Florida beer releases

I'm a huge proponent of CCB offering a "Complete Works" club that would allow you to get one (or maybe two) of every CCB seasonal/limited release for the year. Like a more expansive version of El Catador. Pay something like $500 (or whatever they figured the cost would be for all the releases) and be guaranteed to get your bottle of Hunahpu, the Catador releases, Zhukov, Lacto Guava Grove, each batch of White Oak and Cubano Espresso. Make so you'd have to be local (and Catador member) and you only have a week (or ten days) to pick up your beer. No more lining up or running around to all the local stores just to get a bottle of your CCB favorites.

 

I would be a big supporter of a preorder program of some kind. Works pretty good for sporting events, et al. Buy ahead of time and walk right in. Day of game buyers wait in line. I really don't think any system will be fair to everyone. I have learned competition for beer can be pretty intense. CCB is my favorite brewer around here, but there is a lot of truth in Gunhaver's avatar.

 

This, except remove the requirement to pick up the beer in 10 days and be an official local. If people out of state want to pay for a trustee to get their beer for them, no big deal IMO.

Yes, people will bitch about $500. To them I say go look up Napa winery membership programs and see how they work, along with their prices. Once you are done shitting a brick you'll be more than happy with current craft beer pricing and brewery membership programs.

I also like the idea of being able to pre-buy your beer on a special release day - just show up with the ID that matches the purchaser on the receipt and off you go with your beer.

 

Yup, I drove 60 miles for the Wolf Moon release, got in line at 12:30 and missed out by about 10 people.

Next time I was in the girl behind the bar said they will probably just announce the next release the day before.

 

I simply think everyone needs to stop feeling like they're entitled to the beers these breweries are putting out. Just calm down and feel lucky that we have such great beer to get our hands on. Idiots getting all pissed off cause they get shut out of a special release need to get a life. The breweries are doing their best. Could they use some tweaking sometimes, sure, but it's not worth getting all bent out of shape.

 

I thought a ten day pick up requirement because of two reasons: 1. CCB doesn't have the space to be holding on to ALL those bottles for so many people (they release a lot of beers over the course of the year) and 2. A number of the beers they release are meant to be consumed fresh...ipas like White Oak, Homefront, etc. No reason to let good beer go to waste because someone is too lazy to pick it up. I figure after the time frame (10 days or 2 weeks or whatever) the beer could be fair game to be put out in the tasting room.

 

I'd be 100% down for a $$$$ membership, in the long run it would probably save the out of towners and those having to hunt for releases that used to be easily found money.

I'm also all for a pre-order and pickup on release date, I don't have a problem driving from Orlando to CCB or Funky on release days (given a reasonable limit, doing so for 1-2 bottles is a bit tough after a $50-80 fuel cost), however days like the MZ release where it sold out 10 people in front of me in a line full of mules can be a bit frustrating (although its part of the game).

Its also wild seeing beers such at Puppys Breath seeing limits, a local beer shop here is limiting to 2 cans per person, is buying a 4 pack really that big a crime (a beer I love to drink, not trade).

Things are much different than last year and always evolving, there will always be teething but other big releases have dealt with this and made sucessful changes, and plenty have made some not-so-sucessful changes to learn from.

 

This isn't in the Southeast, but Jester King has done this with great success in the past IMO. The first Atrial release was limit 3 and used a preorder system, signing up online to reserve the bottles. The CdT and MvB release was the same, limit 1. No trustees, you had to actually show up during one of 2 or 3 weekends and pick up the beer. After that time was up, they released the remaining bottles for sale the following weekend, limit 1. It cuts down on the crowds by allowing people to pick it up at a time convenient for them instead of rushing out all at once on the day of release, and it cut down on muling a bit because of the coordination required to actually sign up mules ahead of time to go down with you.

 

Are these places in Tampa? I found Cycle in the list I assume its fairly new? who is or what rapp? sorry to not know in advance. Just curious. thanks!

 

Sounds like its time for a road trip back over there. its been about 3 or 4 years since I was there last. thank You.

 

when is a good time? retried I can go just about anytime, but I try not to hit weekends If I can...
I have to go solo most times, the wife is just not really up for it anymore. Unless I can find a garden to visit also.

 

Are there any bottle pics of NooNer #6 here? I did a quick search but couldn't find one. I'd love to see what the bottles look like.

 

Thank you!!! I greatly appreciate that!

 

It's actually Pinellas Park but for some zoning reason it is listed as Seminole.

Horse farms, confederate flags, trailer parks and all that. My home town

 

Hilarious. On my phone so can't see full posts at the same time as the person posting them so I saw this pic and thought "hmmm that looks familiar." Lol!