addicted to buying beer...

This is amazing. I can't believe I didn't think of this thread before now--probably because I was too embarrassed to be the guy who posts about his ridiculous purchase habits and finds no so-afflicted BAs.

Currently, my inventory sits at an absurd 141 individual cans, singles, bombers and 750s, with about 1/4th of that total being held for cellaring/aging. Out of those 141 containers, there are 119 different specific beers, and of that 119 beers, 76 are varieties I've never tried before, so yes, I have a problem. I'm constantly trying to check bottling/freshness dates to triage which bottles must be drunk first and which can stand to wait a week or two longer. It's really quite sad.

A few observations to add about my own personal battle with this affliction:

One of the reasons I have such a problem is because I will stop by local bars/taphouses/bottle shops with some regularity when they get some beer or another on tap that I've never had and may not be otherwise available in my area, so I end up not even making a dent in the massive tomb at home.

I agree with those who've said that they get almost as much fun out of hunting for/finding beers as they do drinking them. One of the specific ways I do this is with online purchases. There are a couple sites in particular that get a good selection of beers that don't come to KS/MO, and everytime something new/special comes in, I have to actively stop myself from buying anything. Sometimes, that willpower fails.

Finding so many like-minded individuals brings a tear to my eye and a beer to my mouth.

 

One can never have enough beer, right? To reduce your inventory, just have a BBQ and invite your closest friends that enjoy drinking beer as much as you do.

 

One word..... DATABASE.

A year ago, I started to learn Microsoft Access. I was using Excel way too much for things that are better suited for a database. With Access, I have every beer pretty much available here entered, and I have my complete inventory with bottling dates (if known), purchase dates, and expiration dates (if known... if not, then I enter a reasonable one based on bottling date). I'm constantly accessing that database to determine which can wait and which are getting to the point of "drink now".

I tried copy/pasting a look at the inventory, but I get an error that my message is too long.

 

Let me know when your next "OIC" (Operation Inventory Control) is. Oh yeah... I need a place to crash in Hawaii, too.

 

I am completely guilty of this. The second I hear "One time brew," or "This is being discontinuted," my bank account takes a hurting. I am also like a teenage girl at the mall when I see good deals on some awesone beer; I can't help, but make a purchase.

 

I currently use Excel (not a database, I know) even though I have some decent experience with Access because I don't have Access on my computer and Excel does the trick well enough and doesn't cost me any extra money.

When I said I go through looking at bottling/freshness dates, I really meant that I skim through my spreadsheet, as date is one of the many columns I keep on record. The sad part is that I have to choose which beers to drink based on approaching "expiration" dates rather than what sounds good. As a result, a lot of the beers I've been drinking lately tend to be IPAs/DIPAs even though I've got some outstanding sours and Belgians that I'm dying to crack open.

 

Sounds like we have the exact same problem. Damn you Founders for finally coming to Florida... and Goose Island for bringing us your Belgian seasonals too.

 

I have 700 bottles at home. Hoarder and addicted.

 

Might as well face it, you're addicted to suds.

 

I have a fridge full of my last case of 1.5 month old Heady Toppers (which are still fresh in my book), just bought three sixes of DC Brau's Corruption and another 2 cases of local NJ beer just because I was there, and now I'm waiting for Ithaca's Box of Hops twelve pack to come out. That's on top of all the Belgians, Stouts, etc. that are waiting to be drunk. Yes, this is an addiction and I'm as guilty as the rest!

 

I seem to run into this here and there, buy a growler at the local brewery, move all the other beer around to squeeze it into the cooler. Only to drink the beers around it until it goes flat

 

I'm resurrecting this thread because my purchases are getting out of hand. I do not know anyone personally who drinks craft beer and I'm buying a ton of it every week. The IPAs are the worst because I have so many of them and no way to probably drink them all before they go south BUT I can't stop buying! Unless I started drinking every single day 2-3 beers then hard binge drink on Friday-Sat. It's turned into a compulsion...I called my beer shop yesterday to ask about a beer that might be coming in and while on the phone I bought 2 4s of HI-RES I have one, another 6er of Sucks I have two already, and 3 bottles of ST Creme Brulee and I have 3 bottles from the last release, a 4 pack of Rise of Mayan Dog, and ordered a case of the IPA if she gets it in... I'm acting like a kid in an orphanage with food I have to get as much as possible before its gone. Its not even an income issue its how do you stop the compulsion to keep buying more? I always reason to myself with stouts oh well they keep, but the IPAs!?!? How have you guys curbed your enthusiasm so to speak.

 

I used to buy a six pack of all the new brews. It was very costly as every week there'd be something new and interesting. I now will only buy singles unless I know I like the beer or once I try it, then I will buy more. As for the large format bottles, I will try to buy only one depending on availability.... Obviously this doesn't work for everything but it helps.

 

Just don't go to the store. Easier said than done i'm sure especially if you say income isn't an issue but fill your time with something else? I wonder what i would do as well but income is a BIG issue for me so that's my deterrent.

Alternately, keep buying IPAs and send some to me

 

I was buying a lot more than I was consuming too. I came to the realization/understanding that most beers I'm after will be brewed again. If I miss out on a release, I'll be able to get my hands on it in another couple weeks, months, or next year, depending on the beer. Enjoy what you have on hand. You don't need to try all the beers right now.

 

Things were in check until the hopslam release. I bought my allotment, then Deschutes came to town, and then, even worse LaGunitas came to town (curse you Sucks). Then the Nugget Nectar release, then drove through Three Floyds country, then Plead the Fifth showed up in town, then Hop JuJu, and the Chillwave release is coming up. It's my own damn fault, but a nice problem to have. Trying to get things down to about twenty in the fridge and 10-20 bombers on deck.

 

I think that is the ticket, but its hard to pass up when most of the really amazing craft beers are seasonals.

 

dude, i feel you man. this is a real issue! I have recently found myself in the same boat, except a little less extreme. no one else really to drink with me? check. putting more in the fridge per week than i drink? check. worried about how old some of the ipas are getting? check. this is the only thing that worked for me - a concrete decision to stop buying for a period of at least a few weeks until I can whittled down the overall inventory, especially the ipas. I am almost there and ready to think about what I am gonna buy next. funny thing is i allowed myself to stock up a little bit on stouts and the like a couple months ago thinking "hey, its winter, i'll drink them". but then all these great ipas hit (sucks, hopslam, etc.) and i bought them and have been drinking them almost exclusively so the stouts are sitting and its almost spring! Don't even get me started on the BCBS 4 pack I bought and have only drank one. It's like i can't part with another of the precious....

 

I'm at about a case a week and I'm only drinking roughly 12 a week....then I'm so close to PA they only sell by the case for the most part, the shops that bust up a case are usually out but the ones by the case aren't because most ppl are unwilling to buy a case because of money issues or whatnot and I'm like screw it its only 40-45-60-80-118-204 a case

 

Uh, theres your answer.