Full-Tilt Tasting: Beer buffs break out the best for a night of pizza, pork and pinball

CP Pinball in South Roxana, Ill., is BYOB – and for followers of Mike Sweeney’s beer blog STLHops.com, that means bring your own homebrews and craft beers. “Let’s crack this open,” said Jim Leabig, fondling a bottle of Russian River Blind Pig IPA, a smooth, moderately hoppy pick rarely spotted in these parts. All told, Sweeney’s crew of self-confessed beer nerds pooled about 30 finds from near and more often from afar. “I thought I was really into beer until I met these guys,” Leabig said.