As the sun streamed through Ross Arce’s bedroom window, it could not help but take on a different color.@@http://www.facebook.com/rosscarce@@ The books, clothes and musical instruments scattered across his floor shone a deep sepia, a product of the sunlight traveling through the dark brown 22-ounce Rogue beer bottles lining his windowsill.
Graduate student Arce is like many other college students who maintain a collection of empty alcohol bottles throughout the term.
But Arce’s collection has a creative and specific twist. Instead of collecting a random assortment of vodka and rum bottles, Ross collects one type of beer.
“Rogue bottles are known for the cool artwork on their 22s,” Arce said. “I really enjoy having a beer after work, so one day I just decided to start collecting them.”
John Locanthi, a recent University graduate, also collects bottles and says the art on the bottles is what keeps him displaying them on his fridge. @@http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=637976430@@
“The art on many of the bottles interests me,” Locanthi said. “Especially the Doppel IPA from Japan with Chinese characters on the front.”
Locanthi says he likes to keep the bottles as “little trophies,” nostalgic reminders of the beer he once enjoyed, and to let his friends know of his eclectic taste in brew.
“I like to show off the wide variety of beers I have sampled,” Locanthi said. “From a rare Hopfen-Weisse from Germany, to a delicious Sah’Tea from Dogfish Head, to a masochistic imperial IPA with 105 IBUs, you will know what I have drunk.”
Locanthi says his affinity for a wide variety of beer grew in large part to spending a summer in Kansas making home-brewed beer with his cousin.
“The first rule of home-brewing is that you have to drink beer while brewing beer,” Locanthi said with a laugh. “Being able to sample different kinds of beer with different kinds of ingredients was really great.”
James Book, Ninkasi Brewing marketing director, said it’s a pretty high compliment when students want to use the company’s art to decorate.
“Artistically speaking, art is a high form of expressing yourself,” Book said of their labels. “So if people are drawn to that and use our labels, then that’s a great compliment.”
It may seem boastful to display the empty alcohol containers you are left with after a term (or weekend) of partying, but Locanthi said collecting his beer bottles transcends simple arrogance.
“Much like how punk fans collect patches for every band they’ve seen live,” he said, “a true beer fan likes to show off every beer he drinks.”