First beer?

To kick off Beer Year, I've decided to have my birthday dinner at Magnolias in Purcellville, VA. Here's their beer list (that's a link--I need to change this template). I'm leaning toward the Bear Republic Red Rocket. If I get a meal with a kick to it I'll try the Avery IPA. And I'll obviously be ending the evening with a draught Allagash Tripel, one of my favorites.

Sometime next week I'll be eating at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV. Their website has a menu for wine, but not beer, though I'm told they have some good ones on tap, including Ayinger Altbairisch-Dunkel. I would rather, however, get something that we don't sell at the store.

Speaking of the store, we got our hands on a bottle of Lindemans Cuvee Rene, which gives me another one I don't have to spend money on for the first week. We also got glassware from Merchant du Vin at a ridiculously low price, but that has no direct effect on the Beer Year, so forget that I mentioned it.

A five gallon keg (I think it's a quarter of a regular-sized keg) of St. Bernardus Abt 12 costs $130. I'm considering it. But it won't count toward the Beer Year, so forget that I told you about that, too.