Import Hell

[hops99]

Arrgghh! I'm in Ohio, which is a state whose distributors provide a very healthy selection of micros and imports at stores in most towns. I can go to at least 3 or 4 places in a 30 minute radius that will invariably carry micros such as:

Great Lakes, Bell's, Dogfish Head, Stone, Capital, Victory, Brooklyn, Goose Island, Weyerbacher, Sprecher, Three Floyds, Saranac, Founders, Harpoon, Geary's, and many more.

At the same stores, I can also find a solid selection of imports, especially great stuff from Belgium, Germany, and England. Here's my problem: 90% of the time, no matter which one of the stores I shop at, the import I take home will be old/skunky/infected etc. Tonight was the last straw - I opened up a big bottle of Mc Chouffe, a nice $6 Belgian Brown ale that I've had before back East. It was SKUNKED beyond recognition. Granted, it is packaged in a green bottle, but still....

Ohio, at least my part of the state, is micro heaven and import hell! :mad:

Anyone else frustrated with your local import scene?

[fretlessman71]

I've found that most sellers aren't interested in taking very good care of their imported beer; they know that you're going to be back because there are only a select few establishments that even carry the stuff. It's not like you can go to a different McDonald's a mile up the road because they cook the food better (I'm using the term "food" loosely here); you simply get what they give you, and once you've paid for it they've done their job. It's pitiful, isn't it?

Pilsner Urquell is FAMOUS for turning up bad on this side of the big pond. There's been a long running thread about that precise beer and how it handles the trip.

I would also submit to you that beer sellers on the east coast are going to be much more savvy about keeping their stock in good condition than they will in Ohio (I run into the same thing here in Nashville). There are going to be many more importers and exporters on the coast for obvious reasons, and this forces sellers to find an edge up; quality of stock is one way to do that. No one in that sort of market wants to be known as the store that ruins their beer with light and heat, right?

The preceding is nothing but hypothesis, of course... I've been trying to find out what's going on around HERE as well. I'd love to try some of the imported beer that I see, but for the very reason you stated above, I'm currently drinking a Moose Drool instead.

I would certainly make a point of calling the store where you bought your Belgain Brown and let them know how upset you are; you may find a sympathetic ear, and you might also educate them just a little.

[b3s]

my local paint store is pretty good about that...excellent imports that are usually in good condition. in fact, they just started carrying fuller's 1845 (i didn't get any tonight for some bizarre reason...oh, yeah, already had $50 in beer!).

it really depends on the store and the distributor. like i said, my local paint store is pretty good about that...the other paint store isn't (but has less expensive sapphire gin).

[chazwicke]

In general the places I shop handle their beer well. (I am on the East Coast) Many of the establishments that I frequent will only display one bottle and pull the one you buy from the basement or walk in cooler. I know several are very consious to rotate their stock as well. We have some saavy beer sellers here and it shows. There are plenty of grocery or markets that do not care about their beer, dont get me wrong. I just know which places to patronize. And fortunately I have many to choose from. Living in the Washington DC area is a plus because we can shop in Virginia, Maryland or DC. Often if you can't find something in one jurisdiction, you can in another. In addition, There are several of the importers whom are located in our area.

[Bryant]

I get the same problems with some selections. The reason I say "some selections" is baecause I think some beers handle abuse and storage better than others. Moosehead (while not a complex beer) and Pils Urquell seem to suffer that strange twang (skunkiness) in my area worse than others. A couple of stores in my city have a fair selection of imports (micro selection sucks) but to be honest, I rarely see people shopping around in that part of the liquor store. I mean somebody buys it besides me or they wouldn'tsell it, but I would bet they sell more bottles of tequila than import beer.

Bryant