The Bar Towel

Hi folks,
Just a quick bit of self promotion - next time you're down in Buffalo keep an eye out for beers from Community Beer Works. We're on tap at Coles, Blue Monk & Goodbar (and occasionally Village Beer Merchant and Black Rock Kitchen & Bar). We'll be on tap more at more good beer bars as soon as we increase production capacity! We're the first new brewery to open in Buffalo in 13 years & even if I wasn't the brewer I'd say that our beers are pretty darn solid.

If you happen to be down here on a Saturday morning come say hi at the Elmwood/Bidwell Farmers Market (halfway between Coles & Blue Monk) & get your growler filled while you're there! The market is our main growler outlet for right now but we'll be doing growler fills out of our brewery (which is right near the Peace Bridge) starting sometime in late June/early July.

Cheers,
Rudy

Thanks for the head's up Rudy!

I purchase a lot of my homebrew supplies at Niagara Traditions and like to stop in at Cole's for lunch. Well...now you've given me one more reason to come to Buffalo. Let us know if there is a good day to swing by for a tour of your facilities. As an avid homebrewer I would love to see your set up and talk shop with you guys.

Best of luck!

Ken

Ken,
We don't have regular hours right now, but send me a message here on Bartowel when you're coming down & we'll figure something out!

Thinking of checking out Premier Gourmet this weekend based on all I've read here over time. Taking the little guy to the zoo first to add some legitimacy to the trip...

Any good finds lately? Is there a chance that they would have the 10th anniversary Ruination?

munrets wrote:Thinking of checking out Premier Gourmet this weekend based on all I've read here over time. Taking the little guy to the zoo first to add some legitimacy to the trip...

Any good finds lately? Is there a chance that they would have the 10th anniversary Ruination?

Ruination 10th anniversary is definitely in Buffalo right now. I know people who have picked some up. I can't speak to where but if you stop at Premier and Consumers I'd say you are guaranteed to find it.

Just home from Buffaloin' and here to report that the trip was a success.

The Zoo: well, I love all zoos, even ones that are as sad as this one. My little guy loved it so that's all that matters.

And beer: Premier Gourmet is pretty solid. Also hit a Consumers and popped into a Wegmans for some fruit so I sauntered through their beers.

First off: no 10th Anniversary Ruination to be found. Poor me.

Here's what I did bring home, all from PG:

Stone requisites: Arrogant Bastard x 2, Sublimely Self-Righteous
Southern Tier: Iniquity, Backburner, 2X Stout, Phin & Matt's
DFH: Red & White, Palo Santo Maron, Burton Baton x 2
Founders: Centennial IPA, Dirty Bastard, Porter
Mikkeller: Single Hop Amarillo, Single Hop Mt. Hood
Troeggs: a growler of Nugget Nectar (my first crack of this haul), Perpetual IPA
Great Divide: Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti, 18th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA
Firestone Walker: Double Jack, Wookey Jack
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
Sierra Nevada Hoptimum
Brooklyn BCS
Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin'
North Coast Old Rasputin
Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster
He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.
Hitachino 3 Days
Smuttynose Big A IPA
Anderson Valley Imperial IPA

And there it is: 33 beers, if my count is correct.

And I'm sure y'all are wondering what happened at the border: when asked what I was bringing back, I mentioned my son's souvenirs from the zoo, slipped in "some mixed beers" and then some groceries. But they bit and sent me off to the office. Total duty/etc? Just under $1/beer.

Great haul. Sorry for the luck on ruination.

Thats a small price to pay for what you brought back. Good for you.

I gotta say, since opening that new location, Premier's selection has taken a bit of a nosedive. Was still able to find some summer beers, but it seems that Consumers in Niagara and Village Beer Merchant are bringing in the more interesting bottles.

The stars aligned themselves today: rainy day, not working, green-light from the wife. Thus a road trip to Premier Gourmet occurred. Here's the haul, in no particular order:

Mikkeller Coffee IPA
Mikkeller 1000 IBUs
Mikkeller Hop Burn DIPA
Founders Breakfast Stout x 4
Founders Cerise
ST Gemini (I never got any of this through the LCBO release)
ST Harvest
ST 2X Stout
ST Mokah
ST Cuvee Series 1
Stone 16th Anniversary IPA
Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous
Stone Levitation Ale
Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean x 2
Stone RIS
Stone Saison Du Buff
Stone Arrogant Bastard
DFH My Antonia (the regular bottle although they had the Italian as well)
DFH Palo Santo Marron x 4
DFH Punkin Ale x 4
DFH Raison D'Etre
DFH Indian Brown Ale
Firestone Walker Wookey Jack
Breckenridge 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout
Breckenridge 471 IPA
Ommegang Hennepin
Ommegang Scythe & Sickle
Ommegang Three Philosophers
SN Hoptimum x 4
SN Tumbler
SN Bigfoot
SN Souther Hemisphere Harvest
Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet
Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale
Great Divide Rumble
Great Divide Hoss
Harpoon Rye IPA x 2
Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA
Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin'
Lagunitas Lucky 13
Schmaltz/Terrapin Reunion Ale '12
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale
Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's IPA
Oskar Blues Gubna
Oskar Blues G'Knight
Green Flash Hop Head Red
Mission Shipwrecked DIPA
Goose Island Fleur
Troegs HopBack
Troegs Flying Mouflan
Long Trail Imperial Pumpkin
Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA
He'Brew Hop Manna
Samuel Adams Fat Jack

I think that's about it. My count is 70 beers. And well less than $1/bottle at the border.

Incidentally, the guys at Premier Gourmet are incredibly nice, and that is the coldest cold room I've ever come across...

Good for you, nice haul!
Did they break it down per bottle or dollar value?

I'm not entirely certain, but I'm pretty sure it was just based on the number of bottles as he actually sat there and counted them up.

munrets wrote: that is the coldest cold room I've ever come across...

This ain't a joke. Also am I the only one who has walked into the sliding door (multiple times) because it pauses about half-way through opening? ...probably. Luckily no one was around to make fun of me aside from the SO!

The store itself was quite chilly when we went last time, and I'm usually the guy loving the cold!

munrets wrote:I'm not entirely certain, but I'm pretty sure it was just based on the number of bottles as he actually sat there and counted them up.

What was the total value of your haul? Typically, duty should be between 30% and 33% of your total dollar value. That is unless they screw up the calculation, which they often do. Last time I paid duty they charged me $37 when I should have paid around $100. The woman who processed my duty charged duty on my 20 22 oz bottles as if they were 20 12 oz bottles