The Beer Thread

[jim]

Where is Belgia?

[jim]

What kind of bull [expletive] is a 22 oz beer?

You wouldn't say that about a 2 X 4 so why say it about a 2 x 2?

You mean a Jeep?

[Freed Roger]

I love Belgian beers.

As you can probably tell, I am tormented to have so many fine-looking beers outside of my realm.

[33anda3rd]

What kind of bull [expletive] is a 22 oz beer?

They self-distribute, getting around the normal three-tier required-by-law distribution system of brewer/importer to wholesaler to retailer. On Thursdays and Fridays Bobby gets in the van and drives it to everywhere from a Binny's in the burbs to a hipster restaurant in Logan Square. Because they self-distribute they MUST be small. They can only send out so much beer, by law, or they lose the exemption that allows them to self-distribute.

Because they can only send out so much beer, to remain viable they can't make low-gravity, low-ABV beers in six packs of 12 oz bottles. Most of their stuff is imperial stouts, IPAs, porters--stuff in the 8-10.5% ABV range that they can charge more for in the 22oz format.

They go anywhere from $7-13 retail for a 22oz bomber (and they have a few 25.4oz-ers that can be more.) It's a luxury product, like a Mercedes or a pair of Air Jordans. Every batch is small, and every bottle is hand-labelled with the batch number. Every week they release 4-6 beers. They never brew the same beer twice. If you have the Ninja vs. Unicorn that was on shelves a week ago (and sold out in a day), it's not the same as the past releases, because BeeJay and Garrett tweak them each time. This is a brewery that made a 25oz Poivre Vert Saison, full of green peppercorns, celery and cucumber because it's the kind of weird and delicious stuff their customers want. Those customers don't want to pound five of them, they want to drink one, think about it, and move on to something else.

When some of them--like the Citra Ninja and the other really culty ones--hit the shelves at Binnys they're typically gone in 12 hours. This isn't beer for people who want cold water. It's beer for people who are nuts about beer and want to figure out what the brewer was thinking when he made it.

[Jocephus]

GD beeries

[33anda3rd]

GD beeries

well played

[jim]

If I pissed in purple 14.3 oz bottles and wrapped three together and slapped a $17 tag on it it would fly off the shelves at Binney's.

That's right mother [expletive] - THREE packs. 14.3 oz per bottle..... Mind .... blown.

[33anda3rd]

They already do something like that. It's called Coors.

[Swirls]

blue moon finally put out their winter abbey ale--i know what im sippin on tonight

A friend passed along his Goose Island Matilda last night, that wasn't to his liking. I took a sip and agreed -and passed it off to my wife who liked it Ok.

One thing I've learned in beer drinking is - I really can't stand* Belgian style beers - Saisons, Abbey, dubbel, tripel, farmhaus etc. The experience of drinking a Belgian is akin to when I see a good looking Waldorf fruit salad and take a bite and instant recoil. Belgian style is the Miracle Whip of beer.

I'm fine with other people liking them -and usually they don't dominate a beer menu - but far too many times I've purchased one just to try something different, and yack...I don't think beer should taste like flowers.


*With rare exception I'll like something Belgian - but they are so rare that I scarcely can remember their names. I did like Aslyum Ale's Bedlam - but it was hopped up in good way and probably genre-bending.

You should try some of the Belgians from Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY. Rare Vos, Abbey Ale, Three Philosophers, Hennepin, Witte, etc. Their beers are terrific. Plus they have special Game of Thrones beers that they are releasing too. Ommegang is probably my favorite craft brewery right now - #2 is Wolaver's in Vermont, and #3 is Schlafly. If Schlafly distributed to New York it may rank higher, but alas, I can only drink it when I go home for the holidays. I can drink Ommegang and Wolaver's year round.

[jim]

What kind of bull [expletive] is a 22 oz beer?

They self-distribute, getting around the normal three-tier required-by-law distribution system of brewer/importer to wholesaler to retailer. On Thursdays and Fridays Bobby gets in the van and drives it to everywhere from a Binny's in the burbs to a hipster restaurant in Logan Square. Because they self-distribute they MUST be small. They can only send out so much beer, by law, or they lose the exemption that allows them to self-distribute.

Because they can only send out so much beer, to remain viable they can't make low-gravity, low-ABV beers in six packs of 12 oz bottles. Most of their stuff is imperial stouts, IPAs, porters--stuff in the 8-10.5% ABV range that they can charge more for in the 22oz format.

They go anywhere from $7-13 retail for a 22oz bomber (and they have a few 25.4oz-ers that can be more.) It's a luxury product, like a Mercedes or a pair of Air Jordans. Every batch is small, and every bottle is hand-labelled with the batch number. Every week they release 4-6 beers. They never brew the same beer twice. If you have the Ninja vs. Unicorn that was on shelves a week ago (and sold out in a day), it's not the same as the past releases, because BeeJay and Garrett tweak them each time. This is a brewery that made a 25oz Poivre Vert Saison, full of green peppercorns, celery and cucumber because it's the kind of weird and delicious stuff their customers want. Those customers don't want to pound five of them, they want to drink one, think about it, and move on to something else.

When some of them--like the Citra Ninja and the other really culty ones--hit the shelves at Binnys they're typically gone in 12 hours. This isn't beer for people who want cold water. It's beer for people who are nuts about beer and want to figure out what the brewer was thinking when he made it.

You knew I would not read any of this, right?