if you have been living, or visited some cities in Europe or US, and somehow have to spend most of your time in Asia---especially South East Asia.....and you happen to be a beer geek....what are your chances of getting regular supply, good varieties of awesome craft beer from Europe/US?
DAY1(all beers brought in by Shawn)
While you can get some really nice selection of craft beers in cities like Tokyo( which for me is THE Asia city to be for craft beer) and also Osaka-Taiwan-Hong Kong-Singapore-Bangkok----as well as KL where i live---the level of awesomeness is just not there in comparison to some of the bars--bottle shops in some cities in EU/US...
DAY 1(all beers brought in by Shawn)
啤迷很大程度上和美食，摄影或音响，电影或黑胶唱片发烧友一样，总有追逐不完的目标。
在撞意啤酒的世界，很多啤迷渴望尝味的啤酒都是欧洲美国酿坊所酿造，其中大多数是欧洲美国本土都不容易找到的，有些只上啤酒泵，不卖瓶装！（比如说美国RUSSIAN RIVER每年二月限量发售的PLINY THE YOUNGER）。而一些出名瓶子则是限量发行，限定每人只能买很少量瓶子，至于更出名难找的会有特别发售日，啤迷要上网抢门票，排长龙入场，有时候更要抽签，靠点运气才能买到一两瓶。（比如美国CIGAR CITY和THREE FLOYDS的大黑啤庆典HUNAHPU’S
DAY和DARK LORD DAY， 比如只在哥本哈根瓶子店OLBUTIKKEN限量发售的CANTILLON BLABAER LAMBIC蓝莓果酸啤酒）
DAY1( BOTTLES by local tasting group)
如果你是住在亚洲的啤迷，除非有朋友从外国带进来，或通过特定网站购买或外国啤迷朋友帮忙寄来，基本可说完全没机会在所住城市找到这些出名难找瓶子。
抛开朋友帮忙不说，有些啤酒交易网站是以黑市价格卖的，既是炒卖，要价当然比原价高很多。比如说，最近在美国某网站成交的一瓶美国酿坊TOPPLING GOLIATH的KENTUCKY BRUNCH STOUT就超过了美金1000大洋。（你没看错，是美元）
这样的价格对一般饮客来说是不可思议的，其实，对啤迷来说也是疯狂价格，不过，当有人愿意付这样的黑市价格抢购一瓶少量生产出名黑啤时，这已不是值不值得给的事情，而是作为啤迷，你对拥有这瓶啤酒的欲望有多强烈的体现。
DAY1 (bottles by local tasting group)+ END OF SESSION GROUP PIC
So--what are the choices left for beer geek if you live in Asia?that's the small piece written for last week's newspaper column--not doing a full transcript--just some quotes:-
"some beers are just pure madness to get---we all know the annual "February-human-line" for Pliny the Younger---as well how you need some luck to be able to attend and buy some Dark Lord--Hunapuh's---Blaeber Lambic.....and so on..."
DAY 2---(all beers brought in by Shawn)
吉隆坡，相对之下算是亚洲城市撞意啤酒文化发展比较“沙漠”的地方，也有本地啤迷自己从国外找啤酒进来。早在两三年前就有认识的两位本地啤迷经常上丹麦MIKKELLER网店订购啤酒运进来，运费加上本地一点都不友善的高酒精饮料入口税务，兑换率等等算到来，一瓶自己“进口”啤酒分分钟要价马币两三百甚至四五百！从经济效益观点来看一点都不划算。不过，啤迷的看法是不太一样的，有人说“如果用10瓶水准不怎样的啤酒换一瓶上佳水准难找瓶子，那绝对值得，因为喝CRAFT BEER贵在质，绝对不是量。更何况很多时候都是跟一些同理念啤迷朋友分享分担。。”
DAY 2(all beers brought in by Shawn)
"if you have no friends in Europe or US who can help sent some beers---there's another way--you could try your luck on some web shop--or Grey market trade---which you obviously need to pay a higher price/s for---and that's not counting shipping costs--plus whatever taxes imposed by your country of residence...( if you so happened to live in Malaysia--be prepared to pay silly taxes!!)"
DAY2(all beers brought in by Shawn)
"It is normal for a Malaysian beer geek to pay anything between USD60-150 ( in some way thanks but no thanks to the weakening Malaysia Ringgit) for a bottle of "self-imported" beer from EU or US( depending on what you order---it could be a 330ml bottle--not always 750ml!!!)---in economic terms--it does not make much sense for a bottle of beer--but to beer geek, giving up 10-12 bottles of very average tasting beers in exchange of 1 bottle of awesome hard to get beer is something we all ready to do--anytime..."
DAY 2(all beers brought in by Shawn)
除了自己找酒或高价购买之外，亚洲啤迷就没有其他方法尝味到一些难找欧美啤酒吗？也不是的，浩瀚啤海中，还是有啤迷朋友这回事，甚至还会有些意料不到事情发生，比如三个星期前，吉隆坡就发生了一件让不同城市啤迷觉得不可思议的一件事。
一位素昧生平的美国啤迷，因为工作关系飞来吉隆坡，来马之前，他在社交网上问一位本地朋友，说自己会带来不少啤酒，有没有人要分享？看到这个留言后。“顽啤主张”很快跟这位美国啤迷联系上并安排了一个两天的品酒会，连同好几位本地啤迷朋友各自带一些自家收藏，就那样，吉隆坡有史以来最强大的品酒会意料之外的发生了。
DAY2-- Bottles by local tasting group
"Recently there's a transaction for a bottle of Toppling Goliath Kentucky Brunch stout went for over USD 1K---it's no doubt bloody crazy price to pay for a bottle of beer---but then--if anyone is willing to pay that price--it's no longer about money well spend or whether it's worth it----it's a show of pure desire to get hold of that bottle..."
DAY2(bottles by local tasting group)
这位美国啤迷朋友带来了整箱（24支）不同品牌类别的啤酒，其中很多都是亚洲难以看到的出名瓶子，对于一个相对算撞意啤酒沙漠的城市来说，出现这样的啤酒阵容是令人难以置信的事情。不过，这就是撞意啤酒精神，完全体现在无私分享，同饮同乐之中。
如果你不是很了解的话，那整箱可以黑市卖价上千美元的好酒，一分钱都不要，从陌生人变朋友的美国啤迷是真的拿来让懂得欣赏佳酿的本地朋友共享。
CRAFT BEER沙漠，偶尔还是有天降甘露的时候。
DAY2(bottles by local tasting group)
End of DAY 2--short video of bottles done--thanks to Toga
https://www.facebook.com/togamamora/videos/10207859373906025/?pnref=story
"So--if you live in a place like KL--which is a bit of craft desert--what can you do if you don't "import" your own beers, or don't buy online from web shop or grey market trade?---well---there's a thing call SHARING in the world of craft beer--few weeks back---a total stranger from US came in for work--and brought with him a case full of awesome beers--he left a message on Insta--somehow one of our tasting group guys saw the message--after quick contact, a 2 day, never before seen tasting session were arranged--strangers became friends--that's the beauty of craft sharing...."(a big thanks to Shawn and TheBeerExchange---as well Messrs Barley, Malt & Hops for hosting us)
"thanks session" by the local guys:-
"thanks session" by the local guys:-
a small "thank you" session by us the local guys for Shawn the day before he headed back to the states---these were some of the bottles shared/contributed by the guys:-
It's probably not that nice for beer geek to live in a city that's is a sort of craft desert--if you "geek" enough--want awesome beers bad enough--somehow--i mean somehow, awesome beers might just starts to flow in--and Miracles might just happen...
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