lost highway Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 I love Lagunitas, New Belgium, and O'Dells and it would appear they're all getting bought up? My question is are they going to change facilities, management, or ingredients under corporate ownership? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 So, I work for the big beer company that just bought Ballast Point for a cool $1B. I'm curious if that that make their beers less appealing to you all. I hadn't tried a lot of Ballast Point prior to the purchase and am enjoying the offerings a lot. The price point is pretty aggressive!Sculpin is good, but at the $15-$16 price they charge here in Texas, I'll pass in favor of other local IPAs. I greatly prefer Ballast Point's Grunion pale ale, but until recently it was sold at the same price as Sculpin and that was a huge mistake. My neighbor and I love it, but we have both said that it should be a $10 beer. Last week they started selling it for $9.85 and at that price I'll drink a lot of it. Mostly, I prefer to drink my own home brew. It's fresher and usually better than the craft beer sold in the stores. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bleedorange Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 I love Sculpin, but I actually prefer Grunion. At $10, I would keep it consistently stocked. I think Ballast Point is probably the best nationwide brewery. As long as the quality doesn't dip, there's no reason not to buy its beer. Same for Lagunitas. Although, I buy more Texas beer than anything. And with Live Oak and Blue Owl starting to can, I'm going to have to start making monthly pilgrimages to Austin (and pick up Jester King and Beerworks while I'm there). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 this beer.... pinnacle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 I have tried both the Habanero & the Grapefruit Sculpin on tap before -- neither was was all that great. Do enjoy the typical Sculpin, though - but agree, it's too pricey. Purchased a six pack of Smuttynose Finestkind IPA over the Christmas holiday - had a couple - it's enjoyable. Also picked up a six pack of Resurrected (IPA) by 4 Hand Brewing (out of Missouri) - had a couple and wasn't too impressed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
d. boony Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 My mouth waters just seeing the Trillium bottle. Damn they brew great stuff. Hill Farmstead Dorothy - if you like Belgian's, this is a fantastic one. And it's "Belgian-ness" is pretty mellow. Had a couple growlers of it over the holidays and can't wait to get more. The newish Alchemist IPA, Focal Banger, is incredible as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
knotgreen Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 My mouth waters just seeing the Trillium bottle. Damn they brew great stuff. Hill Farmstead Dorothy - if you like Belgian's, this is a fantastic one. And it's "Belgian-ness" is pretty mellow. Had a couple growlers of it over the holidays and can't wait to get more. The newish Alchemist IPA, Focal Banger, is incredible as well.I love Focal Banger; can't wait for Alchemist to start distributing it! And Hill Farmstead is the best brewery in the country. Of their bottled beers, I'd have to say that Arthur is my favorite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
d. boony Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I love Focal Banger; can't wait for Alchemist to start distributing it! And Hill Farmstead is the best brewery in the country. Of their bottled beers, I'd have to say that Arthur is my favorite. I think Focal Banger is the best beer around at the moment. I haven't had Arthur. I'll have to get a growler on my next pilgrimage (or more hopeful, in a local Waterbury-area drinking hole). Still, that Trillium... A friend from Mass visits frequently and we have some serious beer exchanges! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Man. So many breweries. Granted I'm in Colorado, where we're drowning in them, but you guys are talking about companies which I assume are a big deal and I've never even seen them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 i've never had anything from Hill Farmstead or Tree House, and the only Alchemist beer i've had is Heady Topper (several times), and it's really good. still, i am very, very happy that Trillium is so close to me (even if it's still a PITA to drive to the brewery in Southie) and cranks out a pretty wide range of styles on a frequent basis. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
knotgreen Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 i've never had anything from Hill Farmstead or Tree House, and the only Alchemist beer i've had is Heady Topper (several times), and it's really good. still, i am very, very happy that Trillium is so close to me (even if it's still a PITA to drive to the brewery in Southie) and cranks out a pretty wide range of styles on a frequent basis. I agree, Boston is lucky to have Trillium. I'm hopeful that their expansion means that we will begin to see their offerings on daft in Boston/ Cambridge. My comment about HF wasn't a dig at Trillium. IMHO, HF is just a different caliber. I believe RateBeer has voted them Best Brewery in the World 3 or so times in the last 5 years. Their farmhouse ales (saisons) are stunning. I'd be happy to hook you up w/ a bottle. Not sure if the Orpheum will allow you to bring a 750ml bottle in? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 we could try a pre or post-show swap? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wilconut Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 http://oneguyonebeer.com/2016/02/24/small-pour-5-alpine-brewing-companys-duet/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 My neighbor will be returning from his second deployment to Afghanistan in April and his wife is planning a big party with a limo, steaks and his favorite beers and I've been saving the rare/unusual beers that I've come across over the last few months. Last week his wife asked if I'd fly to Vermont to pick up a case or two of Heady Topper and the other "big" Vermont beers. She's picking up the tab, so why not? I'm anxious to try Trillium's beers, so I'm going to ask my friends in Brookline if they can mail a dozen bottles. I'd been saving some bottles of Pliny that a friend brought back from California, but now that there are plans to have a case shipped here for the party I guess I'll just drink them. One of my favorite styles of beer is a good ESB and I've been drinking a lot of this local version lately. It used to be Alamo Drafthouse's house beer, but it hasn't been brewed for several years. I wish Real Ale would add it to their year-round lineup. https://realalebrewing.com/beers/esb-2/?age-verified=c23c094258 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 mailing a case of Trillium is gonna cost a ton.it cost me about $40 to send two bottles to Wisconsin. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 mailing a case of Trillium is gonna cost a ton. it cost me about $40 to send two bottles to Wisconsin.Yeah, I know. It cost my other neighbor $90 to ship 12 bottles of Pliny to my house. My friend's wife is willing to cover the cost. I read that the USPS is considering allowing beer shipments in order to raise much-needed money. It would be nice if they could get the price down, because right now it's almost as cheap to fly Southwest and cart back two suitcases full of beer than it is to ship a few bottles via UPS. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Do they put a tax on it or is it because it's a liquid in a glass, so the charge more. I never dealt with shipping beer before. I am heading out to a India Pale Lager tapping at my local pub - never had a IPL before. Luckily it is a walk across a park for me because we are in a middle of a blizzard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Do they put a tax on it or is it because it's a liquid in a glass, so the charge more. I never dealt with shipping beer before.Shipping beer and wine via UPS and Fedex is a weird thing. While not illegal, their rules actually forbid consumer-to-consumer shipments of alcoholic beverages. You're supposed to be a registered merchant, blahblahblah, but in reality it's more of a "don't ask, don't tell" situation. They seldom ask about the contents, but if they do it's best to just say that it's full of car parts or homemade jelly. Some people call them "live yeast samples" which isn't really a lie, but it's safe to assume that UPS knows what's actually in the box. There's no special surcharge or tax for sending liquids or alcohol, it's just that it's very expensive to send heavy packages long distances via UPS/Fedex. A 22-ounce bomber weighs about 3 pounds, so 12 of them will add up to about 40 pounds total after packaging materials are considered. I just checked UPS and it looks like it will cost my friends in Boston $63 to ship 12 bottles to Texas. The carriers do some weird math when it comes to calculating shipping charges. I have a nice $18 box with styrofoam inserts that are designed to protect beer/wine bottles, so I figured I'd send it empty to my friends in Boston. It only weighs 3 or 4 pounds, but UPS takes the dimensions into consideration and calculates the billable shipping weight at 26 pounds and would charge me $46 to send it to Boston. I might as well fill it with several bottles of Texas beer while I'm at it. EDIT: I forgot to mention that UPS is still charging a 5% fuel surcharge even though gas prices are near an all-time low. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
knotgreen Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Shipping beer and wine via UPS and Fedex is a weird thing. While not illegal, their rules actually forbid consumer-to-consumer shipments of alcoholic beverages. You're supposed to be a registered merchant, blahblahblah, but in reality it's more of a "don't ask, don't tell" situation. They seldom ask about the contents, but if they do it's best to just say that it's full of car parts or homemade jelly. Some people call them "live yeast samples" which isn't really a lie, but it's safe to assume that UPS knows what's actually in the box. There's no special surcharge or tax for sending liquids or alcohol, it's just that it's very expensive to send heavy packages long distances via UPS/Fedex. A 22-ounce bomber weighs about 3 pounds, so 12 of them will add up to about 40 pounds total after packaging materials are considered. I just checked UPS and it looks like it will cost my friends in Boston $63 to ship 12 bottles to Texas. The carriers do some weird math when it comes to calculating shipping charges. I have a nice $18 box with styrofoam inserts that are designed to protect beer/wine bottles, so I figured I'd send it empty to my friends in Boston. It only weighs 3 or 4 pounds, but UPS takes the dimensions into consideration and calculates the billable shipping weight at 26 pounds and would charge me $46 to send it to Boston. I might as well fill it with several bottles of Texas beer while I'm at it. EDIT: I forgot to mention that UPS is still charging a 5% fuel surcharge even though gas prices are near an all-time low. I've done ~60 beer trades through the mail. My recommendation is to create a FedEx account and print your own label. No questions at drop off, and you get a discount. FedEx is not okay with the shipment of beer and will either "destroy" the box or send it back to the shipper should they figure out what's in the package. I often put a little noisemaker in the box, like a box of tic tacs, that distracts from the sloshing noises. I double box usually, too. Shipping a case of 750ml bottles is certainly easier if you have a styrofoam shipper. Those can be purchased from Uhaul, or even some wine stores. If you have any questions, please let me know! I've done this countless times and *knock on wood* have never had anything go wrong. I'm not really sure what sort of algorithm FedEx uses, but I think the cost of shipping has less to do with weight and more to do with the size of the box. I've got a box that I just sent from MA to CA which contained 2 750ml bottles and 5 375ml bottles, and that was ~$25. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Smith Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Dark Lord day tickets are $200 this year. Im wrestling with my desire to go vs the cost. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Dark Lord day tickets are $200 this year. Im wrestling with my desire to go vs the cost. You can buy a lot of Pabst with $200.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Dark Lord day tickets are $200 this year. Im wrestling with my desire to go vs the cost. I live about 20 minutes away from 3 Floyds - never been to a Dark Lord day. I tried to go there twice -- both times there was a line to get in and both times I didn't want to deal with it and left. Heard that their food is great, though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Griddles Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Question about growlers. When we moved into our new place the person left 5 in the place. Used them the first time this weekend. That's a lot of beer. We got 2 filled and by today, just filled them yesterday afternoon, the beer was a little off. Probably had about half left in each. Any advice on keeping the beer fresher, besides drinking faster? Would it keep longer if we hadn't opened one? Got the beer from http://ratiobeerworks.com/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Oxygen is the enemy of beer. Beer that's exposed to it will go stale (typically a wet cardboard taste) after about 24 hours. A properly filled growler is good for a few days, but once it's opened you should drink it as soon as possible. Ratio is a cool place. The owner is a friend of a friend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I know light is also not good for beer. How do some beers come in clear glass bottles? Granted Corona always seems a little skunky (assuming that's why you add lemon...). Never understood this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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