More than once, I have been asked, "what IS a beerluck?". Here I will go over the basics, as well as some history.
BeerLuck: Similar to a traditional potluck, a beerluck is a gathering where all of the invitees bring beer. The idea is to bring a beer that is either your favorite, or a beer you have never tried (or even heard of) before. With enough guests, the night's selection of brews can be quite varied. Another option is to encourage guests to bring not only beer, but food made with beer as well. beer-battered fish, beer-butt chicken and beer bread are some examples.
Quantities: generally one six-pack per guest. big bottles (chimay, duvel, etc) are also welcome, as well as growlers, bubba-kegs, yards, jars and stubbies. Home-brews are especially welcome. a quick calculation based on the six-pack rule of thumb: 10 people=60 bottles of beer, 25 people=150 bottles of beer, 50 or more people=300+ bottles of beer. I have never had more than 50 people attend a beer-luck, but 2006 may be the year... this year's invitees are drawn from a large pool, including several departments and two schools within the University of Colorado and Locals. This year will also mark the first time we will be offering a keg... just to bolster the supplies a bit. Geologists tend to be able to drink quite a bit and last spring we almost ran out of beer.
History: I have researched the history of the BeerLuck somewhat, and there seem to several distinct versions out there. Of course everyone who has a BeerLuck (and there are several groups out there doing it) likes to think that THEY thought it all up. One group claims the institution of the BeerLuck originated in Ontario, Canada, when a group of university students were playing trivial pursuit. Other groups just call it a potluck/beerluck meaning if you go to a potluck, you can bring beer. My version of the history of the BeerLuck is as follows: While I was a student at university (in Ithaca, NY) some of my close friends held a potluck at their house. As it turned out, everyone who came brought beer instead of food, so rather than call the potluck a failure, they dubbed it a BeerLuck. I believe this was in 2003 or late 2002, and almost every year since I have had the honor of continuing with this tradition.
So there you have it. Please come enjoy a wonderful selection of micro and imported brews, music, visuals, and lots of social folks to talk to.
~T
