From the Beer Aisle
Suds and shopping = good idea!
Posted by: John Chandler on Nov 01, 2010 at 02:00PM
7 Comments
I love the sample station at New Seasons. It’s a small-bite Shangri-La where the squash soup and vegan brownies flow like sweet sap from the mighty maple. I popped ‘round the new New Seasons on SE Hawthorne yesterday and couldn’t help noticing that the sample squad was pouring three different kinds of fresh-hop beers. I realize that tonier stores do this sort of thing periodically, but this was the first time I was lucky enough to mooch a few swigs.
Quick review: Rogue’s Chatoe First Growth Wet Hop Ale was a vigorous blast. Comparatively, Deschutes’s Hop Trip was rather weak tea. Fresh- or wet-hop beers refer to ales made from newly harvested, undried hops.
But why should we settle for a mere thimbleful? I propose a (free) beer and wine tasting room at all upscale grocers where parched patrons can toss back a glass or two of whatever is on sale that week. How can they lose? If you loosen up the average shopper they’re more likely to succumb to the allure of impulse purchases. Can somebody get on that and mail me a check?
Needless to say I am available for the ceremonial tossing of the first drunk.
Except it is illegal to give away free alcohol. I think its a 2oz cut off line.
@Samurai, you should know by now that John never lets the facts get in the way of a good story. :-)
@Samurai: No problem. We’ll just change this idiotic law. Or charge a buck. Or something. All brainstorms need a little tweaking.
Gotta agree with you on all counts, OLCC be damned. I would buy so much stuff I don’t need if I were shopping with pint in hand. And Rogue Chatoe is way better than Deschutes Hop Trip.
Is it too late to add a write-in ballot measure for the election? Prolly. But, man, wouldn’t that be sweet? And, the surprise election story goes to… Yep. That would be an awesome story to cover. I’d even volunteer. Heck. Maybe we just need to provide the free beer to the election workers, and THEY can write it in. That would be cool….and the brainstorm continues…
There’s a law? Then how does that crappy hair cut place get away with givng me a beer so I will think my lame-o haircut looks cool? #beergoggles
I went to the liquor store at SE 12th and Hawthorne one time and a distiller had a table set up where they were pouring free samples. I can’t remember which distiller, which I guess is not surprising.