a Parabola even and wishing I had a BCBS instead.

I have traded with a stranger maybe three times and I only did so because that person reached out to me requesting beer I could get in my market.

Finally, I don't keep a cellar, so the temptation to catalog such a thing and remark about what is missing just doesn't exist for me.

So, to answer the question: I have never been one to let this 'mentality' diminish my enjoyment of beer.

 

Dude, you're going to get us all busted.

 

Unquestionably, and I don't ever find myself at a store thinking, "Man, there's nothing good here to buy."

But I would gladly trade a dozen of the new garbage breweries for a dozen San Diego ones. Their brewery selections, their bars, their fests -- head and shoulders above ours.

 

Well I have spent the better part of 3 weeks drinking beers mostly unavailable in my area and I have to say this - it depends. There are, of course, some truly unique and great beers unavailable in my area. However, there is a ton of 'meh' mixed in. At this point, I think I have a pretty good grip on what to seek out when I'm traveling, but it's taken me years of living the beer geek life to get there.

When traveling for work or pleasure, I tend to prioritize my search this way -

1. Notable limited releases
2. Notable beers I've never had
3. Beers I've greatly enjoyed in past travels to that area
4. Beers from breweries I've never sampled
5. Unique styles or weird beers I've never heard of (this can be a dangerous one)

You also need to consider the fact that you live in a pretty awesome time and place for beer. Someone living in Seattle can visit more breweries in a day than are currently operating in some states.

 

Couldn't agree more. My a-ha moment came the second Pliney hit my lips. Don't get me wrong, a great beer that I really enjoyed. But I think there are a several IPAs that I have easy access to that are every bit as good if not better. I also think that Founders Imperrial Stout (easily obtainable) is every bit as good ( better IMO) than KBS (nearly impossible and twice the price).

 

Slow your roll, man. We ain't gotta worry about that no more.

 

This pretty much sums it up for me, too. There are a few local bottle shops/breweries/bars that offer beers I haven't tried yet, but I don't really go out of my way anymore. I'd love to try PtE, but I doubt I'll get the chance anytime soon, so whatever.

 

The Pennsylvania LCB just pretty much beats the ambition right out of us.

 

While I agree to an extent, there really are some areas that just have far superior local beer and regional selection. Not only is it greener for those people because they can inherently get higher quality beer, but it's also better for them in the trading game because they have something worth offering for great beers from another region. I LOVE drinking local, but until recently there wasn't a ton of super high quality beers being produced in NJ. Now with Kane and Carton really pushing the NJ craft scene (not to mention Flying Fish who has always been solid yet rarely outstanding) I'm very excited to drink their beers when I see them at the local bars! So I'd say there is some of both, but in areas that produce a lot of high quality beer the advantage is double for those who live nearby.

 

Jesus, what does that make the southeast?

 

Patches of brown, dead grass?

 

I realized there is too much beer available locally to be worrying about trading for what equates to other peoples' locals. I would rather travel around and try things in different areas in person.