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The Beer Flop House -- new strategy for whale hunting

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by chipawayboy, Nov 6, 2014.

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  1. chipawayboy

    chipawayboy Pooh-Bah (1,989) Oct 26, 2007 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I was talking to my friend and fellow VT beer hunter about how tough it's getting to procure Heady/Double Sunshine etc. For quite a while -- we had figured out the right days and times to make a run from Boston and pretty much score whatever we needed -- two cases of HT per, 3-4 bombers of Lawsons Finest Liquid brews-of-the-week, and as many growlers of HIll Farmstead beers as we had cash to buy. We did this for 2+ years -- even getting kegs of HF beers for awhile. Those days are long gone -- and I'm sure it's a scene being repeated across the country at the growing list of whale producing breweries. Growing throngs of people in search of those hard to get beers show up after a long drive only to be met w long lines or incredulous responses and snickers when they ask if there is any (insert whale beer name here) left.
    So my friend has a daughter who attends UVM in Burlington VT. He was looking for an apartment for her recently and the process lead him to consider the concept of the "beer flop house". In short, 5-6 whale hunters (living great distances away) rent an apartment in beer country (in this case -- near the big 3 Vt Brewers -- but the concept could apply anywhere ) and split the $800/month rent for the privilege of using the apartment as a base for staying over night in preparation for the local delivery of Heady or the local can/bottle release -- and making sure to be first in line. The apartment would essentially be a flop house -- a place to support the aquisition of difficult to get beer.
    My initial reaction to this idea was to laugh. But the more I think about it - the more I think it has merit. I'm spending $ hundreds a month on my need for alpine nelson, pliny the elder, trillium IPAs, zombie dust, and all my favorite VT big 3 beers. What's another couple of grand a year to fund a beer flop house? I thought about all the potential for dual use (skiing/hiking etc) but feel that would be a major foul and likely doom the concept. It needs to be a flop house plain and simple.
    What do folks think of this concept? Would you consider setting up a beer flop house w your friends? Where and what breweries would you target?
     
    #1 chipawayboy, Nov 6, 2014
    SinjaminBentek likes this.
  2. Mitchell57

    Mitchell57 Zealot (590) Jan 8, 2013 Wisconsin

    It's a hard knock life when all the readily available Heady/Lawson's is gone.......
     
    #2 Mitchell57, Nov 6, 2014
    Brolo75, WellRested518, SammyJaxxxx and 12 others like this.
  3. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,065) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Why not spend the $1600 each year on a week-long trip to Europe, where you can sample 100s if not 1000s of excellent beers that even the most diligent "whale hunter" has never even heard of?
     
    #3 herrburgess, Nov 6, 2014
    Ozzylizard, jmdrpi, miketd and 80 others like this.
  4. BMMillsy

    BMMillsy Initiate (0) Feb 16, 2012 Florida

    Dumb. No. None.

    If anyone is doing this they either need serious help or have more money than they know what to do with.
     
    #4 BMMillsy, Nov 6, 2014
    miketd, papposilenus, hophugger and 46 others like this.
  5. afrokaze

    afrokaze Pooh-Bah (1,950) Jun 12, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Taking the humblebrag to the next level.
     
    #5 afrokaze, Nov 6, 2014
    BBThunderbolt, jmdrpi, NotHereForGold and 70 others like this.
  6. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,553) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    So very, very thankful I live where I do.
     
    #6 Orca, Nov 6, 2014
    BucketBoy, TheeWalrusHunter, sharpski and 7 others like this.
  7. sibhuskyx

    sibhuskyx Devotee (372) Jun 2, 2008 New Jersey

    Why not just wake up early?
     
    #7 sibhuskyx, Nov 6, 2014
    jrnyc, americanzero4128, hophugger and 10 others like this.
  8. bleakies

    bleakies Maven (1,331) Apr 11, 2011 Massachusetts

    Why stop there? Buy humble lodgings and sublet to beer tourists.
     
    #8 bleakies, Nov 6, 2014
    Ozzylizard, BBThunderbolt, jrnyc and 3 others like this.
  9. BullDoza

    BullDoza Initiate (0) Apr 12, 2014 Texas

    Why not just get a hotel, bruh. Same "concept" drive up the night before and crash at hotel. No energy/electric bill. No monthly payment. Stay the night and you're out.

    Too easy?
     
    #9 BullDoza, Nov 6, 2014
    rozzom, hophugger, esimonoff and 73 others like this.
  10. Oktoberfiesta

    Oktoberfiesta Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2013 New Mexico

    It's not a whale if no ones heard of it... A untappd check in of a random beer with 2 toasts? So not worth it...
     
    #10 Oktoberfiesta, Nov 6, 2014
    BBThunderbolt, miketd, lambpasty and 7 others like this.
  11. MarshallBirdhouse

    MarshallBirdhouse Initiate (0) Feb 19, 2013 Kentucky
    Trader

    This hobby is getting dumber every minute.
     
    #11 MarshallBirdhouse, Nov 6, 2014
    Number1Framer, jrnyc, odcardinal and 121 others like this.
  12. mychalg9

    mychalg9 Pooh-Bah (2,123) Apr 8, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Pay someone that lives in the town to do it for you. Preferably someone who doesn't like beer but really likes money.
     
    #12 mychalg9, Nov 6, 2014
    tommyguz, archiebunkerjr, twizzard and 6 others like this.
  13. PuckIt

    PuckIt Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2014 Pennsylvania

    *waits for someone to put their basement up for rent on AirBnB*
     
    #13 PuckIt, Nov 6, 2014
    jrnyc, hophugger, kfordham281 and 11 others like this.
  14. SHODriver

    SHODriver Pooh-Bah (2,353) Aug 13, 2010 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    I don't have a basement and the beer scene here is shit...
     
    #14 SHODriver, Nov 6, 2014
    deadliest likes this.
  15. PuckIt

    PuckIt Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2014 Pennsylvania

    I guess I forgot to put [in vermont] in that post
     
    #15 PuckIt, Nov 6, 2014
    beerded_drunk, rozzom and richobrien like this.
  16. TCJ0100

    TCJ0100 Initiate (0) Oct 9, 2014 California

    Despite my avatar, I really don't think whale hunting should be such a big part of craft beer. I love beer. I am just as happy drinking SNPA as whatever whale you want to name, just as long as I am not drinking BMC swill.
     
    #16 TCJ0100, Nov 6, 2014
    stephens101, LagersAndAles, Sammy and 4 others like this.
  17. markdrinksbeer

    markdrinksbeer Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2013 Massachusetts

    If I were you, I would pay someone to just drink the beer for you, and then log in under your username for untappd, beeradvocate, ratebeer, etc and give you the credit for drinking it.

    Just think, for a few thousand dollars a year, you never have to leave your house, you'll get credit for drinking a ton of beer AND you wont have drank 10's of thousands of empty calories. It's clearly the next step in whale hunting.
     
    #17 markdrinksbeer, Nov 6, 2014
    Ozzylizard, jrnyc, Dan_K and 61 others like this.
  18. richobrien

    richobrien Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2013 California

    I think I'd want to spread the cost of the place across a larger number of people, like when groups rent places in Newport RI for the summer.

    If I didn't think my wife would make me move in there permanently when she found out how I was spending an extra $200 a month on an already expensive habit, I'd consider it.
     
    #18 richobrien, Nov 6, 2014
    Ozzylizard, BBThunderbolt and jrnyc like this.
  19. PuckIt

    PuckIt Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2014 Pennsylvania

    ghost drinking :grimacing:
     
    #19 PuckIt, Nov 6, 2014
    Dan_K, hophugger, JLaw55 and 16 others like this.
  20. richobrien

    richobrien Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2013 California

    Whales by proxy?
     
    #20 richobrien, Nov 6, 2014
    Wortman1998, Buschyfor3, markdrinksbeer and 1 other person like this.
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