Let’s make a trade
The days of trading baseball cards have been replaced with something far more intoxicating.
While some craft beer breweries are common place on the West Coast, the same beers may be the Holy Grail for those on the East Coast. Due to Ohio’s strict alcohol by volume (ABV) limit, some fantastic beers simply don’t make it our way for this very reason.
However, esteemed beer enthusiasts have found a creative way around all of this: trading. So when you hatch out your Christmas list for your uncle in California or grandma in Florida, maybe you should ask them to send you some beer.
Here are a few beers not available in Ohio but well-worth trading for:
Rumpkin
Avery (Boulder, Colo.)
Those obsessed with Southern Tier’s Pumking should seek out this 15.9 percent pumpkin beer aged for six months in extremely fresh Gosling’s Rum barrels.
Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout
Cigar City (Tampa, Fla.)
This dark-as-night imperial stout brings forth flavors of chocolate and espresso along with vanilla and cinnamon to create something truly special.
120 Minute IPA
Dogfish Head (Milton, Del.)
Clocking in at 18 percent, this triple India Pale Ale was dry-hopped each day for one month and then aged for one month on whole leaf hops. “Strong” and “aggressive” don’t even begin to describe the intensity of this one-of-a-kind brew.
Double Jack
Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, Calif.)
A hop bitterness like no other can be found in this Imperial IPA, which draws you in with its aromas of tangerine and grapefruit, among other tropical fruits.
Bourbon County Stout
Goose Island (Chicago, Ill.)
This 14.5 percent Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla and caramel that you’re not likely to forget.
Pliny the Elder
Russian River (Santa Rosa, Calif.)
Arguably one of the best Double IPAs you’re ever likely to have. Pliny the Elder is a hopped-up masterwork which most brewers only dream of recreating. A joyous arsenal of citrus fruits takes a shot at your taste buds and never lets go.