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Weekly Beer Store Visit Conundrum

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

beer store

Yes, I go to the beer store every Wednesday like most people attend church on Sunday morning. It is my break in the week that I really look forward to and can’t wait to find what liquid goodness is on the docket for the current trip. But as most of us, I am feeling the tightening grip of the economy.

No, I won’t stop going and letting everyone know what new refreshments can be had each week, I just won’t be actually buying. Caveat: something rare or something that I have been anticipating.

With the Great Lakes Brew Fest, Two Beer Dudes Oktoberfest site kickoff party, and a trip to Surly Brewing for Darkness on the horizon, I can’t afford to waste my hard earned pennies.

What was new this week:

  • Sprecher Brewing Oktoberfest
  • Sprecher Brewing Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale
  • Sprecher Brewing Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout
  • Souther Tier Pumpking
  • Three Floyds Robert the Bruce

It was really tough not to pick up Robert the Bruce as I would really like to try that one. About as close as I think I will get to detoxing as I started to get the shakes as I left the beer store empty handed.

Only three more days until Great Lakes Brew Fest. Love that feeling of anticipation. Enjoy!

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Wednesday, Time for Beer Store

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Two scores for the week: Ichabod by New Holland and Hop Whore by Tyranena

Two scores for the week: Ichabod by New Holland and Hop Whore by Tyranena

Oh, how I could barely wait for another Wednesday afternoon for my weekly beer store visit. I just had a big haul on Labor Day with a road trip up to Madison, WI and spent more than I anticipated (isn’t that the way it always ends up?). I knew I had to keep things to a minimum or I would hear it from the boss later at home.

With that in mind and all the new selections this week, my mind started to race as my knees were week from brew overload, I had to choose something. I hate pressure. :)

So with little hesitation I selected Ichabod by New Holland Brewing Company and Hop Whore by Tyranena Brewing Company.

Strangely enough, before I went to the store, I was on New Holland’s website checking out their seasonal brews. I noticed Ichabod and wondered why it wasn’t on the final list for Two Beer Dudes Oktoberfest. I thought the name was more interesting than anything and a beer with a headless man riding a horse on the label; how could I pass it up?

Hop Whore was a pseudo throw in as I have heard it is a good beer and it is only a four pack. The bright yellow, cardboard case sticks out like a sore thumb. I wanted to make it feel loved and wanted, as well as equal out the load: one package in each hand.

So another beer for Oktoberfest and another big Imperial IPA for me. Enjoy!

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Oktoberfest Haul from Star Liquor

Monday, September 7th, 2009
Huge haul of Oktoberfest/Marzen and Pumpkin beers from Star Liquor in Madison, WI

Huge haul of Oktoberfest/Marzen and Pumpkin beers from Star Liquor in Madison, WI

The Inagural Two Beer Dudes Oktoberfest is still over a month away but today marked a great chance to cruise up to Madison, WI, visit Star Liquor, and pick up some Oktoberfest and Marzen brews that we don’t get in Illinois.

I had been in contact a couple of times during the week with Adam, the stores general manager, to make sure they would be open and that this weekend would be a good time to pick up some beers. I didn’t want to leave anything to chance and my wife would shoot me if we made the 140 minute drive up to Madison for “nothing.”

Not only did I pick up eight different Oktoberfest and Pumpkin beers but some bigger breweries that I can’t get, namely Stone Brewing Company and Oskar Blues Grill & Brew. I really enjoyed Gordon and Dales Pale Ale from Oskar Blues earlier this summer, so I went for a refill on both. As for Stone, I have never had their beers but have heard some really good things, so I grabbed Arrogant Bastard Ale and Ruination IPA.

At this point, with my eight other beers, I decided it was time to clear the tab. Headed out to the car where my wife met me and asked if I had also purchased some New Glarus Brewing Company Spotted Cow. Back into the store for a few different brands for the wife and another one or two for myself. Sometimes it really helps to have a wife that enjoys American craft beer too.

Here is a list of the beers that I picked up for Oktoberfest:

After picking up this haul of beer from Star Liquor I am even more stoked for Oktoberfest Two Beer Dudes style. Enjoy!

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Friday Beer Store Visit Scores Hoppin Frog Double Pumpkin Ale

Saturday, September 5th, 2009
Hoppin' Frog Frog's Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale, some yummy, guilty, drinkable pleasure!

Hoppin' Frog Frog's Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale, some yummy, guilty, drinkable pleasure!

The beer store across the road from work is my usual Wednesday afternoon break location but I had need to stop by on Friday so that I could show Travis (beer buyer for the store) the final beer selection for Two Beer Dudes Inaugural Oktoberfest. I wanted to show Travis to make sure the beers that I thought attendees could purchase in our area, could actually be found and were produced this year.

Good news, we only had one causality from the list when the original list had some 28 beers on it. That’s a damn fine ratio.

Now the real score of the afternoon was being able to get my hands on three bombers of Double Pumpkin Ale by Hoppin Frog. Hoppin Frog is a little bitty place in Ohio and doesn’t make a ton of beer. Travis mentioned that the guy who distributes for them does so out of his car. :D Anywho, they only sent 25 cases of this pumpkin goodness to the Northern Illinois area. I believe the beer store only had one, so getting three bombers of the twelve is a huge score towards the beer selection at Oktoberfest. Enjoy!

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Hodge Podge About Beer

Friday, September 4th, 2009

September in Illinois has brought on new higher taxes on liquor. Beer, believe it or not, got hit the lightest: four cents or so, while spirits got nailed with a ninety-seven cent tax increase. That is nuts. But when you live in crooked Illinois you have to cover all those past governor legal bills some how.

Oberon by Bell’s Brewery, Inc. has long been one of my favorite beers and easy my favorite summer wheat beer. I look forward to the warming sun of the springtime as I know the sun on the bottle will soon be on my favorite beer store’s shelves. Well, I just received a phone call that they are now selling to to the local supermarket and it is on sale for a $1.50 less per sixer than at aforementioned beer store. I don’t care about the money (who am I kidding, I am dirt cheap), but the fact that they are starting to commercialize this beer to the masses, ugh, just kills me. I know that the distributor brings the beer to wherever they want in Illinois, but Bell’s is making enough that it can be distributed to those outlets.

I guess this hits hard because of the two year or so hiatus Bell’s took from distributing to Illinois because of the liquor laws. I had to drive to Indiana or Michigan to get my fix. Shit, when they first stopped, you got a 10% bootleggers discount if you purchased a sixer at Bell’s and had an Illinois license. Oh, how I long for the days gone past.

Strangely enough, the last case of Oberon I purchased seemed to be a little off. Not the same zing of citrus. Did they change the recipe? Did they cheapen it? Needless to say I am not too happy about this predicament.

On a positive note, the invitations for Two Beer Dudes Inaugural Oktoberfest are finished and are being sent out. I will get out the final beer list over the extended weekend and show off the beautiful invitations. Enjoy!

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Beer Store Visit Good Score

Thursday, August 27th, 2009
Commodore Perry an IPA from Great Lakes Brewing Company

Commodore Perry an IPA from Great Lakes Brewing Company

If you have been paying any attention, you would know by now that I make weekly visits, on Wednesday, to the beer store across the street from my place of employment. No, I don’t sauce on the job. The beer store gets their big weekly shipment in on Wednesday morning. I have got to know the head beer buyer for the store, he has a great deal of knowledge about beer, has tasted a ton of beers, an offers his experience when selecting.

So what did I buy this week? Well, let’s start off with the beers I purchased for an evening in which a work friend of my wife’s is coming over. He supposedly enjoys IPAs. I don’t know if he enjoys “real” beer, but that’s what he will be getting when he comes over. I could I pass up a chance to buy some good IPAs without one word of gripe from my wife?! IPA list:

  • Un-Earthly from Southern Tier Brewing Company
  • Commodore Perry from Great Lakes Brewing Company
  • Modus Hoperandi from Ska Brewing Company

    • With that out of the way, I figured I could pick up a beer or three for myself and disguise it within the confines of IPAs for her friend. Anything for a few good extra American craft beers! :)

    • Collaboration not Litigation by Avery Brewing and Russian River
    • Lips of Faith – La Folie from New Belgium Brewing

    It will be a few weeks before I drink the IPAs but I plan on enjoying the other two beverages in the short term. Enjoy!

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Old Rasputin XII Rare Beer on this Beer Store Weekly Visit!

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
Quartet of Rasputin XII by North Coast Brewing Co. doing a great job of making me want a drink at 6:00am!

Quartet of Rasputin XII by North Coast Brewing Co. doing a great job of making me want a drink at 6:00am!

Beer store visits are the highlight of my week. Especially when I can score four bottles of Old Rasputin XII from North Coast Brewing Company! Albeit two of these bottles are for beer drinking buddies: Ed and Mark. That still leaves me with two. I will definitely have to share one with Rich and then cellar the second for a while.

The only drawback I can see to this beer: the price tag. At $21.99 per bottle it is a little steep and $100, with tax, for four is ludicrous! Of course I paid it but that doesn’t mean it isn’t on my mind especially with the brewery hop this weekend that will tack onto the tab.

I didn’t even go to the liquor store to pick up the Old Rasputin XII as they hadn’t called to tell me it was in yet but just for my normal weekly visit and a chance to talk beer with Travis, the beer buyer for the store. I was on strict rules from the “boss” not to purchase anything because of this weekends’ brewery hop. Of course I had to get something, I picked up a bomber of Bam Bière by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales after enjoying a confusing Oro de Calabaza last Friday.

I look forward to trying both beers and sharing my thoughts in more beer reviews. Enjoy!

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