
Sláinte! It’s a regular brew-ha-ha here at Brit + Co. Whether you’re ready to spend $90 or $9, we’ve got ideas for your next suds splurge. So grab your beer gear, slice up your beer bread, kick back and enjoy a cold one with us!
1. Crown Ambassador Reserve ($90): This luxury Australian brew gets a new and distinct flavor every year. And you best not be drinking it right out of the bottle. The brewers want it served in a red wine glass. Clink!
2. Sam Adams Utopias ($150): Gorgeously packaged and cognac reminiscent, 15,000 bottles were made in 2012 and, yes, every loving one of them fetched that staggering sum.
3. Sorachi Ace ($15): This golden blonde and hoppy farmhouse ale has a rich, crisp flavor. A revived classic, Sorachi Ace is a two-hop blend with a surprising lemony smell and a price that won’t totally break the bank.
4. Raison d’Etre ($11): If you’re a big brew-ser, chances are you’re pretty familiar with Dogfish Head. This particular sipper of theirs is made with raisins… actual raisins! If that doesn’t sound sweet enough, it’s got a healthy mix of beet sugar in the brew… making it healthy, right? (via Alechemy)
5. Chimay ($11): Chimay has three stellar Trappist options that dress up any evening. We like the classic, but honestly you just can’t go wrong with any of them.
6. Lips of Faith Series ($9): New Belgium has an amazing bunch of brews called Lips of Faith. A few new bubbly options are added each year like the Coconut Curry Hefeweizen or Cascara Quad, which is chock full of dates and coffee cherries… sounds more like a fancy dinner than a beer. (via Hooked on Hops)
7. Heady Topper ($12 per four pack): Alright. So this beer only retails at about $3 a bottle, but seeing as it was #1 on Beer Advocate’s 250 top brews list, you can now find it on the “black market” for up to $18 a can. No joke.
8. Innis and Gunn Rum Cask Aged ($11): Love rum? This beer would be perfect for you! It’s also divine with sweet vanilla or caramel desserts.
9. La Fin du Monde ($14): It’s the end of beer as we know it. Golden in color and full of light champagne-like bubbles, pop that bottle. Dinner just got fancy. (via Definition Ale)
10. Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout ($7): In case you haven’t heard, oatmeal isn’t just a hot cereal and delicious cookie mix-in. (via John’s Beer Guide)
11. Midas Touch ($15): Made with ingredients found in Midas’s tomb (for reals), this delicious beer falls somewhere between mead and beer. So lift ’em high and to the sky in honor of sweet honey brews.
12. Banana Bread Beer ($10): Picture shoving banana bread into a beer bottle then drinking it. As comical as it sounds, nothing says sophisticated like banana bread brew. (via Edwin)
13. Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout ($6): Coffee lovers unite. Here’s your late-night java fix. Cappuccino meets beer, and it’s all sorts of hybrid hoppy-ness. (via The Brü)
14. Infinium ($15): Time for a toast. Infinium is meant for a celebration. Not only is the label awesomely art deco, it’s full of spice and fruit too. (via Cigar Brief)
15. VokStok Space Beer ($20): Beer imported from outer space? Those import taxes must be out of this world.
16. Two-Hearted Ale ($12): Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale is not to be overlooked. There’s a nice balanced hop and malt characteristic in this killer IPA. (via Pint Log)
17. Ommegang Hennepin ($8): Described as hearty and rustic, Hennepin is one of our favorite brews. Pull one out of the fridge, and you’ll be happy too. (via The Ale Runner)
18. Noel ($11): Okay, this is a seasonal beer, so you’ll have to wait to get your hands on it, but once you do, you’ll find that this winter beer is truly astounding and only gets better with age. We hear the eight year point is when it’s truly phenomenal, but who can wait that long?
19. Duvel ($16): The brewing process for this Belgian is no less than 90 days and if you feel like A LOT of hops, you’ll find it in their Tripel Hop brew, released this March.
20. Young’s Double Chocolate Stout ($11): Mmmmm, chocolate. Nothing says splurge like No-Bake Snickers cake and Double Chocolate Stout. Don’t bother counting those calories. (via Vod Kitchen)
21. Carlsberg’s Jacobsen Vintage ($400): Are you sitting down? At $400, this is more like a serious investment. These pale barley wines are closer to a dessert wine in full-bodied flavor.
22. Delirium Tremens ($20): Don’t let the name scare you. his beer comes in an incredibly unique bottle and is dangerously delicious. Watch out. You may drink more than you mean to.
23. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout ($20): This rich, dark, intense stout is a great alternative to Guinness. (via Roux on Canton)
24. Founder’s Kentucky Breakfast Stout ($19 per four pack): It’s beer for breakfast this weekend! KBS has a cult following and is a lot fancier than those Keystones that staved off hangovers in college.
25. Trappistes Rochefort ($8): These are three true Trappist ales, named for their original Belgian degrees of gravity. What that translates to is the higher the number, the more alcohol. (via Vice Spy)
26. Zombie Dust American Ale ($12): This super hopped beer is the new undead kid on the block. If you thought the zombie phase had passed, surprise! Time to shotgun! (via Ales in Comparison)
27. Affligem Tripel ($10): While we love Blue Moon, sometimes you just want a Belgian brewed by a monk. What? That’s not a normal craving?
28. Black Ops ($26): “Brooklyn Black Ops does not exist,” so says Brooklyn Breweries’ website. If it did exist (and, oh, it does), it would be aged in bourbon barrels and re-fermented with champagne yeast. Intrigued? We know we are.
29. Pabst Blue Ribbon 1844 ($44): You read that right, the PBR we all know and love sells for $44 per bottle in China! Before you get too excited, understand that the Chinese version is full of premium ingredients and even comes in a fancy glass bottle.
What’s your go-to beer when you’re feeling fancy? Tell us in the comments!
Getting the word out about your brand takes time, drive, and ingenuity. And it doesn't come easy for many entrepreneurs. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're chatting with Selfmade alum Taylor Morgan McPherson, founder of Sustainable Sparkle Bar, about ways in which she scored press as a solo startup brand and what she learned from Selfmade to take her brand marketing up a notch.
B + C: How did you know Sustainable Sparkle Bar was your business to start?
Glitter has always been my thing, so when I started my event company I decided to make it my niche. I started telling people I threw glitter-themed parties where people would get sparkled with glitter body art and makeup. Six months after that I applied to my first festival and to work with SUR restaurant in West Hollywood.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
I honestly can't say that I've had a specific strategy that I've followed when it comes to getting my business off the ground. I have a PR background so I was just constantly pitching new business and posting on social media.
B + C: What's the biggest challenge you face as a small business owner?
I would say creating a stable income and revenue stream. With a seasonal, event-based business it can be very up and down.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
The relationships I made and the push to start an email database.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I love what I do and I believe in myself 100%. Staying motivated isn't the hard part. Pushing myself to do the work and staying accountable is the hard part.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip? Do you use any apps that help you manage your business?
I keep multiple to-do lists, hand-written and digital. I also tell clients and partners that I will have something to them by a certain time or day so I have to stick to it.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Just do it, take the leap. And don't worry about what anyone else says to thinks.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Issa Rae, I'm so inspired by everything that she's created being a creative and a black woman. It's my dream to have my own show one day based on my life and where I give advice and talk about the world. She's doing it and making people laugh and giving people joy. And it's based in LA. Watching Insecure only further cemented my dreams of wanting to live in LA.
B + C: How did you hear about the Office Depot scholarship?
One of my friends that I met through Camp No Counselors saw an IG ad for it and nominated me.
B + C: What has receiving the scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start/grow your business?
It's completely helped me level up and take my business to another level. Selfmade helped me host my first virtual event and taught me how to set up my website to sell tickets to events and get RSVPs.
B + C: How have Office Depot services or products helped you accomplish more in your business?
I got new cards to send in all of my orders with my discount code on them. I also bought a really cool 4K camera that I now use for my social media.
Thanks Taylor! You really know how to sparkle. We love her colorful, creative vibe. You can follow Sustainable Sparkle Bar on Instagram @sustainablesparklebar.
Let Office Depot OfficeMax help you stand out in the crowd. From signs, posters & banners to promote your business, to marketing materials to keep your customers informed, Office Depot OfficeMax offers a full suite of business services & solutions to help you & your business get noticed.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.