Jim Free’s 5 Favorite Beers from Sam the Beer Man

The minute you walk into Sam the Beer Man, you can see they are one of the largest retail and wholesale beer distributors in the Southern Tier. The selection is astounding with more than 100 beers stocked, including the kind of craft and specialty beers that can really set apart your weekend BBQ.

Here are five craft beers Sam the Beer Man offers that you don't want to miss:

1) Power Tools: smells a bit like pink grapefruit and an overripe fruit bowl and offers "moderate bitterness, but oodles of hoppy complexity," according to Industrial Arts Brewing Co., based in Garnerville, New York.

2) Gravy: is "an IPA double dry hopped with Mosaic, Columbus and Comet hops," according to Untapped.com.

3) Rolling in Clouds: is "bright, balanced, just the right amount of bitterness and juice," according to BeerAdvocate.com.

4) Super Soft: is "an IPA with no boil hops for a finish that lands on the palate with the delicacy of a ton of feathers. The aroma is full of ripe, pungent tropical fruit and citrus. The flavor has notes of red grapefruit, papaya with hints of black tea," according to Untapped.com.

5) Lush Double IPA: creates a "rich, juicy character" by combining "hops from both hemispheres and [Frost Beer Works'] ale yeast," according to BeerAdvocate.com.

If you haven't stopped in Sam the Beer Man's location at 1164 Upper Front St., Binghamton, you're missing out. Head there to try out a few new craft beers — they also offer several beers on tap for folks who enjoy purchasing by the growler.