Craft Beer Confessions

I have to drive by the local mall to get to total wine.. If you have been to Winston-Salem, you know that's risky dedication.

 

About three years ago, I convinced my friend to drive 645 miles to get me a handful of Colt .45 Double Malt bombers!

 

Drove 3 hours to Kernville with the wife and one-and-a-half year old kid to get some Citra DIPA - with the flu...only to find out that they had sold out the day before

 

I heard there were cases of Bourbon County Stout stacked up at a Jewel-Osco in a rough area in Chicago...when I got there they had about 30 cases just sitting there...I left with 3 cases...MSP to CHI and back in under 24 hours.

 

That's hardcore man! I salute you.

 

The craziest was getting up at 4am, driving through 3 states, and standing in line in the cold for 3 hours for the Westy release.

 

I hate beer

 

Why would you do that?

 

Samezies.

 

I once shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.

Then I took his beer.

 

Man, Hanes mall is really not so bad. I thought it was too, until visiting other parts of the country.

 

Mine was an insidious plan. I spent years getting my wife into craftbeer, constantly making her try new things. She now loves it. Now all our vacation spots must include some great breweries.

 

To see my foes driven before me, and to hear the lamentation of their women...

Obviously.

 

My ol' lady couldn't believe I'd spend as much on a six of Sierra Nevada, as I would a twelve of Milwaukee's Best.

 

You're right it's not as bad as large cities. However, in cities, people can drive. It is scary the things you see in the car around here.

 

Not crazy really, but I drove nearly 10 hours to visit DFH, then drove to the brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, THEN drove (4 & 1/2 hours) to Williamsburg, VA. Same. Day.

 

3.5 hour detour back through Montreal to hit up 3 different depanneurs and stock up on everything Quebec beer before making the 8+ hour drive back to Portland in the snow. My girlfriend even picked up the tab at one spot because we got mostly stuff she was interested in and I decided why not.

 

Me and a buddy got on a 7am ferry from Victoria to Vancouver, then took two buses and a skytrain to get to Central City Brewing, for their Imperial IPA, which we weren't even sure was going to be available. Turns out it was, and we lugged 4 growlers of it back to Vic in a duffel bag by the same route.

2 Ferry trips = 4 hours, $30. 4 Buses & 2 Skytrains = 2.5 hours, $5. 4 growlers of IIPA = $90. Trip I'll remember forever = Priceless

 

Since June I have been buying my favorite beers(3floyds,Revolution, NewGlarus, Half Acre, Pipeworks and Goose Island) and loading up my car and driving around the country sharing them with brewers from some of my favorite breweries, bartenders, state troopers, Tire America employees, liquor store employees, random people I meet at breweries, bars and gas stations, local BAs, bar cooks, cops and hotel emplyees. I have met some amazing people and the Beer Karma has come back 10 fold. I want others to experience this and tell their stories. For each story told I will match it with one my own and hopefully we can spread Beer Karma and take beer sharing to a whole new level. Gone will be the days of horders and what emerges will be a beer sharing comunity that has never been seen before. Cheers to to you my BA brothers and sisters! Fitz