Share a good place-based memory involving beer

But it was ohhh sooo nice

 

Teagu, ROK in 1998. It was Saturday morning and unseasonably warm for what I think was a May day. About 10:30, it was just Sexy and I (Kurt Sexton) chilling with a few Coronas outside the dorms. Within a few minutes we had a few more come out to join us, adding people and beer to our impromptu pre-lunch beer mimosas. I reckon about an hour or went by before we had a significant increase in men and women, acoustic guitars, frisbees and yes - more beer. It may not seem too impressive but for a truly organic party, it was honestly the best time I can recall amongst probably more than several hundred good beer times I've had.

 

Took a roadtrip to Louisville and stopped at Cumberland Brewery. Stayed in a little dive hotel. Liked the Red Ale, but loved the atmosphere.

 

Had my first Heady Topper on a hotel balcony while watching 4th of July fireworks over Lake Placid in NY. GF and I took Amtrak up from DC. my Dad drove out from Iowa to meet us - stopped at brewery, bought HT and then picked us up at Amtrak station.

 

I was in Brussels for a two week business/pleasure trip. Both Saturdays I went to the Cantillon brewery for the self-guided tour and the tasting room. On the second visit, in the tasting room I purchased a glass of year old lambic. The guy behind the bar looking into his pitcher said, wait just a minute. He went into another room off the bar and came back a few minutes later with a freshly filled pitcher of year old lambic which he had just drawn from the keg and then poured my glass of lambic. Taking my glass of year old lambic I went to a single seat near the wall and proceded to drink that lambic slowly, savoring every sip. The only way I could have had a "fresher" serving to try would have been to pour it directly from the tap myself.

 

I have fond memories of drinking Bud Ice in Fenway Park. Go Sox.

 

I remember back in the day when Chi-Chi's was still around , and on my 21st birthday we were in Saginaw, MI visiting my grandparents (my parents and I) - I threw back a Corona with my dad and at the time, it was the shahizzle. Who would have thought that several years later the two of us would be doing a Father/Son trip to Germany (we also hit Oktoberfest together in Munich); my entire view of beer changed at that point (for the better) and there was no turning back since. Most importantly, my dad and I connected at a deeper level than ever before (he's very stoic) and we explored the roots of our heritage - it's a trip I'll never forget for the rest of my life.

We (my wife and I) have two sons and I want to take them on the same pilgrimage when they're of age.

 

Leaning against the front quarter panel of my buddy's stripped down '69 Camaro, with the sounds of football and classic rock coming out of the open garage, while we sipped Sierra Nevada's staring off at the sunset. Wild boar sausage on the grill. A perfect moment of heaven.

That was 15 years ago and I've been chasing the feeling ever since

 

Two years ago I went fishing on my buddy's boat in Cabo. It was late summer, in the 90's and humid, but I snagged a Marlin. Fought him for an hour, and waves were constantly crashing over the stern of the boat onto me, drenching me, while I fought the unseen monster. I remember the taste of sunscreen dripping into my mouth as I fought this beast. An hour later, I had a 160 pounder on deck. That first ice cold sip of Pacifico, with the adrenaline of the catch, and the salty sunscreen residue, never tasted so good. Tasted like victory. (So did the next 10).

 

In 2008 I took my wife to Dublin, Ireland. Our hotel had a pub in it on the ground floor, and it was pretty awesome to sit there all night drinking fresh pints of Guinness, listening to live music, absorbing the atmosphere and then just walk upstairs to our room. I don't care what anyone thinks of Guinness, it's so much better in Ireland. We also had a free pint at The Gravity Bar after touring the Guinness Storehouse.

My other answer is any beer while camping in Colorado -- especially sitting by a campfire at 8 or 9 in the chilly morning after drinking some good percolated coffee.

 

My father in law and myself were both fans of phesant hunting, but our schedules always were conflicting. Once every couple years we would say screw it and do a guided hunt, most people will say its cheating but if I can drop some coin and make sure we have a good time and bring home some food I am all for it. I booked the trip for a weekend that worked and got us a room overnight at the hunting lodge, something I had never done before. With my brother in law tagging along we made it up to the lodge too late for dinner, but just in time for a couple drinks. The only craft there was fat tire, which I hadnt had in years and usually poopooed when I came across it. That fat tire was the best beer I had had in a long time. We stayed up late into the night telling jokes, and stories, and carrying on in the usual manner. The next day we got up early and hit the fields bringing home 12 phesants between the three of us. We finished up the weekend and went our seperate ways. Six months later I lost my father in law unexpectedly, and less than a year after that my brother in law was gone too. While most craft drinkers still poopoo fat tire, it will always have a place in my heart as the last boys night out beers with my best friend...

Edit...
A close second would have been the bud lite lime my father in law and I had after a successful day of pulling foot long brookies out of a stream that was maybe waist deep at its deepest, ankle deep for the most part, and about six feet wide. It was like magic. Lol...

 

Two come to mind right away, my wife and I sitting in the Marienplatz Plaza watching the Rathaus-Glockenspiel clock before walking to the Hofbrauhaus Munich during it's 400th anniversary. This day/night became a little cloudy, must of been the Weiss beers.
Last fall with two friends of 40+ years, Telluride Blues and Brews Festival, great music, great beers, the best tasting I've been to and unbelievable scenery. It's higher in the Rockies

 

I went to college in Northern Vermont in the 1970's. We used to do beer runs to Canada to pick up Molson Brador. One time when we were stopped at the border to check what we had in the car the border patrol officer looked at the 4-5 cases of Brador in the trunk of my 1970 Chevy Nova. He chuckled and waved us through. He said "Good choice."

 

So many, so many..... Today I will pick a beercation day in late October 2014 with my wife. Weather was ridiculously warm for Colorado at that time. Went to Left Hand one day and played corn-hole in their yard while drinking a flight of their stouts. Excellent beer, excellent weather, excellent company.

 

Mid-70's, six weeks laying in a hammock in a palapa in Mazatlan with a cooler stuffed with Tres Equis grading 1500 freshman sociology term papers. Never could find Tres Equis again.

 

Well, if it ain't, it oughta be.

 

I carried two bottles of Mikkeller George and two glasses the entire length of the Inca Trail so me and a buddy could have a brew at sunrise overlooking Machu Picchu. It was a great setting for a great beer.

 

25 years ago I visited family in Eugene, Oregon. My girlfriend at the time and I took a trip out to Cougar Hot Springs. It was January and the snow was starting to pile up as we approached the springs. Everyone was headed out for fear of getting stuck. My GF and I had the whole hot springs to ourselves with a lovely late afternoon snow storm. You can imagine the rest. Oh, this is a beer centered web site. The Red Hook Ale never tasted better!

 

Unplans are the best plans.

 

Ahhh, yes. My one trip to New Orleans was via Amtrak from Chicago. Got off at the train station which was several long blocks from my hotel. Went to get into the shower to wash off the 24+ hour train ride and slammed my big toe into the inch-high tile in the bathroom doorway. Hurt like a bitch. Limped to the French Quarter and found Crescent City where I could numb my toe and everything else for a few hours. Great beer as I recall.