Drink Tokens: A New Collecting Obsession Unlocked

Look out! I am about to get into drink token collecting.

I saw someone on Beer Twitter (sorry I can’t remember who it is otherwise I would credit it) showing off some old drink tokens.

They looked so clean and probably very satisfying to hold in your hand, and yet I have none.

I can remember using them in an old dive bar I would haunt (Yo, Stardust in Fresno!) – I can’t remember how or why I earned one.

Bars that have bands play will give them to the bands as a form of payment sometimes, I definitely didn’t perform with a band at Stardust… but there was a lot of me performances by me, if you know what I mean .

Anyway, they looked so cool I immediately went to E-bay to see if I could find a Fresno one, like the one I had somehow earned. I could not.

But I did go down the drink token rabbit hole and eventually purchased a nice New Jersey one – my wife’s side are all from New Jersey so I figured I’d start there since it’s slightly possible one of them held one of these tokens:

I’ll be busy on eBay looking out for the right one.

Bring Your Beer: “The Studio” from Portlandia

I was always a little frustrated with Portlandia never developing a brewer or beer geek character on the show.

It is such an obvious fit for a show about Portland culture and its nerds to have a quirky beer nerd character – too obvious for Fred and Carrie I guess.

At least the characters occasionally are having a beer in sketches. One of this best is the above sketch “The Studio” which starts with Fred’s Studio Guy character (maybe my favorite) asking Lance Bangs to come check out his studio and he can bring his beer.

The mellow statement of “bring your beer” just plain feels good.

Going to check out a thing someone wants you to see and you can do it while hanging with a beer in your hand? Perfect.

If this isn’t my favorite Portlandia sketch of all time, it’s at least one of them.

Sometimes I Get Tired of Untappd

Nobody talks about Untappd more than I do. I love it. But sometimes… it tires me the hell out.

I just want to drink my damn beer and not worry about taking a perfect flipping picture and putting it on Instagram or checking it in on Untappd.

It can be exhausting. Especially when you’re drunk.

But. But but but BUT, I often DO like posting on Untappd.

I like checking-in Uniques. Writing a little review in hopes it helps someone or the brewer. Or reminds me in the future to get this beer again. Or don’t get it.

I like following other people, seeing what everyone is drinking. I love that ChewYourBeer likes to boast about being the first to drink a beer in his community:

People using Untappd in a creative way is the best. It’s pure.

Unlike Instagram, there is no game behind posting. You’re not using hashtags or whatever, to try and gain followers or ‘game’ some algorithm.

You post for you and your beer friends.

So yeah, I get too tired to use the app sometimes and miss posting a new beer. But I always sober-up and comeback. It’s my favorite beer community.

BLACK IPAs Are Already Over Again. Stop Before It’s Too Late

Black IPAs have already made their “comeback” and are moments away from hibernating again.

If you have a BIPA in the tank, cool. It’ll be fine. But don’t get too crazy.

I only mention it because I’m observing a lot of buzz from people just now figuring out Black IPAs have come back, and are acting like they are a permanent thing.

Learn from history, my children, they are not BACK back.

I think BIPAs can stick around. But only by just being released during Black IPA Season.

What is Black IPA Season?

What’s that you say? You didn’t know there was a BIPA Season? Well there isn’t one. But we are making one, right here, today.

January 1st – March 30th. I declare this to be Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale Season, forever and more and stuff.