I'm sure no one will have strong opinions about this.
http://www.roanoke.com/sports/columns_and_blogs/blogs/andy_bitter_virgin...
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I'm sure no one will have strong opinions about this.
http://www.roanoke.com/sports/columns_and_blogs/blogs/andy_bitter_virgin...
Comments
YES!!! PLEASE DAMMIT YES!
Is this 'Murica or mother Russia?
so... the question is beer or vodka?
VT has other pressing needs like finding a QB, improving the running game, finishing the new facility.
I don't see how making these things a priority would stop them from selling beer
And we could accept Bitcoin for beer sales!! Boom... lower transaction fees=more net income to VT. #InventTheFuture
We might as well start accepting dogecoin.
Sounds like a money maker. But I would suggest requiring a "one porta potty per tap" rule. Just scatter 'em all over the concourse.
Note to self: "Charge a dollar for each use. If you take more than 45 seconds, you will get locked IN, and need to pay TWO dollars to get out."
Hmmm...my plan may make more than the beer itself.
Yes, they should.
Lets not fool anyone. Alcohol is consumed in Lane. A LOT of alcohol is consumed in Lane every single game. Banning alcohol sales has done absolutely nothing to curb the consumption of alcohol during games. When I was a student years ago, myself and the group of friends I was with would manage to sneak in absurd amounts of bourbon to mix with a coke and leave at the end of the game far more inebriated than we were when we walked in. If anything, selling alcohol might actually curb some of the worst drunken behavior, as people would be less inclined to sneak in a couple dozen airplane bottles to consume in a short time period, taking their beer-induced buzz to a liquor-induced disaster, and would essentially steer those patrons into consuming beer over the long haul. Would there still be those who would sneak in airplane bottles? Sure, but it would create a drastic drop in the frequency of it happening, as many would realize it just to be much easier to wait in the line for beer.
Plus, it wouldn't hurt that Tech would stand to make a lot of money off alcohol sales.
I understand the profits to be made on alcohol sales. But what you are saying is college students and those that are just college at heart are going to be more inclined to fork over stadium prices for beer (i.e. $7-10 per-range) rather than have a pocket full of airplane bottles? I doubt it.
Beer will sell and I doubt that the fans who do choose to drink with still drink. So from a safety standpoint I don't think there is a real negative.
As a 21 student, I would have loved it.
Well there are actually responsible drunks. I know a few friends would would be content to spend $10 to keep their buzz going rather than drink those unholy concoctions we made from the large sodas. Overall, you're right, it woldn't stop most of the overdrinking at the stadium unless they were at bar prices and that's never going to happen.
I don't even need to read the article. Answer....Yes!
I don't think it really matters. VA law does not allow it. No idea how we would get around it.
Personally I would love it. However, having a small child (who I hope will start going to games with me very soon), it don't think it's worth the fight/effort to get it. We have the best environment in college football already.
VA Law doesn't allow it? I'd always heard that it was a conference/NCAA rule related to on campus facilities?
Has to do with state owned facilities and liquor licensing.
VT already provides beer in the luxury suites, so the law must not be too restrictive about it.
It's not at all, but that provides a good cover excuse...
I remember this sort of thing coming up when our department did happy hours. There are some bizarre restrictions about exactly where alcohol could be consumed. Literally, down to the exact room on the exact floor of a building. We were limited to a small area on the second floor of our building. If anyone went through a door, it would technically be illegal. I imagine (just guessing), but something like that could be at play here. VT could obviously get the correct licensing/permissions/whatever, but that's probably what the underlying issue is at the moment.
Not sure about this because ODU has always had beer sales at bball games (both in Scope and the Ted) and I believe they had beer sales during the first few years of the football team. There was a big deal about having to ban beer during the Div 1A playoff games due to NCAA requirements.
No beer at the football games (unless it was in the luxury boxes). I know first hand.
Cheers
Personally I do all of my drinking at tailgates. The last thing I need when I get in the stadium
is a beer. Sometimes I bring two bourbons in with me and buy cokes. The third and fourth quarters
are for sobering up.
Only if we admire the fan behavior of WVU. Otherwise, no.
WVU allows people to have hands at the games. People abuse those hands and throw up the middle finger a lot. We should ban hands at Lane Stadium. Don't wanna be like WVU.
I started to include in my post the following - 'Cue the apologists for drunken stupidity at Hokie events', but I decided to be nice. Obviously, I once again overestimated the cultural profile... Cue more strawman arguments for enabling drunken stupidity by people who should know better...
As it so often does when trying to curb the behavior of 30-somethings who want to act like college kids, yet shirk the responsibility. Forrest Gump's mama said it best...
So you want to sell boxes of chocolate too? Weird idea but I think maybe it will work.
Since the sugar cookies option is not available, why not?
Shrimp turkey legs?
LOL at the guy who wrote "Only if we admire the fan behavior of WVU. Otherwise, no." complaining about logical fallacies. That's a special kind of derp.
LOL at the guys defending while ignoring the drunken fans at Lane proving the similarities.
So what you're saying is that, while you acknowledge that this is currently going on (voiding that whole "but we don't wanna act like WVU" argument, by the way) you're going to take umbrage with the thought of the school attempting to regulate the process by providing the alcohol themselves? Right now, the school has no way of regulating, outside of doing a thorough head to toe pat down of everyone who enters the stadium, and going through all purses with a fine tooth comb. The ACLU would never let that happen. So what other process do you suggest to get the result you want? Cause clearly, as you just stated, what we're doing right now isn't working.
No one is ignoring or admiring drunken fans. They exist and they are a problem at Lane, at other college games, at NFL games, and at every major sporting event . I have seen my fair share of fans barely able to stand or puking, and I imagine others do not want people that drunk at games as well.
Fans that are drinking and not causing a disturbance is fine with me, after all it's a college football game, not an event for work. Drinking will happen whether you want it to or not, and Alum and others brought up good points about keeping it safe in terms of massive binge drinking before getting into the stadium causing issues and airplane bottles coming into the games anyway. Dismissing it and equivocating us to WVU and giving backhanded responses like
is not the right way to go about having a reasonable discussion.
I believe that with the right rules and restrictions in place selling beer in Lane could work. I also understand why people would not want beer to be sold in Lane. This is not and should not become an issue that causes us to get pissy at each other over it.
How is West Virginia not a strawman argument? There are something like 20 universities that currently sell beer at sporting events. Why not use one of the other 19 to make a comparison? Why do you think our game-day atmosphere will become more like West Virginia's and not more like one of the other 19?
Additionally, West Virginia's reputation of horrible, drunken fan behavior has existed long before they started selling beer in the stadium. Somehow equating their fan behavior to beer being sold in the stadium requires a time machine.
This ^^^ seems most plausible.
I don't see any examples of horrible behavior or a huge problem at our games....What examples do you have of us being like WVU?
WVU allows their fans to watch football during games. I guess we should ban that as well
Yes, because the only way possible to watch football is to do so drunkenly.
I don't think anyone is suggesting fans be FORCED to consume alcohol, but simply given the choice that they can buy alcohol during the games instead of sneaking it in or consuming extra beforehand to compensate for the lack of alcohol inside
or, I guess I could just say.... Yes, because the only way possible to watch football is to do so sober
Or "the only way to drink alcohol at football games is to get so $%&*faced you act like a WVU fan"
Fewer meaning? Less into the thousands? Or down into the hundreds? because, after all, we're talking about how we can both emulate WVU while also dissing them for their behavior. And really, shouldn't WVU be the role model for fan behavior to which we aspire?
How are we emulating them? Because we may sell beer at our games and they do too? Oh the irony...
I think you are missing a key fact in that WVU fans are jerks and were jerks before in stadium beer sales. Beer sales may enhance that (their data point in the article suggest otherwise but like Andy Bitter, I am skeptical) but they don't necessarily cause it.
Not to be all nerdy here but you are mistaking correlation for causation.
There are colleges that sell beer and don't have any problems with the conduct of their fans. I'm not sure why you think Virginia Tech couldn't be one of them. Why would beer sales cause us to emulate West Virginia and not Cincinnati?
Some people just want to watch the world burn.
And/or couches...
VT fans are responsible. VT should sell beer to them. As for the opposing teams? That's still up in the air.
I don't think beer sales will lead to an increase in drunk and disorderly conduct. I suspect the people who are intent on getting sauced at the games will do so with or without beer sold in the stadium, and the people who prefer to stay sober will do so with or with out beer sold in the stadium. I also suspect that some people may drink a bit less during the tailgates if they know they'll be able to get a beer in the stadium.
I don't really care one way or the other and I almost certainly wouldn't buy any beer at a game, but if the University can make a decent profit off of it, I say go for it.
Edit: Another thing to keep in mind...A lot of people are already complaining that the security presence at the games is over the top. I've read multiple stories on here about people getting harassed and even thrown out of games for pretty innocuous stuff. I imagine selling beer will lead to an increase in security as a precautionary measure which, based on the stories I've heard, might not be such a good thing.
I am not a big drinker, a 6 pack generally lasts 6 weeks. But I have no objection to selling beer at the stadium with a couple of provisions.
1) The last opportunity to buy beer ends at the end of halftime. Give them the second half to sober up for driving home.
2) Vendors sell more food in the stands then just drinks. Give people the opportunity to eat something with their beer.
3) And this might get me killed for saying it, but keep the increased security presence and don't hesitate to throw rowdy/drunk people out of the stadium. I am there generally to enjoy the game and the fan presence around me. I am not going to enjoy public drunkenness.
With regards to #3, I don't want to deal with public drunkenness either. If someone is belligerently drunk, by all means, throw them out and let the dogs eat them, I don't care. But it's a double edged sword. I have never had problems with the security myself, but I have heard multiple stories about security guards going on power trips and innocent, sober people paying the price. Just some food for thought.
I traveled to the '04 miami game and had to deal with drunk miami fans chucking beer bottles (admittedly plastic ones) at us the whole game. I was pretty thankful for the very pissed off security guard who tossed their asses out
Same here, never had even an indifferent exposure with the guards. Generally they are always pleasant around me and my group.
But I am aware of the stories.
in regards to #1, I know the Nationals stop selling alcohol after I believe the 7th inning stretch so its been done in other places
All professional sporting venues have restrictions on ending service of alcohol. Baseball is normally after the seventh inning, football is after the third quarter, hockey is after the second period. I have no idea about basketball, but I would guess after the third quarter, as well.
My preference would be after half time. Really give the people who drink the opportunity to sober up.
I see no need to begin selling beer at games, but with regards to people getting drunk from the beer at a game, let's think about it for just a minute. Given that games last roughly 3 hours and a trip to the concessions stand takes at least 5 minutes if not 15 depending on how busy it is, you are likely not going to make the trip more than 2-3 times. And since policy would be 1 beer per ID, then you could only get 1 beer. So if you are getting drunk off of 3 beers over 3 hours, you need to learn to hold your alcohol better. Also, who is going to drop more than 30 bucks on beer at the game when you can just wait an extra hour or so, go back to your tailgate, and toss back beer that costs less than $2 a bottle/can?
You would not have 3 hours. Almost, every place that I know of that sells beer cuts it off at halftime in order to try and help cut back on drunk driving after the game. That's why I really don't think it's that big of a deal. Everyone would have a sold 2 hours (including pregame) to get beer. Most people would have 2 beers max in order to avoid missing any of the game.
If there's anything we've learned from decades of sports in this country it's that if a place is selling beer, people will buy it. And it doesn't matter if it's $10, $12 or $15. People will still do it.
I've never been to a professional football, baseball, hockey or basketball game where beer wasn't everywhere. And there were certainly no discounts in play.
I didn't say people wouldn't buy it, but the idea of people buying more than 3 beers in a single game would be a rarity since I assume vendors would not walk around selling it in the stands like they would at professional sporting events.
That's about the most deliberately naive premise I've seen since those pretending that Hokie fans won't get drunk & obnoxious while offending the families surrounding them.
Naive how? Because I used some logic to assume a certain cost for a beer as well as an approximate amount of time required to acquire said beer to determine that most will not want to spend anywhere from 15 minutes to over half an hour trying to buy expensive beer? Either prove how it is naive or calm yourself down with the condescending comments everywhere.
I don't think anyone is saying some fans won't get drunk and abuse the privilege of buying beer. People are saying the following:
1. Your logic that goes "WVU sells beer, WVU fans are a-holes, therefore if VT sells beer they will become a-holes like WVU" is flawed
2. Not everyone who drinks beer is going to get so drunk they yell at your kid and the pass out in their seat in a puddle of their own puke. Your comments imply that you think everyone drinking is getting ridiculously drunk.
3. People already drink at games and some act like jerks. Those people will likely do the same with beer sold in the stadium. But those who drink responsibly probably will continue to do so. So all in all the drinking will be legitimized but the negative experiences won't go up.
You may disagree with the conclusion that beer sales won't drastically change the overall behavior of fans. That is a fair point. I disagree with it for the reasons above but I see merit in it.
But maybe cool a bit with the exaggerated profile of in-stadium beer drinkers, unintended or not. You sound a bit like a prohibition era radical preacher in that you are assuming one drop of beer sold turns into mass mayhem and we'll all be acting like the worst possible stereotype of a WVU fan. There is a giant portion of the population that can handle beer being sold at games.
Just my take. Again, I see merit in your point but disagree with the drastic scenarios you're predicting.
Just curious, explain what "deliberately naive" means
ARE YOU BEING DELIBERATELY NAIVE?
Why are you assuming that they won't be walking through stands selling beer?
ID check purposes - you don't want to risk having the school selling beer to underage students. That's a potential PR nightmare.
Why couldn't the people walking through the stands check your ID?
I'm guessing they would follow the same procedures used at NFL games.. I never hear the negative PR about it there
NFL stadiums aren't state-funded schools of higher education potentially selling alchohol directly to under-aged students. I think that's the difference.
As stated above, ID check would be one reason. The other would be that it would be more difficult to control how many people have consumed. If they followed a similar policy to the one mentioned in the article where you have to tear off a tab on a bracelet to get a beer, it just becomes more of a hassle in the stands than it does at the counter of the concessions stand. I would imagine it could be very easy for the school to use a Hokie Passport as a form of ID at the concessions that could also track how many beers a student has purchased, but a move like this would also require them to start utilizing the Hokie P as a form of payment in the stadium.
I have a feeling this thread will go the route that the "Stick it in Thread" went. Somebody is gonna disagree with someone else's opinion and then their itty bitty feelwings will get hoort...
This hurt my feelings...
I really don't care one way or the other, but I've read a few posts here (or somewhere anyways) about someone's experience at a WVU game, and how a drunk guy spilled his beer on their kid or something along those lines. Seeing as how our stadium does in fact have drunk guys, and kids, I can only assume that those stories will start cropping up concerning Lane Stadium. So I guess I'm against it?
That is why some places only sell beer in cans or plastic bottles. It is much to easy to spill beer from an open cup and dropping a can or plastic bottle leaves the chance that not all of the beer will be lost.
So under that scenario, would you still be opposed to the selling of beer in the stadium?
Nah I'm not really for or against I guess. The only downside I really see is that kind of comment being thrown around, and let's be honest every fanbase has their uglies and we're not going to catch them all. I don't see that it's a good or bad thing to sell it in stadium.
I'd be more oppossed to selling it in cans or bottles. I've seen drunks who somehow smuggled a case of beers into the stadium and proceeded to throw the empties into the crowd. No way we should be arming drunk assholes. As for drunks spilling drinks - it can happen now with bourbon mixed into the cups of coke, or some sort of lemonade cocktail. Can't really prevent that - $hit happens.
oooo that happened to my sister in law and us at a Hokie game last year. In between cheering a ROLL TIDE and going for a drink the guy sitting behind us spilled his beer all over my 16 year old sister in law. And then for the next 3 quarters all of us had a good fun game. Come to think of it, was a nice ice breaker for the BAMA fans I thought we'd dislike the whole game.
TLDR; spilled beer really actually made the game a lot better
Can we instead just set up two competing stands, one selling pie, the other cake, and settle things once and for all? Oh...wait....this was about alcohol?....No, I'd prefer that we didn't go the WVU route.
How about we bring turkey legs back to the NEZ? Why did they leave? I'm not even sure my seats will be near the NEZ again but in case they are, I want my annual leg!
Is it that hard to walk 120 yards to get to the turkey leg kiosk? IIRC, there was one at the NW corner of Lane, near the shaved ice place. Even if not, there was one in the SW corner of the stadium. After my first one, I wisely avoided them, but they were easy to reach.
I don't find it easy, nor desirable to walk through the concourse to the south end of the stadium when there is a break in play and there are thousands of people milling about. And I don't really want to miss that much of the game either. So I decide against spending the money for a turkey leg because of the inconvenience. And no, the one from the NW corner wasn't there the times I checked last year.
You hate turkey legs AND beer?!?!?
HOO ALERT!!!
(I kid, I kid)
Swvadon- Is there anything in life that you've heard and actually agreed with? Please stop being so negative.
Lots of them, and lots of which I've posted on here. Of course, it's easy to pretend otherwise when you disagree with me on a topic you apparently find groundbreaking. You ask me to stop being negative (about one topic), please stop being so judgmental over one topic. Evidently we disagree. Life goes on. I've moved on, can you?
? I never said it was groundbreaking nor did I even hint at what side I'm on. It's just a common theme I've been seeing in multiple posts of yours. I digress though. Hope you have a great one.
Thanks for tracking my posts so closely, and for monitoring my mood shifts so diligently. I hope you also have a bright shiny day... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y51_bBQZ1a4
I will go with no.
Not a good idea, sure there is money to be made. It only take one stupid drunken idiot to diminish TECHs image and reputation. I've seen it firsthand, "Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
I just don't get this way of thinking (and I'm not trying to single you out, CK, I'm speaking generically). We're acting like if we start selling beer at the games, suddenly there will be drunken fools everywhere around you. As you said in this comment, you've seen it firsthand, the drunken fools are already there.
In fact, as I said above, I think the drunken behavior is actually worse now than it would be if we allowed beer sales. The way it is right now, it actually encourages people to overdrink in the tailgates to 'carry the buzz through the game' and it encourages people to sneak in liquor to mix in drinks at the stadium. If you start selling beer, people will slow down the drinking in the tailgating lots, and the amount of alcohol being smuggled in will decrease as well. Sure, there might be a few who abuse the system, but its not like there aren't those people now. However, overall, the level of drunkenness on average will likely fall, as it'll be beer-induced rather than liquor-induced.
I'm just going to leave this here..
I legged you, but is this on the correct thread?
i was trying to distract the beer moaning and groaning with this american portrait. Dempsey, Bomb Pop, Unicorn, MERICAH
and Falcor!
I like how you think.
How is this not green already? Do you want Sam Rogers after you? Save yourselves!
I'd say that if you put a few controls around it, it becomes a non-issue for the most part - meaning no increase of in-Lane drunks than are already present.
Probably need to have a 1 beer per person limit, cut off at halftime, and charge $10 / beer. There's only so much that people will spend in time and money, especially in Sept with back to back to back games.
I do not know how I feel about it.
The thought of having a Guinness at the game is intriguing. But the thought of aluminum Bud Light Bottle cans is not.
I know this much...after wading through this thread, I am ready for a beer.
That, and...
Hey, can we not all just sit down and have a few beers & shots? C'mon...
quick question: how does selling beer at the stadium regulate drinking at all? I mean, I get how it moves some of the revenue from 7-11 to Tech, but regulate? Unless there is an increase in security to keep outside beverages from making their way in, people who bring in their own will keep doing so and people who are willing to pay the higher prices will buy inside. Either way, I don't see how this is any more regulated than the current set up. Someone please educate me
I don't know if it regulates drinking, per se, but I think it would have ramifications:
1) Maybe there'd be less desire to get absolutely blitzed at the tailgate, knowing that you can keep your buzz going with a beer or two at the game.
2) I think if you provide a reasonable option for people to buy beer, many will, rather than sneaking stuff in. I'd liken it to music downloads. Didn't everybody question why anyone would buy songs from iTunes if they could download them for free? I think if you give people an opportunity to just buy something rather than smuggling in some airplane bottle, many -- adults specifically -- will just go with the legal option.
In your second point, adult is the key word. Whatever they set the price at (I'm guessing 8-12 dollars) will price out most college students so your average-20 something will still sneak airplane bottles in.
I don't see the harm. People are drinking before, during and after the game anyways. I don't see how it would make that much of a difference except for generating more cash for the athletic department (which we all agree is a good thing).
I gave you a leg because you make a good point. However, I will not be one of them not sneaking stuff in. Refer to my comment below. After all, my handle's not AssPocketFullOBeer.
You can cut people off if you're the one selling it. If people are not smuggling in as much as you can get it inside, then you can stop serving someone who is exceedingly intoxicated.
I'd suggest just stop selling beer after the end of of the third quarter.
HELL YES!!! Considering VT used to serve beer in the dining halls ages ago, why not? I'll still have my AssPocketFullOWhiskey though. That is, unless they start serving whiskey. Wait a minute...another great idea? I think so.
Maybe I should change my username to BraFullOWhiskey. LOL
A woman after my own heart. Too bad I'm already hitched.
Damn. Someday my Prince Whiskey will come...
Indeed he will. Finding a woman that enjoys whiskey is a special catch. Now, finding one that enjoys Scotch is like finding Scott Stadium filled with LOLUVA fans.
Ahh Scotch...probably the only liquor I've never tried.
It's definitely an acquired taste, but my absolute favorite.
The difference is that only one of these exists in reality.
Thank God it's the former!!!
What is the upside? What is the downside?
As a rising senior I love the idea, as most would expect coming from a student. However, I can understand the opposing argument as well. Although most of my drinking is done at the tailgate, I wouldn't mind spending some hard earned cash enjoying a beer or two in lane stadium.
Cheers to the 5 b's
Beer..Beamer..Bud..Babcock..Buzz
#GoHokies
My mistake...forgot one more
Bitter
...bourbon.
Brewer, Bucky, Sam Rogers. All good B words too
Burp
Boobs?
Blacksburg Origin Of Boom
I don't see the need to sell beer at Lane.
I've been abstaining from this conversation because I have an obvious bias towards wanting to see my beer on sale there.
I don't think we need beer there though inside Lane.
But I sure ask heck would be proud to see my beer on sale at Lane, I'd be tickled pink. I'd sign an autograph for myself and take a selfie with myself in front of the sign.
So, I'm conflicted.
Maybe I've missed the boat on this background knowledge, but what is your beer? (free plug opportunity offered here, if permissable) Where is it available?
I hope this beer gets sold in Lane Stadium and you enjoy every last ironic drop. I'll buy your first one (but no more than that as I am scared you'll turn into WVU, ya know?) :)
I don't want to plug it.
If you check my profile it's there.
Just out of curiosity, how does one typically get into the brewing industry? Specific degree needed or experience brewing?
You need a high degree of adventurousness.
Here's how it typically happens, one of two ways.
You can get a 4 year degree at one of several schools that have a degree program in brewing.
You can start home brewing and study the science involved, varies disciplines of chemistry, microbiology and some physics having to do with flow, heat, etc.
Get good with tools, you'll have to be part mechanic.
Volunteer at a brewery and learn the application of previous study, like an apprenticeship.
Eventually you will earn one of many positions at a brewery, brewer, cellar man, packaging, business sales force. Small breweries may only have 3 people doing all this, larger breweries more.
It is hot, dirty and hard work. Make no mistake about it. This is a job that requires steel toed shoes, safety glasses and rubber boots.
For instance, if you are a brewer you will work in an unairconditioned space in the summer, boiling large amounts of liquid all day, some of which is sugary so when it hits, it sticks like napalm, you will use strong acids and bases to clean and sanitize steel pipes and vessels that will require scrubbing until shiny clean.
It will be nerve racking because a single mistake with a valve could send your eternal soul to hell for dumping thousands of dollars worth of beer down the drain.
You will use lab equipment to monitor the progress of your beer through maturation and learn to get a feel for your yeast activity by tasting and evaluation pH of the beer.
You will argue with the boss because he wants to sell beer you don't think is ready.
You'll whack your hand on the go664mmed hot pipe again and curse the installer- again. You'll find your leg bleeding when you get home and wonder when that happened.
People will berate you because they think brewing is evil and prohibition should be reinstated, they'll pretend they are having a serious discussion regarding fish parts in your beer and somebody once used bull testicles and so vegans can't drink beer and no one else should either.
You'll try to be nice to the volunteer that shows up at the festival to pour your beer that smells to holy crap and won't stop telling lies about your beer to festival goers when you are standing on hot asphalt all day long.
The Dept of Agriculture will show up for a surprise inspection ( they all are) and hit you for having the garage door open for ventilation because flies can get in. On the hottest day of the year when you are brewing and started the day lifting 800 lb of grain in 50 bags over your head into the hot brew vessel.
But, At the end of the day, if the stars have aligned and you've done your job well, you will hold a properly chilled glass of the nectar of the gods.
Which you could have bought at the grocery for $2.50.
Honestly, if you are interested, go to the website and drop an email and ask it be forwarded the the head brewer. I can talk turkey there.
I say this in all seriousness, you just completely sold me on this profession. Looks like I'll have to start as a home brewer since the accounts aren't big enough for me to quit my day job.
In comparison to what Egbert said for microbrewing, homebrewing involves much less labor. You'll have to carry buckets full of fermenting wort (just 40 lbs) or move a few pounds of grain. It's definitely a good intro to making beer and understanding the process. It's a lot of fun and a wonderful hobby. It's just nowhere near as intense or controlled as microbrewing.
I will warn you; once you get into it, homebrewing is a black hole for money and time. You'll want the next thing to make your beer better and make more of it. I thought I was done when I got a mash tun, kegs, a CO2 tank and regulator. Nope, now I want a grain mill.
I started homebrewing around a year ago, and the feeling of drinking a beer that I made has been fantastic. Doing it professionally sounds like a lot of work and nerve racking like you said, but it also sounds fulfilling. I really appreciate your response, I'll look into volunteering/apprenticing at a local place since I'm not in VA anymore and one day if we meet up at a game or beer event we can chill over a pint.
If Egbert has genuinely interested any students in beer making, the Food Science department offers a course called Brewing Science and Technology. The class is literally the science of making beer. You have to be 21 or turn 21 during the semester to take it. You make beer as part of the class, and Dr. O'Keefe is really chill. I don't drink beer, but I took it as an in-major elective (along with all the other Food Science majors). It was a fun class.
I can't think of a better use for the GI Bill!
Let me add to that then.
Any one interested or, has a sufficient passing curiosity, I can let you know when I start brewing on our pilot system and then the commercial system since we just started our move last week.
We welcome interested persons to come in for a brew day and see how it's done. Again, so it doesn't look like a plug, contact me offline and I'd be happy to run through a brew day.
Okay, I checked your profile and noted the company. I'll have to give it a try sometime soon. Best of luck in your venture. EDIT - Now I'm curious. Are you SD, or another founder? Where can I find your brew in grocery stores (if available)? Very interesting story. I'd love to hear more, if the format allows. Again, best of luck in the endeavor.
From their website: http://www.roanokerailhouse.com/where-to-find-our-beer.html
You could probably just call the dsitrbutor in your area and get a list.
That looked a whole lot like a wholesale listing when I checked it prior to posting. No problem, though. I just thought someone could tell me quickly where in the RoVa or NRV it might be retailed. No biggie...
Seems like I've seen it in Kroger in C-burg and B-burg.
Yep, definitely in Blacksburg.
Also Vintage Cellar is anyone's friend.
Vintage Cellar is awesome. I found this new store in Radford.
They do beer tasting on Fridays.
http://www.barrelcavewines.com/
Twelve minutes into my call with Virginia Eagle Distributing, I learned the crucial knowledge that Kroger #225 is located on University Blvd. and sells Track1, but not Broken Knuckle. No one was able to determine where I could buy that(Broken Knuckle), but the lady had quickly become harried shortly after I asked where I could buy this, as in geographically, and not just by store number, so I quit trying to discover. Store numbers, they have down pat, the pertinent customer information, not as much. We both gladly ended the phone conversation - her apologizing profusely, me promising not to bother her asking where to buy anything ever again. Bottom line - Track1 by RRH is available in Bburg Kroger, and I'll gladly give it a try. I think I'll be pleasantly pleased, to be alliterative...
Cool. Be careful though. I hear they sell beer in grocery stores in Morgantown. You're just one sip away from burning a couch on your porch!!!
I'm not SD. I'm the brewer. I took over as head brewer there in 2013. I was an assistant brewer there and at what is now Soaring Ridge brewery.
If you stop by any of the breweries in town and most in Central and Western VA they can tell you my real name.
Or just stop by lot 18 by the duck pond during home games at the tailgates closest to the first entrance to the lot.
I'll see you this weekend, be it Friday night or Saturday. I'll likely be wearing a USA jersey if we win tomorrow.
Egbert,
I just grabbed a sixer of the #1 and it's a great brew! Makes me happy that 1) I'm supporting a fellow Hokie and 2) that it tastes good.
Im not spending ten bucks on a beer. Sell it or not, the smuggle is real.
First let me say that I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the comments on this interesting topic. Good one Andy. At my lofty age of 57, my first concern was two-fold. We're talking about Lane Stadium here. Who enjoys your friends and complete strangers trying to negotiate a millimeter of distance between a spectators knees if sitting or 6 inches at the most if standing getting to a restroom. Beer, at least in my world, would increase that frequency about 2-4 times a quarter per beer drinker. When I consider that bourbon is less hard on this aging VT fan than beer is in that regard and the fact that I don't like to negotiate down an aisle of 10 to get to a restroom more than twice a game, let alone 4-6 times a game, I think I'll stick with my two airplane bottles. But if Whit determines that it's a moneymaker, I say go for it!
Personally, I'm not a fan of selling beer inside Lane. But if it happens, I'd also like to see the athletic department sell beers in the parking lots (already licensed for consumption)... different craft beers on tap, and cases of coors/bud/miller/natty so as to avoid awkward situation of running out. Also, sell airplane bottles inside the stadium. Buy one for $6 and get your choice of mixer.
This is a great first post, Hopslam Hokie. Introducing beer sales to the tailgating scene would be excellent.
So would integrating farmers markets so the tailgaters could chow on local fare.
Better yet, let the farmers come with their own food trucks!
I think, by law, it would have to be fenced in. I don't think you can buy beer and take it back to your own tail gate.
Unless you get an on/off license.
I figured you would know better. I've never seen beer sales at a tail-gate event and not have a fencing and typically a wristband. Glad to know it is possible.
I think there are other reasons than a standard licensing issue but, I have never seen to either. I think it's a combination of things that add up to not practical for some reason.
add SMU to the list of schools that sell beer at football games