Putting Together a Beer Tasting. What Should I Bring?

Here is a wonderful tool you can use to see what beers are and are not available between states, select two states and it will tell you what they get individually that the other state does not and what they share:
http://seekabrew.com/distro/index.html

And I would suggest Troegs Nugget Nectar and Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout. There is plenty of other stuff worth choosing as well. And make sure you bring your friends in Mass some good stuff from California.

 

Bell's anything

 

Have enough proper glassware to go around. Do not ever use plastic. Also, mix up some sanitizing solution for dunking dirty glasses after use: rinse in hot water, dunk in sanitizer, rinse in hot water, air dry. Soap kills heads, thus takes away the aromatic effervescence that is so important to understanding flavors. Use soap and chalk it up as worthless.
Also, Pumpking from last season and Imperial Stout sounds horrid. Drink Pumpkin Märzen when it's released or the taste isn't there...but with Stout...that's just a bad idea for a way to wreck palates.
Have fun! Don't expect people to get it if they are new to craft. Don't rant, just give and listen.

 

?

 

Well, that you're going back to San Diego I'd bet there's a lot of west coast IPA love. Well, I much prefer non-west coast IPA's, of course well exceptions. I'd get my hands on some Heady and Lawson's for sure and maybe some others. I'm by no means a pro on west coast style, but I'd also consider Abrasive and Hopslam.

 

Bring some hoponius and some kiwi rising, phaps a saxonator as well

 

somehow obtain fat heads head hunter and bring that

 

Keep in mind the dates too. Don't buy an IPA thats 1 1/2 months old tomorrow to take in march when its 2 1/2-3 months old.

may be obvious, but we all forget dates sometimes. At least I do. Every time I buy sculpin..

 

good point

 

I think it depends on how much they think that you know about beer. If you want to mess with them then I would stop off and get some Stone, Green Flash, Pliny, if you can find it, etc. Or find some lesser brewery out there and bring theirs. If they know that you know beer then a lot of the founders or bells stuff is good. Can they get FFF out there? The rye da tiger is great as is Dreadnaught or zombie dust. Being in KY, i live vicariously through most other people on here as far as what they actually have available.

 

bells

 

A big stick to to educate any monkey's who arrive and don't abide by bottle opening etequite.

 

[quote="AverageWhiteGuy, post: 913021, member: 703681".....I'm planning on putting on a little tasting and bbq.[/quote]Keep in mind what types of beer(s) go with the food you'll be serving.

 

I'm in Boston too for school right now. Fat Heads, Bells, and FFF don't distribute here so don't go looking for those.

If you want to make the ~2 hour drive up to Vermont for Heady Topper, Lawsons, and Hill Farmstead I am sure your friends and family would really appreciate that.

Nugget Nectar is supposed to hit here this upcoming week according to my beer store. If you want to go really local you can get some of Harpoon's Leviathan series or an Ipswich Oatmeal Stout (very solid and pretty cheap 4.50-5 a bomber). Since it looks like they enjoy stouts you can find Hoppin Frog's BORIS and DORIS if you look. That's really all I can think of right now.

When are you heading out there? I'm from Minnesota so when I fly back to Boston I usually bring some Surly back. I fly back into Boston on the 17th of March so if you want I could probably bring you some Furious or Bells stuff.

Good Luck!

 

A proper evening tasting is using followed a number of hours later by some or all of the following:

Evian
McRib sandwich X2
Aspirin
Gatorade
Coffee
Denny's All American Grand Slam Breakfast
Hair of the Dog