Surprises at the beer store

One of the things that I miss is walking into a liquor store (yeah, I'm in NJ- that's what we call 'em) and unexpectedly finding something new. In a way, the internet is to blame because now, I usually go hunting for a new beer for several weeks (since I know it's now distributed here) before I find it, so it's not a "WOW" moment, but more of a "well...finally..." one.

So, yesterday, I went to Joe Canal's outside of Princeton to get a couple of cases. A friend and I had bought out their supply of fresh Jever a month or so ago and the last several trips they only had a couple of sixes on the shelf (NEVER buy a six of Jever exposed to light!) and one very old case- all of it was older than the stuff we'd bought previously- Jever recently changed their packaging and the new stuff had a vertical red stripe on the six-pack wrapper- this was old stock. I looked in the usual spot- nothing. Checked to see if they had any cases of Red Seal Ale- nothing. No fresh HopDevil, either. I decided to go down to Glendale Liquors to check for it (tho' their Jever was even older last time). I threw in a case Prima Pils (Nov. expiration- not too bad) and Dogfish Head 60 Minute Ale (well, I did drive all the way over here...).

I decided I'd check out their "warm beer" single sections- you know, where they put the Belgians and UK pints. Wow, two interesting finds- Peirre Celis Signature Selection Grotten Bernadus AND Anchor Small Beer- didn't know either had hit NJ. Grabbed a couple of each and decided to leave. (Aside- I liked the Anchor Small Beer better than I thought I would from reviews- it'd make a nice true session beer- but, like all Anchor products, it's a bit price-y- $3.49 for 22 oz. bottle.)

Then, for some reason, I went back into the cooler. Did another quick spin around the "import/specialty" half of the cooler (threw in a cases of Acme IPA) and, then, *something* called to me from the other half- you know the type of section- huge stacks and pallets of BudMillerCoorsBudLightMillerLiteCoorsLite, smaller stacks of Heineken, Molson, etc. No reason to ever venture over there before...crawled over some Rolling Rock packaged in plastic suitcases and came upon the no-alcohol section...and there, next to the imported alcohol-less beers, was JEVER in cardboard cases, sealed off from the light, no more heavy, clucky, light-admitting plastic cases (that are good for nothing but bottles but I still can't throw them out...)!!!!

Even picked up a few Saison Dupont's and Porteris out of their clearance shopping baskets for $4 and 99 cents, respectively.

My first few trips to Canal's were anti-climatic. The place is often a mess (many times one can't get a shopping cart down the aisles or into the cooler- one can't often even WALK down the cooler aisles with all the beer on the floor- and I'd prefer handcarts to shopping carts anyway). And, in the beginning, I'd say, "Ah, the prices aren't as good as Glendale and tho' there's a lot of beer, the selection isn't too great." Lately, the selection improves everytime I visit and prices are quite good on some things- like $26 a case for the Einbecker Bocks, which sells in my local store for $11 a six pack. Canal's may still be a dollar or more than Glendale on some beers, but the selection is MUCH better than Glendale (which never carried a lot, just the right stuff-Jever, Victory, Anchor, Pilsner Urquel,Fuller's).

Reply to
peter_ballantine3rings
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Top-posting, so sue me: Peter, thanks for the low-down on Canal's. Went there once, 8 years ago, and just wasn't impressed. Sounds like I should go back.

Reply to
Lew Bryson

Well, I only know the store on US #1 in Lawrenceville (between Trenton and Princeton). My early visits, last year or so, when they first opened were a big letdown, based on their Philly area reputation I'd read about here- huge amount of beer, but the selection was only "so-so" and prices weren't as good as the smaller (and nearby) Glendale Liquor chain*. On top of that, they had a ton of canned UK ales (Wells and Gales) on the shelf with expired "Best By" dates of several years before the store was even opened. I wasn't impressed then, but have to admit they're getting it together and my last few times in the area I didn't even bother to stop at Glendale...

*Whose prices are so good that some retailers say they sell for less than the distributor charges them- supposedly some quirk in the state minimum law and the fact that they're in several different counties. They used to sell Pilsner Urquell for $17.99, f'r'instance and a New Brunswick retailer told me that was less than he paid. >
Reply to
peter_ballantine3rings

Blessing: I spend the whole summer in Northern Germany every year, where Jever and Maisels Weisse fill the fridge; it's also available draft most everywhere too; the flavor of a draft Jever in the late afternoon stays on the palate for at least half an hour--a fabulous beer.

Curse: Germans are so enamored of their pilsners, weisses, and a very small and conservative range of other beers (e.g., alt, koelsch) that they pretend Belgium doesn't exist; you can get the rare Chimay if you search far enough--but for god sakes, wake up Deutschland!

Reply to
Douglas W. Hoyt

Mmm. I've been a much happier man since the Northcoast Brewing line hit NJ. I enjoy the IPA, stout and suprisingly (for me) the wheat. I'm usually not a big wheat beer drinker but really enjoy theirs. I'm in North Jersey, finding all this stuff in Oakland. Leo

Reply to
ginger

Agreed. I am a big local beer booster, but we started getting fresh North Coast in PA this summer, and the wife and I went through about four cases of it (we had help, dammit). And I got to interview Mark Ruederich in May, and was tongue-tied with hero worship for the first time in years of interviewing beer folk. Mark's the real shit. Great brewery.

Reply to
Lew Bryson

Yes, I used to pick up their Red Seal Ale whenever I went to Shangy's, so it's nice that it's local available. Altho' I find a lot of stores are only carrying their "big" beers, (stouts, Old Stock Ale, Prankster,etc) and ignoring Red Seal ("...just another pale ale".. they think?).

The odd thing with Canal's is their heavy emphasis on the Acme line- they carry them all with lots of full case stock and much cheaper than the Red Seal, by a coupla buck a six, too.

I enjoy the IPA, stout

One of the few beers, in my 35+ years of drinking, I've been unable to drink was their Rasputin. Horrid- lots of "off" flavors. And I'm a fan of Imperial Stouts (just look in my cellar- Courage, Le Coq (Harvey's), lots of US examples...) so maybe that 4 pack I bought 10 years ago was just bad. So, think I'll give it another go...

and suprisingly (for me) the wheat. I'm

I'm not a big wheat beer drinker, either (my favorite US one is Brooklyner Weisse)- will give it a try if the weather stays muggy and warm...

Reply to
peter_ballantine3rings

Me, three. I've always like the Pranqster, Old Rasputin, and Red Seal. I didn't know they made an Old Ale until a couple months ago when a homebrew club member brought a bottle in for tasting. In spite of the meager pour I got, that beer blew me away! And here I thought the days I'd get really blown away by a new beer were long gone...

-- Joel Plutchak Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots

"Resorting to personal harassment is a tactic of desperation."

Reply to
plutchak joel peter

How 'bout dat shit? My local has the Old Stock available regularly, and I avail myself of it. One of Tom "Heavyweight" Baker's favorite beers, he tells me.

Reply to
Lew Bryson

and I avail myself of it.

Some barleywines drag you in unsuspectingly and things keep getting muddier and muddier. The North Coast Old Stock knows how to dance.

Reply to
Douglas W. Hoyt

"Douglas W. Hoyt" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

It's the only offering from North Coast I'm likely to ever buy again. Yes, I know some people like them, but I thought Pranqster was pretty forgettable. Old Rasputin is good, but too much coffee character for me (just a personal preference). Red Seal is good, but I can get some amazing APAs brewed locally at Dominion, so no need there. The Old 97 Stout was . . . well, unspeakable. Maybe I got a bad sixer, but it was simply awful when I had it.

But Old Stock, yeah, that's some good stuff.

Reply to
Dan Iwerks

Yup. One of my lasting marks on NYC will be that I basically set North Coast up with their distro out there. They forever love me now.

Reply to
Andrew D. Ager

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