Buying Beer As A Homebrewer

[Smudgey]

I get a dozen random craft beers arrive in a box once every other month. The first year it was a gift subscription from my wife - who actually set the Xmas-present-bar close to the moon that year. My mates wives hate her for it! Legendary. But - I've continued it as it such a great surprise that just keeps on giving. 6 Christmases a year. Judiciously selected, winning beers that aren't all to my liking, but its interesting to try so many different syles I wouldn't think to buy, from breweries I wouldn't come across and at 'box of beer' rather than 'single' beer prices. It's makes it fun to visit the beer fridge even if I opt for the less adventurous safety of the picnic tap!

 

[Taket_al_Tauro]

The entry-level threshold to the market for selling your beer is much lower in Europe. We pour at about four festivals a year and that keeps us afloat. I think beer and wine are cheaper in Europe because of it. It affords us the opportunities to purchase beers so that we can see what others are up to. We also do trades with other local brewers and we take turns hosting brew days in order to help each other out. The information that I get from here is amazing and it is nice to share that with our small brew club.

Oh yes, I noticed your location and the entry-level threshold to the market is definitely ridiculously low in Switzerland. I did not get involved myself in the steps necessary to go commercial because I am purely a homebrewer, but it seems to be really easy. Heck it seems to me that every second homebrewer here is opening some sort of micro- or nano brewery at some point. Some of them are going commercial not even after a year of homebrewing (!). So at the moment it is kinda a wild west situation here with respect to craft breweries opening... how many do we have...1300+ "breweries" for a population of 8 million, if I am not mistaken? That gives an idea of the situation.
Not that this is necessarily a bad thing!
The downside is that you can find everything on the market: from truly great beers to truly terrible ones. And of course you pay the terrible ones the same price as the great ones (meaning hefty Swiss craft beer prices).
Knowing which are the good breweries definitely helps a lot here. And luckily, there are more and more really good ones.

I'm not sure about other European countries, I believe most do have somehow stricter rules than Switzerland?

 

[BoitAHL]

I thought why not go all out and buy a keg

Same for me. Keezer out of beer I go to the local Liquor Store and order a keg of a favorite beer. Usually New Holland Brewing Dragon's Milk. (OK, the Keezer doesn't have to be empty) I also have a subscription to Tavour and get a great selection of craft beers (Dark & Intense) monthly.

 

[GalileoFarms&Brewing]

this was my goal this year! so far i've had three batches done: an alt, a belgian wit, and a marzen.

i did buy a 6er of guinness for an irish stew on st. paddy's day, though...

 

[225]

I still buy PBR....

 

[Plastic Brewkettle]

OK, where are all the purists excoriating @225 for this heresy?

 

[grampamark]

OK, where are all the purists excoriating @225 for this heresy?

Well, his user title is “village idiot”…

 

[Ren06]

I’m a Belgian beer enthusiast so even though I homebrew there’s never a day where I can say I brew better than these monks; so yes I’m still buying beer .

 

[Brew_Dude41]

OK, where are all the purists excoriating @225 for this heresy?

PBR > Coors Light, so at least he has got that going for him.

 

[Plastic Brewkettle]

Yes, but Coors Light ≤ Getting Poked In The Eye With A Sharp Stick.

 

[bracconiere]

Well, his user title is “village idiot”…

stole my style, huh?

OK, where are all the purists excoriating @225 for this heresy?

225? drinking PBR? maybe he just feels like he's a higher number then 211?

 

[pvpeacock]

Coors Light? What's wrong with drinking canned water?

 

[bracconiere]

Coors Light? What's wrong with drinking canned water?

do cans of water have the special lining? i think not!

 

[Brewin’&Qin’]

Bought a kegerator ( don’t have the time to build my own). It is a two tap unit and since I just brewed what will be my first legged beer today, needed at least one brew on one of the taps. Picked up a 1/6 keg of Cigar City Jai Lai IPA. Took a few pours and a day to get pressure right but pouring good beers now. Can’t wait till I get my own brew flowing from the other tap in a few weeks.

 

[balrog]

If Y brews 4 gallons of beer 5 times per year, and this represents 5% of total beer consumption, how many bottles of beer does Y buy per year?

You forgot the part about the train leaving Chicago at 10AM going 30mph heading South...

PBR > Coors Light, so at least he has got that going for him.

Sometimes, a guy just wants a Genee Cream Ale.

Just sayin'

 

[Plastic Brewkettle]

@brewin'&Qin' : Those are stylin' taps. Good looking beer too.

 

[T Murph]

@brewin'&Qin' nice taps and I too have Jia Alia on tap. Love that IPA.

 

[bracconiere]

@Brewin’&Qin’ you got one hell of a screen name....i don't think you'll ever get tagged in a game of tag!

 

[Brewin’&Qin’]

Hey Plas and Murph. Thanks. Changed out to Stealth Nukatap instead of the stock chrome plated. And yes, Jai Lai is a great draft ipa.

 

[Bluekat]

I totally agree that for home brewers, what we brew is as good or better than most of what’s available commercially. That said, there are some really good commercial beers out there that I enjoy in between brews. Genesee cream ale and any Shiner product are my go to’s.

 

[Softailrider]

You forgot the part about the train leaving Chicago at 10AM going 30mph heading South...



Sometimes, a guy just wants a Genee Cream Ale.

Just sayin'

With a 40 knot crosswind…

 

[grampamark]

You forgot the part about the train leaving Chicago at 10AM going 30mph heading South...

“Ridin’ on the City of New Orleans”…

 

[bwible]

OK, where are all the purists excoriating @225 for this heresy?

I’m on record many times saying I keep High Life on hand all the time. I don’t drink it all the time but its always there when I want it. Been around in one form or another since 1903 so there must be something good about it. To each his own. I only have 2 taps on my kegerator so I also have several bottle beers.

I’ll also occasionally buy a 30 pack of Schaefer for the nostalgia. It’s a decent beer at a cheap price. Hard to find around here, its hit or miss when they have it.

I thought PBR was actually one of the “hip” beers that made a resurgence and all the hipsters were buying not that long ago.

 

[TheCache]

Coors heavy, not light - That's what I grab when I want the old stuff. I grew up around that and Olympia and I still enjoy a Coors now and again.

 

[bwible]

Coors heavy, not light - That's what I grab when I want the old stuff. I grew up around that and Olympia and I still enjoy a Coors now and again.

Coors Banquet went over huge at a Christmas party we had. Everybody loved it, including the beer geeks.

 

[TheCache]

Everybody loved it, including the beer geeks

Someday I'll clone it just for fun. It's a got a very slight sweetness to it that I find enjoyable.

 

[bracconiere]

InBev is so BIG and we're all so small...kinda gives you giggle talking smack!

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I went to the city the other day and picked up several four packs, and left a C-note behind.
St Bernardus Abt 12
Trois Pistoles
Celebrator
Gluden Drak - White bottle
Gluden Drak - Black bottle

I have a Belgian Quad on tap, as well as numerous bottles from over the years of my Quads, but just wanted something a bit different and as for the Celebrator, I have yet to brew a Dopplebock, but need to soon.

 

[BrewZer]

OK, where are all the purists excoriating @225 for this heresy?

Maybe he only uses it to cook hot dogs in...?

 

[bracconiere]

Maybe he only uses it to cook hot dogs in...?

wait there's a seperate thread for that...."You Buy Hot Dogs?" or something like that..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/homemade-hot-dogs-caseless.656808/

 

[balrog]

As to the cost of home brew, I try to humbly ignore the equipment cost. I don't want to know. But neither am I willing to malt my own. Sorry @bracconiere . There is only so much up with which I am willing to put to make beer.

 

[passedpawn]

wait there's a seperate thread for that...."You Buy Hot Dogs?" or something like that..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/homemade-hot-dogs-caseless.656808/

Make hot dog soup, as referenced in the song below

 

[bracconiere]

Make hot dog soup, as referenced in the song below

doesn't hot dog soup go with with under leavened biscuits?

 

[passedpawn]

doesn't hot dog soup go with with under leavened biscuits?

Sounds like a match made in heaven to me

 

[Steverus07]

I went to the city the other day and picked up several four packs, and left a C-note behind.
St Bernardus Abt 12
Trois Pistoles
Celebrator
Gluden Drak - White bottle
Gluden Drak - Black bottle

I have a Belgian Quad on tap, as well as numerous bottles from over the years of my Quads, but just wanted something a bit different and as for the Celebrator, I have yet to brew a Dopplebock, but need to soon.

I just did a charity event yesterday where we brought growlers and shared them with donors. My quad was very popular and I had fun explaining that, it just being representative of the style, there are lots of delicious commercial versions out there. Though I pointed them in the direction of the Chimay blue label.

 

[NillaMuffin615]

I’ve been brewing for about a couple of years now. I’ll buy beers that most people around me won’t drink. Usually IPAs. If I find it I’ll always get Pilsner Urquell.

 

[bobeer]

Depends what I have going on with my homebrew. Some drinking sessions call for stuff I don't have on hand. People don't all dig the same beers I brew, or have on hand at that point in time, so I buy beer to have for others to enjoy.

Also, variety is the spice of life and some times I don’t have the time to make all the variety I'm after. I did try one year to only drink the beer I made and I caved in for Czech pils during the heat of the summer because they're so good.

 

[Rish]

Yes, but Coors Light ≤ Getting Poked In The Eye With A Sharp Stick.

Canoe sex beer!

 

[grampamark]

Canoe sex beer!

There’s a brewpub in Billings that has a house beer called “Canü”. The description says “something for your light beer drinking friends when you drag them in here kicking and screaming”. It pretty much is love by the lake.

 

[Kee]

It pretty much is love by the lake.

Love by the lake sounds like a mixed drink by the same guy who invented sex on the beach.