I'm in but what constitutes as "local breweries" I don't live within 20 miles of any good brewery but I live within 100 miles of many, many amazing breweries and some of those aren't in my state. Is there any issue with this?
I think 100 miles is about as far as I'd consider acceptable, obviously the closer the better. Cool local swag and solid matching local beer beats 'meh' swag and good beer from further away.
Do some cool swag with a more local brewery's best beers, and then include a couple stellar beers from the amazing breweries. Then again I might be the person with the easiest box make up this round. 15 miles from Jester King is a good place to be.
@Steban Box headed your way tomorrow morning. Apologies if it's a little wet, I may have been drooling as I packed it up
No rules by a long shot. Not even close. 1st round knockout, never had a chance. Both of these beers put into perspective just how ridiculously awesome Good Morning is though, still can't comprehend the maple flavor they managed to get past fermentation.
So Good Morning is one of those rare beasts that lives up to the deserved hype train rolling through?
For you Ohio guys @Elkevjoe @Eziel have you been to Jackie O's yet? If so any recomendations? I'm going to be there on Nov 17th.
I left that vague for a reason since geography isn't the only consideration. If you're in the middle of nowhere Minnesota and Surly is 200 miles from you, I'd still consider that "Local" since it's one of the best your state has to offer; on the other hand if you're in Boston, I would think you would stick to MA breweries and not use CT or ME ones, despite they not being all that far.
Yes, growlers and crowlers are fine, but be sure you care for them appropriately given the trip they're going to take. There are lots of people who refuse to send growlers, for a reason; with that said I send them regularly without issue, so use your judgement.
Swing top growlers are ideal - I've sent maybe 10 over the last year and haven't had any issues. Tape up the swing top and you're essentially sending a capped 750ml bottle. Screw-top growlers are another story. I've never sent one, but had had 3 sent to me at various times, and 2 of the 3 leaked, even with taped caps. The pressure buildup during shipping seems to be too much for the cheap cap threads to handle, and if they back out even an eighth of a turn you're looking at a leaky growler. Good rule of thumb is to line your box with a trash bag or other sturdy plastic, and seal it up tight after you pack. If there is a leak, at least it'll be (mostly) contained and it might make it to your target without being flagged by UPS for a soggy box.
