Best Random Beer Encounter at a Pub or Restaurant

Most recent favorite was king sue on tap and very few people drinking it while I was there. Sat down had 5 of them and an early dinner.

 

This happened a year ago to the month--last September. The wife and I go out to eat at a local restaurant that we really like for the owner/chef. When they first opened they were a pretty standard upscale restaurant with a big wine list and not much beer emphasis, although they did have a handful of Boulevard taps like so many KC-area places do. But the owner has steadily gotten more and more into craft beer, for example, she went out to New Belgium awhile back to work with them on making her own sour blend. She also opened up a taproom at another location and served at the Taps and Tastes beer/food festival portion of Boulevardia back in June.

So that's the context for my expectations... anyway, we hadn't been to the place in several months, and as I go to look for something to drink, I notice that they now have a beer bottle list similar to how you might see a wine list at a nice restaurant. Mostly good stuff--some Boulevard Smokestack beers, some off-the-shelf Lips of Faith and FW bombers, that kind of thing. Cool, but nothing crazy.

Then I notice that LOF Tart Lychee is on the list. I figure it has to be a mistake since that was a one-time beer from 2010 and it seemed crazy that they would have it in 2013 since they were fairly new (6 mos) to the extra emphasis on beer. I ordered it anyway, expecting the waiter to come back telling me that it was long gone, but as you probably figured out since I'm telling this story, he came back with a bomber of wonderfully delicious Tart Lychee. It was a beer I'd long wanted to try but had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't likely to finds bottle and NB probably wasn't going to brewing again. I still feel like I can remember the taste from 12 mos ago--that's how much it stood out in my mind.

Runner-up: stopped by my favorite bottle shop on a random Tuesday last December to get some to-go beer and as I'm waiting to check out, I see Bourbon County pop up on the tap list. My excitement turned to joy when they brought my glass and it turned out to be the Barleywine. The menu just said Bourbon County, so I assumed I was getting the stout, which I had sampled many times before. Definitely a nice surprise.

 

I can't think of something specific at the moment, especially since I usually don't just drop into bars without knowing they have at least one thing that I want.

However, Max's always has something unexpected on tap.

 

My best unexpected find was at Comerica Park a couple years ago. Went to the ball game only intending on getting a couple beers. The newish Craft Beer stand had Black Note on tap so I ordered 2 for me and my wife ordered 2 more for me. CoPa has since done a great job announcing special beers on tap but that was a good day.

 

I met the head brewer for Gordon Biersch's Seattle location while at my favorite local, he was a really cool guy!

Oh on tap? Fremont Kentucky Dark Star on tap at a nice little bottle/sandwich/growler fill shop down the road from me.

 

Stumbled onto CBS at my favorite local back in IL. It was on tap (before Founders started bottling it) and like $8 a snifter. Not bad!

 

Back when Hopslam come out, my bottle shop had a sign that said no we don't have Hopslam with another sentence in smaller print underneath that I didn't read. It was a joke and they did have Hopslam so I got a few more to take home with me.

 

Heady Topper. I kind of thought it was a joke when I looked at the beer menu. Just so happened that the owners wife was from Vermont and would occasionally bring some back to sell. Illegally of course, but I wasn't in a rush to turn them in.

 

My euro street cafe starting carrying Founder Porter, nothing earth shaking but its another great reason to go. too pricey for me but 1 with lunch is nice.

The local bone fish grill starting carrying local brews was nice, but we stopping going there.

WE do not eat out at the high dollar places much anymore.

 

Some guy handing me his Krug of Landbier the establishment had on draft. It was especially good since I never had any Landbier on draft before.

 

A bar, granted it's a crazy good bar that I always know there will be 30 things I'll want to drink.

 

Lost Abby Deliverance and Angels share on draft (and included in half-off happy hour)

 

A few years back I wen't to lunch at a place with good food, 10 taps (non dispensing BMC) and a well-selected bottle list.

The beer manager here knows her German beers, but I was still quite surprised to find they had on offer bottles of 5 year old Aventinus that was aged by the brewery in their Eiskeller. Since I had no meetings or major commitments that afternoon I immediately decided to pay bar prices for a bottle to have after lunch as dessert. It was soooo good that during the next month or so I wen't back more than once to get another bottle.

I personally had never seen the brewery aged Aventinus before and I've never seen it since. My understanidng is that they put away 250 cases of the fresh Aventinus each year and then release about half of them at 3 years bottle ag and the rest at 5 years. For me it was compelling proof that age related changes in some beers truly justifies cellaring them.

 

I was at Oskar Blues and after ordering a beer I was told it was out. I was looking at the menu and decided to ask what replaced it and the person said Pliny the Elder. That was my first Pliny.

 

Some Bourbon County brand stout, and Succaba. Both on tap randomly, in July of all months. 3 of those, and I was feelin reeaaaal tipsy

 

Most recent was a couple months ago. I went into the best beer bar in my town to find out they had Highland Cold Mountain on-tap. A much-coveted winter seasonal that they had decided to sit on until a random day in the middle of the summer. I had missed out on a chance to try it this past winter so it was a score for me. Very tasty as well. Oh and, even more recently, the best bottle shop in my town that also has 20 taps had '13 Event Horizon on-tap when I was lucky enough to just stroll in and find it. Also had never had that one before until then. I've had others but I can't think of my ultimate best random encounter at the moment.

 

Went to the Made in the Shade beer festival in June of this year in Flagstaff, Az. After the festival was over of course the beer drinking didn't stop. Went downtown to the Monte Carlo Hotel. They were having a Founders tap takeover. KBS, Devil Dancer and about 4 other flavors on draft. They were in a shift change and the new bartender (who was inexperienced I guess) was pouring 16oz. pints of both the KBS and Devil Dancer. Needless to say we had to walk back to the hotel and it was not a pretty site. LOL!