How do you find beers?

I find myself getting bummed about not being able to find and taste certain beers I read about since I can't find them locally.

I want to try Dogfish Head 120-minute IPA. If anyone reads this in the Washington/Oregon/Idaho area, let me know if it even exists around here.

I'd like to find these beers, but the "good selection stores" dont have it, and some others ive been looking for.

How do you cope with the isolation that comes with regional beers not being everywhere. Or how do you overcome this issue? Travel a lot?

 

People trade, at Ratebeer, for example. I don't know about Idaho, but Oregon has plenty of beers to be envious of.

Ultimately, no one has access to everyhting. You can't get Dogfish Head, I can't get Deschutes.

 

You can get Dogfish 120 at QFC in the U District in Seattle, also at the one on Broadway. I don't know for sure, but I'd bet Bottleworks has it, I'd also check out Pike Street Beer and Wine. Might want to check out Full Throttle Bottles, as well.

I don't know about Oregon or Idaho.

 

Unfortunately, I am in Spokane. Next time I go over there I am stocking up!

 

Is trading thru the mail legal? I assume you have to use UPS or Fedex rather than the US postal service or something.

 

Brew them.

 

I have talked to some local stores and also contacted the sales rep for specific beers to get a list of stores that carry the beers i am looking for you can also get the stock number and get your local store to order it in for you.

 

I don't know if it's legal, but people do it. People also ship homebrew bottles to competitions.

 

You can ship homebrew, there if you just google it, there is a step by step process that people have had success with.

There is a great place here in Asheville, NC where if you go to thier website, they can ship you any beer they have in stock, and trust me, they have more than enough. On occasion I have seen them make special orders for customers.

They also ship as well

Heres the URL: Bruisin' Ales

 

Shipping alcohol via US postal service in-state or interstate is illegal. Happens all the time though.

I thought I remember being in Spokane and finding a pretty good selection of sixers and 22 oz bombers at an upscale grocery store. Wasn't looking for DFH specifically though, and I can't remember where I was, somewhat near the airport I think.

 

Your prayers have been answered:

bottletrek.com

(I'm drinking a Pliny the Elder right now here in NYC which you can't get anywhere near here thanks to that service. Wow, what a beer btw!!)

 

There is one pretty good shop in SPokane I know of. From the campuses down by the river go to the south side of the river. Go a little bit west. THere is a huge enclosed shopping mall on the south side of the river there. Walk out the south side of the mall, go straqight up the hill, just keep climbing. You'll pass under interstate I forgot the number, keep climbing. Pretty soon you will come to a organic food store kinda grocery store (on the right), lots of Volvos and women in comfortable shoes and stuff.

Back in the beer cooler they have, or at least had, several worthies. I found a 2008 SN Harvest over 2008 Tgiving, and the full line of JW Lee's harvest ales (try the 'aged in Lagavulin Scotch casks'). I think I saw Young's double chocolate stout in there too.

 

Huckleberries!

I haven't been up there yet since becoming legal to purchase alcohol, I'll have to go soon.

I usually go to Yoke's grocery stores, they tend to have the better selection.

 

Yes, Huckleberries! That's it.

 

Humm Maybe ship a yeast sample .....hint hint there is nothing illegal about that

 

Makes sense to me.

By the way Blind Guardian is my favorite band. I've spent hours trying learn their songs. That stuff is hard to play, and even harder to sing, but it's worth it.

 

If there is something I want that I cannot find I go to
http://www.liquidsolutions.biz/

they have just about anything you could want, the also ship Fed EX

-Jason

 

Have you ever found dogfish head's 120-min IPA here in town?

 

Try one before you stock up too much. It's a pretty miserable beer IMO, whether you like malt or hops. It's mainly syrupy sweet and a bit orangey, with a bit of hot alcohol and not enough hop flavor or bitterness to support the sweetness. Despite the hopping schedule, it's a badly unbalanced beer way too far toward the sweet end of the spectrum. The 60 and 90 are both much better beers (as is the 75 mix they serve at the brew pubs) IMO.

That said, like most DH products it's worth trying at least once. I just wouldn't plan on stocking up on it until you've had a chance to try it and evaluate it yourself. FWIW I'm saying it's not hoppy enough as someone who isn't much of a hophead; I find Bell's Hopslam to be skewed too far toward the hop flavor (especially with piney American hops) at the expense of balance, with Stone Ruination being a great example of a fairly well-balanced big DIPA.

 

Yeah at the Yokes in the valley and every once in a while at Huckleberry's

but I really like Liquid Solutions as well they have a wonderful selection !!!

-Jason

 

I can think of about 3 stores within 2 miles of my house where I can get DFH and other East Coast beers. Check your local specialty food stores and they usually have a pretty good selection.

 

i live in Utah, i can't get **** here, this is why i started brewing my own, i have to drive to Nevada (90 minutes away), Idaho (also 90 minutes away) and Evanston, Wyoming (about 70 minutes away). After years of making those treks to get decent beer and stocking up when i go back home to Long Beach i finally decided to start brewing myself.

 

If your ever in the Tacoma area there's a place on 56th that's called "BEERS OF THE WORLD". They have over 700 different beers.

Last week I paid $13 for the 120 min and I really wish I didn't. I had to force myself to finish the whole thing. It tastes like ......... if you shoved a handful of hops in your mouth and then drank syrup watered down with rum. Nasty stuff.

 

I was in Spokane last weekend and my wife made me go to this store called Cost Plus World Market. They furniture and stuff, pretty boring really. But as I was wandering around I saw some wine, then beer, and good beer too. They had 60 minute and 90 minute dogfish head. I don't recall seeing 120, but it may be worth another look.

edit: I bought a four pack of 90 minute and I'm freaking hooked. Probably some of the best beer I've ever had. My local specialty beer shop does not have it I'll be getting more next time i'm in Spokane

 

You say that like it's a bad thing! I heart 120. Think brandy, liquer, cognac, not so much beer. Delicious. Epic.

If it didn't have the sweetness that it does, it would taste like rocket fuel.
If it didn't have the bitterness that it does, it would taste like Southern Comfort.
If it didn't have the alcohol that it does, it would taste like candied hops.

 

I finally went there (drive by all the time)

They have SN porter which I have been looking for all over town. I bought some DFH 90-minute at Yokes last week, so so tasty.

They have the 90-minute and Aprihops on tap at the Viking here in town. If at all interested, we should have a Spokane trip to have a few pints at the Viking!

 

I live in the best beer town in the states. You can't throw a rock without hitting good beer. Green Flash IPA and Dogfish Head in 7-11! You bet. Bars consistently have 18-30 taps full of good craft beer on here. Toronado has 50. Bottle lists get even more out of control.

We're very, very lucky here.

 

I've bought some nice beers, including dogfish head 120 , at Market of Choice and Whole Foods in Oregon

 

Utah is a beer wasteland. That's why I homebrew. No advice here, sorry.

 

The current issue of Beer Northwest has a review of the best places to find beer in Spokane this month.

I get it free at my LHBS. I'll try to look tonight and post the recommended places.

Spring 2009 Issue | Beer Northwest Magazine

 

It looks like you all have a Cost Plus World Market in the Spokane area as well. Our local has a so so selection of beer, but I've seen DFH 120 in there on some occasions. Might want to give it a shot.

 

Wherever I left it is where I usually find it. For instance, if I want to find my cream ale, I know that I should look in the closet with the fermentation fridge. To find my IPA, I should look in the keezer.

Seriously though, I don't go commercial beer hunting. If I happen to be driving past the beer store I might go in and see if anything catches my eye, but I don't do much of the errand running anymore, so that's very rare. I did ask my wife to pick up a six pack of hoegaarden today because I've been craving it.

 

You could always go to the bougiest market in town and tell them how great XYZ beer is and how they just must order it on they're next round. I've gotten a couple corner markets to carry some of my favs just by asking them. And probably made it worth their while too.