Bourbon County 2018

You can find it if you ask/look. I'm still able to go out and buy a bottle of 17 regular at a couple different places. 18 will be around for quite a while. I'd say if you can get here before the new year you have a shot at scoring a handful of bottles, including variants even, if you do your research and put in the time/leg-work. Just found a bottle of nilla at a small liquor store by my house that I'd never think to stop at normally. And paid MSRP for it too.

 

I’m sure there are reasons for the nationwide distribution figures, but so agree with @1Unicorn. KC sells out instantly, and we’re ecstatic to find a Bramble available. Meanwhile, this January we took the kids to Disney World and I went into a local liquor store and stumbled on cases of Northwoods, Coffee and Regular. There are areas of extreme saturation and then there are desert wastelands. I’ll be fine, because I travel to Chicago for work, but many are SOL.

 

Just the way it goes sometimes. Especially with beer that is more local to a region. It's not like I get all butthurt because I can't get every release from Transient, or Bell's, or CW. If you want the beer bad enough, you go out and find it. Even if that means driving a few hours to get it. It's what @1Unicorn did.

 

Would you think the same if it is wine, or whisky, or watches, or travel, or a video game system, or any other lux good people spend their money on? You cant take it with you ya know!

 

I think you're totally missing the point...it sits in a pile of dust in some areas and is gone in less than an hour in others. Bourbon County isn't a local/regional beer. The "argument" if you will isn't that every release needs to be available to everyone. The discussion point I was bringing up had everything to do with poor distribution of a beer that sees virtually every corner of the U.S. If we were talking about a local beer (VSOJ, Deth's whatever, etc.) then that would be different.

 

Not missing the point.

The beer distribution is entirely tied to sales of other GI/Ab-inbev products, I'm pretty sure. Sell a lot of Bud Light or 312, you get a lot of BCBS. Whether it sits on the shelves or not. I don't necessarily agree with the model, but it's the way it is(as far as I know).

How long it sits in a pile of dust or goes off shelves has more to do with the local buyers than the distribution itself, IMO.

 

Any tips on where to pick up a few bottles of regular in Chicago/west burbs? I'm in the OP area for the day today.

 

Not sure where you are located but I take the drive from Chicago to Ferndale somewhat regularly to visit family. I take I-94 from Indiana all the way into metro Detroit. I'll be there sometime in the next 2-3 weeks and would gladly bring you some for cost if you are close to my route.

 

Any binnys, jewel, or Meijer’s should have some. Your best bet would be binny’s though if you’re near one.

 

Regular BCBS, Vanilla and Midnight Orange back on draft at the Jewel on Des Plaines downtown if anyone’s interested. $13 for 10oz.

 

The offer is much appreciated, but I will pass at this time. Thank you.

 

Not sure how it works with other distributors across the nation but in Milwaukee it's 100% based on the amount of Goose Island you buy (in general, nothing specific) from June to November. Alternate AB/Inbev products do not reflect BCBS allocations.

 

There are less bottles this year, still available at Binnys and possibly Jewel, but I don’t expect to see multiple cases sitting in many stores like I witnessed last Spring.

 

I looked up Jewel and Meijer on google along the route I was traveling. Call them and ask for beer guy. Saved me a ton of time instead of stopping in at every store. Took me 10 minutes to find who had it. Also ask them the price so you don’t get sticker shock

 

There shouldn’t be sticker shock at either Jewel or Meijer. Maybe a $1 more than Binny’s but it’s pretty much MSRP.

 

Apologies if this has been asked before, but what's the best way to try and get some vintage variants for on-site consumption at Goose? I assume Fulton is a better bet than Clybourn? Is there a specific day of the week that's best to try? Any advice is appreciated

 

Fulton on a Friday, although they always seem to have them these days.

 

The "What's On Tap" section of the Goose Fulton website lists the bottles available for on site consumption under the "Cellar" heading. What the site doesn't list is the additional selection of bottles available to go. I was there last week and bought a 2015 Regal Rye for a Christmas present.

 

Clybourn frequently has vintages and variants, too, but they aren’t listed anywhere. Be nice to the bartenders, ask politely, and stuff usually appears.