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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:Tried to do the brewery tour at Stone today, but I forgot the minor detail of having to get there 2 hours ahead of time so you can get a tour ticket or whatever. Thanks to an accident on the highway that looked like someone probably died in, I didn't get there until 2:00, and the 4:00 tour was already full. I ended up touring Port/Lost Abbey instead. It was pretty interesting and was probably one of the better tours I've been on in terms of information about their brewing process. They were still aging barrels of beer they brewed in 2008. Is hanging out at the Stone bar for two hours and drinking delicious beers really that terrible a fate?
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Jul 29, 2012 03:18
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deadwing posted:Is hanging out at the Stone bar for two hours and drinking delicious beers really that terrible a fate? When you have to drive your rear end out of there for 30 minutes, yes.
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Jul 29, 2012 04:30
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The Stone bistro is just a little bit expensive, too. I mean, the beer is great, but after a couple 5-year barrel aged, taproom-only IPAs, you'll probably just go ahead and order the $11 french fries.
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Jul 29, 2012 06:07
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$11 french fries? Does that mean unlimited or hand cut by Greg himself?
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Jul 29, 2012 06:16
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Midorka posted:$11 french fries? Does that mean unlimited or hand cut by Greg himself? While I don't see any $11 fries on their current menu I will say that nobody goes there for the food and what you do get there is a bit overpriced. But, again, the food's there to keep you not completely shitfaced as you're drinking, let's be fair. The majority of breweries around here who don't have the space/money/interest in offering a food menu just have the food trucks come around on Thursday/Friday/Saturday and feed people on a fraction of the nights with decent food.
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Jul 29, 2012 06:22
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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:Tried to do the brewery tour at Stone today, but I forgot the minor detail of having to get there 2 hours ahead of time so you can get a tour ticket or whatever. Thanks to an accident on the highway that looked like someone probably died in, I didn't get there until 2:00, and the 4:00 tour was already full. I ended up touring Port/Lost Abbey instead. It was pretty interesting and was probably one of the better tours I've been on in terms of information about their brewing process. They were still aging barrels of beer they brewed in 2008. http://www.cbs8.com/story/19138651/suspected-drunk-driver-kills-motorcyclist-on-i-15  Someone did die. Honestly though, thats the only way I know. Get up there early, get your ticket, go explore the  wonders that is Escondido, then take your rear end over to a different brewery for a quick tour, and then come back to Stone. Also, eat something before hand, so you don't spend a grip of money on their ridiculously overpriced food.
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Jul 29, 2012 06:37
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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:Tried to do the brewery tour at Stone today, but I forgot the minor detail of having to get there 2 hours ahead of time so you can get a tour ticket or whatever. Thanks to an accident on the highway that looked like someone probably died in, I didn't get there until 2:00, and the 4:00 tour was already full. I ended up touring Port/Lost Abbey instead. It was pretty interesting and was probably one of the better tours I've been on in terms of information about their brewing process. They were still aging barrels of beer they brewed in 2008. the trick is to go to Stone two and a half hours before the tour you want. Get your ticket and then book it to Lost Abbey and enjoy a half dozen or so $1 tasters. Then go back to Stone when the time is near for the tour. Enjoy it and the free tasters they give you after it. You should be well buzzed enough at this point for under a $20. Then again, there's always just hanging out in the really cool looking Bistro Garden with a great tap list as an option.
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Jul 29, 2012 09:42
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Picked up Brux last night. I want to try it fresh and see if I like it before getting another bottle to age
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Jul 29, 2012 18:41
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wattershed posted:While I don't see any $11 fries on their current menu I will say that nobody goes there for the food and what you do get there is a bit overpriced. I went to the Bistro when it was relatively new in 2007. I didn't go on the tour, but I do remember drinking a couple aged strong IPAs or something, and getting a very small but expensive potato dish that I could no longer taste. I guess that's still a pretty standard brewpub experience, just surprisingly pricy.
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Jul 30, 2012 02:03
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One of these days when I've got more money than sense I'll go to Troegs and get their $7 pretzel.
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Jul 30, 2012 03:15
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I'm drinking Harpoon's Rye IPA now, apparently it was a limited beer they made year-round. This is really solid and the hop choices give a nice spicy and piney flavor that really matches the rye in here. The beer finishes really dry, this is well done. Well worth $9 for a 6 pack if you ask me. Edit: Opened the Derf's Secret Alt from the Sam Adam's Longshot series. This is a seriously good beer that reminds me a lot of a dopplebock. Lots of malty sweetness of toffee and caramel with some apple fruitiness. This would be great to be able to find for a nice cool spring day, anyone know any other good examples? Midorka fucked around with this message at 04:54 on Jul 30, 2012 |
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Jul 30, 2012 03:47
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CalvinDooglas posted:I went to the Bistro when it was relatively new in 2007. I didn't go on the tour, but I do remember drinking a couple aged strong IPAs or something, and getting a very small but expensive potato dish that I could no longer taste. I guess that's still a pretty standard brewpub experience, just surprisingly pricy. Stone is nice-ish if you happen to have a six figure job or some other job where regular old food that costs twice what it should cost anywhere else isn't a problem. It isn't worth it otherwise, particularly given you can just get Stone beer everywhere in town and at the Company Stores not located in North County.
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Jul 30, 2012 04:21
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lazerwolf posted:Picked up Brux last night. I want to try it fresh and see if I like it before getting another bottle to age edit: also, thanks for the denver recommendations earlier! Hauki fucked around with this message at 16:52 on Jul 30, 2012 |
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Jul 30, 2012 05:34
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Hauki posted:I'm sitting on 3 bottles at the moment, realised my local store has another few cases left. I want more, but I don't know how much I actually want to spend on it, especially since I'm headed back up to Denver in a week or two and planning on bringing back a bunch of things that aren't distributed here. I'm drinking this now and find that it's hard for me to describe the flavors of brett, but the aroma is more pungent than the flavor right now with Brux. The aroma hinted at a mild vinegar and moderate sourness, I couldn't pick up anything else, while the flavor at first seemed bland but on the second sip I am able to pick up the subtle Brett funk with the light tart notes up front and the slightly sour finish. I really enjoy this now, but I know there's going to be a lot of change here up-coming. This is the first beer I want to get multiples of to age to see how it progresses. Yes, I'm bad at describing Brett beers. It just has this mildly sweet, yet tarty/sour taste from my experiences and I really am coming to enjoy it.
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Jul 30, 2012 06:20
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Angry Grimace posted:Stone is nice-ish if you happen to have a six figure job or some other job where regular old food that costs twice what it should cost anywhere else isn't a problem. It isn't worth it otherwise, particularly given you can just get Stone beer everywhere in town and at the Company Stores not located in North County. After looking at the menu, the food they serve seems to be about the same price as restaurants where I live in the DC area that you'd consider to be "pretty good while still reasonably priced," so that isn't really an issue for me. It doesn't seem like the kind of place where you'd go frequently, but those types are nice to go to once in a blue moon on a date or with a group of friends. They also serve more than just their own beers, which I think is kinda cool because breweries typically don't do that as far as I know. And I think you live in the San Diego area, so Stone might not be worth it to you since you're nearby, but they seem like they've buit that place as a sort of destination for people from all over the place to come check out and enjoy. From the very limited amount that I saw it seems like it probably beats the hell out of every other industrial park brewery I've been to so far out here. Seriously, what's the history behind that? Some guy in my tour group at Green Flash said it had something to do with building height restrictions due to fermentation tanks and that they need to be in industrial parks. I didn't do a very good job of explaining that, but it seemed like a pretty dumb law. California growler laws are also stupid since they require the brewery's logo to be on the container. Someone explain how that makes any sense. Whodat Smith-Jones fucked around with this message at 07:56 on Jul 30, 2012 |
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Jul 30, 2012 07:40
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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:After looking at the menu, the food they serve seems to be about the same price as restaurants where I live in the DC area that you'd consider to be "pretty good while still reasonably priced," so that isn't really an issue for me. It doesn't seem like the kind of place where you'd go frequently, but those types are nice to go to once in a blue moon on a date or with a group of friends. They also serve more than just their own beers, which I think is kinda cool because breweries typically don't do that as far as I know. And I think you live in the San Diego area, so Stone might not be worth it to you since you're nearby, but they seem like they've buit that place as a sort of destination for people from all over the place to come check out and enjoy. From the very limited amount that I saw it seems like it probably beats the hell out of every other industrial park brewery I've been to so far out here. The growler thing you speak of isn't something I've ever really worried about since the glass doesn't cost enough for me to worry about that vs. every other states weird alcohol laws. It only becomes onerous when you have smart-rear end breweries try to use fancy growlers like stainless steel or cut glass designs and the growlers themselves are thus pricey. Angry Grimace fucked around with this message at 08:33 on Jul 30, 2012 |
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Jul 30, 2012 08:29
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Angry Grimace posted:The problem is that I've been there and the food isn't anything to write home about. I mean, I don't know whether I would honestly say its better than the other breweries in town. It's kind of out of the way, and I'd rather just eat at Pizza Port any day of the week, but maybe that's because I'm a pleb or something. I just think it costs too much and they only have hoity toity stuff that isn't necessarily better than the food at comparably priced venues that aren't beer-themed. The growler problem isn't a factor of price. Cause many breweries only charge less than then bucks for their growler. I'm annoyed of it because I hate having to store 12 different growlers in the closet. Not to mention that you need to plan well in advance on where you're going to prepare properly the exact growler for the breweries you are going to. I'd much rather just have an empty growler in the truck and be able to pop into whatever brewery I happen to be near and fill it up. The Bistro is not an every day/week place to eat. Like the folks said above, it's a nice once-in-a-bluemoon type of evening out. But poo poo if you can't just enjoy a few pints on the grass as you go for the special growler fill on Fri/Sat/Sunday.
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Jul 30, 2012 08:56
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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:They also serve more than just their own beers, which I think is kinda cool because breweries typically don't do that as far as I know. Does anyone else get annoyed by this? I think it's so silly, good breweries seem like they could have endless potential for having an awesome tap list by simply trading beer with other breweries, but most seem to just keep their own stuff on tap. The breweries which I frequent the most have tap lists with breweries from all over. Specifically, I've been going to The Brew Kettle quite often, because they have been having 3F on tap. I recently got to try Zombie Dust, Pride and Joy, and Blackheart. Zombie dust was definitely my favorite, but I didn't feel as blown away by it as I potentially could have... we have several good Citra based IPAs in Northeast OH, so it was a nice confirmation that several OH breweries are 'doing it right'.
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Jul 30, 2012 09:15
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Jack Skeleton posted:The growler problem isn't a factor of price. Cause many breweries only charge less than then bucks for their growler. I'm annoyed of it because I hate having to store 12 different growlers in the closet. Perhaps it just doesn't bother me because I don't often get growlers in general unless its something rare - I tend to get commercial beer at bars or directly at the brewery and then drink homebrew at home (otherwise I'd never get rid of my home brew). The problem with that of course is that most breweries aren't offering growlers of anything particularly rare.  As for Stone, I just suppose I'm not that impressed because I felt it wasn't competitive with other restaurants in its price range, brewery stuff aside (meaning in comparison to other $35 a plate places). Not that my opinion matters to them, the place is jam packed pretty much all the time. Kudosx posted:Does anyone else get annoyed by this? I think it's so silly, good breweries seem like they could have endless potential for having an awesome tap list by simply trading beer with other breweries, but most seem to just keep their own stuff on tap. Angry Grimace fucked around with this message at 10:04 on Jul 30, 2012 |
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Jul 30, 2012 09:39
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So I tried Alaskan Raspberry Wheat couple nights ago. Oh my god, that stuff is delicious. Goes down smooth and it's incredibly flavorful. A bit on the pricey side though -- $7.50 a bomber. It's also a seasonal release. According to the site, the states that it's available in are AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MN, MT, NV, OR, WA, WI & WY.
Kaiser Mazoku fucked around with this message at 11:28 on Jul 30, 2012 |
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Jul 30, 2012 11:23
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quote:As for Stone, I just suppose I'm not that impressed because I felt it wasn't competitive with other restaurants in its price range, brewery stuff aside (meaning in comparison to other $35 a plate places). Not that my opinion matters to them, the place is jam packed pretty much all the time. Listen, I agree with what you're idea. Personally speaking, I don't ever get anything beyond the beer cheese soup or something under $10 on the menu when I'm at Stone. I more than often opt to hit up Pizza Port Carlsbad or San Clemente on the way back home. But that's cause I love their pizza to soak up the beer I had as well as the beer I'm getting from PP. But I can see where Stone's Bistro menu can be appealing to those who are going in for that compromise of going there for the boyfriend/husband's beer addiction, but having an intimate/date night type of dinner for the ladies. It's an environment that is pretty welcoming and unlike the typical industrial parkway/business center brewery that smells of old beer on the floor. Considering they're shooting for the whole hotel, they're going for that type of setting and while I may not think the food is worth it, there's no denying that it's a higher class/caliber of a dinning experience. As for the growler laws - Man, I loved it when I was in Portland. You pretty much could come in with any sort of container and walk away with a fill of beer. I think as a home brewer you'd be more inclined to have an unlabeled glassware to depend on as the sole tool you'd need to get a growler fill.
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Jul 30, 2012 13:47
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Stone Brewing Co dinner tonight at the Gingerman in South Norwalk, CT. Greg's going to be there, apparently, which is awesome as heck. Menu as follows. Salivating at work at 9:15am EST over the Cali-Belgique variant and the draft 10th Anniversary Ruination.
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Jul 30, 2012 14:20
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Wamsutta posted:Stone Brewing Co dinner tonight at the Gingerman in South Norwalk, CT. Greg's going to be there, apparently, which is awesome as heck. Menu as follows. Salivating at work at 9:15am EST over the Cali-Belgique variant and the draft 10th Anniversary Ruination. Ack, I wish that was happening closer to New Haven
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Jul 30, 2012 17:47
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Any Goons going to Great American Beer Festival this year? Tickets go on sale this week. The wife and I are planning to be at the Saturday afternoon session for AHA/BA members. vvv staying with friends about a mile walk from the convention center  But yeah I fully expect downtown to be an unmitigated shitshow.
Docjowles fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Jul 30, 2012 |
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Jul 30, 2012 21:35
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Docjowles posted:Any Goons going to Great American Beer Festival this year? Tickets go on sale this week. The wife and I are planning to be at the Saturday afternoon session for AHA/BA members. Nope, but I heard that a bunch of the hotels are already sold out for it! I was there last year during it, but didn't go to a session (business trip), and downtown was nuts whenever a session ended. Drunken stream of people with half-eaten pretzel necklaces.
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Jul 30, 2012 22:33
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Jack Skeleton posted:The growler problem isn't a factor of price. Cause many breweries only charge less than then bucks for their growler. I'm annoyed of it because I hate having to store 12 different growlers in the closet. Yeah, this is why it bothers me. I'm only here until the end of September and would love to be able to just bring a growler to any brewery or brewpub around here and fill up like I can at home. I went with stone just for the special releases they do twice a week since I won't have an opportunity to try them again. And I thought it looked cool  I gotta figure out how I'm gonna ship that and all the glassware I've accumulated back to the east coast without everything breaking 
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Jul 30, 2012 23:22
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One of our merchandisers was telling me about breweries in a few places that will accept any growler - they wash it, slap their own sticker over it, and fill it.
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Jul 30, 2012 23:39
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I remember every year there were scalpers selling face value tickets for GABF right near the Convention Center. Even if you don't care to get tickets ahead of time, there's a good chance you can get them day-of. Plus, there are tons of special beer events around town in the week or so leading up.
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Jul 31, 2012 01:33
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Midorka posted:I'm drinking this now and find that it's hard for me to describe the flavors of brett, but the aroma is more pungent than the flavor right now with Brux. The aroma hinted at a mild vinegar and moderate sourness, I couldn't pick up anything else, while the flavor at first seemed bland but on the second sip I am able to pick up the subtle Brett funk with the light tart notes up front and the slightly sour finish. I really enjoy this now, but I know there's going to be a lot of change here up-coming. This is the first beer I want to get multiples of to age to see how it progresses. I got that too. It definitely smells a lot more brett-y than the taste gives off. A couple months to a year aging this will definitely give brett yeast more flavor I feel. I think I'm going to grab another bottle and see how a year or so treats it
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Jul 31, 2012 03:06
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Midorka posted:Yes, I'm bad at describing Brett beers. It just has this mildly sweet, yet tarty/sour taste from my experiences and I really am coming to enjoy it. Heh, on the topic of brett beers... the other night I was happily enjoying a Boulevard Saison Brett on draft. My wife took a sip, made a face and said "this tastes exactly like bug spray". I could not un-taste/un-smell that afterward  It's not like the dominant flavor but it was definitely there.
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Jul 31, 2012 03:25
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Digging this Smuttynose Homunculus. It's a big, hoppy Saison. Some sweetness on the back end, but that's expected at 9%. Floral sweetness, dry hoppiness. Finish could be cleaner, but no real complaints. Enjoyable even if it's not a standout.Docjowles posted:Heh, on the topic of brett beers... the other night I was happily enjoying a Boulevard Saison Brett on draft. My wife took a sip, made a face and said "this tastes exactly like bug spray". I could not un-taste/un-smell that afterward Next time you go camping by a mosquito infested body of water you can just taste/smell blind yourself with some actual bug spray and then enjoy the beer.
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Jul 31, 2012 04:08
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So i'm in Denver for tonight and tomorrow, and looking to hit up some good beer before I catch my flight out tomorrow night. Any good breweries I shouldn't miss, or craft beer/liqour stores where I can score some brews that aren't available in Chicago? Preferably something big, i'm always interested in trying new DIPAs or Imperial Stouts.
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Jul 31, 2012 04:27
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CalvinDooglas posted:Digging this Smuttynose Homunculus. It's a big, hoppy Saison. Some sweetness on the back end, but that's expected at 9%. Floral sweetness, dry hoppiness. Finish could be cleaner, but no real complaints. Enjoyable even if it's not a standout. That has the most ridiculous label, it's just so stupid I laugh every time I see it in the store
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Jul 31, 2012 04:30
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CYBER SLIMER posted:Also we're brewing our pumpkin beer in 2 weeks Hey Cyber Slimer, did you guys fill a bunch of different variants of barrel aged Hunahpu in growlers? I've seen ones labeled "Apple Brandy Hunahpu" but the growler I got from a regular trading partner just says "BA Hunahpu" Is there a difference?
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Jul 31, 2012 04:30
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Oh God Dogfish Head Ta Henket is awful. I had it on tap and I was better off going to the pizza place nearby and getting a Peroni than drinking that. I consider myself kind of a Dogfish Head apologist but I can't defend this, I'm sorry.
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Jul 31, 2012 05:48
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Cervixalot posted:So i'm in Denver for tonight and tomorrow, and looking to hit up some good beer before I catch my flight out tomorrow night. Vine St, Vine St, Vine st. Hands down, the best beer + food place in town. It's at 17th and Vine, just a couple miles east of downtown. Get a sampler and a burger, you won't be disappointed. If you're near downtown, you can also just walk around the area to places like Great Divide and Falling Rock. Or get a classy dinner and beer at Wynkoop. Also look up Lukas Liquor, Total Bev on Sheridan, and Argonaut.
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Jul 31, 2012 05:57
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Y-Hat posted:Oh God Dogfish Head Ta Henket is awful. I had it on tap and I was better off going to the pizza place nearby and getting a Peroni than drinking that. I consider myself kind of a Dogfish Head apologist but I can't defend this, I'm sorry. You know, I hated this beer too when I had it bottled, but I had it as a sample at the DFH Brewery and it was actually really nice on a hot day. That doesn't mean I'll ever buy it again though.
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Jul 31, 2012 16:42
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loving Ticketmaster. How are they SO BAD at selling tickets. Trying to buy GABF tickets... the order form does not work in any of the 3 browsers I've tried. It always says I need to check the "Accept terms and conditions" box, which I have.
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Jul 31, 2012 17:09
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Docjowles posted:loving Ticketmaster. How are they SO BAD at selling tickets. Trying to buy GABF tickets... the order form does not work in any of the 3 browsers I've tried. It always says I need to check the "Accept terms and conditions" box, which I have. Edit: Finally unfucked their order form. For a company that sells tickets, they loving suck at selling tickets. I'm going to start referring to bumbling idiots as "Ticketmaster People". Verloc fucked around with this message at 17:46 on Jul 31, 2012 |
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Jul 31, 2012 17:33
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| # ? May 20, 2024 13:51 |
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Chicago Goons: Has anyone run across FW's Double Double Barrel Ale? Beermenus has it at Capone's but that place has a bad rep for it's BM accuracy (prices, from what I hear). I haven't seen it anywhere and didn't even think it was out yet...
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Jul 31, 2012 17:59
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