NBS BIF #18 Sign-Up Thread

In the immortal words of Alice Cooper: I'm Eighteen! Let's do this, Weekenders!

Welcome one and all to the official NBS BIF #18 Sign Up Thread. Myself, @2beerdogs , and @FBarber co-run this BIF. Feel free to message any of us with questions. I will set the initial swag at pairings and send out messages, so please ensure you have me at least CCd on any BMs.

Before you ask to join, if you're a newcomer, consider the following:

*This is the BIF specifically and explicitly in support of the New Beer Weekend thread. If you don't care to participate in that thread, then kindly stop reading here. If you haven't participated in the thread before, but would like to, get started!
*This is not a BIF for newbies. (There's another fantastic BIF for that, and I highly recommend it.)
*Read the rules. (Well, not just newcomers there. Everyone please read the rules. )

Important Dates:
*Sign-ups are live from now until Sunday, February 25th.
*Hints & Hauls will go live once sign ups are complete, and run until the next round of the BIF. Once the H&H thread is live, I will close the H&H thread for round #17.
*Official share date is the weekend of April 6-7.

That gives us three total weeks for sign-ups, and then over a month for Hints and Hauls!

Pairings will be sent within a couple days of the H&H thread going live. Please ensure that at least one box of beer reaches your target by the Thursday prior to the official share weekend, including a mystery beer. It's totally OK to send an initial strike just to meet this requirement, with more beer arriving after the share date. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that will happen.

Rules:
*You must send 96 ounces (or more) of new-to-your-target beer. Many (most) will send much, much more, but every member must be OK with receiving the minimum. There is no pressure to send more than the minimum.
*You must send at least one Mystery Beer: a beer with the label concealed in such a way that your target does not know the beer (or, hopefully, style). The intent is that mystery beers are consumed and reviewed blind, but that's really all up to the recipient. You may send more than one beer so disguised. Custom labels are at your discretion.
*You must send at least one local food item (or food-related item, like spices, sauces, coffee, etc.). We've seen some crazy stuff. It's really up to you. The intent is to give your target a taste of your local cuisine and culture in some way beyond just beer.
*You must sent at least one item of brewery or beer "swag," be that glassware, a T-shirt, a hat, some stickers, coasters, coozies, opener, or something even more creative.
*You must drink at least one of your received beers on the official share weekend (unless you literally cannot). More on this under the etiquette section.
*I require your shipping information, any black out dates (or shipping restrictions), food allergies, and T-shirt size, at a minimum. Also helpful are any beer styles you particularly like and/or dislike, and any swag you specifically do not want (e.g. "No more glassware; my partner will kill me!"). If you're a returning member and you have any doubt that I have your updated shipping info, please send me a message!
*Finally, and most importantly: you must participate. All participants are expected to post at least two clues per week in the H&H thread (until your target correctly identifies you; you don't have to stop dropping clues at that point, but it kind of makes sense). If you don't plan on participating in the H&H thread, then don't plan on participating in this BIF, please. This rule applies even if your target is me, because the hints are for everyone. String someone else along who isn't your target!

Member Requirements:
*You must have participated in a previous round of this BIF.

or

*You must be active in the New Beer Weekend thread and have a current member vouch for you. A positive trade record on BA is a plus, as is experience in a BIF, but not necessarily required. If you don't currently meet the NBW posting requirement, now's a great time to start to establish your track record!

Etiquette:
*Communicate black out dates for shipping, as well as any absences from the H&H thread (a week or more). It's totally OK to miss time from the thread (life is more important than beer!), but it's no fun if you're a sender whose target has suddenly ghosted the thread. Follow the thread. (Also note: if you "miss" a notification of a new post in the thread - say, it's buried among your Likes and Karma notifications - you will not receive another notification until you've revisited the thread. This is how all threads and notifications work on BA. We are active on this thread every single day, so if you log in and do not receive a notification, you've probably missed it - go to the thread!)
*Play the damn game. The H&H thread can be more fun than shipping and receiving the beer itself. Please play along and at least try to guess your sender. Some of us nerds will have full spreadsheets and try to guess every single pair, not just our own sender. Hell, I've been known to set some drunk pairings, so even I get to play along some rounds. Most importantly, though, a lot of our participants put a lot of time and effort into their clues, and it's crushing to have a target who doesn't put forth any effort whatsoever.
*Seriously, though: play the damn game! Participation in the H&H thread is not optional. At least meet the bare minimum for dropping clues, and at least try to guess your sender. It really ruins the BIF experience for your sender or target if you're not trying. This BIF is about community; if you just want to trade, go do that.
*Lying in your clues is allowed. I personally prefer leaving some kind of trail or later clue to identify which clue or clues is/are false, but that's really up to you.
*Deception (as opposed to outright lies) is not only allowed, but encouraged.
*If someone calls you out as his or her sender, it's polite to answer whether they are correct or not. I'll let you decide what counts as an official or formal call out.
*Explaining your hints after you've been called out isn't required, but it can be fun, especially if you've put a lot of work into it (or confused a lot of people). Enjoy it!
*Save some beer for the official share weekend, and try to drink as much of your spoils during the NBW thread (that's the point of the thread, after all). Naturally, with the quantity of beer changing hands (and freshness concerns for IPAs, in particular), quite a bit of beer will be consumed outside of the NBW thread. It's polite to tag your sender (in WBAYDN? and/or in the H&H thread), and most of us will drop a review or at least some quick thoughts over in the H&H thread. Double posting in both NBW and the H&H is not required, but some people choose to do so.
*Double posting in other threads (WBAYDN?, style-themed threads) is totally allowed. At the same time, "Likes" fishing is kind of sad. If you're posting a single beer in five different threads to maximize likes, maybe reconsider your social media addiction. Just sayin'. (That's just like, my opinion, man.)

I realize that's a lot of information, but if you're new to the BIF (or hell, even if you're a returning member), please read and understand the rules and etiquette. I put a lot of time into this, and we have been running this BIF literally for years now. Don't be the one who spoils the fun for other people because you didn't understand how the BIF works, when I've put it all out there right up front.

With that, there's only one order of business left: NAME THIS BIF! Yes, the hardest part - even harder than the pairings. Along with your sign up, if you've got a recommendation for a name (they usually come from past rounds), drop it in this thread!

Cheers, and get to work!

 

Hey, my spine is doing great now, thanks! And I'm now NBW's resident cyborg.

Oh, you probably meant Terry.

Hmmm, I think Barely Legal themes might become problematic when dropping clues and mystery labels.