All of you have a few friends who “are into craft beer.” You want to accommodate their beverage preferences at your upcoming soiree, but just don’t know where to begin. Perhaps you hope to take this opportunity to try some of these fancy-pants brews yourself. But then you step into your local distributor and lose all hope of impressing your craft-connoisseur comrades as you realize that you need to narrow down your choice to one or two cases out of 500 or more options.
Next, you wisely recognize that craft beer variety packs are an option. Now you can cover more tastes and try more different brews yourself! But your next realization is a deflating one. There are still 30 or more cases falling into the craft-beer variety category from which you must select the best possible option. Uggh! Make the wrong choice and your beer-loving friends will snicker behind your back while leaving you with a bunch of sub-par brews that you know little to nothing about.
You are not alone in this daunting task. I’ve seen it many times before, so I decided to compile a list of go-to craft brew variety packs for all of your celebratory needs. But rather than go it alone on this one, I sought out the wisdom of old friend and craft beer guru Greg Ramirez, who is not only the seven-year owner and 18-year employee of Exton Beverage Company but also a long-time craft enthusiast with years of tasting experience. Ramirez prefers to choose local whenever possible, which is an easy task considering the number of great breweries in our area. However, he also admits that we Pennsylvanians have access to some excellent beer brewed afar as well. Let’s take a peek at Ramirez’s picks:
Top Craft Beer Variety Packs in Stock at Exton Beverage
Victory Summer Variety
Not only does this limited seasonal variety pack include longtime favorites Summer Love and Whirlwind Witbier, it also has a crushable dry-hopped session pilsner and a session IPA that will please hopheads at your gathering without delivering too much of an alcoholic punch. Ramirez tells me that this case has been flying off of the shelves since it was released, so snag it when you see it!
Stoudt’s Variety
Another local brewery, Adamstown’s own Stoudt’s Brewing Company, offers a tasty variety approachable for many tastes. With the amazing Stoudt’s Pils (a Ramirez favorite) and Stoudt’s Gold, you have your super drinkable and approachable brews covered. Throw in a nicely balanced Scarlet Lady ESB and a crisp, hoppy American Pale Ale and you have your bases covered to please nearly any craft drinker. And this one is great for summer barbecuing!
Troegs Anthology Sampler
Ramirez loves this sample pack because those smart fellows at Troegs (another PA brewery!) change it up to accommodate seasonal tastes! In the spring and summer, you will find more crisp and refreshing brews like their Sunshine Pils or Cultivator Bock and in the fall you will find some hardier selections, such as Dead Reckoning Porter. And with nary a bad beer in their lineup, Troegs will have you covered for your get together no matter what the season calls for.
Founders Variety Pack
Maybe you also prefer local but have tried most of them and want to stray off of your beaten path a bit. There’s nothing wrong with that! Try a taste of Michigan’s finest with this variety case from Founders Brewing Co. Ramirez and I couldn’t agree more on this one. Made up of a fabulous roasty and robust Porter, a malty and strong Scotch Ale called Dirty Bastard (save this for that special neighbor), an excellent IPA bursting with hoppy aroma called Centennial IPA and the tried and true Founders Pale Ale, this selection of outstanding beers will please any and all craft-brew connoisseurs.
Stone Mixed Pack
Coming to you straight from Escondido, California, this mixed pack is the perfect choice when you know you need a box full of hoppy choices. It contains the ever popular Stone IPA, a hop bomb called Ruination IPA, an off-the-charts-hoppy American Strong Ale called Oaked Arrogant Bastard (read the back label of this one for a good laugh) and Levitation, which, although it is an Amber Ale, is still fairly hoppy. If you want to learn about aggressively hopped brews, this is definitely the sampler for you!
Prism Variety Pack
Another local option, this North Wales brewery has been selling very well for Ramirez. Many of his customers love the seasonal Shady Blonde, a Blonde Ale brewed with Blood Oranges, for its refreshing citrusy flavor and drinkability. The other three brews in this variety, Bitto Honey IPA, Par Tea Pale Ale and Felony IPA, all achieve great and delicate flavor with a fair amount of balance. There’s nothing too aggressive and nothing too boring in here. Just good old drinkable craft beer!
Great Lakes Variety
The Cleveland-based Great Lakes Brewing Co. offers quite a selection to please all palates. For starters, the Edmund Fitzgerald is an outstanding porter and widely recognized as one of the best. The Dortmunder Gold is a brilliantly smooth lager (and another of Ramirez’s favorites) that is also very highly regarded. Between these two opposite ends of the style spectrum, you will also find the Elliot Ness Amber Lager, which is great for pairing with grilled meats and the Burning River Pale Ale, beautifully crisp and crushable.
Ballast Point Variety Pack
Another mixer that comes to you from the left coast, this variety is very popular with Ramirez’s customers not only because the Calico Amber, Pale Ale and Big Eye IPA are all excellent brews, but also because it contains the somewhat illusive Sculpin IPA. Sculpin is a world-class IPA that many would argue is one of the best in the world. And because the Ballast Point variety is available in cans, the beer comes to you as fresh as can be. Pour that Sculpin in a glass and savor every drop! Ramirez tells me that this one also flies off of his shelf and that you should “grab it every time you see it.”
With Ramirez’s insightful list of varieties, you should have no trouble accommodating friends, exploring craft beer yourself or simply finding a lot of diverse bang for your craft-beer buck. Stop into Exton Beverage today and grab a case or two for your next get together. And be sure to invite Ramirez and me.
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