Release Day Memories

this. the thought of going to one of these now is so far from my comfortable reality, but in my 20s it was the right place at the right time. best ever bottle share and the opportunity to meet BAs from everywhere, including some very famous recluses (at that time). there were no tickets, no death metal, no variants even. just get in line for bombers and here's four options of draft you can have in plastic cups. simple, beautiful, friendship, beer.

 

I remember when I first saw cases of BCBS stacked on the floor well past Black Friday. I brought a bottle to the counter and started chatting up the owner — “how much for a case?” — and got one at a deep discount. Those bottles helped me place in Day of the Dark one year.

 

My wife and I were in a pub crawl thru the New England states back during the time when Heady Topper was scarce. I had been tracking the releases of it and we were in the area when the info arrived that it would be available at a grocery store in some small town, and there was a one case limit. It was a chilly spring day, but I got in line that was about 200' long in the parking lot and waited until the appointed hour (I think it was just a little over an hour) until they allowed the line to come into the store. No partying or drinking was happening while in line, so it was a civilized scene.

Once inside the store, workers gave everyone a shopping cart and the line led to the pallet where cases of the beer were stacked up. I only wanted a 6-pack, but when I arrived at the pallet an employee put a case in my cart. I decided not to fight it. Then, a half second later another employee placed some Sip of Sunshine into my cart too. BONUS!! I don't recall what amount of SoS it was, but I was also aware how scarce that beer was too, so I decided not to fight that addition to my cart either.

I came to the release just hoping to get a 6-pack of HT and came away with a case of it and some SoS to boot! It was a good day!

 

I always got a kick out of going to multiple releases the same day, and ending up in line with the same people at each stop. Great drinkers think alike!

 

I still remember waiting in line for Trillium releases on Congress St in Fort Point Boston, and they had such a small thin 3-4 person in and out to-go spot it was hilarious the amount of people lined up waiting for beer even in the snow or rain around the corner to the next block just for the new releases, sometimes waiting an hour or longer. No regrets though! Cheers

 

Hardywood Gingerbread Stout releases... And all the variants. Used to be line life, now it's everywhere when the season hits.

 

Not a release, but attended a cask tapping of Victory Downington Mild at a now closed bar in RVA back in 2010. Had two pints, gave the bartender a twenty and didn't get change back. I said "What the FUCK? I only had two pints!" out loud and the bartender handed me back a ten. The drummer from Municipal Waste reminded me that it was a pretty rare cask and I left the ten as a tip.

Still pissed that a pint of cask mild would be 10 bucks, even in 2024 money.

 

The WRVA beer that they did was probably my favorite beer from them.

 

My first three years in craft, I managed to land one or two BCBS OG and felt lucky since our whole state only got around 10 cases. Then in 2018 we got variants in large quantity, hallelujah! I recall that Black Friday because I reserved bottles at my favorite stores. I also attended a taproom release of the Wheatwine and OG at 10AM, and it was great. Most had come for the Wheatwine, though some weren't familiar with the style and had OG.

At Costco, I got there just as they opened, and the BCBS wasn't out yet. I peeked into their loading dock and saw employees standing around a pallet of BCBS cases. So, of course, I headed in to talk them. They weren't familiar with it, so I filled them in as to why it was a big deal for craft drinkers. Others followed me back there, and they loaded us up with 1ea of whatever we wanted (Wheatwine, Bramble, Orange, and Vanilla). By the time they put them out, they were down a few cases.

Now it's no challenge, but I still go through the motions of the hunt, starting out around 6AM, and usually home by 9AM. I don't buy as much as before, now getting at least 1ea to try, but will get several of anything I know I'll like. I'll be able to go out and get more if I like them. This year I'll load up on Vanilla, get a couple of the Cask and a couple of the macaroon. A family member may be moving to IL before Black Friday, so I may have an opportunity to visit and bag a Prop or two.

 

Dave, I remember meeting you at two releases: one, at Rushing Duck, and the other at Equilibrium (back in the day when release day meant something at EQ). At Equilibrium there used to be a really great bottle share prior to queuing up to get the new release. I had a half consumed cup of something and you had a bottle of something really good. You told me to "pour that ***t out" and gave me a fill. I don't remember what it was but I know it was good. You made quite an impression on me during those two events and I wish you the very best. Keep on postin'!

Rob

 

Not as super distant of a memory as some of what's posted here, but Central Waters XXI (I think?) Anniversary party. They let industry people and VIPs in at 3 pm and the rest of us ticket holding plebs were allowed in after 6pm. By the time I made it to the door the clearly overserved VIPs were starting to reappear back outside barfing in the snowbanks. I was treated to 2 drunk dudes puking in perfect tandem on either side of the door like the craft beer version of those cute little angel statues that piss in water fountains. If anything says "Welcome to Wisconsin" that's gotta be it. They should have commissioned a sculptor to make gargoyles out of them to mount on the building.

 

Love reading these. I'll have to comb through some fuzzy memories to see if I can find something worthy to contribute.

 

I picture you look back at the crowd and shrug saying “he was a liar”

 

Back in August 2016, when King Sue was only available at the brewery and only in bombers, I drove the 2-1/2 hours from Mankato MN to Toppling Goliath's brewery in Decorah IA. Got there right as they opened at 11 am, was 4th in line, got 2 cases of bombers (one of which went to beer nerd friends around the country), and was back on the road in 5 minutes.

Total time in the car (with Ranger, who was 4 years old then): 5 hours. Worth every second of the time I invested get that fantastic beer, which at that time was NOT a hazy. Now it's available at a little hole-in-the-wall beer store in Angola IN, and is DEFINITELY a hazy. The beer nerd world sure has changed.

 

You know, I think you're right. That name sounds awfully familiar. Did you ever stand in line there for HT on the same day that SoS was released?