Do you have "the list"? - Brain Sparging on Brewing

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July 20, 2011

Do you have "the list"?

By "the list" I mean a list of commercially available (or unavailable) beers you specifically have it in mind to try. I do. I have a small notebook that I use as a list that is easy to travel with, so no matter where I go I can whip it out in the hotel room (that's what she said) and mark down some beers that may be available where I happen to be. I mark off beers as I try them and give them an arrow up or down for whether I would want to drink them again. I also use the notebook for jotting down homebrew ideas. It helps to have it handy because I might try a new beer and think about replicating elements of it and if I don't write it down, a couple days later I will forget about it.

I receive both Draft and All About Beer, which present information on new beers and review a lot of beers. They provide content for adding to the list. While my list contains some beers I know are available in my area, most of the list includes rare European beers or regional craft brews. In Dallas we mostly only get well-distributed beers or Texas beers, even at expansive tap houses like Flying Saucer, Old Monk and Gingerman. As much as I like some Texas breweries (especially Live Oak and 512) I'd like to see more variety. I don't know if Texas distribution is strangled by the big three or breweries beyond the state don't realize there is a growing demand for their products.

What about you? Do you have a list of beers you are desperate to try? Beers you try to hunt down in the local bottle shops and tap houses?

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