How far would you drive for a beer?

[hopjack13]

i've driven over 100 miles to san diego just get some good beers!
anyone else act this way? or is it just me?

[fretlessman71]

I've gone to Colorado Springs for Bristol Brewing stuff before. The bottom line is whether or not it's worth it to YOU. And to me, it is! :D

[hopjack13]

Agreed! most san diego beers i can get out here but alpine.......well i gotta make a special trip for them ! i just love that Pure Hoppieness (http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/3120/7597/)

[tarapin]

I put whatever it takes man, but usually it's for a fest or a brew pub that has a seasonal beer going. Other than that maybe 26 miles to my favorite dist. for something specific.

[chazwicke]

I have been to 18 countries and 45 states in the pursuit of beer. It has become a holy quest for me. Distance or money is no object when it comes to beer.

[Bruno_78]

I once walked 14 miles roundtrip through chicago to get to goose island one day. It was just about a year ago now.

[BluesHarp]

My cousin drove from Oshkosh, WI to Munster, IN (202 miles) to get beer at Three Floyds; he picked me up along the way, so I went 125 miles.
That trip also included stops at liquor stores in both IL and IN...

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by Bruno_78
I once walked 14 miles roundtrip through chicago to get to goose island one day. It was just about a year ago now. Hope you brought a cooler... oh, wait - this was wintertime. Never mind. Cold day?

[Bruno_78]

It was actually a pretty decent day.

[fretlessman71]

You weren't walking through the snow on your bare knees uphill both ways? ;)

[chazwicke]

Beer is a sacred quest. He would do it as you mentioned even going backwards, naked, wearing blinders, not having eaten for weeks, over hot coals and thorns. Would'n't you?

He was not in the least bit scared to be mashed into a pulp, and to have his eyes gouged out, and his elbows broken, To have his knee caps split and his body burned away

[BluesHarp]

...brave, brave, Sir Bruno....

well played, Chaz!:D

[S.F.B.]

50 - 75 miles. Fortunately living in an area where ther are a bunch of breweries, brew pubs and stores that bring in good brews I don't have to go very far.

As far as Bruno goes, don't forget the 5 miles of broken glass.:D

[funkconnection]

50-75 miles, the Belgium is not a big country. And I have enough with all the new beers appearing in my country.

[chazwicke]

Fret is thinking of Driving to England. Yeah I know, I didn't have the heart to tell him and spoil it for him. Poor lad.:D

[fretlessman71]

What? You never heard of all-season tires? The Arctic Ocean is FROZEN, you know... ;)

[BluesHarp]

If it's cold enough, you could probably drive from Alaska to Russia...maybe not the shortest route, but.....

[chazwicke]

He could drive through the Baltic States and get some Baltic Porters for his tasting.

I found some booklets and stuff from Aldaris that I got during the tasting I attended several years ago. I've been finding some pretty cool stuff in boxes in my storage area. Some really nice booklets from Scheidmantle brewery in Coberg. I also went to a tasting with their brewmaster and owner. I don't believe it is being imported any more.

[smarty1405]

Last summer I drove from Waco to Shiner, TX to tour the Shiner brewery for my 21st b-day. It was about 3-4 hours, depending on if you get as lost as we did. Anyone a shiner fan?

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by smarty1405
Last summer I drove from Waco to Shiner, TX to tour the Shiner brewery for my 21st b-day. It was about 3-4 hours, depending on if you get as lost as we did. Anyone a shiner fan?

Next time just come to Austin and skip Shiner. The beer is much better here.

[wortchillergoal]

This is a hard question for me to answer. I don't have to drive far at all to get good beer thus my willingness to travel any distance has not been tested. I don't know if I would or not drive a great distance. Since I don't have to, I am not going to ponder the question until my brain huerts.

[Xaos]

hmmm, I guess I'm the only one not owning a car...

[smarty1405]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
Next time just come to Austin and skip Shiner. The beer is much better here.
Goin' to Shiner was like a pilgramage for me. It was my girlfriend's b-day present to me (one of them ;). we managed to get to gruene hall and river road ice house later that weekend. it was fantastic. can't top that in austin.

[Goat King]

I regularly drive 50+ miles for beer. The store where I shop for beer and my girlfriend are in the same town, so I have a good reason.

[chazwicke]

I recommend beer touring. Go from town to town stopping at all the breweries and brewpubs.

[evilpsych]

well lets see.. at last count.... the most i've driven for good beer.. 1,100 miles.

[evilpsych]

Originally posted by smarty1405
Goin' to Shiner was like a pilgramage for me. It was my girlfriend's b-day present to me (one of them ;). we managed to get to gruene hall and river road ice house later that weekend. it was fantastic. can't top that in austin.

come to think of it.. that was my pilgramage...

hello fellow shiner buddy.

[BadDogNoBiskit]

Im not sure if it counts but I have made a family vacation to Colorado Springs for BEER. we could have gone anywhere but I heard there were some GREAT microbrews there. SO it was about 600 miles

[rogerdoct]

:p I've flown to Zurich Switzerland, Ontario Canada, and driven to California, Washington, and the local convienience store... It depends what I'm in the mood for!
Roger "Doc".

[fretlessman71]

Hey - I used to play in a band that would do a lot of festivals in the area you're from, Roger. This was back in the '90's. What town is Utah State in again?

[rogerdoct]

:D Utah State University is up in Logan. Nive area... I bit North of me. I live in Layton, Utah.
Roger "Doc".

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by rogerdoct
:p I've flown to Zurich Switzerland, Ontario Canada, and driven to California, Washington, and the local convienience store... It depends what I'm in the mood for!
Roger "Doc".

I've had decent beer in Switzerland and Ontario as well. When I stayed in Baden, Switzerland My hotel and spa was about a block from a brewery. I've forgotten the name but I need to bring out all my old photos and scan them in. I have pictures of a few hundred breweries that I have visited over the last 30 years. (I'm not certain just how many breweries I've been to but I'm thinking maybe 500 or so.)

[rogerdoct]

:D My Grandparent's favorite Swiss beer is called "Halden Gut". Basically it means, "Goes Down Good!"... I've been to their brewery. We also visited a couple of micro-breweries got a tour from the brew master and some free samples... Gotta love those free samples!!!
Roger "Doc".

[Jinja]

I of course make a point to check out local breweries or brewpubs wherever I travel, but probably the longest distance I have driven especially for the purpose of visiting a specific brewery is about 200 miles - StarOnStage and I took a road trip to Fort Bragg from the San Francisco Bay Area just to visit North Coast Brewing. It's pretty much the only thing in Fort Bragg :D

I have traveled longer distances and definitely enjoyed some local beer at my destination, but when we went to Fort Bragg the beer was our destination!

Jinja Out

[rogerdoct]

:p Jinja, my Wife has an Aunt and Cousin in Ft. Bragg, now we have a good reason to go visit!
Roger "Doc".

[Jinja]

Go on a Saturday so you can take the tour and visit StarOnStage's favorite place on the planet - The Hop Closet!!!

:D

Jinja Out

[chazwicke]

I've been there twice. Made special trips too. When we first were able to get the Red Seal in our area I knew I was gonna have to make the journey. I believe the pub is in an old mortuary.

[Lusitano]

My longest trip has been 60 miles roundtrip, but when one considers it was through New Jersey traffic, that can feel like 300 miles.

[skahtboi]

Originally posted by Lusitano
My longest trip has been 60 miles roundtrip, but when one considers it was through New Jersey traffic, that can feel like 300 miles.

Geez.....my "local" purveyor of good beers is 37 miles from my house. That means when I make a beer run, I have a 74 mile round trip.

[eppie]

A few weeks ago I rode to Wesvleteren and back. I guess the whole trip was about 80 miles, but it took 4 hours. I got there about 9:45 and stood (sat in car to be precise) in the line for two hours to be able to buy my 3 cases of 8?. Definatley not the sort of thing I would do every day, but I wanted something special for Thanksgiving.
________
Volcano vaporizer (http://volcanovaporizer.net/)

[champ]

Every year I go 300 mile round trip from DC to the Manayunk Brew Festival in Manayunk, PA. But I have to admit, it is mostly to be with my old highschool friends, for whom I would go through hell and back... but all that beer is certainly an added carrot :) Likewise, they come down from North Jersey/NYC to the Maryland Brewer's Oktoberfest in Timonium and the Cap City Oktoberfest in Arlington, VA.

[DecoJuicer]

I have one 110 feet...straight down beneath the service of Lake Huron.

We were out SCUBA diving on some old ship wrecks. We put our beers in an old net bag, along with some dive weights, and lowered them over the side. One of the guys on the boat went to pull the bag up, and it broke. Since I was planning on making another dive anyway, my dive buddy and I got elected to recover our lost suds.

We brought back every beer, and still had time to see a little bit of the wreck. My deco stop was a little scary though, since I came REALLY close to running out of air.

[Vienna Lager]

45' for homebrew in my cellar

3/4 mile to a Copps store that has all the Euopean usuals and locals (Sprecher, New Glarus, Central Waters, Capital, etc.) Once in a hellish snow storm I X-country skied there for some Negra Modela.

4 miles to a Brewery that has Augsberger or James Paige on tap in their hospitality room.

[Wilson]

This is a sad story.....Once I was working in small town south Alabama for 10 days and was in dire need of a good beer. Being in a dry county, I asked around and found the only beer store was about 45 miles away, one way. Well, away I went 90 miles worth. The best they had to offer was Guiness and Sam Adams. I felt lucky for that and was glad to buy it. I've done the same thing in nowhere Texas before, but only got Shiner.

Having the oportunity to travel, I have been known to drive accross major cities just to get to the best beer store. I love going into stores in dry county's and asking for beer...ahh the looks! My best find, in an unexpected place, was Waco, TX. I found some cheap Arrogant Bastard and 1845 at a local shop.