Bus Trip 2013

THE RETURN OF THE BEERMOBILE:
Lincoln Lagers Bus Trip 2013 

SATURDAY, MARCH 2nd, 2013
ARRIVE BY 7:45AM – ON THE ROAD BY 8:00AM
RETURNING LATE (WE ESTIMATE 11:45PM!!)

We’re traveling in a very comfortable bus chartered by Arrow Stage Lines, which will be equipped with a restroom, and will have a few seats reserved to store everyone’s kegs and coolers.

This year is the biggest, longest, most epic bus trip we’ve taken yet: with our two bus drivers’ help, we will cover over 570 miles to visit three breweries that you certainly DON’T want to miss out on!

Tickets are $50 for current Lincoln Lagers members, and $60 for non-members.

Activities:

We have a great schedule already planned with the following stops:

1) 10:30am – Tour of and sampling atTallgrass Brewing Co., Manhattan, KS.
Link: http://www.tallgrassbeer.com/
What to look for:  Frankly, they’re all delicious. Whether you’re into their Velvet Rooster, Buffalo Sweat, or just want to try their flagship Tallgrass Ale, you are in for a treat.

2) 2:15pm – Lunch and tour/sampling at Liquid Bread (Lb.) Brewing Co. & Gella’s Diner – Hays, KS
Link: http://www.lbbrewing.com/
What to look for: In one word, STOUTS!!! Their No. 50 Liberty Stout has won a 2010 Gold and a 2009 Gold at GABF, their No. 06 Oatmeal Stout has taken home a 2010 Gold at World Beer Cup, a 2008 Gold at GABF, and a 2005 Silver at GABF, and if you aren’t in the mood for a dark beer, their No. 02 American Wheat has also earned a 2012 Bronze and 2008 Bronze at GABF. But don’t stop reading once you’ve finished the beer menu – their kitchen is also widely lauded and serves up some pretty darn mean cuisine! Fish ‘n’ Chips, anyone?

3) 7:45pm – Dinner and tour/sampling at Thunderhead Brewing Co. – Kearney, NE
Link: http://www.thunderheadbrewing.com/
What to look for: Any of “The Good Stuff”! e.g. anything you can’t already get in a can at your local Hy-Vee. For example, MacTawisch Scottish Ale, Grail Ale Grand Crü, or for a non-beer experience, the somewhat suspiciously named Thunderpunch. (Ow? That sounds painful.)

Logistics:

The bus loading point is at Indian Village Shopping Center, 13th & Arapahoe, Lincoln, NE.

We will leave Lincoln AT 8:00 AM. Please note, we did not say to pull into the parking lot at 8:00, unpack your trunk, then load onto the bus while we stare and wait for you.

WE ROLL OUT AT 8 SHARP. If we leave Lincoln late, it puts us behind schedule on *every* other event we have lined up. For best results, please pull into the parking lot by 7:45am, and give yourself ten minutes to get settled into a bus seat, introduce yourself to anyone you haven’t met yet, and think about which beer you want to open first.

We will return to Lincoln around 11:45 pm, but that time is just an estimate.
If you have a ride coming to pick you up, let them know that our return time is contingent on how long the trip back takes. If you need to contact your ride, make sure to bring your cell phone or other messaging device.

Omaha-area brewers: As in the past, the bus terminal is located in Omaha and therefore the bus will depart from Omaha to Lincoln about an hour prior to our specified loading time. If you want to join us on the Beermobile, please email Pres. Jason McLaughlin to make arrangements, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US!

More Info:

Each year, this is a blast and a club favorite event, and we hope that 2013 will be no exception to that!

Tickets can be purchased through PayPal to make life a little easier for you (send an email to iasanlee at hotmail.com to ask for more details).

Tickets will be available for purchase in-person by Cash or Check at the December Lagers Meeting at Zipline Brewing Co., the January Meeting at the Allison’s house, and the February Meeting at Lee’s Chicken.

As always, there’s more information on the Lincoln Lagers Forum!! The Bus Trip forum thread is here.

Remember, there are a limited number of seats available, and when the bus is full, it’s full baby! Buy your tickets NOW before they’re gone!

Tips for riding the Lincoln Lagers Bus:

• Consider bringing a reusable tasting cup, whether glass or plastic, to cut down on the number of disposable cups we use. Our logo’s yellow but we try to be green!
• We take this opportunity to share brews amongst our fellow home brewers. Some of these brews will be strong. Some of them will be ridiculously strong. The bus trip is a time when many of us raid our bottle cellars, pick out rare gems, whether they be oaked, smoked, bugged, soured, or just hopped beyond reason. If you are not careful, you will be drunk sooner than you expect to. Plan ahead. Bring some tums, some crackers, whatever it is you need to stay on the level.
• Drink lots of water. Before, Throughout, After.
• Don’t forget to feed yourself. It’s easy to trick your body into thinking that beer IS food, but you need some solid stuff in you as well.
• If the bus is filled to capacity, things can get rather, um, “intimate” between us. That means elbows in personal space, occasional smells, etc.
  Consider choosing foods and snacks that won’t become ticking time bombs in your gut, as you don’t want to fumigate your fellow brewers, or to be fumigated by them.
  And likewise, leave the particularly-strong colognes for another day, with better ventilated spaces.
• “Pack just enough to get by, but bring everything you need.”
  Simple, right? But, consider that space -WILL- be at a premium if we sell out every last one of our tickets. So if all of your bottles fit in your smaller cooler, don’t bring the 120 Qt. fishing trip monstrosity, bring the smaller one instead.
  Likewise, expect the bus to be equally well-filled on the way back, as all of our souvenirs and take-home beers will fill in the gaps left by the bottles we emptied earlier in the day.
• You’re welcome to bring a snack to share on the bus ride! Pass it on down the aisle!

And lastly…

• Drink responsibly, enjoy each others’ company, and have fun!