what are some of the best or rare brews that you bought recently while on vacation that you have no chance to obtain in your hometown...was happy to find these PTE Blind Pig damnation supplication beatification Double jack
My last vacation was to the UK and Belgium, and the beers I brought back were: Crianza Helena x2 Armand'4 Lente x4 3F Oude Geuze Vintage '07 Westvleteren 12, 8, and Blonde (one of each) My next vacation will be to the UK and Belgium again, and I'm sure my suitcase will be full of Lambic on the return journey: no BS Trappist stuff to distract from the sour this time around...bwahaha.
I just got back from Anchorage Wednesday night and crammed 14 bombers and a six pack of the following into my checked baggage: Midnight Sun Arctic Devil (2010) Midnight Sun TREAT Midnight Sun Anchorage Midnight Sun Moscow Midnight Sun London Midnight Sun Kyoto Alaskan Barleywine (2008) Alaskan Amber Ale Highlights on tap: Runner-up goes to Oaked Monk's Mistress at the Midnight Sun Loft, Grand Prize hands down was the Buffalo Trace BA Eisbock at Glacier Brewery. I considered intentionally missing my flight to spend another day with this beer, then wisely decided in favor of getting back to the wife and kids!
I recently took the family to Disneyworld and Sea World in Orlando. I managed to make a side trip to Cigar City Brewing in Tampa and tried quite a few beers I had not had before. Along with all the great CCB stuff ( Oaked Jai Alai, SMaSH Kohutu and Pacifica, Cucumber Saison, Jose Marti, Cubano-Style espresso and so many more ) I got to try two Hill Farmstead beers ( Edward and Everett ) that were on guest tap. Wow, looks like I need a reason to vacation in Vermont next time!
I recently vacationed in Negril, Jamaica and came across Dragon Stout in a little worn down grocery store. It came in 4 packs. It was a decent stout, nothing I'd drink while at home, but a much needed break from all the Red Stripe at the resort.
I don't get caught up on rare beers. If I find something I love, I want to experience it again. My thoughts are like this, if I was to hear a brilliant record like Olivia Tremor Contro's Black Foliage only once, then in my opinion I would rather not have heard it at all. When I travel, I simply want to taste those beers which are not available to me in NY. I'm not stuffing that shit in my suitcase. With that said, I totally respect that others feel differently. Still, I was finally able to try Pliny (on draft) on a recent trip to Santa Monica. Had a bomber of Mongo too. Yum. Okay, so maybe I'm lying. I do feel greater having tried it. Or maybe I feel greater for having squashed the curiousity.
Just got back from San Diego on Tuesday, where I was able to grab some Alpine Nelson, Alpine Ale, and Kern River Just Outstanding among others. Also got to try Pliny the Elder on tap for the first time, at the Stone Brewery/Bistro, and also stopped by the Lost Abbey brewery for a couple pints (for some reason I didn't expect it to be a warehouse in a suburban office park)... and then the same day we got home (still technically on vacation, as it was a travel day) I stumbled upon a Pliny the Younger tapping here in Seattle. All in all, it was an outstanding beer week for me.
Went to Colorado for the 1st anniversary of marriage with the wife and we had a great time trying lots of stuff that isn't distributed to California. My wife's highlight was Dry Dock Hefeweizen. I was just happy to try the likes of Dry Dock, Odell, Left Hand, Oskar Blues (tap only offerings), Funkwerks, etc. We also found our favorite brewpub ever (Freshcraft).
