Free beer stories

Hunahpu day this year. My friends and I had set up base in the back and wandered over to the homebrewing folks and discovered they were giving all their beer away for free. No lines, and just as good as the stuff people were waiting an hour in line for a small sample, and we were getting all we wanted, whenever we wanted for free, and there was a lot of different beers available too. Definitely not wasting time in the big ass line next year for paid samples.

 

Have had Heady before and never tried Pliny that is untill last Friday night. Local beer distro got 2 bottles straight from Ca. and we tested one out.. Very nice !!!

 

When my wife was at a small, but quality bar in Providence a bit ago, she go to talking to the owner about IPA's (and her love for them). Some other folks around the bar chimed in with similar sentiments. The owner goes in back and brings out a can of Heady from his personal stash and splits it between everyone. Pretty cool of him, just bummed I wasn't there.

 

I was in a bottle shop in PA, bought around a 100$ worth of goods and the guy behind the counter threw in an old viscosity and some other bomber for free. That was pretty cool

 

Was at Slater's 50/50 a few months ago and ordered a flight of different IPAs. The bartender had accidentally poured a pint of Sculpin for someone who didn't want it, so instead of drain-pouring it he just gave it to me because he saw that I liked IPAs.

Another time I was at Kickback's Gastropub and started shootin the shit with the bartender about craft beer. After about an hour he said, "Hey, have you had this year's Hopslam yet?" I hadn't had it ever, so he just pulled out a bottle and opened it up right there and gave it to me.

 

A fond memory from my misspent youth:
I was at the local Rite Aid a few years ago (which would have made me underage) and upon my exit, I found a 24 ounce can of Pabst Blue Ribbon laying on the pavement, still cold and sealed. I took a quick look around and put it in my car with haste. While it's not the most sophisticated beer I could have found I relished in the experience nonetheless and drank it as soon as I got home. To this day I scan the parking lot when I leave rite aid. Just in case.

 

You mean you actually received a gift from the PBR Fairy?

 

Or possibly a homeless guy who dropped his brew on the way out, but I like your version better!

 

I get free beer almost weekly. It's almost cumbersome to drink some of the stuff that comes to me so I end up giving away half of it to my stock guys.

 

I was once at a bar where a fairly drunk man had just ordered a Left Hand Milk Stout on nitro. Presumably unfamiliar with nitro beers, he complains to the bartender that the beer is flat. He tries to insist that the bartender drink it, but the bartender will not, saying that he does not drink dark beer (I know... the horror...). As the drunken patron is now borderline berating our mutual server of libations, I offer to taste his beer. I do, and inform him that this is the style and that the nitro makes it smoother and creamier than a standard beer.

The bartender looks at me for a moment, then gives me a free pint of something. Double free beer.

 

I get free beer from my friends, because that's what friends do.

 

I will just say that there are some great people at Max's and their generosity is astounding. Most of them aren't even on BA. Mostly 4 oz. samples, but I am just glad to have tried them. HT, Double Sunshine, Black Tuesday, Hunahpu, Bramble Rye, DL '12, Supplication, KBS, Leon, BA Naked Evil BBW, Sans Pagaie, La Vermontoise, NG Cran-Bic, Westbrook Apple Brandy Tripel and Scratch 98. Some BA advice I can pass on that has helped me out so far: make friends at your local bar, become a regular, meet other regulars and tip well.

 

There are a couple of bars where I'm familiar with one or two of the bartenders. They'll occasionally give me a free "sample" (typically an entire beer) when they get something new in. This was especially prevalent at one establishment that was just starting to get into the craft trend. The bartender was always getting new beers in stock, and asking me to try them to get my opinion. It was awesome. He'd usually be like, "Hey, we got this new beer a few days ago. Would you like to 'sample' it?" At that point he'd typically pour the full bottle into a glass for me.

 

I don't get free beer ever. People must not like my face or my snooty attitude.

 

I have a free beer story from right here on BA. I was sent a heady topper for no real reason. =) This was amazing.

 

I was at my local bottle shop and they had a 2011 Plead the 5th on their vintage rack. As I had never had aged Plead before, I bought it. As I was checking out, I mentioned how excited I was to try it aged and the owner told me that he didnt like it aged. He then said that he had a 4 pack of year old Plead that he didnt want anymore so he just gave it to me for free. Pretty awesome of him.

 

I don't pay for beer, I steal or tick it off a taster at the bar then leave like a BOSS.

 

I get freebies all the time at my favorite bar. Usually half my tab magically dissapears

 

If theft counts, I have a great story.

Three friends and I were heading to the slopes in Colorado. We stop by our local "packie" to grab some racks before heading west. I walk in and speak to my buddy at the counter, with whom I have a great relationship due to the volume of beer I purchase. He says "The guy is unloading the truck. Run out there and grab a rack of beers on me". I don't know if he had the authority, but we raided the beer truck for 3 racks and had the best ski day ever. Heavy day of skis and snowboards followed by a heavy night of Coors Original. One of the best days ever!

Also, Mike at Brawleys has given me a fair share of freebies, and I greatly appreciate that!