Thread: The recommend-a-beer thread

turned out that the festival at the GRB had been postponed due to power loss from the windstorm. but their pub was still open for drinks and growler fills, so the wench and I gladly stopped by on the way home from Santa Monica to fill ours with Point The Way IPA. we stayed a bit to sample their newest releases - Schwartz Stout (smoky with hints of coffee) and Rye On The Palate (coppery flavor with a thick head). neither are available for growler fills but will be so in the near future as they make more batches.

Originally Posted by BeerMan

you people. the price for going to the beer fest today is worth one bottle of those 22oz bombers.

beer tastings of 5 different breweries and a day among the beer elites >>>>>>>>>>> enjoying 1 bottle of something else by yourself.

Gave up on fests a long time ago. You can pay money to drink the company line-up again while fighting in line, and that's cool - it just ain't for me. I much prefer the surrounding tunes (Melvins) to accompany the liquid experience.

Who were the beer elites there?

Originally Posted by Azagthoth

Gave up on fests a long time ago. You can pay money to drink the company line-up again while fighting in line, and that's cool - it just ain't for me. I much prefer the surrounding tunes (Melvins) to accompany the liquid experience.

Who were the beer elites there?

I'm with you Az. Much rather relax at home than deal with lines and annoying crowd.

Originally Posted by mitchrock

I'm with you Az. Much rather relax at home than deal with lines and annoying crowd.

While I can certainly understand where you're coming from, I've had some great times at beerfests. Have met some really interesting people, and had the opportunity to talk with brewmasters from some of the smaller breweries just starting out. Even finding 2 or 3 beers I wouldn't have the opportunity to try otherwise makes it worthwhile.

I'm with Doug on this. mitch and Az, I don't know which beer fests you have had bad experiences at, but the ones I have gone to were vastly different than what the both of you described. and those don't include the $40 per person events.

and besides, I would rather have some Bruery samples than shell out, say, $25 for one of their bottles.

Originally Posted by BeerMan

I'm with Doug on this. mitch and Az, I don't know which beer fests you have had bad experiences at, but the ones I have gone to were vastly different than what the both of you described. and those don't include the $40 per person events.

and besides, I would rather have some Bruery samples than shell out, say, $25 for one of their bottles.

To each their own. I tend to drink my beers towards the end of the night when I'm nice and relaxed. Enjoy it most then. I rarely pay $25 a bottle. Haven't found anything worth that much. Usually I'll spend about $8 on a good 22 ounce bottle. My beer drinking has slowed way down, and I spend maybe $20-30 month these days on beer.

there's always time to enjoy a beer or three at the comforts of your own home or a friend's house, and another time to enjoy the day out at a beer fest. so yes, to each their own.

Originally Posted by BeerMan

nice! where are you getting it? don't worry, I won't steal it from you.

Luckily I can get it directly from the distributor. One of the perks of being in the industry!

Originally Posted by BeerMan

I'm with Doug on this. mitch and Az, I don't know which beer fests you have had bad experiences at, but the ones I have gone to were vastly different than what the both of you described. and those don't include the $40 per person events.

and besides, I would rather have some Bruery samples than shell out, say, $25 for one of their bottles.

I'm not claiming I've been to "bad" fests (they all have good beer, therefore they aren't bad), but I refuse to believe admission fees warrant the experience to many of these events and in the end its nothing more than capitalizing off the next beer nerd. This is proof as to why I am more than happy to pay $25 a bottle for a top notch Bruery ale (more than likely barrel aged) that will do the deed of the Cardinal's calling as opposed to spending hours in numerous lines sampling stuff I have already had for the same price (in the end) , if not more. I'm not calling any brewery out specifically, just providing a respective scenario. Most fests these days incorporate the company line up, with one designated area of the "good stuff" that sells out, and I mean sells YOU out because the good money you paid to get in got you none of that.

I hate to state the obvious, but craft beer is big business and has been for several years (look at the 75% to 25% ratio in supermarkets next time you visit the cooler) - we are at a peaking point .Gonna enjoy what I can before InBev buys any more of the greats out.