My friend is going to Austin...

Discussion in 'Southwest' started by offthelevel_bytheplumb, Mar 31, 2014.

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  1. offthelevel_bytheplumb

    offthelevel_bytheplumb Maven (1,277) Aug 19, 2013 Illinois

    ... and he and I are looking for some advice from you Austin BAs out there. He is looking to bring back some of your local brews for he and I to split. Space is an issue, so bombers are the preferred packaging we are looking for. He is very much into bigger styles, such as imperial stouts, imperial IPAs, barleywines, old ales, and scotch ales. Barrel-aged brews are a big plus! $10 is the highest price we are looking to pay per bottle, but cheaper would be a big plus as well.

    Also, what are some of your favorite bottle shops in the area? He'd really like to go to a shop with a knowledgeable staff. He likes to talk beer with the staff at bottle shops.

    Thanks in advance guys and gals! Cheers!

    Joe
     
    #1 offthelevel_bytheplumb, Mar 31, 2014
  2. aschwab

    aschwab Initiate (0) Mar 3, 2009 Texas

    $10 limit on high ABV BA beers? Good luck.

    Austin is weird - it does not have a true craft beer shop (yet....in mid April we will). Most of the places are either converted convenient stores that now have a great selection or certain grocery stores/large package liquor stores. While some of them know their beer, there is not really a place you can go into and just talk beer with someone with knowledge. I guess, for now, Craft Pride is the most likely one but I do not feel their bottle store staff is usually that knowledgeable and their selection is quite small (and expensive).
     
    #2 aschwab, Mar 31, 2014
  3. offthelevel_bytheplumb

    offthelevel_bytheplumb Maven (1,277) Aug 19, 2013 Illinois

    What would a better limit be?
     
    #3 offthelevel_bytheplumb, Mar 31, 2014
  4. aschwab

    aschwab Initiate (0) Mar 3, 2009 Texas

    First off...that limit may work for Imperial IPAs, some Barleywines, Old Ales and such. But, it was more a comment towards the BA stuff - you will not find that under $10.

    As far as a bottle shop, try one of these:

    Sunrise Mart: Anderson Lane
    East 1st Grocery: Chesar Chavez
    Spec's: Brodie or Airport
    Central Market: Either
    Whole Foods: Any
     
    #4 aschwab, Mar 31, 2014
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  5. Heretic42

    Heretic42 Savant (1,118) Aug 31, 2011 Texas

    On the cheaper side:
    Independence Convict Hill (oatmeal stout, I believe only in 4-packs)
    Independence Jasperilla (old ale)
    Austin Beerworks Heavy Machinery (rotating IPA, currently DIPA; only in 4x16oz cans)
    512 Pecan Porter (growlers/draft only)
    Guadalupe Scotch ale
    St Arnold Endeavor DIPA (if you can find it fresh)

    On the not cheap side: 512 Whiskey Barrel Double Pecan Porter (if it's around when he's here)

    ~$15/bomber, but there really aren't many BA local beers here outside of the stuff Jester King makes (which I would also recommend, but they don't really have anything that fits your style list).

    Prairie isn't local (and I'm not sure if you get it in IL), but I recommend their stuff as well, esp Noir, its variants, Bomb, and Bible Belt. You may find Vanilla Noir around, but the others are currently gone and Bible Belt is not here yet.

    I think everything else that we get in Austin you can already get in IL.
     
    #5 Heretic42, Mar 31, 2014
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  6. offthelevel_bytheplumb

    offthelevel_bytheplumb Maven (1,277) Aug 19, 2013 Illinois

    Thanks for the list! The non-bomber stuff will be useful to him while he is there as well.
    I think we can live with $15 a bomber. If there isn't any reasonably priced BA stuff, we'll live with non-BA stuff. I actually am going to do my best to convince him to get some Jester King. I've had a couple of their beers, and I am a fan of what I've had. Unfortunately, he isn't the biggest fan of sours.
     
    #6 offthelevel_bytheplumb, Mar 31, 2014
  7. Chuk_Hell

    Chuk_Hell Initiate (0) Apr 12, 2012 Texas

    :slight_frown:
     
    #7 Chuk_Hell, Apr 1, 2014
    cam_williams, kmello69, aschwab and 3 others like this.
  8. aschwab

    aschwab Initiate (0) Mar 3, 2009 Texas

    Hey...I did say some of them. Central Market is my go-to before Spec's.:grinning:
     
    #8 aschwab, Apr 1, 2014
  9. JohnBender

    JohnBender Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2012 Texas

    Sorry, I missed something. What is coming in mid April?
     
    #9 JohnBender, Apr 1, 2014
  10. Heretic42

    Heretic42 Savant (1,118) Aug 31, 2011 Texas

    A bottle shop called WhichCraft near S. Lamar/Oltorf.

    http://whichcraftbeerstore.com/
     
    #10 Heretic42, Apr 1, 2014
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