When I was going to college in Eau Claire, my roomate and I would do all our Xmas shopping at the Leinie's Lodge. There's a bar there, and you'd automatically get two free beer tokens. We'd chat up the bartender, and he'd give us a few more free beers. Some of the other customers would then donate their tokens to us, and by the time we'd get to shopping, we'd be pretty much smashed. Good marketing strategy though, because I bought way more than I would have sober.

Do any of you (in addition to Mr. Lee) remember Leinie's Autumn Gold? It was one of the top 5 beers I've ever had. Wrote them a letter not too long ago asking them to reinstate it. I don't have a copy of my original letter, but here is their response:

"Irvin,

Thank you for letting us know your love of Autumn Gold.
Currently there is no plans on re-releasing this brew, but we
have learned never to say never. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Diane Schindler
Leinie Lodge Fulfillment Supervisor"

For the love of beer, if you've ever tasted this fine brew please email them at [email protected], and ask them to make more!

Yes, I do.

It was truly one of the greatest beers I've ever enjoyed.

It was available late in the year (autumn, not suprisingly) for a very short time. Then Leinies put on their big-boy pants and stopped that nonsense. The Anchor Bar had apparently bought a lot of it before the boom got dropped; their supply lasted me until the following spring. That was 1999.

Also - If you like Leinie's Northwoods... choke on it. It is getting the Autumn Gold treatment in favor of year-round Sunset Wheat availability. And that is just a shame.

Until we figured out that the Sunset Wheat (indeed, any beer) was giving Hazel terrible gas, I liked drinking Sunset Wheat. Now I have to settle for root beer. :(