Friends with Beer-nefits!

We all know what friends with benefits are. If you have any, good for you. I think that they are hard to maintain, no pun intended. It’s always that one’s feelings that get in the way, despite the verbal contract that was made. I have discovered that friends with beer-nefits is much more gratifying and usually goes both ways. You get and you give. I will admit most of my beer-nefits friends are male. They all have provided me with pleasurable pints. I hope they can say the same about me. How can you find one of these desirable humans? There are social media groups that participate in trading. You could be taking a chance here if you haven’t developed a trusting relationship, however.

Beeradvocate is a website that is known to be one of the oldest, most established and trusted beer trading sites. In addition to beer trading you can view tasting notes on beer, ratings, and get involved in discussions. How does BA protect you? They have rules and policies in place that hold traders accountable if the exchange goes bad.

 More than often I am sharing beers with friends and neighbors more than I trade. A friend of mine, Liz Erskine, shared with me why she shares, “We all have those huge bombers, with the high ABV. You can try and drink them yourself but it’s not the best idea! Also, a lot of people travel for beer, and trades. They have brews that we would never get to try. I myself love all different styles, but I don’t need to be drinking ten at a time, and I hate to waste. Sharing is where it is at!” Erskine is one of the administrators of a group on Facebook called Rhode Island Craft Beer Community and  she told me, “It is only natural that a lot of my good friends are craft beer drinkers. There are a group of us who regularly meet up. Everyone brings a cooler, or sack full of things to try. While we are a core group, we also invite others to keep conversation fresh.” Erskine continues to say that she has never had a bad experience, as the group is mindful and helps with the clean up. “Our shares usually go well and we make sure to eat so no one is impaired; we also provide tiny tasters for sipping. I think the best story is when my now husband joined our crew for the first time. He did not know that everyone was sipping, and while we were sampling he was also drinking a beer. By the end of the night, he was toasted! If you see us out, ask about his encounter with ‘Johnny Walker Blue.’ I will save that full story for another time.”

Another beer trader, Luann Pezza Sepe, moderator of the RI Craft Beer Community Group has some experience with beer shares and trades. “I’ve never had a negative experience with gifting or trading beers. It’s just always a fun thing to do and the people are great. Trading enables you to get a beer that is possibly hard to find, maybe from another state, country, and vice-versa for the other person. You get to try different styles and maybe find a new one that you may like.” Sepe added, “When you gift someone a beer that they love, maybe one they have never tried or it’s one they love and haven’t had it in a very long time, the look on their face is priceless. It’s a good feeling!”

I have personally never traded beer. I share, give, and receive. Most of my friends are beer snobs and I have been able to try some rare collaborations, unique beers and some of the best craft beer available locally and outside of RI. I sort of have a beer mafia. Don’t worry I am on their good side – and besides, I chose this mug-thug-life and this mug-thug-life chose me.

The boss, aka John Wright, has a lot of connections and this has allowed me to have some of his amazing trades. Wright is a resident of Massachusetts and because of his contacts in the beer community he has been able to drink craft beers from Maine, New Hampshire, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York to name just a few. One of my favorites he gifted me is “16 Ounces to Freedom” from Odd By Nature Brewery in Maine. It is a Terpene IPA made in collaboration with Sublime’s artist, Opie Ortiz. This northern New England brewery recently opened up a taproom in Worcester, MA, called Odd by Worcester. Wright told me he “likes making new beer buddies and gift beer every now and then so friends can try new beers.” His advice for trading is to “make sure you have trusted references so you don’t get ripped off.”

John Woon, another member of the Rhode Island Craft Beer Community, told me that his trading has decreased as craft beer is more accessible now. He shares with a group he met at Long Live Beerworks. I remember seeing Long Live Beer Works beer at a local liquor store when they first started distributing. This disappointed me at first. I felt they were too special for retail sales, but as Woon explained, “The downside of trading is fitting it into a busy schedule. You have to be flexible and get the beers your partner wants, which can sometimes require a drive of 1-2 hours to get to the brewery. Then there’s the packing/boxing and shipping work too.”

Woon “prefers beer shares the most because these activities are a way to connect with other people.” He went on to explain, “It’s nice because it brings together people who don’t see each other often because they’re from different age groups or lifestyles.

There is commonality in this sound advice from these local craft beer lovers. If interested in trades or shares find a group or someone that you can trust. As Sepe stated, and I agree: “First of all join the Rhode Island Craft Beer Community page on Facebook, you will meet so many great people and make good friends, which will lead to trading and gifting craft beer.” 

As always be safe, support local craft and cheers to great beers and great craft beer friends!