I’ve have an ongoing discussion with some of my homebrew friends on this topic for a while now. I’m the type that loves to try new stuff, especially locally produced beers. Some of my buddies balk at me when I come home from the liquor store with 80 bucks worth of beer. (Heck even I balk at me sometimes.)
So what’s your take?
How much commercially produced beer do you still buy as an avid homebrewer?
Just as much as I always did, guess how many fridges I have?
No more cases! Only 6 packs and bombers for this guy!
I’m down to single 12 and 22oz bottles, some old and some new!
Only very rarely, and only known favorites or stuff I can’t make myself.
I usually purchase a mixed six pack a week of varying examples across the spectrum of styles. It can get quite expensive for some of the exotic 750mL Belgians and micros but I am always looking to try new and different examples.
I really don’t buy commercial beer except for Belgian beer sunday, beer brought back from Belgium. That would be roughly 2 cases of singles, going for a variety of different beers to sample. Tonight its a Malmedy Blanche, w/plenty of yeast in the bottle to culture-up
But the last locally bought beer was a 6pk of Bigfoot,Hoptimum, Hopslam, Sam Adams Latitude 48,Noble Pils and thats all of last year.
I can’t buy singles here so that’s not an option. I really only buy commercial beers I’ve never tried or the occasional Trappists that I can’t get around here. Or when I run out of homebrew which doesn’t happen often.
I don’t know if any of the poll options really fit me.
The goal is to not buy commercial beer anymore. The reality is that I can’t keep up homebrewing and am drinking it faster than I can brew/keg it. So I’d say I’m buying about 1/2 as much as I did before I got back in to homebrewing but I’m drinking 150% as much beer in total. I don’t go through commercial beer as fast as I seem to go through my own.
-A bit less than I used to, but I still enjoy certain commercial brews and trying new offerings.
I Love homebrewing/my beer, but I also enjoy many commercial styles of IPA’s, barleywines, Belgians, etc. I don’t go to the bottle shop quite as often as I used to, but I’m still a loyal patron of 99 Bottles in Federal Way, WA.
There isn’t a “bottle shop” within 75 miles of here that I know of. We only have 3 grocery stores and convenience stores that sell beer. I think there is a store in Roswell NM but it pretty much only sells NM beer and wine.
Sometimes I go months without buying any, sometimes I buy a lot on a short period of time, sometimes it’s somewhere in between. It depends on if I see something I really want to try or is a good deal, or just strikes my fancy. I hadn’t bought any beer since Christmas, but this week I picked up a 6 of SN Glissade and a case (plus 3 bottles) of Duvel.
Hope you don’t mind that I added one more choice to your poll.
First off, I drink almost 100% "commercial beer now “technically”.
But when was homebrewing I rarely bought beer, except of course stuff that I wanted to try or that I really love (like orval or other belgians). That said, I would sometimes drop $200 bucks on commercial beer in one sitting at a decent beer store on stuff I wanted to try or stuff I just had to have again. but now I just can;t afford that. (Oh, the irony! Its killing me! :P). But mostly I just drank (and drink) my own beer. Rarely do I have to stop by for a six pack of something to drink while I’m grilling on a friday night.
I still buy sixers now and then and dirty 30’s of PBR in the summer. Most of my money is spent going out to bars though. I definitely buy less beer from stores than I used to, but my consumption at bars hasn’t really diminished.
