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Way before bitcoin, credit cards, and paper bills, civilizations relied on barter systems; and from the way children still behave after trick-or-treating, I would argue that the impulse to trade salt for furs has not entirely left us since 6000 BC. How else do you explain the glee that accompanies giving away three Tootsie Roll pops and receiving one whole Snickers bar?
There is of course an adult equivalent to the post-Halloween candy swap, and that is the increasingly popular bottle swap. I was peripherally aware of this phenomenon as a civilian, but now that I am a bona fide Beer Correspondent™, I acknowledge it as a fact of life: beer geeks love trading with their peers.
For casual fans who wish to stick to their own backyard, regional forums hosted on sites like BeerAdvocate are a popular way to arrange a location, sort out when interested parties can attend, and figure out who will bring the latest from Jack’s Abby or Backlash.
For the more hardcore enthusiasts, there’s state (and coast) jumping.
I know several people who brought 10+ bottles of beer to GABF for the express purpose of swapping their stashes with other travelers, which just shows I have a lot further down the rabbit hole to go.
As much as this kind of behavior speaks to a fierce beer addiction, I suspect this is also a predictable side effect of how local craft brewing is – since you’re dealing in small batches, you’re dealing with a limited delivery radius, which means a Boston native can’t easily access Crooked Stave‘s Hop Savant, and a Denver dweller will probably have a hard time landing Trillium’s Congress Street IPA (which is a shame, because it is effing tasty).
The more surprising downside to drinking local is that people will try to take advantage of your limited mobility.
According to a recent news story from the Burlington Free Press, a woman received a court citation for trying to sell cans of Heady Topper – VT-based The Alchemist’s legendary IPA – at a 100% markup on Craigslist.
Likewise, individuals cruising eBay for Heady better beware; the Department of Liquor Control is hip to the bootlegging scene and actively pursues illegal beer sales. Glad as I am that these shady characters are being busted for taking tax revenue away from their home states, I’ll be seriously bummed if the seized goods go to waste.
Party in the evidence room, anyone?
