A local experiment

Like many of my fellow Michiganders, it would not be an issue at all. Every style you could possibly want is represented by at least 1 world-class example, and more often, multiple examples. Bells, Shorts, Founders, Dark Horse, Kuhnhenn, Jolly Pumpkin.... I don't think I need to keep going.

 

I would never be able to do this. I'm from NJ and not much locally has sparked huge interest in me. Sure there is Kane and Carton (love the boat), but they are not bottled and can be tough to find. The one's who bottle put out average offerings that when you compare to anything else at the same price point I do not understand why anyone buys them.

Wanted to add I agree with yemenmocha, I will not buy local just for locals sake, especially when the local stuff is the same price as much better stuff from out of state.

 

This coming from the guy living in New Jersey....

 

This is a great discussion. Here in Iowa I could get by for a while. I’m sure my local brewpub would love the increase in business from me. We have some good breweries in this state, but not world class. After a few months I’d miss the great beers produced in other states.

 

I could probably do within city limits. I grew up in Downingtown and have probably lived off Victory for at least a month. In Philly now it wouldn't be too bad to just drink Yards, PBC, Dock Street..

 

You're blessed to be in Colorado, beer-wise and other reasons.

No homebrew for long list of reasons. It's too warm inside all months but Dec & Jan, and I don't want refrigerated equipment. It's just too much cleaning and feels more like "work" to me. I don't like big prep cooking either. I prefer eating, and I prefer drinking. Plus results are virtually never as good as the best of what I can buy at the store, and I've been in a few homebrew clubs over the years too - so it's not just me, and it's not worth the effort and drinking less than stellar batches until I can reach a good one.

 

We're not so different, you and I...

 

I can understand all of your points. If it becomes a chore, no matter how much you enjoy the final product, it's just not worth it. I am a colorado native, and although I have visited several areas, I will probably die here. The only downside is the economy. It seemms. Like we're always hit hard by market fluctuations, and one of the last to recover. That may explain why beer is so popular here.

 

Not an abundance of really good choices in NH, but I could easily live exclusively with Smuttynose for a month.

 

Being in Connecticut, this is a tough one for me. I would say that I could make it work, but NEBCO (other than Elm City Lager and Sea Hag) is very hard to find in central CT. Without NEBCO's good stuff (i.e., Gandhi Bot, 668, Storm Trooper, Wet Willy), then it would be challenging. I still would have Hooker, Cottrell and Olde Burnside... very tough call here.

 

Just Deschutes alone could get me by

 

Calling states local is dumb...if people can count California as local I ithink anyone in a new england the rest of the new England states

 

IL...no I dont think I would want to limit myself to just these beers yet. Now if you could throw in WI, MI, and MN I might say sure

 

I could do it. In fact, I think I'd be ok with drinking nothing but New Glarus.

 

I could go quite a while buying nothing but Kansas brews. I live 16 min from LB Brewing, then there is Tallgrass and Free state brewing as well. Free State's Copperhead Pale ale ain't too bad and I take it to a few functions during the summer. Tallgrass' IPA, Velvet Rooster, 8-bit, and Oasis are all solid brews. Last but not least LB brewing in Hays has the best oatmeal stout I have ever had. Speaking of LB the wife and I are going there tommorow to eat to celebrate either, "Selling our house or cleaning it thoroughly for no reason." I am sure a few growler fills will be in order as it is 11 at night and I still have more work to do to the house. All this talk of wonderful KS brews and the fact of the matter is most of the beers I drink come from our neighbors over in Colorado. Avery and Great Divide brewing have all taken a portion of my paycheck many-a-time.

 

Surly, Harriet, Steel Toe, Summit, August Schell, Minneapolis Town Hall, Flat Earth, Fulton...

Yep. I think I could get by.

 

I grew up in Kansas. I love supporting my home state too. Keep the great brews coming.

 

I am going to weigh in for my Colorado beers. I feel so lucky and blessed to be in the presence of so many world class operations. Besides these, there are the huge influx of nano breweries that help to keep things interesting. My staples are:

-Odell: Myrcenary, IPA, 5 Barrel, Red, Isolation, Easy Street, and a lot of others on their pilot line.
-Avery: IPA, Ellies, Maharaja, Czar, Meph, DuganA, The barrel series.
-Oskar Blues: Gordon, Fidy, Chub, Dales.
-Great Divide: Yeti and all the variants, Collette, and Hercules.
-Dry Dock: Seven Seas, and other one off beers.

There are too many others to list, but I think I would be just fine without any out of state beers. However, I am so glad I don't have to just rely on Colorado beers; there are also so many great beers being brought into our state. Most notable lately has been Firestone Walker, so glad to have these guys here.

 

With Lift Bridge, Summit and Schells, I could drink local MN beers and be perfectly content. This doesn't include the breweries that are just starting to hit the liquor stores and bars. Do I want to drink just local beer? part of me says 'yes' just to support the upstart breweries and local pride blah blah.

I'm more of the wait and see person, I want the breweries to establish/prove themselves so I know that if I go into a bar and order their beer, I will get the same product as the bottle sitting on a liquor store shelf.