Road Trippin'

Quick update now that I am back from Chicago.  I was actually in Chicago to drive a car from Chicago back to Boise, a drive which if anyone has done it before is both fun and extremely boring.  Of course I was able to do a few beer related things along the way.

While in Chicago, I managed to pick up three of the four bottles of beer that I was hoping to snag.  Only a few people might care or be impressed, but I managed to get a hold of a bottle of Bell's Batch 9000, Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout and Goose Island's Night Stalker.  Anyone who spends half as much time reading about beer knows those are good pick-ups and the rest of you probably just rolled your eyes thinking I have a problem...probably a little of both.  I also want to give a plug to a beer store in Chicago, Vrai Amour Wines.  That is the store that hooked me up with the Bell's 9000.  Matt and I had a great conversation with the owner about beer and got to talking about my plans for the brewery, after talking for like 20 min he said he had some 9000 in the back he normally saves for his regulars and said he would sell me one.  Thanks to Dave and sorry to the regular who isn't getting one now.

The first night of the drive back, I stayed in Kearney, Nebraska, which turned out to be a bit of a beer town.  The town of 30,000 had two brewpubs, although we didn't make it to one of the pubs, I managed to try some of their beers at Old Chicago.  I had a Brown Ale from Empyrean Brewing and a Lager from Platte Valle brewing, both solid beers.  No matter where you are in the US, you are probably closer than you think to good beer.

My other thought is from staying in Park City.  I had some misconceptions about the beer their because of the 3.2 ABW (4.0% ABV) law in grocery stores.  Note: When people talk about 3.2 beer, that is actually measured by weight as opposed to volume, so a bud light at 3.2% ABW is about 4.0% ABV, which isn't that far off from a bud light in Idaho that is 4.2% ABV.  Going into the liquor store, they had quite a good selection of craft beers, including a bunch of high alcohol styles like Barleywines and Imperial Stouts.  So don't be discouraged about finding good beers in Utah, they are there, just in the liquor store.

The coming weeks should have more blogging.  I am going back to Chicago next week for the Craft Brewers Conference and will be blogging daily.  A few more emails, meetings and phone calls are all that really separate me from letting the fun really begin.

Gotta Hop!