What's your beer buying strategy?

Fun question.

The factors I consider are audience size, cost, and preference. For example--I will purchase a Pliny if it is available for my personal collection. However, if I am buying beers for a large group, I have to consider the cost. I'd prefer to buy sixers of Lagunitas Sucks or Firestone Double Jack, but that could get very expensive quickly. For the large group, I will pick up Bear Republic Racer 5 or Lagunitas IPA. For small groups, I will look for beers that are more difficult to find (which means more expensive)--Plinys if I have them. And for my personal collection, I am always on the lookout for rare, desired brews.

 

I buy and trade when the wife's not looking, this beer game is pricey!

 

LOL. Ain't that the truth!

 

My strategy. Look at the bottling date on the case of Flower Power. Bottled less than 3 weeks ago? Buy Flower Power. Bottled more than 3 weeks ago? Buy something else. I strongly recommend this strategy.

 

go in looking for a particular beer or two and somehow never leave empty handed.

 

Funny, I just realized I go through my bottle shop in the same exact order every time. First I grab a cart, check out the big seasonals display, then head to the Goose Island section, almost always buying a case of Honker's plus whatever other GI products I feel like buying. Then I casually glance at the Sam Adams section which is huge, swing over one aisle to grab a case of Naragansett Lager then check out Ommegang, Founders, Great Lakes and Anchor before running through the Belgians and finally the British, often buying some Fuller's or other English beer before heading to checkout. I don't go to the other side of the store which has the German, Polish, Russian and Asian beers except to grab an occasional Hefe or Dopplebock. My goal is to get out spending less than a hundred but I fail at that alot of the time.

 

You ever see the old Haverhill Brewery Leatherlips chick?? Blows (heehee) the St. Pauli girl right out of the water.

 

I shop at my local grocery fro beer which means look at dates. Buy what is freshest and if there's something new, grab it! Doesn't matter where it's from or if I have had it before.

 

I typically only try to buy hoppy beers directly from the brewery. Most other beer shopping is done while I'm traveling so I'll just spend some time reading labels to figure out if something is worth buying. I rarely purchase beers with the intention of cellaring them unless I've tried them before and think waiting will be worth it.

 

I chase them trucks from the point of departure! Only way to catch legit #whalezbro!

 

I walk up and down the aisles until the spirit moves me. Sometimes the spirit has no clue what he's talking about.

 

You have reps ? Damn !!

 

BUY ALL THE BEERZ!!!

except BA beers, i don't really like those.

90% of the time try to buy some I haven't had before

 

If I like it, I buy it.

 

Hell, Zimbo. I've even been known to buy what I don't like. *throws up hands at self for having no possible explanation*

 

I'm guessing he's a beer buyer for a store.

 

Its my whole philosophy to shopping actually. I don't buy anything on the hop(sorry about the pun). I research everything thoroughly before I reach for the wallet to enable me to go into a store, quickly collect what I want and exit with time to spare. My wife on the other hand is the exact opposite.

 

When I want to get a good variety of craft beers, I have to have a strategy that involves crossing the Canada / USA border.

It usually involves filling the trunk with as much as me and my buddy can get our hands on and then saying "yes, I'm declaring some beer" at the border and hoping the guard doesn't want to do paperwork.

So far I'm doing okay... No duty for me

 

Man, I just got back from the sto'. I saw Torpedo sixers for the same price as Green Flash 4 packs. I've had the West Coast IPA before and I said, "well, I like Torpedo better and it's cheaper, to boot". So what am I drinking now? You guessed it. Green Flash. I've been called many things in my life, but "dummy" seems to fit me to a T.

 

Not sure I would call it a strategy, but I wander around aimlessly scanning the beers and buy whatever catches my eye. It might be something new, it might be something rare, or it might just be a super fresh IPA.

I employ a similar strategy but I've expanded it to include Sucks, Double/Union Jack, and Hoponius Union (and probably a few others).