Getting “Locked-In” on One Brewery

so much great beer out there. Hard for me to be locked in on one brewery. Way back in the day when there were only 1500 breweries in the U.S. I found myself keeping a regular rotation of stuff from breweries that I knew I Liked (New Glarus, Central Waters, Bells, Founders, Great Lakes). But now, I have 4 breweries in walking distance of my house, and well over 20 in my city. Hard to stay focused.

 

No. I have my favorites which take up about 80-90% of beer purchases for home. However, like last night, I was at a going away and tried a Fort Point IPA. Blew me away. It's great to have "old stand buy's", but it's great to also try new beers because you can find something unexpected.

 

My parents are out in MT and it is a blessing to be able to get Fremont out there now.

 

Pretty much what QuakeAttack said.

Off Color and Sprecher are the biggies for me, but Metropolitan, Rogue, and Victory are also mainstays. I always have on hand one or more offerings from each of those breweries. And then there's nearly always something from someone else that I'm trying out...

 

I think you can understand American love of beer choice and variety by picturing someone who has been in jail for a long time, and gets out, and goes with as many women as possible. I don't think you would try to tell this person that choice is overrated. Sure, eventually (probably) that person will settle down, and eventually Americans will settle down to their beer "wife", but (pardon the vernacular) we gonna be whoring around as much as we can until then, and purely loving it.

 

I’m also from the Williamsport area and have been locked into New trail

 

Yes you do! New Image makes fantastic hazy ipas and sours, Cerebral also nails those styles and makes fantastic stouts as well. Cerebral you pretty much have to buy there, new image you can find pretty easily (my shop has about ~8 skus)

 

Dave, I am uncertain that he can. Marquis has consistently (over years) posted about how cask beers at his local(s) is all that is 'needed'. While I too enjoy Real Ales (I have a batch of Bitter Ale that had just recently completed the bottle conditioning phase) I personally prefer to drink a variety of beer styles which include:

• Belgian Trappist style Ales
• Pilsners (Bohemian Pilsner, German PIlsner, Classic American Pilsner)
• Tmavý Ležák (Czech Dark Lager)
• Oatmeal Stout
• 'NEIPA'
• others

Cheers!

 

I have a very similar, very long list also, and would love to add to it some cask English styles were they available anywhere reasonably near to here.

I likely won't be "settling down" in the way Marquis suggests either, enjoying this wayyyyyyyyyyy too much

Cheers!

 

I don't consume huge quantities of beer in a session, and I may only have 1 or 2 sessions a month, so a 4x of anything could last me 2 to 3 months. Weldwerks has been my consistent go to along with old nation.

 

If you ever decide to visit Philly I would recommend a visit to Yards Brewing. They have beers on cask at their tasting room/restaurant.

At the last Yards Real Ale beer festival on 4/14/19 (this was their 11th event) they had 60 firkins on gravity pour - a wonderful event.

Cheers!

 

A few years ago I moved just down the street from Lonerider Brewing in NC. Because of proximity and my new-found work from home gig, I would go there to get out of the house a few days a week. I had been there before, and even knew some of the brewers personally, but something about being so close to the brewery led me to drink an inordinate am of their beer over every other good brewery in NC. I didn't notice until a buddy of mine came to the house, looked in the refrigerator, and asked me if I owned stock in the company because of all the Lonerider cans!

For me, it was just easy to drink their stuff! I had the taproom less than a mile from the house, a plethora of canned Loneriders at my local grocery store, and a nostalgic (maybe?) tie in that I had become friends with some of them.

Since then I have forced myself to branch out and drink more stuff. I still have many Loneriders in the beer fridge, but not exclusively Lonerider any more. But I do love me some Sweet Josie!

 

OH THANK JEEBUZ!!!!!

I'm happy you're OK, and I think you should be happy you didn't live in the era when we had about 70-80 breweries.

Was a time, in my teens, when Rolling Rock showed up for the first time in Upstate New York, and we found it exotic.

Get over yourself and read some history.

 

I sure did. I was too committed to the Bruery. Joined their Reserve Society, and moved “up” (in benefits, but more so on $ spent) to their aptly names Hoarders Society. It was fun, but... to much reliance on one brewery. I still love the Bruery, but it’s been months since I’ve walked through their doors. I like bouncing around, so I felt it was time to cut the chord.

 

I'm locked in with Logboat (see avatar). I've known the guys since they were garage brewing. Their beers are great. I obviously buy other stuff, but my every day drinking beer is usually theirs (or some Boulevard).

 

Good thread topic. I’ve thought about this before and feel like if I had steady, convenient access to a great brewery I’d focus only on them. Unfortunately two problems: 1) Vegas breweries are not good and 2) I’m such a ticker and never someone who likes to buy More than 4 packs max of any single beer that while I’d like to believe this is what I’d want I’m not sure with the opportunity I’d actually do it.

Closest that fits the bill for me is Local Craft Beer (LCB), they make it easy by putting out one beer every 3ish weeks but I almost always get it. They’re very consistent and are making an excellent hazy and west coast ipa style.

If I lived closer to Modern Times I could see myself focusing almost exclusively on them. Maybe a MT location in Vegas one day. Can dream but I doubt it would make financial sense for them.

 

Americans are still sewing their oates. But it’s probably time to settle down, some of these pastry beers are sexy, but you might end up with a disease. Diabetes!

 

I’m not following your comment relative to my comment. Am I missing something?!

Am I being pretentious because I don’t stick to one brewery? So confused...

 

I was replying to your comment of " Way back in the old days when there were ONLY 1500 breweries". Some of remember when there were less than 1/10 that number.

 

In the 1980s!
The craft beer boom has been going on for 25 plus years. Do you realize there are now 7500+ breweries in this country?
Going from 15 -1500 was cool. But going from 1500-7500, that’s nuts!
Thats cool that you’re able to boast that you’ve been around since then(I’m not that young either). I just don’t understand your critique and how that’s relative.