I work reasonably hard at this, mostly because I hate chain stores, and prefer local businesses. I try to buy local produce, but there aren't too many pineapple plantations or orange groves here, and so far none of the distilleries produce Irish whiskey. But I'm trying.

I was at a bar the other day ordering a Red Stripe, and my friend, who's very into buying local, suggested that I get a Session Ale.

"It's just like Red Stripe," he said, "and it just has to travel down the highway from Oregon to get here."

So I did. And Session is a complete Red Stripe knock off, right down the grenade sized, 11 oz bottles.

I still like Red Stripe though.

i buy most of my stuff local. we do not travel very far to buy what we want. especially when the gas prices go way up. we also consolidate what we do and go to several places in the same area so we do not drive as much.

Very hard to do because most everything comes from China, but that can change with time if we are persistent.