What's up with all the four-packs?

I was in the mood for a Coronado Idiot IPA the other day and wanted to buy a six-pack, like this came out of just over a year ago.  I grabbed what I thought was a six-pack, but when I took it off the shelf turned out to be a four-pack!  Outside of the 22 ounce bottle I would normally purchase, this was the only packaging available.  Now, I hardly ever buy six-packs of beer.  I love variety, and usually tire of a beer after 3 or 4 bottles.  I prefer to buy 22 ounce bombers.  That being the case, I rarely look to see what other packaging my favorite brews come in.  As I perused the store shelves, I realized that a lot of beers are now being sold in four-packs!  Has the price come down dramatically with the absence of 2 bottles, or 24 ounces, of beer?  Not particularly.  Why is this?  Do the breweries feel 6 beers would be too expensive to produce for the average consumer?  Are they trying to get us to buy multiple four-packs in order to increase revenue?  Do they think their beer is better in smaller increments?  Perhaps they feel we will tire of their beer after 3 or 4 bottles and that "less is more".  Maybe they believe that a good number of craft beer drinkers prefer to buy 22 ounce bombers and love the variety that they afford.  Hmmm... I didn't see that coming.  I'm not sure if I've proven my point, disproved it, or made an entirely new point all together.  Perhaps this is a good place to leave off and let you come to your own conclusions.  Now I really feel like an Idiot!

This looks pretty good about now!

Become a professional brewer!

Have you every wanted to brew your own beer?  Are you a homebrewer looking to take your brewing to a professional level?  Perhaps you've considered it in the past, but didn't want to travel or relocate to a place that offers the schooling you would need.  Procrastinate no longer, for UCSD Extension is bringing the training you need here, to America's most beercentric city!  West Coaster did a nice writeup on it here.  Go here to sign up for a free informational session about the program.  The first of 3 scheduled sessions is already full, so sign up early.  Let's get brewing!

The Brewery Project map

With over 40 brewery visits under The Brewery Project's belt and plenty more to come, I'm hard at work on an interactive map to chronicle said visits.  I post this both as a teaser, and as self-motivation to complete the new project.  I will post the map when it's finished, although, like The Brewery Project itself, it will never truly be "finished".

One-stop shopping!

The Brewery Project: Poor House

I've been to large, lavish breweries that were kept so immaculately spotless that you could practically sip beer off the brewing floor.  I've been to breweries the size of a postage stamp, with a tasting room big enough for just a handful of people and the brewing area not much bigger.  Now, I've been to Poor House Brewing Co.  The very definition of a "dive bar", this is a hole in the wall that you would miss just driving by.  That could be due, in part, to the small chalkboard sign over the door, the only permanent signage they have.  I initially wondered why the name wasn't Pour House, but it all became evident as I walked inside.  The already small room loses half of its space to a pool table brightly lit by a novelty Bud Dry light hanging above, leaving just a few barstools around the bar to quaff your beer from.  Decorations are sparse, with customer decorated dollar bills lining the wall behind the bar.  A Firehouse Brewing Co. t-shirt hangs from the ceiling in memoriam of the defunct brewery, a previous venture by founder Chris Finch who wasn't ready to give up on his brewing dream.  Proper glassware will enhance a beer-drinking experience, as will proper surroundings.  I had a hard time enjoying my beer in the "poor" surroundings.  That being said, both beers I had were actually pretty good.  Santa's Panty Dropper Ale, weighing in at 18.5% alcohol, consumed in larger amounts than the 2 ounce pour they offer, could do just that!  It tasted like liquid hard candy, if that makes any sense.  The Hopportunist Double IPA, a 9.2% alcohol brew served in a Ball canning jar was fine, but lacking.  Perhaps it was lacking the proper glass.  Perhaps it was lacking the proper surroundings.  I don't know.  I liked their beer enough to try it again.  Somewhere else.

For Chris, happy Friday!