Please find enclosed herein.....

Hi Zak,

Please find enclosed herein a bottle of Bear Republic "Racer 5" IPA.

Many months ago, after I posted on the Wine Pages forum, you helped me find good beer. When my wife and I stopped into Beerritz, You kindly gifted me a bottle of the Brewdog "Avery, Brown, Dredge" Imperial Pilsner. At that time, you wouldn't take my money for that beer -- instead you told me to give you how ever much I though it was worth on my next visit to the store. As it was, I enjoyed the ABD quite a lot, but I feel that giving you money for that beer (which bears your name) would be too impersonal.

And so we arrive at the bottle sitting in this bag. I recently visited friends and family in the States, and was able to bring some beer back to England with me when I returned. This is one of those bottles. This beer is my favourite "regular" IPA, and a six-pack of it is always in my fridge when I'm at home in California. So rather than money, I give you this beer [smiley face]

I hope you enjoy this beer as much as I do, Zak. Please let me know what you think of it. Thank you again for your kindness.

All the best, Brian

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Dear Brian,

thank you so much for this. I remember sending you that message on Wine Pages, and I remember you coming to the shop. Although I don't really post as much as I'd like to in the beer section of Wine Pages, I do look at it frequently, and I see that you are a regular poster. I'm happy to see that about half of what you post about comes from the shop (or from somewhere in Harrogate more local to you).

When I gave you the bottle of ABD, I did so thinking that you would probably enjoy it, and I'm pleased that you did. I was delighted that you'd come to see us, not only because you brought a wallet full of money, some of which you were good enough to leave with us, but because you obviously love beer.

Part of the fun of being into great beer is turning people on to things that they've never had before. Hence me making free with the ABD. And I'm so delighted that you've returned the favour.

Oscar Wilde said that a cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing. With this cynicism-free act, you've demonstrated that a gesture can be worth tenfold the value of any goods that it contains. I'm drinking the Racer 5 now, and am happy to report that it's bringing me a huge amount of pleasure, not just by being a good beer, but also in the spirit in which it was given.

Keep the faith, Zak