
4 tips to discovering rare beers
1. Join the club. Many bottle shops have membership programs that reward participants with rare beers through raffles, special events and even allocations. Craft Beer Cellar also keeps some rare bottles on a cellar list for on-site consumption, so many can get a taste.
2. Follow the distributors, not just the beer. Distributors like Shelton Brothers will sometimes drop hints of what’s coming to the market. Nickelson also named beer blogs like The Beer Temple and Good Beer Hunting as prime resources.
3. Go to beer releases. Here is where you’ll find local whales highly coveted across the country, like Perennial Barrel-Aged Sump and Side Project Brewing bottles.
4. Shop frequently. Nickelson said whales are sometimes announced with little fanfare. Successful hunters have sharp eyes.
If you stumble across these brews in stores, don’t think – just buy:
4 Hands Madagascar
Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout
Cantillion Brewery beers
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Proprietor’s Vintage Series
Avery Brewing Co. Barrel-Aged Series
Stone Brewing Small Batch Series
Catherine Klene is managing editor, digital at Sauce Magazine.
Tags : Places, Guide to Beer, Beer, Shops