Sharing is Caring

In my absence from the world of beer blogging, I often found myself realizing I was still coming up with topics to blog about.  Perhaps the desire to analyze this industry I invest so much time and money in is something I just can't shake.  Whatever comes of this in the future, and whatever ultimately managed to bring me back, really doesn't matter.  I sit here with great aspirations to once again produce multiple posts a week.  In reality, I hope to get at least one quality piece written and posted as frequently as I can.  It's not like life has finally calmed down.  If anything, it's actually more busy than it has ever been.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see where we go from here.

One of my first trades

One topic I've definitely delved into in the past is the unfortunate way in which beer distribution is handled here in the U.S.  I remember the first time I found out there were beers out there being produced in different areas of the country that I couldn't possibly find at my local store.   I searched high and low for a store that would carry this elusive Three Floyds Brewing Co product. Try as I might, there wasn't a single store in the area that could produce a single ounce of beer from this mythical brewery.  They, like many breweries across the country, don't distribute to this market.

There is a wide variety of reasons why breweries don't send their beers from sea to shining sea. Obviously production is something to take into account.  There are some breweries out there that have a hard enough time keeping up with the demand in their own backyard.  Others produce an incredible amount of quality and varied beers, but they don't have distribution deals with companies that deliver to certain states.  There are actually some midwestern states that don't get Stone Brewing Co and even more that can't get Dogfish Head.  Yuengling, America's oldest brewery, only makes it as far west as Tennessee.  So how is a beer geek to survive knowing all of these great beers seem completely unattainable.

True, some join beer of the month clubs, or they order what they can from various companies online.  That, however, is still quite limited in what you can get.  Ultimately, the only real way to solve this dilemma is with beer trading.  I can obtain various breweries here in the Washington DC area that a lot of other states can't get.  While I sit at home wishing I could get various beers siting on the shelves of their local stores, others do the same wishing they could get some of the beers off my shelves.  In the end, through the help of a few different websites, we talk, figure out a fair deal, and mail out the beers of each other's dreams.  Oh it's not a perfect system, and there are those out there that would like to harm others, but it's the best way to get those products some of us can only dream of.

Washington DC doesn't necessarily have a plethora of beers others are looking to get.  But there are a few sure fire products you can always get someone to jump on.  Many people are quite interested in trying Duclaw's Sweet Baby 

One of my biggest trades

Jesus (chocolate peanut butter porter) and DC Brau's On the Wings of Armageddon ( double IPA). Thanks to these beers, I was really able to get my trading legs under me.  Thanks to trading, I've been able to procure all of the following different beers since the beginning of the summer.

Three Floyds - Dark Lord, The Bruery - White Chocolate, New Glarus - Raspberry Tart, Serendipity, and Strawberry Rhubarb, Westbrook - Mexican Cake, Pipeworks - Orange Truffle Abduction, and Prairie Artisan Ales - Prairie Bomb, Surly - Darkness, and Barrel Aged Speedway Stout. 

Would I recommend beer trading to someone who wants to expand their craft beer horizon?  Of course I would!  Understand, however, you need to start small.  I remember I managed to get a beer I thought was good and tried to use it to spear some of the biggest whales I've been dying to catch.  That is a big mistake.  Others will only ridicule you for shooting too high.  Also, know what you want when you go in there.  You will get shut right down if your post appears to be an auction.  People don't want to guess at what you want.  If nothing else, just put some styles down you would like to get.  Finally, don't try and win a trade.  This isn't like trading baseball cards.  You shouldn't be able to brag about how you practically stole someone else's Babe Ruth card.  It requires some give and take.  You may have to add on your end, or they might on their end.  Regardless, you'll be really happy when a package shows up on your front steps with those elusive beers inside.

I managed to get some 3 Floyds in the end