Beer like Surly that I can buy in Rhode Island
June 12, 2013 7:07 PM Subscribe
What beer is most like Surly that I can buy in Rhode Island?
I do dearly love Surly's beers -- the Furious, mostly, and also the Abrasive -- but I can't get it where I live in Rhode Island. (Yes, I know that I could order it from a few Minnesota liquor stores, like France 44, but the shipping costs twice as much as the beer.) What else is there for sale around here that is most like Surly's beers?
I am in northeast RI, close to Yankee Sprits in Attleboro, but I work in Providence so I can run down to Warwick or wherever on my lunch break.
I tried some Lagunitas IPA and it was good, but not quite the same.
I do dearly love Surly's beers -- the Furious, mostly, and also the Abrasive -- but I can't get it where I live in Rhode Island. (Yes, I know that I could order it from a few Minnesota liquor stores, like France 44, but the shipping costs twice as much as the beer.) What else is there for sale around here that is most like Surly's beers?
I am in northeast RI, close to Yankee Sprits in Attleboro, but I work in Providence so I can run down to Warwick or wherever on my lunch break.
I tried some Lagunitas IPA and it was good, but not quite the same.
Pop's has made a serious effort lately to increase their beer collection. Before you go down to Haxton's, you might want to see what they can do for you. And the staff at Mendon were very helpful when I was looking for non-Maneschewitz kosher wine for Passover. Not that I'm overly familiar with the local liquor stores or anything...
posted by Ruki at 8:04 PM on June 12, 2013
posted by Ruki at 8:04 PM on June 12, 2013
Ooh, upon further research, I see that Surly doesn't distribute outside Minnesota. So that idea probably won't work.
posted by Ruki at 8:08 PM on June 12, 2013
posted by Ruki at 8:08 PM on June 12, 2013
For those unfamiliar with Surly, the issue isn't that only specialized beer stores order it. The issue is that it is unpasturized (and therefore must be shipped on refrigerated trucks) and is therefore only distributed very, very sparingly.
AREAS THAT HAVE SOME SURLY DISTRIBUTION
South Dakota, Western Wisconsin, Chicagoland, Duluth & the North Shore and Southern MN
AREAS THAT HAVE LOTS OF SURLY DISTRIBUTION
Twin Cities, NW Twin City Suburbs and Mid-MN
This is just a list I found by quickly googling, but generally, if you're outside that range, a beer store can't just order Surly from their distributor. I live in Chicago, myself, and we MAYBE see Darkness on tap once a year. It's impossible to buy in stores, and I weep for the Coffee Bender I'm not drinking.
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:13 PM on June 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
AREAS THAT HAVE SOME SURLY DISTRIBUTION
South Dakota, Western Wisconsin, Chicagoland, Duluth & the North Shore and Southern MN
AREAS THAT HAVE LOTS OF SURLY DISTRIBUTION
Twin Cities, NW Twin City Suburbs and Mid-MN
This is just a list I found by quickly googling, but generally, if you're outside that range, a beer store can't just order Surly from their distributor. I live in Chicago, myself, and we MAYBE see Darkness on tap once a year. It's impossible to buy in stores, and I weep for the Coffee Bender I'm not drinking.
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:13 PM on June 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Oooh, Coffee Bender. I had that one night as like my third or fourth round of the evening. It was...interesting.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:15 PM on June 12, 2013
posted by wenestvedt at 8:15 PM on June 12, 2013
Best brunch beer ever.
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:15 PM on June 12, 2013
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:15 PM on June 12, 2013
Response by poster: So what other beers taste like Surly?
posted by wenestvedt at 8:18 PM on June 12, 2013
posted by wenestvedt at 8:18 PM on June 12, 2013
I'd recommend finding a local store with a healthy population of beer nerds there and ask their opinion. Come prepared with notes on what you like about Surly's beers. Like for example, I know I like rich and creamy beers, stuff that feels velvety on the tongue, and has deep, earthy flavors (peat, tomato, etc). They should be able to make recommendations, even if they've never tried surly.
And yeah, coffee bender is great.
posted by kavasa at 8:26 PM on June 12, 2013
And yeah, coffee bender is great.
posted by kavasa at 8:26 PM on June 12, 2013
Best answer: I wouldn't call them clones, but if you like Abrasive, try Firestone Walker Double Jack and Three Floyd's Dreadnaught.
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:26 PM on June 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:26 PM on June 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I would write them and ask - most super-micro-brewers have contacts all over the country, and they love talking beer. The regional New England beer most appealing to their taste will probably make you happy as well.
posted by Slap*Happy at 4:40 AM on June 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Slap*Happy at 4:40 AM on June 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I drink a lot of Surly and I can't really think of any analogues to Furious or Abrasive. Another think you might want to do it go to Northern Brewer and search for Surly recipes. They have gotten together with the Surly guys to make up homebrew recipes you can buy and brew yourself. Midwest Supplies has done it a few times too. These recipes will be very very similar, and according to the Surly guys are as close as you can get to the real thing.
Even if you don't want to brew your own, you should be able to take the recipe to a really reputable beer store and they should be able to steer you in the right direction. Many beer aficionados are also home brewers, so they can understand and imagine how a grain bill, hop schedule and yeast profile will make a beer taste. I'm a homebrew novice, but even I can partially deconstruct a recipe by taste.
posted by sanka at 6:08 AM on June 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Even if you don't want to brew your own, you should be able to take the recipe to a really reputable beer store and they should be able to steer you in the right direction. Many beer aficionados are also home brewers, so they can understand and imagine how a grain bill, hop schedule and yeast profile will make a beer taste. I'm a homebrew novice, but even I can partially deconstruct a recipe by taste.
posted by sanka at 6:08 AM on June 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Having never tasted Surly's beer before my suggestions are based entirely on their descriptions. Sixpoint makes solid IPAs and they are available in RI. I would start with resin. Bengali tiger is good, but I suspect it is not hoppy enough. Victory has a couple of DIPAs, hop stoopid, hop wallop and at least one other I am blanking on. Green flash's pallet wrecker, may fit the bill as well. It's a long shot, but the Alchemist's heady topper is "the" in IPA on the east coast - I believe the popularity is no small part amplified by it's scarcity. Even though they don't claim to distribute where I live (or really anywhere) I see them every once and a while, so I would keep an eye out.
posted by phil at 6:22 AM on June 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by phil at 6:22 AM on June 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
What do you want to drink those beers for? You've got 'gansett!
posted by Rad_Boy at 8:08 AM on June 13, 2013
posted by Rad_Boy at 8:08 AM on June 13, 2013
Response by poster: Sure, Rad_Boy, and this month a 'Gansett comes with a free tie for Father's Day -- but sometimes I just want a beer that I can finish without gagging, you know? :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 7:55 PM on June 13, 2013
posted by wenestvedt at 7:55 PM on June 13, 2013
I think that Ithaca's Flower Power tastes in the realm of a Surly Furious.
posted by yeti at 11:51 AM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by yeti at 11:51 AM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
I came to second Alchemist's heady topper. I am in Duluth and love Furious. In all the east coast stuff I have managed to try, this is the one I have enjoyed the most.
posted by Amby72 at 1:18 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Amby72 at 1:18 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Hey, yeti, thanks -- I think I can actually get Ithaca beer around here. I have an errand tonight, so I will try to pick some up one the way home.
And if I ever get up north I will keep my eyes open for the Alchemist Flower Power. (Jessamyn, can you hope me?)
posted by wenestvedt at 1:28 PM on June 14, 2013
And if I ever get up north I will keep my eyes open for the Alchemist Flower Power. (Jessamyn, can you hope me?)
posted by wenestvedt at 1:28 PM on June 14, 2013
Response by poster: Had some Backyahd IPA from Foolproof Brewing at the Paw Sox the other night, and it was pretty close. (But that may have been the ambiance: hot evening, steady breeze, fireworks, and a sloppy but fun ballgame.)
posted by wenestvedt at 7:34 PM on July 5, 2013
posted by wenestvedt at 7:34 PM on July 5, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by quodlibet at 7:36 PM on June 12, 2013