Portsmouth Brewery Kate the Great Tickets

If you've been reading along, you already know that the Portsmouth Brewery's Kate The Great Russian Imperial Stout is #1) one of my favorite beers of all time and #2) a very rare yearly released (brewery only) beer.  Each March or April is Kate the Great Day at the Portsmouth Brewery.   Prior to the BeerAdvocate naming it the best beer in the World, it could be had without much hoopla.  I had KtG pre-hysteria and it was glorious.  Now it's a bit more effort to have some...but still worth it. 
For more about my KtG day experience with a buddy, read up on my earlier post - http://brewforall.blogspot.com/2011/12/introduction.html

Last year the Brewery changed from a calendar ticket system to a lottery ticket system for KtG Bottles.  Because I started a new job last year, I was not able to take the time away from work to hunt down lottery tickets or go to KtG day.  This year, I plan to be there with a friend or two.

Last night when I got home from work, I saw on Facebook that the KtG scratch tickets went on sale @ 5:05pm.  Now, normally I would jump in the car and run my ass up to Portsmouth (1 hour to 2 hour drive depending on traffic).  However, I didn't get home until just before 7pm and was pretty damn tired.  Bex brought up a great point too - Holiday weekend (President's Day on Monday) + Friday night rush hour + public school vacation = bad idea.  So, a bit tormented we went out and drowned my despair in a burrito (yum).  When we pulled into the driveway, there was a quick moment where I really thought about getting a coffee & taking the trek up to Portsmouth...I didn't.  I did however, get a text from one of my life long friends that let me know Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout was at one of our local beer stores and was 'off shelf' for regulars.  So, I figured the beer gods were at least smiling on me while I was being tormented by KtG scratch ticket indecision.  I did go and get that bottle of GI BCBCS.

The plan became - ok, I'm going to wake up at 9:30 on Saturday morning and drive to Portsmouth.  Worst case scenario, the scratch tickets are all sold out and I have lunch and a few awesome beers on tap.  Because she's awesome, Bex agreed to humor me and go to Portsmouth with me.  What we were rewarded with was awesome - a gorgeous New England Day and a pretty much traffic free ride to one of our favorite cities on the East Coast.

Bex and I had a great lunch with an Oatmeal Stout (me) and a Dirty Blonde (Bex)!

We parked in our normal garage ($0.75 per hour), came outside, turned the corner toward the brewery, and saw a bit of commotion outside the Brewery.  I was immediately thinking, great...a big ass line to get tickets.  Well, as we got closer we walked right into the Portsmouth Brewery store and there were only 3 people in front of us.  So, we purchased our 15 tickets each (30 total for $2.00 each - 100% goes to local charities), smiled, and went outside.  I suggested we scratch them off in the sunshine for good luck.

Scratch, scratch, scratch...nothing.  Boom, Bex hits one, then another....ok, that's all I care about - 2 bottles is great, 1 to have and then 1 to age.  I switch up the coin I'm using thinking it is bad luck (was O-fer) and immediately hit one...now we're up to 3 bottles - smiling ear to ear.  Bex hits another...oh man 4 bottles.  Lots more scratching and then nothing, but I am still smiling beyond belief. 

The 4 Winning Tickets - Bex 3, me 1

I now know I will have 4 bottles of the glorious Kate The Great Russian Imperial Stout!

If you're going to KtG day and see me and don't know me, come over and say HI!  I'll be there :)




Quick update - at 2:55pm on Saturday 2/18 the scratch tickets were SOLD OUT.