Let's talk BEER for a little bit.

[Swish]

I was recently made aware of a most excellent "creaft" brew made in very small quantities by Fuller's. I really like their "London Pride" so my curiosity was piqued. It's called "Vintage Ale" and it's bottle conditioned to age like fine wine. My brother is partner in a beverage distributor (for those of you familiar with Pennsylvania's pathetic Liquor Control Board and their anitquated rules and regulations, I need not say more) and told me about it. He was buying a case for about $70.00 + tax, at cost mind you, and asked if I was interested. I figured it would be a one-time thing so yes, count me in. He calls me days later and tells me their cost is $114.00. Yikes! For a case of beer? And only 12 bottles to boot, although they are quite large bottles at about 25 ounces each I believe. Needless to say, I told him not to order me any, and he opted out as well.

So last week he asked the salesman if he could get him a special deal on a case, but got rejected, but he did offer some good news. The wholesaler screwed up and charged a much lower price to a number of local distributors, so most have it on their shelves for a much lower price than normal because their mark-up is usually 20-25%. One nearby had it priced at $69.94, so I went in immediately and bought the sucker. If they go to replace it, they will have to pay the $114, but I certainly wasn't going to tell them that.

So I bring the booty home and open it to find each bottle individually boxed, like a nice bottle of booze, along with a seal over the cap and a very detailed label to describe just how great it will taste. The bottle has a "best if consumed by 2007" or something like that, but the label tells you they are required to put a date on the bottle but that it will get better with time and will last much longer. They suggest storing it in a cool, dry place, standing up as you would expect.

So anybody out there ever try this stuff? I plan to give some of it out as gifts to friends who appreciate good beer, and keep the rest for myself. I'm going to wait until the holidays to pop open the first one though, and keep it for special occasions.

Swish

[Duds]

I've never tried it, seen it, heard of it, etc. and for that price, i dont think i'll ever try it!!!

I am familiar with Pennsylvania's liquor laws though. 4 1/2 years of college there, and remember going to bars on Sunday to buy six packs of 16 ounce cans for like $8 since the beverage centers were closed.

I enjoyed a few Sam Adams Winter LAgers last night, I really like that beer!!!


I was recently made aware of a most excellent "creaft" brew made in very small quantities by Fuller's. I really like their "London Pride" so my curiosity was piqued. It's called "Vintage Ale" and it's bottle conditioned to age like fine wine. My brother is partner in a beverage distributor (for those of you familiar with Pennsylvania's pathetic Liquor Control Board and their anitquated rules and regulations, I need not say more) and told me about it. He was buying a case for about $70.00 + tax, at cost mind you, and asked if I was interested. I figured it would be a one-time thing so yes, count me in. He calls me days later and tells me their cost is $114.00. Yikes! For a case of beer? And only 12 bottles to boot, although they are quite large bottles at about 25 ounces each I believe. Needless to say, I told him not to order me any, and he opted out as well.

So last week he asked the salesman if he could get him a special deal on a case, but got rejected, but he did offer some good news. The wholesaler screwed up and charged a much lower price to a number of local distributors, so most have it on their shelves for a much lower price than normal because their mark-up is usually 20-25%. One nearby had it priced at $69.94, so I went in immediately and bought the sucker. If they go to replace it, they will have to pay the $114, but I certainly wasn't going to tell them that.

So I bring the booty home and open it to find each bottle individually boxed, like a nice bottle of booze, along with a seal over the cap and a very detailed label to describe just how great it will taste. The bottle has a "best if consumed by 2007" or something like that, but the label tells you they are required to put a date on the bottle but that it will get better with time and will last much longer. They suggest storing it in a cool, dry place, standing up as you would expect.

So anybody out there ever try this stuff? I plan to give some of it out as gifts to friends who appreciate good beer, and keep the rest for myself. I'm going to wait until the holidays to pop open the first one though, and keep it for special occasions.

Swish

[Swish]

I've never tried it, seen it, heard of it, etc. and for that price, i dont think i'll ever try it!!!

I am familiar with Pennsylvania's liquor laws though. 4 1/2 years of college there, and remember going to bars on Sunday to buy six packs of 16 ounce cans for like $8 since the beverage centers were closed.

I enjoyed a few Sam Adams Winter LAgers last night, I really like that beer!!!

but like I said, it's a one-time thing, and at a price much lower, perhaps about half, of what they should have charged. Think about it. 12 bottles that are about twice that of a regular bottle size, so we're talking about $6 per bottle. If you live in a metro area and go out for drinks, you'll pay that much, or more, for a regular bottle of Cores Light, not that you would actually drink that panther p<a>iss.

As for Sam Winter Lager, that used to be my #1 favorite, but I bought a case last year that was nasty. I don't know if they changed the recipe of if I just got a bad case, but I refused to buy it again, especially considering it's over $30 a case here.

Say, where did you go to school in PA?

Swish

[Davey]

I plan to give some of it out as gifts to friends who appreciate good beer
Thanks good ol' bubby, do yo have my current address? Yummm, beer ;)


Heehee, just kidding! Probably wouldn't ship very well across this wide country to my little refrigerator in Hooter Valley, but hope that's some good ****! Picked up a couple creamy bottles of Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale last night and that surely did hit my pleasure button. Good stuff, this beer.

[Duds]

Thankfullyl i live in upstate NY where i can go out and get a pint for $2 or $3.

Hmmm, thats sucks about you experience with the winter lager. I remember having that happen to me quite a bit when i would buy molson. I know i know....i was young and foolish!!!

I attended Robert Morris College, now known as Robert Morris University


but like I said, it's a one-time thing, and at a price much lower, perhaps about half, of what they should have charged. Think about it. 12 bottles that are about twice that of a regular bottle size, so we're talking about $6 per bottle. If you live in a metro area and go out for drinks, you'll pay that much, or more, for a regular bottle of Cores Light, not that you would actually drink that panther p<a>iss.

As for Sam Winter Lager, that used to be my #1 favorite, but I bought a case last year that was nasty. I don't know if they changed the recipe of if I just got a bad case, but I refused to buy it again, especially considering it's over $30 a case here.

Say, where did you go to school in PA?

Swish

[Swish]

Thanks good ol' bubby, do yo have my current address? Yummm, beer ;)


Heehee, just kidding! Probably wouldn't ship very well across this wide country to my little refrigerator in Hooter Valley, but hope that's some good ****! Picked up a couple creamy bottles of Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale last night and that surely did hit my pleasure button. Good stuff, this beer.

remember. It's in the Silicone Valley, so of course there are hooters o'plenty there. I've had some Sammy Smith's but not the brown stuff. I think it was a stout and it was too sweet for my taste buds, as well as some expensive shiite.

My brother asked me to split that case of Fuller's Vintage Ale with him, so I agreed. Then I drove to another distributor and bought another case. It's the 2004 vintage so it's already aged for at least 11 months, so what the hey. It's only money, right?

As for shipping beer, I suppose it can be done, but you can't send me any in return. The aforementioned PA LCB doesn't allow any alcoholic beverages to be shipped into the state. Everyone must buy from them, period. So let me ask this question. If the PA LCB is the largest single purchaser of alcoholic beverages in the world, and they are, why do they have among the highest prices in the country? Because it's run by the PA government and is staffed by union labor. Go figure. We have the biggest and most expensive state legislature in the US, and they refuse to privatize the alcohol distribution system. They suck giant hippo balls. If you're lucky enough to live near the NJ, DE, NY or MD border, and many Pennsylvanians do, you can just cross the state line and buy your booze for much less. It's illegal to bring it back and you will be fined if you're caught, but many thousands do it anyway.

PA, the land of taxes and high booze prices.

Swish

[Hawkeye]

Thankfullyl i live in upstate NY where i can go out and get a pint for $2 or $3.
Upstate eh? I take it you've tried Ommegang http://www.ommegang.com/ ? I went up to Cooperstown for the October Waffles and Puppets Festival last month and sampled some of the delicious Cave Aged Hennepin they had just brought out from Howe Caverns, not to mention getting my fill of lots of good food as well.

Samuel Smith puts out some of my favorite beer as well. The Nut Brown Ale is excellent as is the Taddy Porter. World class.

A couple other beers I get semi-regularly when I make a run to Syracuse are Nostradamus and Brother Barnabas. Both are hit and miss though because many times they're out of stock and I can't get them.


Hooray Beer!!

[caniac]

6 bucks for a Coors Light?!

I just caught Killian's Irish Red (my fave "cheap" brand) on sale for $4 a six-pack at Kroger's today. Got 8 of 'em.

GB Louisiana.

[Swish]

6 bucks for a Coors Light?!

I just caught Killian's Irish Red (my fave "cheap" brand) on sale for $4 a six-pack at Kroger's today. Got 8 of 'em.

GB Louisiana.

Most of our local pubs charge about 2-3 bucks for a domestic beer, while the imports go for 3-4 bucks. Besides, you're talking about buying a 6 pack at Kroger's, a much different animal than pints at a pub. My point was that certain people make comments about me spending $30 or more for a case of imported beer (do the math. $30 divided by 24 bottles = $1.25 per beer), yet they see no problem going out and paying 2-3 bucks for crappy domestics.

And I've spent time in a number of bigger cities and the nicer hotels and clubs charge double that price, so yeah, I can see $6 or more for a bottle of Coors Light (or Girl's Light as we like to call it). I'm sure many other on the board can attest to that. Heck, I know there are clubs that charge much more, but there's no need to go any further to make my case (no pun intended).

Swish

[nobody]

The only places I've been that would think of charging 6 bucks for a lower priced domestic bottle make up for it by providing plenty of naked women.

But, yeah, if ya got a few bucks, I can see splurging for something really good once in a while. For you sake, I hope it is prettyy mediocre...too good and you'll start wanting to buy it mor eoften...too bad and you're money's gonna feel pissed away.

[caniac]

Most of our local pubs charge about 2-3 bucks for a domestic beer, while the imports go for 3-4 bucks. Besides, you're talking about buying a 6 pack at Kroger's, a much different animal than pints at a pub. My point was that certain people make comments about me spending $30 or more for a case of imported beer (do the math. $30 divided by 24 bottles = $1.25 per beer), yet they see no problem going out and paying 2-3 bucks for crappy domestics.

And I've spent time in a number of bigger cities and the nicer hotels and clubs charge double that price, so yeah, I can see $6 or more for a bottle of Coors Light (or Girl's Light as we like to call it). I'm sure many other on the board can attest to that. Heck, I know there are clubs that charge much more, but there's no need to go any further to make my case (no pun intended).

Swish

Good grief. I'm glad I'm too old to be going to clubs and such.


FWIW, I've been known to spend a little extra money on beer myself. Nothing better than a nice black-and-blonde, and Bass is pretty damn expensive.

[Duds]

Never tried those, but the beverage center i buy my beer carries those. I'll definitely have to give them a try

I'm a fan of Brooklyn Brown Ale too, quite tasty.

I've also been on a Blue Moon kick too.


Upstate eh? I take it you've tried Ommegang http://www.ommegang.com/ ? I went up to Cooperstown for the October Waffles and Puppets Festival last month and sampled some of the delicious Cave Aged Hennepin they had just brought out from Howe Caverns, not to mention getting my fill of lots of good food as well.

Samuel Smith puts out some of my favorite beer as well. The Nut Brown Ale is excellent as is the Taddy Porter. World class.

A couple other beers I get semi-regularly when I make a run to Syracuse are Nostradamus and Brother Barnabas. Both are hit and miss though because many times they're out of stock and I can't get them.


Hooray Beer!!