STONE- alot of things went wrong, but alot of things went right!

Well, today was fun. I took my 3 litre growler to Stone with the hopes I would be able to fill it up with 10th anniversary IPA. (that last of which was available for growler fills- period)

No dice. And I was angry about it. They ran out, but I HAD THE 3 LITRE SPECIALTY GROWLER MARKED FOR 10TH ANNIVERSARY IPA!!!! Other plain growlers were being filled with it, and it wasn't fair to me.
C'est la vie.

Anyhow, my next move was to grab a table and you know what?

NO DICE!!!!

The tables were all reserved, so we hung out on a balcony and drank some beer waiting for a slight opportunity of accomodation. I wasn't happy, but I relaxed as I saw my friends enjoying themselves.




While standing around and talking and drinking, something cool happened.
A dude came by to tell us "Stonewall" was being poured.

Stonewall?

Never heard of it, so I sent the missus to investigate. She brought back two four ounce glasses back, having paid 7 bucks for each. (It was all for charity.)

It tasted like a mix of beers, with definate caramel notes. The missus then informed me Greg Koch himself was pouring the beer and that I should go talk to him.

The funny part is, that I was hesitant because after the beer I had, I wasn't sure if I could hold up a conversation with Stone brewing's CEO and founder. I went over anyhow after mustering up some courage. It's not everyday you meet your hero. I found out the beer we just drank (Stonewall) was the product of an original charity project at the dedication of Stone's new facility. The story is that stones in a stone wall that was built were dedicated for the sake of charity. A friend to Greg and a charitable contributor was given a three litre bottle of "Stonewall," as a commemoration of this all. In short, she kept the bottle in her fridge for years, until bringing it to Stone today as a celebratory gesture. And I was one of the few people that had a chance to taste it. I took a picture with Greg to remember the moment.


After talking to Greg, the missus and I went to fill my other three growlers and look into getting a table once more.

After stating my case and pointing out some things, the hostess was able to give us a table almost immediately. And we were all grateful...as you can see in the photo below.




The beers of the day;

Stone 2003 Old Guardian Barleywine
Stone 2004 Double Bastard Ale
Hitachino Nest Beer Aged in Sake Barrels
Hitachino espresso Stout
Bruery Saison Rue
Cantillon Gueze aged in Bourbon Barrels
Brassierie DuPont Avril Bier de Table