Most Prized Brewer Possession

Probably my old wooden Oerbier crate:



I've also got an early 1900s (empty) A. Le Coq bottle, which is a pretty cool octagonal flip-top... will try to get a good photo sometime soon.

 

The sweat from Alan Sprints' hand and my hand etched 7 Seas swingtop growler.

 

A nice string of metallic blue beads with a gold Corona medallion. I have two of these and would consider parting with one.

 

Would you trade for it?

 

as promised: found in the basement rafters of a house built in the 1920s, advertising a brewery that existed from the 1890's through the 1950's. maybe not my most prized possession, but certainly the most random.

 

Also:

 

My bottle of signed rare from Mr.Hall

 

Sure but I did get the colors backwards. The beads are gold and the medallion is blue or somesuch. They are just cheap plastic swag that I got at a local radio promotion sponsered by them.

 

My first acoustic guitar has a HT sticker on it now.

I tend to be protective of my fancy Great Lakes 2L+ growler as well.

 

For me it's a pretty basic pint glass from my visit to the most southern bar in the U.S., Shaka Restaurant in Naalehu, HI, which is on the "Big Island." I don't even use the glass. Despite not fulfilling its purpose, I've just got so many pints, I don't know what to do with them all and surely wouldn't want this one to crash and burn.

Don't have a picture handy of the glass, but here's the restaurant:

 

Don't know if this would count, but it certainly has weird in spades...

A gallon pickle jar with 2 preserved Spiny Dogfish and 2 Bonnetheads (juveniles obviously) signed by Sam Calagione. At the time he admitted it was the oddest thing he could remember signing. It sits by my kegerator next to a Georgia Moon whiskey jar full of Architeuthis beaks from a Sperm Whale stomach.

I have to admit I probably fall into their 'off-centered' demographic.

 

Mine has to be my trip to the Lawson's event last March when I met Sean Lawson and he signed my double sunshine bottle. I also had the pleasure of meeting Shaun Hill on that same trip and he signed a HF growler for me. Thoroughly enjoyed talking to both of them!

 

That reminds me how how much I love my Nalgene with my Great Divide sticker on it. I can keep it on my desk at work and everyone thinks its just a nerdy sticker.... but no one knows its a beer nerd sticker.

 

My Schlitz coat. That coat gets so much play, it's like my own wearable wing man.

 

I have a signed bottle (Todd and Omar) of Darkness 2009, which is probably my favorite true brewerania, but I also have a solid walnut tap handle my wife's grandpa made for me for our St. Patrick's Day where we use our friends Jockey Box that I love. I hope to make a new one every year now...

 

Here it is:



I have it out of affinity for the A. Le Coq stout brewed by Harvey & Son, though this bottle is from the A. Le Coq brewery, which actually still produces their Viru beer in an octagonal cone-shaped bottle -- this quote is from their recent relaunch: The striking 20cl octahedral bottle is derived from a 100 year-old Russian design, intended to be reminiscent of the medieval turrets of Estonia. I haven't had the Viru, though I expect it's not to my taste. I hear it's around in MA though, if I see it I'll probably pick one up just to try.

 

These are my favorite things, mostly because of the experience:


Rob Syers Gumballhead drawing that he did while we were sharing a beer at the XV party


50+ Year Old Westvleteren Beer Crate, given as a gift at the Abbey

 

I recently ran across this for .99 at a thrift shop - it's about 8" tall, and is from Prima Company (a Chicago brewery that made this beer right around 1900-1915 before being taken over by Al Capone). Anyway, it's 100 years old and the piece that I'm really jazzed about right now!