Best Random Beer Encounter at a Pub or Restaurant

Random cellar clearing party at a good craft beer bar in KC. Had 2013 Bourbon County, Ten Fidy and 2012 Abyss in the month of June. I was asking what else they had in the cellar and bartender was telling me about a 4 pack of KBS that they didn't know how to get rid of. I asked if they'd sell it to me and so after having those 3 great stouts I walked out with a 4 pack of KBS

 

Bourbon County Coffee Stout at The Reservoir in Vermont, in the middle of July (last year) while visiting! Best random beer encounter EVER!

 

I was at Stein's in New Orleans right when they opened at 9 am. I went past the restaurant section, straight to the beer room in the back. There was one guy shopping for beer. When I got to the checkout with my beers, I noticed the same guy with a 4 pack of Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout on his table with his breakfast. I asked him where he found it and he pointed to Dan Stein at the register. "How many you want?" Dan asked. A four pack is fine, I said. It's nice when Dan shares his secret stash.
On another occasion, I was buying a current Old Stock (2013) and Dan said he had some earlier years in the back, was I interested. He sold me a 2008 and a 2011 (at $3.50 each). The '08 was stellar.

 

Pints of KBS in FLAGSTAFF? Respect. That is outstanding.

 

Suburbs of NYC last may. We had an unexpectedly large party of 10 for dinner, and of all the places we tried to get into, we finally found one that had little to no wait... 3-5 beers on tap. It was more of a wine/steak/seafood place. We had no expectations of what to expect. But there it was. In late May, Founder's Breakfast Stout just sitting there on tap.

I knew it was a seasonal and I had plans to try and find it in a bottle on that trip. So to see it on tap at a place we didn't plan for. It felt like fate. I think I went with 3 pint pours before calling it quits on a high note

 

I saw some absolutely insane bottles last time I was at Dirk's Filet & Vine in Montgomery, AL.
Borderline Whalez just sitting on the shelf as they're still new to the craft beer thing down there.

 

Not that special a find, but I recently stopped by a solid bottle shop that is too far from home to visit regularly. Because I hadn't been there for months, I was slowly walking the craft isles. A young female must have detected a puzzled look on my face and asked: "Are you here to buy The Oracle and Mars?" I didn't even realize it had hit the shelves two hours before. I said yeah and she went into the back to give me the limit of two bottles each. Think I'll continue to look lost when I'm in such establishments in the future

 

Went to a Deschutes takeover at the Red Cow in Minneapolis, my first for this sort of event. Had real goodies on tap, 2012 & 2013 Abyss, Black Butte XXIV and XXV. It just so happened that I managed a seat at the bar next to the distributor's rep and out of the blue he pours me a glass from his own personal bottle of Black Butte XXI. Paradise in a bottle!

 

All I can say is "Wow"! You guys have had some seriously, outrageously, good fortune with great beers!
I got to have Parabola at House of Blues at Disneyland. Thought I was lucky..!

Chris

 

a guy walks into a bar (me) in eugene, oregon, and finds that the bar has all 12 sierra nevada beer camp beers on tap.

 

I went to an authentic Sichuan restaurant on a stretch of road with plenty of other authentic, hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants, all of which are not known for craft beer, if they even serve beer at all. This place in particular does offer Founders Porter in addition to Tsingtao and the other staples, so that's not too bad, but definitely as good as it gets for the area.

However, on one particular evening they happened to be selling Mexican Cake bombers at only a dollar more than they were at the local beer stores, and a week after MC had released. Needless to say, I bought one and enjoyed one of the best Sichuan dinners ever. I think MC and Sichuan were meant for each other. Sadly, they were out when I came back 2 days later. Still, that was a huge surprise.

 

Toronado recently had a keg of Bells Black Note that lasted all week and we could just pop in and have some (also had some RR sours), while they usually have unbelievable taps the popular stuff goes fast.

Some of my friends were lucky enough to happen to go out to a hh during Pliny the Younger week this year and a brewpub in downtown put on a keg on a Wednesday night, no one was there and they got as much as they could drink. Considering the pandemonium that PtY generates it was pretty unreal....

 

I recently attended a minor league baseball game in Norfolk, VA, (go tides!) when my wife purchased some discount tickets. I'm not a baseball fan, but any live event can be fun, especially for the kids. In my head I envisioned bud light and off-grey hotdogs. I was pleasantly suprised to discover a "craft beer pub" on the concourse with 10 taps and as many bottles. I don't recall everything they had, but I did have a Virginia Beach Brewing (local) altbier, riptide on tap and they also had several O'Connors brewery offerings, El Guapo, Red Nun and Norfolk canyon. The food was far better, too, with a buffet in restuarant with a clear view of right field, a Y'not pizza, and a mexican place in addition to typical stadium fare. I'll go back for the beer & food alone.

 

Nothing specific, only a general encounter or two when I go to a restaurant and don't expect too much craft beer since they aren't on ANY website. When I walk past the bar and see that there is no craft on draft and ask at the table what they have besides the usual suspects and get an answer other than: Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, Heinekin and Amstel [and this way I know the server is clueless] I am extremely surprised.

 

Visiting a friend in Mass...she says "we have a beer fridge in the basement, but I doubt there is anything you'll like it in...bunch of SA Lager, Corona, etc...but we do have a beer a friend left here 5 years ago...a Rochefort 10..."

I'll take it...it was 15 days from it's 5 year best by date...quite delicious.

 

I've posted this before as well...but back when Hopslam was at it's peak, I walked into a Faux Irish Pub called Finnigans...they sold Two Hearted so they got a sixtle of Hopslam...they didnt' know what it was and were selling it by the pint for happy hour prices of $3 per...

 

I went on a brewey tour a few months back which included shuttle transporation. The pick-up point was at @Bocktown Beer & Grill, a local place with a good craft selection. Before we left, the owner cracked open a 2006 Gratitude by East End for us to share on the ride to the brewery. Awesome brew, and an awesome gesture.

 

Ever since I was a little kid my family has been going to Lake George, NY for summer vacation. There's a pretty small bar called Judd's Tavern that I must have walked past countless times as a child and as an adult. This summer, with my girlfriend, we walked in and to my delight the craft beer selection was great. They had DFH 120 Minute on tap, along with some great local stuff, and good cans/bottle selections from the likes of Westbrook. Finally got to try that Gose. What a treat.

 

Was at Decicco's grocery store in NY and they have a tasting room attached. On draft was BCBS (this was 2012). While drinking it was making small talk with the bartender about how I like to age it sometimes. He told me to wait, came back with two bottles of 2008 BCBS from the back room and let me buy them. Solid find.

 

During my start in drinking craft beer, I was (hell, I still am) a big fanboy and would drag anyone I could out to Cigar City to try out some beers. I pulled my dad out there one wonderful afternoon, I believe it was right after Hunahpu Day, to have some flights. He doesn't much like being around too many people so we had our own little table for a time. For our second round we moved up to the bar and struck up a conversation with an older gentleman next to us. He was in town for business staying at a hotel overlooking the brewery, and saw the insanity that was Hunahpu Day outside his window the day before and decided to check it out. I was working that day, and was unable to attend or get any bottles at all. He purchased a couple of bottles, took them to his room, and didn't much like the one he opened. He went back to CCB while we were there to try out some of their other selections and when somehow our conversation turned to Hunahpu Day, and he OFFERED to sell me his extra bottle. I was floored that a bottle of Hunahpu just found it's way into my possession. He even still had the empty sitting there for me to add to my bottle collection. What an awesome turn of events!