What local craft beer do you take for granted.

I live in SW Florida, and one of my favorite IPA's (if not favorite beers in general) is Cigar City Jai Alai. It's one of only 13 IPA's rated 100 by the "Bros" on BA.

Their distribution footprint is pretty small, so in most of the country it's difficult or impossible to find, and pretty sought after. Here, though, it's in Walmart, Publix, 7-11, and restaurants that think Heineken is a premium beer.

So, I find that I rarely drink it unless there's really nothing else good available. When I'm in a place that has no other decent beer, I find myself thinking, "Oh well, I guess a Jai Alai will do."

So my question is, do people in Santa Rosa, CA say, "Oh well, I guess a Pliny will have to do."? Do people in Indiana feel like, "Just give me a Zombie Dust."?

I have two...First is Two Roads Brewery in Stratford, CT...their tap room has a ridiculous amount of choices and I honestly haven't had a bad beer from them.

Second, is Back East Brewery in Bloomfield, CT. Their porter and golden ale are two of my favorite beers and I don't purchase them nearly enough as I have been brewing my own more.

Both great breweries with great beers!

I'd have to say Yuengling would be it for me and I know some people might say its not a true "craft" beer but in Pennsylvania it its a great beer that goes with anything at anytime. Plus you can get a case for under $20!!

Hop Drop & Roll

Really fresh Sierra Nevada products.

For me it would have to be all beer made by Summit. I like pretty much everything that they make, I just don't buy it because there are so many other choices.

Also Surly Furious is my all time favorite beer but once again I just don't buy it because there is always something else to try.

Here in Pittsburgh, I think I take for granted the fact that we have two GREAT brewers of German beer... Penn Brewery and the local Hofbrauhaus. We have other great breweries but I think those would be the two I take for granted. I love me a good German pilsner or dunkel, and love that I can get such well-brewed ones locally.

It`s freaking Korea. I`m grateful for anything that hasn`t had a shot of soju dropped in it.

Except Cass. ****ing Cass.

Im in Indiana, and I guess you could say we have that attitude towards 3 Floyds. Maybe not as much towards Zombie Dust, because we dont get as much distribution up here in Northern Indiana as I would like, but I can totally go to a restaurant that happens to have Zombie Dust, and thoroughly look over the menu before deciding that is ultimately what I am going to have. I will completely pass up Alpha King or Gumballhead unless there is literally nothing else on the menu.

Columbus has so many craft breweries so close, i take them all for granted. Honestly I haven't been able to keep up with all them and there are many that i have yet to get to sample.
As far as taking one for granted, Barleys (both locations) has been my go to for many years that i just expect that good beer and good food is available everywhere.
@hockeybrewer, love me some yings. I used to fill the car every trip back home. I also miss Yacco's. We have skylines out here and they are not near as good.

People tend to covet what they can't get locally, while the local stuff is kind of "routine." It's human nature--we want something new.

I take Surly for granted. I love most of their beers, but I can't remember the last time I picked up any from the store. I always gravitate toward something I haven't tried yet.

For me, all the New Glarus fruit beers. So easy to get but I hardly ever do as usually don't want to drink a 750 ml of them by myself at one time.

Here in Chicago, I think most people take Revolution's Anti-Hero for granted. When I look at a beer menu, my eyes just kind of pass right over it, but every time I end up having it, I remember why it's such a popular beer. Daisy Cutter by Half Acre is another one that is just about everywhere, especially as of late with their recent expansion. There's a bowling alley here that serves both of these beers in a 100 oz tube with it's own little tap that you carry right over to your lane.. good times.

Toppling Goliath is getting quite common here in Iowa now that we are getting the beers brewed in Florida by BrewHub.

Yup.. truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.

Psuedo Sue is still a little hard to get but they can't give away the lager...

The supply and batch to batch consistency is now stable. Unfortunately, now the always cloudy with an attitude and slightly different run to run TGB is clear and very consistent. But the recipes are good anyway.. so it's okay... just not as fun as the old days where I'd swear the bottles were hand capped.

But so much New Glarus seems to come through here (even though technically it "shouldn't") that I'm currently tired of it (as it is over rated anyway.. it's a good brewery but not a great one-- and I still effin hate Spotted Cow)...

Fred

Living in San Diego... Pretty much all of them Ballast Point, Stone, Green Flash... So boring.

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. That stuff is everywhere and I'm sick and tired of drinking it.

I kid, I kid. It used to be easy to find, back in like 2010 or 2011 but it's (obviously) impossible to find now.

I think Bell's Two Hearted is one that, although the distribution on it is pretty large, I always underestimate it just because it's on tap at so many places where I frequent in MI. In Chicago it's a little harder to come by; I have a hard time finding it anywhere else.

I too take Surly for granted. I can always go into the taproom and get pretty much whatever I want.

Funny that I can buy Two Hearted any time I want at Wal-Mart here in IA.

Bosh said:

It`s freaking Korea. I`m grateful for anything that hasn`t had a shot of soju dropped in it.

Except Cass. ****ing Cass.

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Right - same here in China. Sure, Beijing's had craft breweries for a while, but in Wuhan they're just starting to come into existence, and it's all kegged stuff so I can't buy a sixer to take home and I live far enough away from the bars that going out for a pint is a rare treat. I'm not sure I'll ever take craft beer for granted again after several years here.

Of course, it's not soju here but baijiu that I abhor. You should try it sometime. You'll appreciate soju so much more after a three-52%-ABV-bottles-for-five-drinkers baijiu dinner. Hell, you'll appreciate it so much more after your first whiff of the stuff...

I think Schells brewing gets taken for granted here. 155 year tradition...

QuadConPana said:

I live in SW Florida, and one of my favorite IPA's (if not favorite beers in general) is Cigar City Jai Alai. It's one of only 13 IPA's rated 100 by the "Bros" on BA.

Their distribution footprint is pretty small

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They are opening another brewery in, I believe, Virginia.

I'm not sure if there is anything from NH that people elsewhere actually seek...but I often pass over some great stuff on the tap list because I see it all the time.

Anything Revolution or Three Floyd's. My cousin visits from Grand Rapids all the time too, so Bell's/Founder's/Odd Side/Dark Horse apply as well. Plus, Surly is distributed down here now too.

Pretty much have the upper Midwest covered as far as awesome beer. So much so, that it's just normal beer now. I actually turned down a ZD recently, and just had a Coors. I know. It's sad...

ThatVideoKid said:

I'm not sure if there is anything from NH that people elsewhere actually seek...but I often pass over some great stuff on the tap list because I see it all the time.

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But you're sooo close to Vermont!!!

Not sure. Cascade I guess? I dont buy (crazy expensive) bottles of their sours, but Ill go to their pub a few times a year. Love 'em. Besides that there's a lot of good breweries locally but nothing I can think of off the top of my head as super extraordinary. Lots of mediocre IPAs.

k1ngl1ves said:

But you're sooo close to Vermont!!!

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I guess so, but I don't really take stuff like Heady for granted...it isn't distributed here. Though I guess I have the option to make a 3 hour drive up there where most of you guys don't...or an hour and a half to grab some Dinner (Maine Beer Company of course), or a couple hour drive out to tree house...

Not super local, but NoDa, hop drop n roll.

Hello said:

Not super local, but NoDa, hop drop n roll.

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Had that a week or so ago at the Carolina Panthers game in Charlotte. It was remarkably good. Haven't seen it anywhere here in the Raleigh area

ViciousFishes said:

Had that a week or so ago at the Carolina Panthers game in Charlotte. It was remarkably good. Haven't seen it anywhere here in the Raleigh area

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Are you in Raleigh? Glass Jug gets it because the owners drive out to get it. Bottle Rev #1 also goes to get it. That's all I know.

shetc said:

They are opening another brewery in, I believe, Virginia.

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Have an info source on this? I'm in VA< we're getting quite a few big breweries these days (Stone, Deschutes, Ballast, etc...) but I haven't heard anything about CCB yet.

As for me, Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager. Damn that's a great beer, hardly ever drink it anymore because there's always "more exciting" stuff around.

Bosh said:

It`s freaking Korea. I`m grateful for anything that hasn`t had a shot of soju dropped in it.

Except Cass. ****ing Cass.

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Nothing wrong with a little somec from time to time. Had too much Tiger pee while I was in Singapore.

I love my little four peaks here in Phoenix. Everywhere has Kiltlifter on tap. FINE I guess I'll have another Kiltlifter;-) I really like their other offerings better though like Sunbrü and 8th Street Ale.

Of course, it's not soju here but baijiu that I abhor. You should try it sometime. You'll appreciate soju so much more after a three-52%-ABV-bottles-for-five-drinkers baijiu dinner. Hell, you'll appreciate it so much more after your first whiff of the stuff...[/QUOTE]

HAHA Baijiu.... That stuff is awful. Funny story. My buddy brought a bottle back from China when I first moved out of the parentals house. We were partying a lot at our apartment because we were the first of our friends get our own space. So after we drank a few awful shots and said no ore we would just give it to unsuspecting people, tell them it is awesome and then watch the awful look on their faces. After the bottle was empty we would just pour random liqours, pickle juice, beer, wine, or whatever we could think of into the bottle and pass it off as baijiu. It got top be a running joke in our circle of friends to make newcomers take a shot of "baijiu". I actually tasted it after about two years of adding god knows what to that bottle and it tasted better than the original.

Oh and I totally take Sierra Nevada for granted living in Northern Cali. Its always there and I look at all other options before I eventually order a torpedo IPA or the OG SNPA

I used to live within 30 minutes of three jolly pumpkin locations... Then I moved.

pricelessbrewing said:

I used to live within 30 minutes of three jolly pumpkin locations... Then I moved.

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Oh how I would kill for that.

ThatVideoKid said:

Oh how I would kill for that.

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Yup. Last time I was home a couple friends and i got a pitcher of la Roja and a pizza, their food is amazing too. So good.

pricelessbrewing said:

Yup. Last time I was home a couple friends and i got a pitcher of la Roja and a pizza, their food is amazing too. So good.

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A PITCHER? Boy I'd be lucky to ever get a glass

FatDragon said:

Right - same here in China. Sure, Beijing's had craft breweries for a while, but in Wuhan they're just starting to come into existence, and it's all kegged stuff so I can't buy a sixer to take home and I live far enough away from the bars that going out for a pint is a rare treat. I'm not sure I'll ever take craft beer for granted again after several years here.

Of course, it's not soju here but baijiu that I abhor. You should try it sometime. You'll appreciate soju so much more after a three-52%-ABV-bottles-for-five-drinkers baijiu dinner. Hell, you'll appreciate it so much more after your first whiff of the stuff...

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Oh I know all about baiju. Last time I had some it took three taxis for me to get home. Never again.

k1ngl1ves said:

Anything Revolution or Three Floyd's. My cousin visits from Grand Rapids all the time too, so Bell's/Founder's/Odd Side/Dark Horse apply as well. Plus, Surly is distributed down here now too.

Pretty much have the upper Midwest covered as far as awesome beer. So much so, that it's just normal beer now. I actually turned down a ZD recently, and just had a Coors. I know. It's sad...

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Indeed, that is sad... I gave up a Coors and had a water

Sammy86 said:

I have two...First is Two Roads Brewery in Stratford, CT...their tap room has a ridiculous amount of choices and I honestly haven't had a bad beer from them.

Second, is Back East Brewery in Bloomfield, CT. Their porter and golden ale are two of my favorite beers and I don't purchase them nearly enough as I have been brewing my own more.

Both great breweries with great beers!

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I will be on Greenwich CT on Dec for a businness trip. It worth a trip to Two Roads Brewery?

Bosh said:

Oh I know all about baiju. Last time I had some it took three taxis for me to get home. Never again.

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That's what I say every time, but my in-laws (immediate and extended) and most of our friends insist on swilling baijiu pretty much every time we eat together.

I abhor the stuff and the way it's drunk. It smells awful and tastes worse, and whether you're sip-toasting or shooting it, imbibing baijiu is all about getting it down as fast as you can so you don't have to taste it, and then doing it again and again until someone's under the table. I was never into taking shots either, so maybe that colors my opinion. To me, good liquor should be sipped, mediocre liquor should be mixed, and bad liquor should be given to in-laws you don't like.