500 turn out for $30-per-bottle beer

PLACENTIA, Calif., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- A California microbrewery owner said more than 500 people turned out to buy $30 bottles of his barrel-aged beer at the Great Depression-themed release party.

Patrick Rue, owner of the Bruery microbrewery in Placentia, said nearly 700 bottles of the Black Tuesday Imperial Stout, which he released to celebrate the business reaching its 1 1/2-year mark, were pre-sold before Tuesday's party and he estimated 1,000 more would be sold before the night was through, The Orange County (Calif.) Register reported Wednesday.

"That's the whole batch, until next October," he said. "The line goes pretty much all the way around back. Black Tuesday was one of the first five beers we brewed here."

Many people at the party said they traveled long distances for a bottle of beer.

"I traveled to O.C. just for this," said Derek Immekus, 28. "I got here at 3 p.m. I've tasted a bunch of beer the Bruery has and loved it, and I heard other people say this was awesome."