Not a travel-based beer surprise, but still awesome. In Summer 2015 I went to Tree House (Monson) just on a whim, not knowing what was on that day. I got in line, seemed a bit longer than usual but nothing crazy. When I got in I found out they had Good Morning for growler fills - one limit per person. Delicious!
Heart of Darkness - interesting name for a pub in Saigon, as that was the name of the Joseph Conrad book that was the inspiration for the Coppola film "Apocalypse Now."
This Tuesday morning I walked into a local beer store in Niagara Falls and found two 4 -packs of Heady Topper that I was totally not expecting. They both went home with me. What a surprise treat.
Oh yeah! I can picture the corner store and I can recall the random assortment of beers—down to a bottle of that Xantus that I also picked up. I can’t remember their name and I wonder if they’re even still around.
Wild! Glad you got some before my greedy ass hoarded the rest I moved a few months later, but I just assume most corner stores live forever? I remember they were also a good spot to score the BA Firestone releases back when they were hard to find.
That Valencia corridor changed so much just in the time I lived out in SF. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a high rise now.
Dude, almost everywhere I've lived has completely changed when I revisit a decade later. And the places that haven't changed in feeling, it's still all new businesses occupying places I used to love. Middlesex Co, VA actually has nice places now Richmond, VA is gentrified to hell (what the fuck you mean it's $13 for a burger without side on the far North Side?) Northside of Pittsburgh is no longer a semi-slum Westside of Grand Rapids is no longer a semi-slum Except for Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Bakery, the stuff I liked about Heritage Hill in GR is gone. Mantua in Philly got ate up by University City (gentrified) Nothing I liked in Downtown Silver Spring is still there except Nando's, and they got rid of my favorite side dish. Scratch that Silver Branch and McGinty's are still there, and I loved them. There are other places I've lived that will probably always be what they are, but they were also my least favorite place to live.
About 25 years ago, my Sundays beer tasting host was in a Total Beverage outside of DC and noticed that they were running a sale on Belgian beers. He loaded his shopping cart with said beers. One of these beers was a Scaldis Noel magnum bottle. About a year later, four of us were concluding a Sunday beer sampling, when my friend decided to crack open the Scaldis Noel magnum. Was a good thing there were four of us sharing. We had no idea it was 12% ABV!
