Beards Brews
Well-Known Member
I live in Northeast, Georgia and recently found out about the LHBS in Athens called Blockader. That place is awesome.
First off, the guy working the store was incredibly helpful. I showed up to mill some grain and he set me up, even provided a sack to put the cracked grain in b/c I forgot my bin at home.
Secondly, he has good prices - competitive with the internet. For example, another shop I had been to was charging $31 for a better bottle and then another 8 for the stopper and airlock - $40 out the door for a secondary. However, at this shop for $27 out the door I could have the same secondary set up. A $13 price differential is ridiculous.
Third, he knows his stuff and doesn't talk condescendly about AG, which the other store I had been to did - "Why would you brew all day for the same beer you could get in one hour of brewing?". In fact, he was asking all kinds of questions about my AG set up and what techniques I used, what I've brewed. I genuinely felt as if this guy was trying to get to know me as a "brewer" so that he could make recommendations based on my preferences and such in the future.
And most importantly, he did not launch into some neo-con diatribe on the wonders of the Republican party, which I was always subjected to in the other store. I'm going there to get beer gear & ingredients, not a poli-sci dissertation, but thanks anyways.
All-in-all, I'm glad I found this place. Now I'm going to be poor, but beer rich!
First off, the guy working the store was incredibly helpful. I showed up to mill some grain and he set me up, even provided a sack to put the cracked grain in b/c I forgot my bin at home.
Secondly, he has good prices - competitive with the internet. For example, another shop I had been to was charging $31 for a better bottle and then another 8 for the stopper and airlock - $40 out the door for a secondary. However, at this shop for $27 out the door I could have the same secondary set up. A $13 price differential is ridiculous.
Third, he knows his stuff and doesn't talk condescendly about AG, which the other store I had been to did - "Why would you brew all day for the same beer you could get in one hour of brewing?". In fact, he was asking all kinds of questions about my AG set up and what techniques I used, what I've brewed. I genuinely felt as if this guy was trying to get to know me as a "brewer" so that he could make recommendations based on my preferences and such in the future.
And most importantly, he did not launch into some neo-con diatribe on the wonders of the Republican party, which I was always subjected to in the other store. I'm going there to get beer gear & ingredients, not a poli-sci dissertation, but thanks anyways.
All-in-all, I'm glad I found this place. Now I'm going to be poor, but beer rich!
