Originally Posted by
kipper
For years, we couldn't get Fat Tire here. I love trying new beers, but when I'm looking to buy a six-pack to drink at home, unless I can do a mixed six, I don't want to buy something that I've never tried. I'd rather buy a staple and be happy with it. I'll save the new beers for out at the pub or the mixed six packs.
Agreed, and you're the exact reason breweries think it's so important to have their taps in bars/restaurants, people are likely to try one, then continue buying it in the grocery or liquor store.
I don't drink much beer at home, and I get all the free samples I can handle at work, but I know our local upscale grocery store, Central Market, let's you do mixed sixes of almost everything in the store except some really expensive Belgian trippels and quads.
N.B., I think Colorado is still far and away the best local craft beer scene, even if a lot of them have gone nationwide, like New Belgium. My first few years in the bar biz, that's what we served as there were little to no craft breweries in Texas. In the last 15 or so years, D/FW area alone has gone from one (Rahr & Sons) to 44 at my last count!