Darkness bottles Liquor Stores

So if Surly started selling Darkness for $30 or $40 next year, no one should care because Surly is just charging the 'real' value of the beer and it's business? I think with all of the great beer now available in MN, pricing is becoming more important and breweries and beer stores better be careful how high they go.

 

Charging 50-100% mark up when the standard is 25% is screwing people over. How is it not?

What if one gas station had premium for $5 a gallon when everywhere else its $3.50. I know its capitalism, but this should be discouraged/punished by not moving their product.

(and IMO darkness is hardly worth $20. Definitely not $25+)

last commentary, I find it weird that you can get all surly special releases at half price if you get it on tap.
20 oz of darkness at the taproom = $10 (maybe up to $16 at downtown bars).
25oz darkness bottle = $22+
This is why pentagram is the only surly bomber I chase, and even then I dont feel good about paying that much. Look at the value NG gives its customers with some of their specials...I hope that this is the direction the market is headed.

 

to be clear, i'm not the one making any claims about the 'real value' of the beer.

that said, if you want to stick to my premise that MGM will sell out at $29.99...if surly sells out at $30 or $40, then bra-fuckin-vo to them.

 

Because it's not screwing people over. It's pretty simple. They are charging what people are willing to pay. The beer sold out crazy fast once again. 44th and France sold out in what? An hour if that? Following twitter it was selling out fast everywhere. If you are working and unable to get to a liquor store til 7 or 8 you are going to have a hard time getting it. If it's more expensive somewhere, some people won't buy it there, leaving more inventory for others who will be willing to purchase it at that price.

Your example is a terrible one, as at the moment, without some sort of disaster, gas is not a limited commodity such as gas which you can get easily everywhere else. Surely Darkness is not. They will be able to move the product, they know their business better than you or I, so th ey know what they can charge to move the product. Once again, I don't like the idea of it being sold for $40 in stores, but I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it.

 

You can care, I just don't see getting all bent out of shape about it. Just like I care when Mountain Dew goes up 20 cents in stores. I am then left with a choice, buy it at the price or move on to something else. Surly obviously doesn't want to sell their product at the "market value." And allow as many people who can get their hands on it the resonable opportunity to enjoy their product. They obviously feel that the brand recognition and the hype of selling a beer at a lower than the "marke value," is worth it, and I wouldn't disagree with them at all considering the awesomness of Darkness Days and their brand as a whole.

 

Also, I did see Darkness at Kowalski's in Uptown. They didn't have a lot left last night. $19.99 a bottle. No limit.

 

That was a crappy example, I admit.

It is screwing people over though. The hype/limited aspect is the only thing that makes this sell.

Just to put some prespective aroud this, BCBS and KBS are $20/4 pack and have more work (barrel aging) into them and are half the price. My beef is that there is a very large disconnect between input costs and perceived value.

 

What if? Well, the place charging $5 would sell little to no gas.

 

When the new brewery hosts it's first Darkness Day I will unleash a pack of mules like no other. The Justice League of beer hoarders. I WILL own 20 + bottles of Darkness. And I will do with them what I please. Maybe, even drink a few. Hahahahahahahahahah...........cough.....................ughnmkld;d;

 

How does a market transaction by two WILLING parties equate to one party being screwed over? And if they are in fact "screwed over" well apparently they (the only one who should care) are okay with it, hence entering into said transaction.

 

And you just failed the internet by admitting you gave a bad example! Seriously! It's the internet! YOU NEVER ADMIT YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!

 

so don't buy it! enough with this perceived value stuff. you're not getting screwed. if you think it's overpriced, don't buy it.

 

Ha ha. You're right wait, no, IM RIGHT!

I guess my argument is that its screwing people over because of this logic: The person who buys the $40 bottle isnt screwed over because that is what its worth to that specific person. The person screwed over is me and everyone like me, who is willing to pay $20 but no more. The supply at that price is lessened and the perceived value associated with the beer is raised, thus further lowering the supply available at a reasonable price.

Also, this makes me want to do a blind tasting with Darkness, DL, Pt5, Founders IS, Big john or Nightstalker, Expedition, and a couple others. Id really like to see how the $20+ bottles stack up to the $18/6 pack beer based only on taste.

 

this is the correct answer.

I've decided, after 5 years of buying a bunch of Darkness, that's it's simply not worth $22+ a bottle any longer. There are a number of really really good (and some might say, gasp, better) RISs out there in our market at a fraction of the cost and that's where I'll be spending my money this year.

Obviously a lot of people think that, at $22+, Darkness has 'value' to them, and that's great. I was there once. Instead of complaining about the cost or what I feel is a 'fair price', I'll just buy something else.

 

Chi-Lake has got a combo pack of 12 & 13 for a measly $60

 

Ooooo! Here's my analogy! Darkness is a concert! Most shops are like the box office or electrics fetus or whatever, nominal fee for purchase. Surdyks and other shops of the like are ticket master, sometimes necessary but asshats nonetheless. And people on craigslist are people on craigslist, no interest in the product or repeat business just trying to exploit the situation.

 

If my brother in law asks me to pick him up a bottle because he's stuck at work, & I pay $20 for it & tell him: yeah, it was $30, I'm screwing him over. A store charging $30, while a dick move, is just mark up. We all have choices. There are plenty of stores selling it for $20. I choose not to shop at stores like Surdyk's & MGM (for anything) for the following reasons: 1) they suck 2) I don't like throwing money away 3) I like to support small local businesses; it's good for the community. If we all did this, their prices would come down. POW!

 

This is just my opinion. I did buy 4 bottles yesterday it is a good beer but not worth a buck an ounce.

 

Go to the taproom! I wasn't excited to spend $20 on a Belgian Strong, but I wanted to try Seviin. Think I paid $5 for an 8 oz pour. A decent chance Darkness will be a similar price point.