A representative for our part of the country was at our local beer distributor handing out samples of his employer’s goods. Starr Hill is a craft brewery that started out in Charlottesville, VA, but has since moved to a suburb, and opened a second location in Roanoke. Evidently, the samples were good enough that it led my other half to buy a 12-pack sampler, in addition to what he went there to get. It came with a free promotional pint glass.
I’d never heard of this brewery, but I did like the golden ale we split (it came in 16 oz. cans). So, I looked up their webiste. Probably the only things they brew that I wouldn’t like are the IPA and Imperial (aka double) IPA. Ales are fine, but hold off on the strong hoppiness, as far as I’m concerned.
FWIW, this place sells those pint glasses for $3.50/each, which is less than the typical $5 most craft breweries want for them. Then again, it wants just shy of $30 for a 2 liter growler. Those normally go for $10 for a half gallon one, which is minimally smaller.
At least the beer is good, and is reasonably priced at ~$19 for a 12-pack of 16 ouncers.
We’ve stocked our bar with glasses primarily from promotional freebies like this, or buying them from our local pub, which will sell them for a couple of bucks to customers who ask, when they get served a pint in a really cool looking glass they want. The wait staff double checks with the owner, if necessary, then just adds it to the bill.
There was one time that a local bar/restaurant’s adjacent deli had a promotion for Stella Artois, with the coolest looking gold rimmed glasses. I asked the woman who works the checkout during the day what I had to do to get one of those. “It’s free if you buy a 12-pack.” I did, because I like Stella, and she really wanted to get rid of the rest of them, so she gave me all three Stella glasses they had left. Those have to be washed by hand, rather than run through a dishwasher, but so what? They’re lovely.
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