Christmas is a time for giving, and this weekend I learned just how nice it feels to give someone a special beer, even someone who drinks Budweiser.
Annie and Bob are a young couple who recently moved into my town. We run in the same circles, and my wife and I have hung out with them a few times as part of a larger group. They’re a lot of fun to be around.
They are mostly a Budweiser folks, but my buddy Frank and I have been introducing them to the wonderful world of beer geekery over the past year or so, and they have seemed very receptive (at least they have sampled our nerdy beers without complaint!).
Even though we’re not yet BFF’s, Annie and Bob did us a nice favor this holiday season. Annie went out of her way to get us get a healthy discount on a special gift for our daughter, and then she schlepped the gift (which is large and heavy) all the way from the store to her garage. Did I mention she’s six months pregnant? She’s quite the trooper indeed!
I was heading over to their place on Saturday to pick up the gift, and got to thinking about what I could do repay their kindness (besides repaying them for the gift). Then I remembered an email Bob had sent me right after the premiere of Brew Masters. He wanted to know where he could get a bottle of Dogfish Head Bitches Brew, the beer that was featured in that episode. I told him that besides the one I might have buried in my garage (I couldn’t remember if I had one left), I didn’t know where else to look.
This exchange popped into my head, so I dug around in my beer collection and *bingo* found that bottle of Bitches Brew. I tucked it under my arm and headed over to collect the gift for my daughter.
I got a great response when I presented the bottle to Annie and Bob. Bob was appreciative, but Annie really lit up, which surprised me. She’s not much of a beer geek, but it turns out she is a huge Miles Davis fan. Apparently she had seen the episode of Brew Masters and was dying to get her hands on a bottle.
It was my pleasure to help her out, especially considering how she helped us out. Now she’ll just have to wait until her due date in March to enjoy it. Hopefully Bob can resist popping it open before then. 😉
Handing over that bottle of Bitches Brew made me realize how much I enjoy sharing really good and rare beers with people who appreciate them. I’m sure I got more pleasure giving that bottle to Annie and Bob than I would have if I drank it myself.
It feels good to do something nice for someone else while spreading the gospel of craft beer, and there’s no better time of year to do it. Beery Christmas, I say!
Do you have any plans to give a rare or special bottle of beer or booze to someone on your “nice” list (or someone on your “good-kind-of naughty” list)? As always, let us know below!
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Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
No giving plans, but I always share my beer goodies with friends when they stop by. Its always more fun that way!
If not, you would never have any visitors! 😉
That’s nasty, Don.
Maybe it’s true, but it’s just nasty! 😉
Actually I was just saying that. I don’t get visitors. Don is right. 😦
Nicely done! I’ve always brewed up special homebrew batches for holiday gifts. Unfortunately I didn’t this year… But I will be bringing that tradition back next year!
I gotta believe Evan that you suffered from Brewers slump after the big push to get all the wedding beer done! I hope I’m on your Christmas list next year! 🙂
Way to pander, Don.
Not so much a slump… But after the wedding I got roped in to brewing multiple beers for events within my social circles. I’ve brewed 6 beers since the wedding in Sept… One of them for home consumption, the others for social gatherings.
Pretty soon you’ll have to open a brewery just to keep up with the requests of your friends! You could call it Harassed Brewing.
Nice to see that you give good beer to total strangers, but your brother gets the shaft. Thanks again!
It’s totally my pleasure, Don. 🙂
I gave a bottle of Sam Adams Triple Bock to a friend in town. I think he and his wife drank it the next day!
Why’d they wait so long? 🙂
I brewed a Spiced Holiday Stout the year (honey, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, additional goodness) and plan on giving 22-ounce bottles to family and friends. My wife is an illustrator and is painting the label design as I type. This is the first year I’ve done it but I imagine it will become a tradition.
It sounds like something you’ll want to do next year for sure. A very cool tradition to start.
Now if I did the same thing, my beer would be passed around like bad fruitcake.
I played Santa a few times and recieved a bottle of Woodford resevre as thanks for my efforts. Tasty beverage sharing at the Holiday Time is a time honored tradition. We just have tastier beverages to choose from these days.
I always wondered why Santa had whiskey breath. Now I know!
He one does not Drink and play Santa. Least not for the kids.
I think I had a Bad Santa: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307987/ 🙂
My wife’s brother and cousin and I (all microbrew fans, myself also a whiskey lover) are starting an annual tradition of smoking a variety of meats and sampling a nice handful of wintry ales during our visit to upstate NY. There is a surprise bottle of Infinium amongst the plethora of holiday beers.
~2010 Yule & Ale Fest~
Happy Holidays Everyone!
That sounds like my kind of gathering. Have fun and bring lots of Advil! 🙂
I also had a friend that had been looking for Bitches Brew since the episode came out. Sadly I had depleted my stock well before then. I happened to be out and about one day and came across a store with a plethora of bottles. Brought one for him at his Christmas party and a few bottles of Scaldis Peche Mel that his wife enjoys. Yes there are legit Christmas gifts coming for people close to me, but I don’t know who’s reading this blog so I can’t divulge exactly what will be under the tree for Christmas
It’s awesome to find something a friend is looking for and to hook them up. I bet your buddy was thrilled.
For those of you giving homebrew away as gifts you can fancy it up a bit with crayons and hot glue. Here is a tutorial explaining how to make sealing wax for the bottles: http://www.passionbeer.com/2010/09/02/making-bottle-wax-for-your-beer/
I’ve fancied up many an evening with crayons and hot glue. 😉
Handing out beer, booze, and wine as gifts for Christmas is the only way to fly! We’re doing a gift exchange in the office (under $25), so I plan to gift two big bottles of beer. Picked up a Chimay Grande Reserve and a Three French Hens from The Breury for this exchange. Not sure how into beer they are, but what better way to spread the “Gospel According to Beer” than through an impromptu gift? Also picked up an Elmer T Lee Single Barrel Bourbon (haven’t had it, but had a great review on Malt Advocate) for a friend of mine during my lunch break and I have a few wines lined up for gifting. Fun Fun Fun! Much more fun than shopping at Macy’s.
Good choices for the gift exchange I think. Two beers that most anyone should love.
I too enjoy shopping for booze and beer as gifts this time of year, although I tend to take a one-for-you, one-for-me approach!
Who are you trying to kid? It is a one for you, three for me approach you take!
No, it’s the “one-for-you, one-for-me, none-for Don” approach I like!
Sounds like the Bros will be exchanging noogies and insults this holiday season! Nothing says “Brotherly Love” like physical and mental abuse! I should know… I’m from Philadelphia! 🙂
Ahh, The City of Brotherly Noogies and Insults!
Exactly! 🙂
No giving plans but with family coming over I do plan to have a number of craft beers on hand as well as plenty of various whisk(e)y expressions to pour. I always like introducing something “new” to appreciative family members.
I had a ball trying all of Don’s whiskeys last time I visited him. That’s where I first tried one of my current favorites, Four Roses Small Batch.
It’s great to be able to taste something new without having to gamble $50 or more to do so.