Beer "localism"?

Everytime I see a "Visiting Cleveland-esque" thread started in the Great Lakes forum, I happliy steer visitors to the area to the best shops and breweries in the region. IMO, there's enough good beer to go around and, like you, I try to be an ambassador of my hometown.

 

cheers man. i like the attitude. since i live in central PA, no one really has any specific reason to visit. but if I someone asks, I promote my favorite breweries around here. its a win-win situation. you get awesome brewery only beer and the brewery gets business.

 

I don't think one person telling others about favorite beer locations will have a significant impact on retail traffic.

 

No, definitely not. I absolutely, positively do not have a secret spot that carries most of the releases and has lower prices and no limits on them. Sure wish I did though, a place like that would be great. And of course if I had one like that I would surely tell everyone I know where it is.

 

Would you treat a BA member or other beer geek type differently than you would a person who doesn't appreciate beer in the same way? Might you steer them a bit differently? I would typically try to get friends to the point of decent appreciation for beer before pointing them to certain places. Though within the BA community I doubt that's an issue.

 

That's some pretty shitty attitude by supposed "advocates". Sorry you have to deal with such assholes. IT'S FUCKING BEER! Spread the love. It costs NOTHING and maybe a little bit of time to share information and build relationships. A little karma goes a long way, too.

If you ever head up this way, let me know. I LOVE sharing information about Philly and the surround area with other BA's and especially visitors from out of town. I usually write pages and pages of information through private messages. Most recently, you can ask @Benish , who is from WI and just came to Philly, about it

I absolutely agree with you that you should be an ambassador to your town. I suppose some of it come from my experience as a traveler. That only increased even more after I joined the Couch Surfing community (Google it! ). I love Philly and I love sharing my knowledge of it to try to make any visitor enjoy as much out of it as possible. It will only help me and "my" city in the long run.

If that's not an incentive, here's one to think about. Because of my willingness help, I actually landed a DDG from a BA living in CA and came to Philly to visit. He gave it to me at the cost that he paid for it, along with a CR and something else. Even brought me a Pliny as an extra. I did hook him up with a few rare beers as a surprise, but that's really besides the point. Benish and his dad actually brought me some Raspberry Tart and Serendipity! Neither time anything involving beer was required.

Al

 

I absolutely share information. For one thing being a true beer lover is all about sharing. Plus, if they don't sell it, they don't get it. When a favorite establishment does well we all win.

 

One thing I've noticed is less sharing of info on harder to find beers. I'll also call out my Okies. The supposed "best" liquor store in OKC still isn't listed in the directory on this site....

 

It may not have an impact on "retail traffic", but it most certainly is a positive gesture that engenders better regional cooperation. What goes around comes around.

 

I would agree with that and I certainly try to point people in the direction of better beer when I get the opportunity.

However, I got the impression that the OP was asking whether we kept the best spots to ourselves or shared them. The only reason for considering that, would be a concern about good beer being depleted from the shelves at your favorite retailer. Thus, my comment that it's not a worry because it probably wouldn't affect sales all that much.

 

As cagey as I can be with fishing/hunting spots, I'm pretty open about beer stuff. It almost seems silly to try to protect a beer store; if they don't have high traffic already, they probably won't get the good stuff and upping their business may mean that they get more...

 

That mentality is exact match to what the OP was asking whether its similar to surfing culture. Surfers closely guard their surf breaks, don't announce it to the public on surfing forums, inquiries by tourists at surf shops and such, and if a novice surfer or tourist/non-local does find it and shows up to surf, they probably will not accepted in the group (unless they prove really highly skilled and respectable as well).

With that said, I think there is some of this in the beer world. Whether its saving away the KBS for selective customers vs. putting it out there for anyone to walk into bottle shop to buy it, or a craft bar, not disclosing they have a rare beer on cask (but only telling the inside cliche about it). Sure I see that happening out there in beer world.

 

Unless your market only gets one case of a bombers-only release, and the one person you tell walks in and says "I'll take the case" (or tells all of his/her buddies to go in and snatch up whatever they can). And I'm not speaking hypothetically.

But that said, it's a free market, and people are free to buy what they please. I have no qualms sharing my go-to places here.

 

Share information with no hesitation. I don't live in Beer Mecca, but there are some decent shops around. If I see something special, I will even post in in the New England forum and I have beer mailed folks I know are looking for something I have spotted. I'm not gonna buy it all, I don't trade, and there's no beer store I visit that can be considered a honey hole.

 

As a surfer, I deal with real localism when I travel. It is something you have to look out for, make sure you are in a friendly area so you don't get "vibes" or threatened. People are extremely protective about their surf breaks.
With beer, there is so much more camaraderie (except maybe with the whales). When I travel and meet locals, I am greeted usually in a friendly manner. I try to relay that when I am home.

 

Whenever I see someone "coming to Minnesota" all of the best places seem to be answered right away. I think with a growing community, there are just more people that are willing to help and be honest. Also, it seems to me that there are so many more options now, so there seems to be less reason to be secretive as there was 10-15 years ago.

 

I know. The OP definetly says he's a regional "ambassador". He was curious about the selfish angels/demons of our nature that just may be at play with some folks about their favorite "fishing holes". Cheers.

 

I dunno. About a year and a half ago I told some people about a tiny brewery in a barn in the middle of nowhere Vermont. The place has been a madhouse ever since!

 

I think the people that do this, aren't going to admit they do it.

I'm always happy to share any info/tips to visiting people. Hopefully that makes them more likely to do the same when someone is asking about/visiting their neighborhood.