Booze The recommend-a-beer thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Obediah
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So did I. Still surprised to see them so far ahead of Stone. Or I guess, surprised that Stone wasn't higher I should say.

No way Stone is that far down on the list - Greg Koch must have really good accountants, haha.
 
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Salty. Do you have a source for this?
 
Off topic somewhat - if anybody else here is using Untappd, shoot me your user name via PM. I'll "friend" you or whatever it is on Untappd.
 
We've been very lucky this week. SLO trying to get on the "beer week" map and doing a f'ing great job of it. Won't rival SD Beer Week or SF Beer Week, but not too shabby for our little slice of paradise. I've made all events except for the Creekside event last night - that was b/c I was at the Grains to Glass event! IPA Fest and Stone tap take over have been awesome. The Sour Fest and SN tap take over I'm REALLY looking forward to. Here is the sour list for Saturday:

Anderson Valley Horse Tongue
Ballast Point Sour Wench
Bear Republic Tartare
Bear Republic Tartare Rouge
The Bruery Oude Tart
The Bruery Tart of Darkness
The Bruery Rueuze
Cismontane Marea Roja
Drake's Brette Davis Eyes
Firestone Walker Lil Opal 2013
Heretic Miscreant
Libertine Pub OhMan!
Libertine Brett Rouge Hibiscus
Libertine Chocolate Tarte
Lost Abbey Red Poppy
New Belgium La Folie
New Belgium Le Terroir
Stone Brewing Tiger Cub Saison w/Cherries

Check it out.....

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Saw a couple of lists of top craft breweries bandied about. I personally usually refer to the BA list;
Top 50 breweries of 2013 announced by Brewers Association | BeerPulse

It removes all of the conglomerate/alliance breweries, along with Goose Island, to try and paint a true picture of top ranking.
Nothing here is really too surprising. If you ever get to see overlay maps of who really distributes where, and you realize that Lagunitas is available in gas stations in, say, Wyoming, its not a shock to see them so high.

Every year when this list comes up, I always chuckle to myself about New Glarus position. New Glarus is made and distributed only in the state of Wisconsin, yet it's a perennial top-20 brewery. Why? Its sold at ****ing Wal-mart on end caps all over Wisco, and they make incredible beer. I have a friend that is an uppity-up at Miller Coors and they regularly send me boxes of New Glarus, and guess what they're drinking at home...

In any event, if you're in or around Orange County, Bottle Logic is sort of the hot **** going right now, and with good reason. They mostly do straight ahead, no frills styles (IPA, DIPA, Saison, Wit, mole Stout) and a few special offerings with randalls and casks, but they just do everything exceptionally well, and their whole motif is appealing.

Also whoever said they're unimpressed with FSW stuff, wow. I don't think I've ever heard that. Matt Bryndlson is sorta the Dean Lombardi of beer, or something. He really can't do anything wrong.

Other favorite breweries right now are Almanac (Nor Cal, mostly sours and other barrel aged ales), Prarie (whom everyone loves) and I don't want to like them because of their bro-ish vibe, but much like Bottle Logic, Saint Archer is very good at making straight ahead, uncomplicated, traditional craft beer styles and doing it really, really, really well.

Also, here's my kegerator which presently has 5 gallons (well 3.5 now) of cantaloupe infused APA (1lb added during second ferm), triple dry hopped with cascade, chinook, and mosaic, and I am quite pleased with it.

Instagram
 
Lagunitas has their own distribution system, which might explain why. they seem to have a better understanding of the beer map than does, say.. Stone.
 
Lagunitas has their own distribution system, which might explain why. they seem to have a better understanding of the beer map than does, say.. Stone.

Stone's business model these days seems to be more about distributing other folks beer. Green Flash and Ballast Point are falling into that mold as well. Easy money when you already have a developed infrastructure I guess. Hey, if Green Flash is going to help produce and distribute Alpine, and the quality doesnt drop off, I'm all for it. Likewise with Kern River and....I think Ballast? Maybe stone. Not sure.
 
No way Stone is that far down on the list - Greg Koch must have really good accountants, haha.

Stone is big on teh west coast not so much elsewhere. Lagunitas just opened up in Chicago not long ago after greatly expanding in Petaluma. Shiner (crap Beer) goes to all the necks in Texas.
 
I neglected to report that KRBC had released their Citra stock last week. unfortunately, it is available only by pints. they have enough to hopefully last a month.

tomorrow I go on a road trip with the wench, my sis and her Citra crazy husband. will report back.
 
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