Suggestions in how the club should spend its funds

[DaveCo]

This post will be used to start the discussion in how the club should spend it's funds.

Here is what I have written down so far:

Buy T-shirts to sell at Iowa Festival Of beers.
Charter bus/big van for trip to Madison.
Charter bus/big van for trip to Munster IN for Dark Lord Day.

The club will be using money to purchase calibration beer for judging each month. This was decided at the March 2008 meeting.

[BrewHound]

One thing that we could do with the club funds is join a "Beer-of-the-month" club. This would be a good way to get samplings of beers from different places.

With our Geographical location we usually only get the oppurtunity to buy by beers from large microbreweries and those that a located quite close to us. Even then we don't see lots of the microbrews that are located in a bordering state.

I found a web site that lists about 25 of the beer-of-the-month clubs as well as rates the top 3 by price, variety, and top-picks kinda thing.

http://www.beeramonthclub.com/compare-beer-clubs.html

The other good thing about joining these clubs is they give you literature pertaining to beer. News on hops, break down of the styles they are giving you and what to look for. Festival locations and the such. I used to do a wine one and thought the lit that came with the selections was kinda cool, and saved me from having to go out and look for information (might be the same kinda thing here).

Some have said that the beer samplings are not the best beers available. This is probably true. With some of the better beers out their costing $10-$15 dollars for a 22oz beer. It would be hard for them to make this profitable. But, I still think it may be a good way to get some exposure to some of the smaller breweries in the country.

Plus one fo the programs gives 24 beers a month 12 domestic microbrews (6 bottles of 2 types) and 12 international beers (6 bottles of two types). Which sounded pretty cool.

What you guys think?

Jeremy

[tony b]

I used to belong to a great Beer of the Month club, but when Iowa changed laws about 7 or 8 years ago, I could no longer receive beer shipments. We can now receive wine, but not beer. Have the laws changed? Check first.

[BrewHound]

I not sure maybe the law has changed. I did do a couple of mock orders (up to payment point) to a couple of them to see if they would block me. They all seemed to allow for Iowa residents to join.

Even went to one called "Beer on the Wall" and it allowed for you to order just a bottle or six pack of some pretty good beers. The only one on the list that I recognized was the "Stone breweries" line. But I really enjoy there beers. Here is the address for the Beer on the Wall store

http://www.beeronthewall.com/online-sto ... rshop.html

That may even be an option for the club to try a couple of harder to get (here in Iowa) beers. Did notice that they were quite expensive though.

1-800-beerclub.com also has a store where you can purchase beers as well as a club. There selection of belgian beers is amazing. Although you have to purchase them at a volume of 6 bottles or greater. Which makes for quite a steep price. This one explictly states that they will ship to Iowa.

http://www.1-800-beerclub.com/index.html

Jeremy

[tony b]

I checked the website for Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. It's still illegal to ship beer to individuals in Iowa without going through a licensed beer wholesaler. The Iowa Code, section 123.187 allows wine to be done this way (I'm a member of such a wine club), but not beer.

While some businesses might risk it, the penalties can be quite high, as this does meet the Iowa Code definition of Bootlegging.

Pagan State!!