Your thoughts on Alpine's decision?

Again, they're his ideals so clearly, yes to him it's worth it since he clearly doesn't have to sell growlers to anyone to sell out of his beer. The growlers are a perk and like any perk, it'll be taken away when the person that gave it deems it's being abused. Everybody who can't make it to the brewery is SOL but they're not his loyal customers that keep him in business so he has no obligation moral or otherwise to make his beer available where it isn't distributed.

Again, it doesn't matter if you think its an overreaction, its his business and his locals are the ones that support him and if he doesn't growler them that just means they'll make it to the brewery more often to drink it. PTY isn't put in bottles either, if he decides to stop putting it in bottles the only ones pissed are us who aren't his locals that keep his business going so why would he care. I doubt you would have to go to the brewery, you would just have to go wherever he distributes since kegs would show up at bars like PTY. He doesn't even have to worry about the customer mishandling the product if he just gives it to bars that know their shit. Everyone knows its not his property to control anymore but he has a problem with what some people are doing with it and there is a solution to it so he can control it while it's still his property and that's exactly what he's doing.

 

I really don't understand the issue everyone has with eBay. I have to figure the outrage lies in the fact that someone other than the brewer is making money off the beer. Let's not pretend it's about legality, as nobody really cares if Uncle Sam gets his share or not.

So, there's outrage over eBay selling/buying but how is that different than if I trade for the beer? Let's say a bottle of Exponential Hoppiness is worth $40 to me. I can pay $40 on eBay to get it, or I can go buy $40 worth of other beer and try to trade up for it. The only difference here is the currency.

The only thing this action by Alpine is now doing is making their beer even more valuable on the open market and making the frenzy even worse.

 

Not about anyone else but they can sure do something about their own product. Its easy, Vinnie figured out a way to have no profiteers on PTY and reward his locals that actually want to drink the beer longer. Pat can do the same if he wants and he won't have to be pissed anymore every time he sees his product on eBay

 

Ebay sellers are the beer equivalent of ticket scalpers. They descend like locusts on release day to eat up the tickets/beer only to sell for a much bigger profit. They don't actually give a shit about the product, they just found a niche to exploit. Meanwhile, the people who really want to enjoy the concert/beer are forced to pay extra for it to a person who offered no additional value whatsoever.

Basically, scalpers are kind of scum and suck really bad. There's not much we can do about it but bitch and moan, but bitch and moan we will!

 

For the purposes of this discussion thread, which started with a poll about our opinions on this topic, it actually does matter what I think. So there.

 

That only works to a point though. Sure, Russian River could go brewpub only and kill bottles at great cost to his business. But could Alpine really do that? Aren't they kind of in the middle of nowhere? Without bottles do they have a business? So let's say Alpine stops growlers and bottles on Expo... you're just going to see more Pure Hoppiness up on the bay as the "next best thing". If you follow this to its natural conclusion, they go out of business over people selling their beer on Ebay.

 

I don't understand it either, I buy some on eBay but the fact is the brewer has a problem with it so he's doing something about it. I think part of their problem might be that beer is supposed to be a drink that everyone can afford. I still don't understand why it is one of if not the only luxury good that is priced at cost plus instead of open market. If they just sold it at the price point where they won't have more buyers than product eBay would be a non issue with the exception of vintage beer. It's ridiculous that a beer you just bought, you can turn around and make more than 100% profit on it. I could keep going but I think levitation has already said enough on the subject often so I'll just leave it at I agree with what he's said on the subject.

 

Good to know how mature you are. And it was implied that it doesn't matter for his purposes...I wasn't talking about the purposes of this thread.

 

I hear what you're saying and I get it. It's not just ebay folks who do this. I saw plenty of folks go through the CBS line 2-3 times to load up on CBS. Maybe they didn't sell it for huge profit on eBay but they undoubtedly are using it for trade bait in order to acquire something very valuable to them. Either way, the general public gets screwed.

 

I follow Dany Prignon on facebook and he brings it to everyone's attention when there are rare bottles of Fantome on ebay. I don't know if he is the seller or just wants to make sure people are aware of all their options. I personally don't care either way. There is a price for convenience. The most convenient way is to order it online and have it shipped to your door just so happens it is the most expensive as well. Again I don't care about people selling it on ebay or whether he bottles it again.

 

I support his right to do whatever he wants with his beer, but personally I think he's overreacting. I understand why he's upset but unfortunately that is what happens these days. Sometimes when someone brews a high quality beer, the masses find out and a tiny minority try and make a buck off it. It sucks, but there aren't a lot of alternatives.

If he wants to stop doing growler fills to control quality and avoid resales (like RR did with PTY), so be it. If he wants to stop doing growler/bottles of all his beers to gain 100% quality and sale control (like the Alchemist used to do), he can do that too (though I wouldn't be happy because I love his beers). Otherwise, resales are going to happen. 99% of beers don't get resold, and the minority that do are most likely going to people who have no access to their beers and really want to try them. I understand being upset that people are profitting off your beers but in the end, that small minority being resold are probably all going to people who want to try your beers just as much, if not more, then some locals. I don't think they have to have any sympathy for people who bought/traded for their beers as you don't know what conditions those bottles/growlers were in, but that is the risk you run. I would guess the overwhelming majority of the people on this site who have tried their beers aren't "locals", and they wouldn't have the great reputation they have across the country if people weren't trading or buying their beers.

As a side note, is he okay with beer shops that sell and ship his bottles across the country for a mark up? They clearly aren't going to locals.

 

I agree with some of your points but "just make more of it, simple solution." Alpine is a very small brewery. Like tiny. SO I don't know if this is a solution at all.

 

just stop brewing other beers, it is obvious that this is the one people get hot and saucy over. and i mean it as a simple solution for the consumers, not the brewer.

 

To my knowledge PTY doesn't only get tapped at RR I'm saying he distributes kegs in cali instead of bottling which they would sell out anyways. Doesn't matter if they're in the middle of nowhere if they can get the kegs to the places that will sell out of it. Of course they have a business without bottles because they're so small and their hoppy stuff is so good. I think the profit margin for that one would be much less so he wouldn't be as pissed if he saw it on eBay. He's obviously trying to do something so his blood doesn't boil when he searches eBay. They'll never go out of business as long as they can get their product to the market, it doesn't matter what form it's in. DONG kegs only just has the added benefit that he won't have his blood boil when he searches eBay.

RR might have reached the point where killing bottles will dramatically reduce income but I can bet you anything Alpine isn't there yet

 

Hey man, if the smilies are here they need to be used, right?

This is all in good fun, and obviously I support the brewer's right to distribute his beer in any way he sees fit. This thread asked for BAs' personal opinions on whether his high dudgeon was merited, and I submitted my own belief that it might be a bit of an overreaction. I fully respect those who disagree with me.

If a brewer's #1 priority is keeping his or her beer off of eBay, then by all means make everything a DONG. Otherwise, a certain amount of reselling just comes with the territory, for better or worse, and I don't think this fact is so heinous as to merit so much outrage.

Cheers!

 

Its not that simple...in case you didn't know, a breweries flagship beers is how they survive. That's the stuff that pays the bills since they can usually be made quick and aren't as labor intensive. If a brewery did only the beers you're talking of, for them to stay in business they would have to hike up the beer prices big time.

 

Maybe it's just me but this reminds me when a teacher would punish an entire class because one kid acted out. I just don't understand what he thinks he's going to accomplish with this. I don't necessarily agree with putting beer on EBAY to make money, but I don't think not letting everyone have growlers of a beer is going to do much.

It's his beer and he can do what he wants, but I really don't see the point here. I'm sure is he limits it to tap only, it will only create a hand bottle market for it.

 

Whatever.

I love Alpine's brews, but whatever. The brewer can do what he wants, but what's next? Is he going to flip his lid when he sees the next Alpine bottle in the "FT:" column? After all, shipping beer to someone you can't prove is 21 is illegal (as is all shipping to some states). And aren't we removing that bottle from it's native land?

Doesn't make me think any less of their wonderful hoppy beers, but seems like a random place to draw a line in the sand.

 

Seems like an overreaction to me. You're punishing all to try to punish a very small minority. If you're going to bottle and/or growler your beer, understand that there might be some who take advantage of that. It's a price you have to pay to try to get your product to as many loyal customers as possible. Should Glad stop making garbage bags just because some serial killer in Miami puts chopped up body parts in them before dumping them in the Ocean?

 

I think it's awesome for the brewery to stand up for what they believe. A lot of people are against ebay. I don't think selling beer on ebay is particularly a bad practice, however price gauging pisses me off. Let people bid it up but when they start a 120 at $99 you know things are getting out of hand. I'm probably getting off point. I support the brewery. If they say don't sell on ebay, show some DAMN RESPECT!