What beer is actually worth trading for?

Heady Topper

 

Well, Cantillon and Three Floyds have a bunch of stuff that is ISO worthy. I think it has less to do with the uniqueness of the beer as a "grass is greener" curiosity.

That being said, you have access to New Glarus which is great trade bait.

 

Don't mean to deviate from the point of your thread too much, but when people ask if something is worth it, the answer to me comes down to the individual. How much is your money worth to YOU. If it's not a problem, you have plenty of expendable income/money and love trying beers you can't get in your area, tons of beers will be worth it. But if you have to be cognizant of your expenditures, my opinion is no beers are worth trading for. Unless of course you live in an absolute beer wasteland, then maybe...

But I think you're right. I would guess anyone who's spent a year or two visiting this site would have the desire to at least try trading at some point. I did it twice a few years ago, had good experience with my trading partners, but after the second one where the shipping cost as much if not more than the beer I was sending/receiving for me it just simply wasn't worth it. (Interestingly one of the beers I traded for was Abyss, and it was freaking fantastic, but there are many imperial stouts that will satisfy my craving for a big stout that I have access to on a regular basis, so I'm not sure if it was worth it or not...).

So anyways, for me, I decided it's never worth it. I've been fortunate to be able to attend some tastings with some serious traders on here and while the beers have been great, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to try them, I can't say that any of them have been that much better than stuff I can get here on a regular basis without the extra expense and hassle of shipping.

And really, there is no single beer, of any style, from any state or country, that is really THAT much better than another one you can get closer to home...in my opinion anyways. But if you have the loot and you love the experience of opening that box when it arrives at the door, then I can completely understand that it's worth it to others.

So back to the point, I'd say Mama Mia Pizza Beer. Yes, I'm kidding. (though I have never come across another beer as "unique" as this)

 

Heady
Bourbon county and variants

 

HF
Lawsons
Alpine

 

None of them.

Though this depends a lot on your location.

 

Firestone Proprieter's Reserve series

 

For me, there isn't too much worth trading for with the excess shipping cost. That said, if I couldn't buy the following beers locally (or a short drive) I would trade for them:

BCBS & variants
Parabola
Heady Topper
Lawson's Double Sunshine

 

Not a huge fruit beer fan but when I do get the craving there is nothing close to New Glarus in my distro

 

$30 per ticket to DLD
$100 hotel room
10 hour drive (total, ~$75 in gas)
2 unpaid days off work (nunya)
_______________________
3 bottles of 2013 Dark Lord ($45, $90 in you get a "yes" on your golden ticket... Yes, you're buying the $50 bottle no matter what, and you pray they still have some vanilla left even though you're in the third group.)

Or, you can trade something nice that gets distributed to your state...

The choice is yours.

 

I'll be honest here: I've been fortunate enough to drink a fair bit of Heady (and HF and Lawson's) and most of the time I'm underwhelmed. The bottles/cans which have actually gotten to me quickly and without abuse (i.e. shipped immediately after filling, and in cold weather) have been good, but frequently these beers sit around for a while then boil for a week in the back of a FedEx truck. At that point, you might as well just drink any decent IPA. IMO, YMMV, come at me bro.

 

Alpine IPA's

 

Russian River Sours. Hill Farmstead Saisons. Various Berliners from many breweries. These are beers that don't have a comparable alternative in Michigan.

 

Event Horizon is as good as most ba brews, I prefer bcbs though. Ht and Abrasive are both amazing, Eclipse variants are terrific as well. EH and Lindly Park gets me bcbs, I go to vt twice a year and I get abrasive from France 44

 

Since OP doesn't live in the next state over, though, it's a concern.

And, to be fair the the Vermont breweries, trading for IPAs in general is sort of a sucker's game.

 

You always have to know canning dates when trading for anything hoppy.

 

Not much at all since BA changed formats...unless solid trading partners were established before hand.

 

I trade for pretty much everything,
but mostly I trade for "on the shelf" beers
available to everyone else, But unavailable
to me personally.

Broaden the ol' horizons & shit.

 

Jacks Abby!