It had come from Minnesota, and it was precious cargo. Surly Brewing, of Brooklyn Center, MN, for all intents and purposes does not distribute outside their state. Given their incredibly stellar lineup of extremely excellent beers, which have earned them the 11th and 14th spot in 2012 and 2013 on RateBeer's listing of the best breweries on earth, this small distribution footprint makes anything from Surly a huge score for beer nerds elsewhere in the country.
On the basis of a tip from a fellow beer nerd that I met at the Hell's Kitchen Pony Bar the preceding week, I managed to track down a small beer shop in Minnesota that ships Surly to NY. I couldn't even believe my luck. The second I got home that night, I ordered two four-packs of tall-boy cans (16 oz each) of their Imperial IPA (Surly Abrasive) and one four-pack of their IPA (Surly Furious).
