Free beer stories

My friend's band played the Davis Brew Fest earlier this year, and each band member got one guest. He and the guitarist gave their guest tix to me, and I took my best homebrewing buddy. We put those little sample glasses to work that day. Admission included a free 1/2lb grilled sausage and chips. And when they shut down, there were several pallets of 20lb bags of premium filtered ice left over, and we grabbed up 10 bags, had mad ice for the whole summer. That was a great day of freebies.

 

Just last Friday, after a couple hours of kayaking, I stopped into my local to quench my thirst. I chatted a bit with the guy next to me, nbd, and noted that he was enjoying a few pints from the brewery that I work for. I was about ready to leave when this guy buys a round for his friends and then buys me one too for no real reason. Cheers to that guy.

Another thing that I've learned is that bringing samples (say a 6er or two, or a couple of bombers) to another brewery will always get you free beers, great discounts on cases, etc.

 

There is a reason those are free...

 

i was the last one inside the elysian pub in capitol hill on a monday night. was flying home the next day and wanted to enjoy a few more pints...
was bullshitting with the bartender about what i've been drinking in town and all the elysian beers i had, recommended him to check out the seasonal pike brewery saison....just shooting the shit.

i pick up a couple of bombers to go (one to share with the friend i was staying with that night and one for breakfast the following morning) and ask for the bill as a finish my last pint. dude gives me the bill and i have a "new york beer lover" discount in there. basically charged me for just the bombers and let me slide on the 3 pints i had earlier.....was cool of him.


also last week ordered a pyramid outburst in a bottle at an nyc bar since i saw it in the fridge....it wasn't part of their lineup so the bartender just gave it to me if i let him have a sip. same night my sister's friends boyfriend was introduced to me and he had a can of heady for me in his pocket......

 

That's fine with me. I heard that Monk's Cafe in Philly were charging 40 bucks per bottle. If they suck then I got em for free. If they're good then, well they're good. All in all, I'll keep the bottles to add to my collection.

 

Are you sure it was a can of Heady and he wasn't just happy to see you?

 

when I used to live in a different town and used a different bottle shop they'd give a free six pack of my choice on Christmas.

 

Congrats on your PhD! I'll be starting work on mine in a year or so.

 

I had an underage person, in the parking lot of a Safeway, ask me if I wanted a case of PBR. He'd had a party the night before and had to get rid of the extra beer before his parents came home. It was weird but very cool. I'd forgotten completely about it until this thread.

 

I am holding a Pliny my manager just got for me.

 

My manager gave me a free Pliny today...

 

I was in Germany many years ago visiting relatives. I was about 15 at the time. We were in a town and there was some sort of celebration going on. All of a sudden, a huge mug of beer works its way down the street. Take a sip, pass it on. Sure as hell when it got close to me, I took my swig. What a country..

 

Two stories one bad and one good! (not bad really just embarrassing!)

I was at my favorite restaurant in SD, the neighborhood, where they have a killer happy hour. By a SD beer get one free. I was searching for my second beer when i saw Ruination and instantly ordered it! When the waiter brought it to me it seemed darker then usual and not as hoppy. By i just rolled with it only having had it twice before. About two sips in it really hit me that either the line was jacked or it was a bad batch but kept drinking. Half way through the waiter come over and asked if i liked it. I said yeah of course I love Ruination! It's one of my favorite IIPAs. He looked as me and says well that's weird because it is such and such other beer. Instant shame hit me. Turned red and got super embarrassed as a proud (so called) SD craft beer lover. Lucky he brought me an actual Ruination and my buzz got me through!

Second was my favorite bar in SD, Hamilton's. It was my birthday walked in with this ridiculous birthday hat my wife made me wear. My favorite bar tender saw it from literally all the way across the crowded bar and immediately asked me what i wanted and had it poured,in my hands, and said it's on the house before i could even think of getting out my wallet. Good lord i love that bar!

 

I've gotten free beer a few times at liquor stores; the most recent time was a Goose Island 25th anniversary.

First time was when I started going to a reopened store across the street from me; I got a bottle of Duvel, an Duvel shirt, and a Duvel bottle opener (which is still on my keychain).

Second time was a a handful of bottles another store I was a regular to gave me: Alaskan smoked porter was among them.

 

Jzeilinger is a pro at that, sent me a free Pliny & Hopslam just so i could try them!

 

I stopped by Cigar City to grab some GWAR beer since it was released that day. I ended up doing a brewery tour for the hell of it and what do you know the brewer of GWAR beer and the lead singer for GWAR was also on the tour. They were amazing and really nice and at the end the brewer ended up buying everyone on the tour a pint of GWAR beer.

 

I was out at a bar for my 30th birthday this past Saturday when I found a driver's license on one of the couches. I turned it in to one of the employees and started walking away. He tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a token for a free beer next time I come in.

 

i once got a free beer at a bar in firsco for wearing a mudhoney shirt....i think it was a lagnuitas ipa but i was pretty gone at that point (i met pliny earlier that evening, then i met him again about 7 times)

 

My best friend from when I was 9-12 years old and I got in touch again not long ago on facebook and began talking a lot of mutual craft beer interests and hooking each other up with rare stuff we find at stores.. He recently gave me some free Heady Topper from a few cases an employee of his went up to VT and got..