Pretty Things goes to town on "pay to play" in Massachusetts

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by Todd, Oct 14, 2014.

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  1. Handle

    Handle Initiate (0) Mar 16, 2009 North Carolina

    He left out the part where he dropped the mic.
     
  2. Cfahooligan

    Cfahooligan Pundit (929) Mar 19, 2001 California

  3. ZDSmith87

    ZDSmith87 Initiate (0) Jul 18, 2014 Massachusetts

    My favorite line.
     
    needbiggerboat likes this.
  4. kevinmcgowan

    kevinmcgowan Initiate (0) May 26, 2013 Massachusetts

    I don't know how Wilcox can, with a straight face, blame it on the price of the beer while having multiple local beers (some from breweries he calls out in the letter) currently selling at $7.50-$9 at Tip Tap Room.
     
  5. Respirologist

    Respirologist Zealot (732) Feb 26, 2013 Massachusetts
    Trader

    Always 3 sides to the story

    Side A.

    Side B.

    The Truth
     
  6. HuskyHawk

    HuskyHawk Initiate (0) Jun 5, 2014 Massachusetts

    I think that is totally legit. But it's a subtle difference. Also, there is so much competition in this space that none of the small brewers are likely to be the target of any antitrust investigation. Market shares are all way too small.
     
  7. emannths

    emannths Initiate (0) Sep 21, 2007 Massachusetts

    So, I don't see a denial here...?
     
  8. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

     
    dunix, EHopkinsi, frazbri and 4 others like this.
  9. wrightwb

    wrightwb Initiate (0) Aug 11, 2014 Connecticut

    Am I the only person who thinks this sentence makes no sense? Is he trying to say that "pay to play" is common?
     
    EHopkinsi and ptery like this.
  10. Rekrule

    Rekrule Initiate (0) Nov 11, 2011 Massachusetts

    He didn't deny at all, just attacked. It's like he learned to argue reading these forums.
     
  11. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Indeed. Both sides are just calling each other out. It's pot shots. I'm just getting bits and pieces behind the scenes, but no one is telling the full story yet.
     
    HuskyHawk likes this.
  12. mschofield

    mschofield Pooh-Bah (1,847) Oct 16, 2002 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Problem is Pretty Things states "they're not on at Buks because they don't pay for lines" the implication is all of the beers that are on at Buks paid to be on. So .. Jack's Abby, Harpoon, Notch, Berkshire (who already had to come out and refute it in this thread)
     
  13. Guzzle_McBrew

    Guzzle_McBrew Initiate (0) Feb 17, 2014 Connecticut

    Sounds to me like 'Though pay to play is normal [read:what you said is accurate], I am forced to ask you to question your own practices [I think you should charge less [and pay to play]].
     
  14. Rekrule

    Rekrule Initiate (0) Nov 11, 2011 Massachusetts

    Translation: People give us free beer and other goodies so we will move their product, I am forced to question why you don't do that and also charge more.
     
  15. greenmtn1111

    greenmtn1111 Initiate (0) May 15, 2009 Massachusetts

    Or from watching any political debate ever.
     
    jmdrpi, paulys55 and Rekrule like this.
  16. BumpkinBrewer

    BumpkinBrewer Pundit (993) Jan 6, 2010 Massachusetts

    Interesting twitter post...

    GuinnessQuality
    ‏@Guinnessentials
    5h5 hours ago
    @PrettyBeer kicked out of a very large bar in Boston. Wanted $30k in cash day before Paddys. Said no! Lost the line.
     
  17. BerkBrewJ

    BerkBrewJ Initiate (0) Oct 7, 2009 Massachusetts

    My point is that it is not just breweries engaging in these practices. I've seen distributors do it as often, if not more so, than the breweries themselves. In addition, the distributors and the LARGE brands they represent started this practice well before craft beer was a blip on the beer sales radar. I'm privy to a lot more of what goes on out there than most, so just wanting to make sure people see as much of the picture as I am comfortable revealing on a public forum.
     
  18. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

  19. HuskyHawk

    HuskyHawk Initiate (0) Jun 5, 2014 Massachusetts

    He does nothing to refute the allegation. That being said, I don't have a reason to doubt the fact that Pretty Things is expensive compared to their competition. These issues are complex, and while pay to play is probably hurting PT, their pricing probably is as well. Both things can be true.
     
  20. djbrown13

    djbrown13 Initiate (0) Jul 19, 2012 Massachusetts

    I admit I know nothing about what bars typically pay for kegs, and in an average month I likely spend more on beer at liquor stores than at bars, but I wouldn't say Pretty Things offerings cost more, certainly not significantly more, than the offerings of all the other breweries listed in Wilcox's response.
     
    imscotty likes this.
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