Do you make an effort to drink local?

Yes, I try. Too often, national distribution offers better quailty at better prices so I go that route when it comes to buying at the store and stocking the fridge. But I do hit local breweries for pints and growlers.

 

I make a point of drinking local. I had the chance to meet most local brew masters and I like to know that I am contributing towards them keeping on doing amazing brews.
Local for is me is anything is anything done within my state of Kentucky (Against the Grain, Country Boy, West 6th,...)

 

I definitely make an effort to drink local. I define local as Texas and more specifically, central Texas. We have a number of decent breweries and I like to check out their seasonal offerings as well as my favorites. I try to go to a number of local brewery events. I think it's pretty cool that I probably met the people that brewed the beer I just ordered with dinner or picked up at the supermarket. I also own a small business and like to support other local businesses.

 

Drink local when the opportunity is there Az may not be a big namethe way other states are but wemake somemighty tasty brews imho

 

Absolutely. My choices are limited here in Nevada, but I do support the local breweries. When I'm looking for something I can't find from a local brewery I tend to stick to west coast breweries. I also prefer to shop at the locally owned stores. I pay a little more but my money supports someone local.

 

I'm fortunate to live in a biggish city with a great craft beer scene so I absolutely drink local and to me, that means Indianapolis breweries.

 

Yes and it's really easy since I have really awesome beer for no where near the price of most larger breweries.

 

I do so quite often. I'm very fortunate to have some excellent local breweries. Several are really well priced as well. I almost feel guilty about some of the prices I get on great beer...almost.

 

There are some local breweries I really like and I would buy their beers even if they were made on the moon. I don't give extra credence to the locality of beer just for the sake of being local unless there are two beers I want that are of equal caliber. I will usually give the tie to the local. That said, I often prefer to drink local stuff, provided it is good, because it tends to be fresher.

 

When I'm out at restaurants, bars, clubs, music venues, anywhere around town, yes I drink (almost) exclusively local. It's great that so much of our beer scene has rapidly been converted from BMC -> craft beers -> MN craft beers ->MSP area craft beers. Some places I visit only have taps, cans, or bottles from breweries in the 7 county metro area of Minneapolis/St. Paul, and I support that whenever possible. I also visit a lot of local taprooms to support the "Surly bill" which made taprooms possible, and many have such a unique and fun vibe.

When I'm at home, I'm usually raiding my cellar and drinking craft beer from around the country world.

 

Yes, but I won't drink half-assed efforts just because they are local. There a few breweries in Oklahoma, that have yet to figure that out. I will always happily try something new from a local place unless their track record is horrible. But not gonna bypass Bells Two Hearted for some middle of the road offerings either (when in Missouri).

 

Yes. Definitely. For several reasons. Freshness, accountability, and supporting local business being foremost amongst them. There's another reason too though: I think it helps foster a sense of local community in my own mind -- it's almost a civic thing for me.

 

Yes, Greenville is a growing scene and Asheville is just up the road. Hopefully, more locals (I.e. Asheville and other Western NC breweries) will begin distributing regionally like Highlands has done.

 

I try drink NJ beers whenever I can.
If I am out and they Kane or Carton on tap, I will try and get everyone to try it.

 

I make an effort to drink awesome. If that happens to be local, then all the better!

 

I do (kinda), but I really enjoy drinking stuff that I can't find everyday - helps to mix it up

 

It's easy to ignore great stuff in your backyard in favor of coveted whales. Where I live, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting Great Lakes, Thirsty Dog or Hoppin' Frog. Furthermore, Fat Head's is just down the road, as is Cellar Rat's and Brew Kettle. I often feel guilty that a sixer of any of the above is not in my fridge while I'm out chasing FFF or the like.

I also claim upper L.P. Michigan as a second home, so I have a vested interest in promoting Bell's, Short's Founders, Dark Horse, Right Brain, etc. Founders has enough coveted seasonals available in my area, such that I'm never short on them. I visit the Bellaire area roughly quarterly, so I get my fill of Short's pub offerings and always leave with growlers and bottles. Same goes with Right Brain. Bell's is prevalent in my area, and I never want from them.

If anything, I give my native NE Ohio beers short shrift while keeping the worthy MI brewers fat and happy.

 

I drink local if I can. Im blessed with great local breweries like Fullsteam, Bull City Burger, Steel String, Trophy, Raleigh Brewing, and Crank Arm--shit I mean if I include the state Im looking at Wicked Weed, NoDa, Olde Mecklenburg, Highland, Olde Hickory, Mash House, and Pisgah. That being said, I almost always defer to Eddy Fitz, Christmas Ale, FIS, FBS, WnB, Two Hearted (I think you get the picture). It depends on if Im one of two equal moods: go out (to a brewery or bottle shop that has locals on draft) or buy bottles and enjoy them while watching some kind of sporting event with my ass on the couch (im a fan of MI sports except State).

My original home is OH, and well theyve been just killing it lately. Between Bodhi, CBC IPA, Chillwave, Cincinattus, Rivertown Lambic, Lagerheads High 5/Tyrrany, Willoughby Moonshadow/Peanut Butter Cup Porter, and anything 50 West does, I dont have room for much else. Then you have Jackie Os that honestly cant do wrong. Youve got barrels, youve got sours, youve got stouts, youve got treated stouts on nitro, youve got IPAs, youve got saisons. I could go on, but Jackie Os honestly just puts every NC brewery to shame (sorry guys its true).

 

I support Utah breweries. It's hard to support my very local brewery for various reasons. They produce some quality beer but nothing super exciting and the good stuff is crazy expensive and only sold to go. However, I do buy Uinta, Epic, and Red Rock quite regularly and would recommend them to anyone. Colorado is very close by so I feel that places like Ska that are two hours away are local and I definitely support the smaller guys.

 

I'm not on the payroll of any brewery so I try to drink beer that I enjoy. The idea of drinking local sucks if you live in San Diego. When you only have 80 breweries within a 30 mile radius then what's the point.

 

Dear PA. You put good fresh beer in me. Thanks.

 

Shorts releases so many new limited beers pretty much every 2 weeks that it literally makes it impossible for me to not have a new Shorts 6 pack in my possession. I always have a Founders 4/6 pack in my fridge too. Ahh the joys of MI beer.

 

I dunno but I would think everyone's answer here is a resounding YES (if possible). I saw a few ppl here speak of freshness. I know that's a big factor for me... and why not. Don't get me wrong I love getting a hold of everything I can, but there is something to be said about supporting locally and bolstering the community.

Personally, I'm in a good position here in Central California where I can get to numerous quality breweries. Although, I look forward to branching out and getting in some good trades

 

I do make a conscious effort to yeah, Seattle has a pretty good beer scene. Honestly though after I've tried a local beer but it was mediocre I probably wouldn't gravitate toward it over something else that is better if both were available.

 

Yes, providing the price and quality are competitive with imports. Local to me is within 20 miles of where I live ; or 20 miles from where I am at that time.

 

When your locals are Peekskill, Rushing Duck, Mill House, Keegan, and Crossroads, it's no effort,

it's pure pleasure

 

Absolutely. There is Founders, Bells, Kuhnhenn, Dark Horse, Wolverine, Jolly Pumpkin, etc here.

 

Xin loi!

 

yes I'm at the local brew pub at least once a week, drink NJ craft on tap when it's sold and buy locals at retail often.

 

Tell me the next time your going out

 

I consider local at home to be any PA beer - when I hit a distributor I always buy at least on case of PA beer. When I travel, I always ask what's available that's local to my immediate location - amazing how many restaurants only carry national brands! I sek out locals wherever I am, but also look for stuff I haven't found before. Right now, I'm drinking a Buck Snort Stout form North Country in Slippery Rock, PA, just 30 miles away.

 

Absolutely, as an IPA lover getting the stuff fresh from the source is the way to go.

 

Living about 10 minutes from all of the awesome beer New England Brewing will put in your growler at a fair price this is a resounding yes!

I try other local breweries too but as a consumer who values their dollars I will not drink local just for the sake of it if the beer is average.

 

Crocodile tears.

 

I will catch some shit for this, but I don't really consider beer to be local. Everyone is using the same ingredients (Cargill sure is local huh?) with malt coming from a select few large companies and hops coming from specific areas of the world. There are some exceptions for a few beers that have been brewed that are geographically local and in the spirit of what local truly means, but beer is very hard to do that all the time.

So, how is local defined with the only local ingredient is water? Is local ownership enough now to be considered local? Could a restaurant do the same thing? I think the answer to that is no.

My rules still remain:
1. Brew good beer
2. Charge a reasonable price
3. Don't be an asshole

I will support that most likely.

 

If local means Bloomington (Upland, BBC) the answer is almost never. I drink Indy beers (Sun King, Flat 12, Daredevil) often and if it means Three Floyds then that's just a rhetorical question.

 

For the brewing industry, more than simply based on the ownership, "local" means the actual brewery is located nearby, and the brewery's distribution is primarily concentrated in one state or region of a state and not regional or national. "Local", in the brewing industry, does not imply "locally sourced".

Really? So, if you eat at a local, "mom 'n' pop", non-chain restaurant you expect that they've raised the cattle for the steak or burger, fry up their own chickens, and grown the potatoes and corn on their farm?

 

Depends I suppose on who and what. Most of the locals make decent enough stuff a few are great, and most of those are limited releases.

 

My family owns a restaurant here in Indy ( I have no part in the business) but I've watched my uncle work his ass off to source his produce, meat, and cheese from, as he puts it, " within a tank of gas from the restaurant."

Eat Local means something. It means eating food produced near you. "Drink Local" feels more like marketing to me when none of the inputs are anywhere near me.