The White Whale

Call me Ishmael.

Herman Melville’s classic “Moby Dick” serves as a literary example of a man (Captain Ahab) who is driven to madness by the pursuit of an elusive target (the white whale). In my real-life pursuit of rare and hard-to-find beers, there are several white whales that elude me - perhaps none more frustrating than Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s 120 Minute India Pale Ale.

They got me Wyatt... don't let 'em get you too brother

Today, this particular white whale has been crossed off my list; rubber-stamped onto the starboard side of the hull of the Pequod (Ahab’s ship) as it were. 120 Minute has been discovered.

There are two very useful tips for acquiring rare beer that were put into practice during the discovery of the 120. The first is persistence. The search for this particular batch of 120 began after our local Wegmans (premium grocery store) was reported to have some in stock. But after weeks of failed attempts to procure some, things looked grim. Like many elusive beers, the key to finding 120 is to know the guy next to the guy, as only those with the proverbial “hook-up” usually find themselves with the prize.  But just as all hope would seem lost, suddenly, there they were. My scouts were at the Wegmans, asked the dudes in the beer section and low and behold, the white whale was trapped.

Another useful tip to pass on to fellow rare beer hunters is team work (or using an elaborate network of informants). It is impossible to be in two places at once, unless you’re Doc Brown or have access to a time turner. But if you utilize scouts, friends or a network of informants, as I did in this instance, it increases the size of the dragnet that you can stretch out in order to ensnare the white whale. Instrumental in today’s successful hunt was, in addition to my informant network, my partner in crime and lovely wife. Without whom (like most aspects of my life) none of this would have been possible.

But enough about shout outs… here’s to the hunt! And to the thrill of victory. 120 Minute will look great stuffed and hung on the wall of my study.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!