Carton This Town

Agreed. The secret is out on Regular Coffee after all the hype and praise last year's release got. People who may have been unaware that they canned it in limited quantities will not want to miss out again.

Even last year though it was a real pain in the ass finding it at retail. My Joe Canals didn't even keep it in the display case. If you wanted it you had to ask and even then it was a one four-pack limit for $16. I'm lucky enough to have a friend who's also a big fan of Carton, especially the Coffee, and he was able to grab two four-packs at a local ShopRite Liquors for us to split. Both places only got in 2-3 cases and nothing more after that.

Finding it on draft locally was easier which isn't saying much, but I was definitely able to get it more often at a bar than in a can.

I assume Carton will have a brewery release for the cans like they did last year. It seems like the more logical route for central NJ residents like myself to score some Coffee, but I wouldn't be surprised if the turnout ends up being absolutely insane. It's a fantastic, very unique beer that is worthy of all the good praise it gets in my opinion. I'm hoping they bring back the Regular Coffee mugs they also sold at the release last year. But those sold out even faster than the actual beer did.

Carton cans have been more spotty than ever in my area this year. Places that normally get a fair amount of Boat and 077XX would barely get more than a few cases and then it'd be gone for another couple months. I can only imagine finding Regular Coffee at retail will be an even bigger headache.

 

Carton has grown so much in the last year. Pure speculation, but cans sales have probably skyrocketed at the brewery and there are just fewer cans available for distribution. Kind of sucks but I know they are in the process of growing and increasing capacity.

 

Agreed. I'm very happy for their success, but it does make it harder finding their stuff on store shelves.

Regular Coffee is gonna be huge trade bait so that will make it even tougher to find with more people seeking it out. Might need to throw a tracking device on those little Carton delivery cars. I randomly saw one just driving to work a month ago. I imagined it being filled with cases of Regular Coffee and Epitome and S.S. Kentucky when I know the truth is that it's probably just a keg or two of Boat.

 

I am not a New Jerseyan (is that the right term?) but I suspect you are correct here, most folks probably travel to the brewery to buy their canned Carton beer since purchasing via other beer retailers is so challenging.

I am not normally a proponent of contract brewing but it seems to me this is worthy of discussion/consideration for Carton beer. Carton Brewing makes some very tasty beers by all reports (I have only had the pleasure (great pleasure) of drinking Boat beer on draft in Wildwood).

Let me be the first to suggest some quality contract breweries for discussion/consideration:

· Susquehanna Brewing Company (they do an excellent job brewing Southampton beer)

· Two Roads Brewing Company (Phil Markowski is the head brewer there)

· City Brewing – two locations that make quality contract brewed beer: Latrobe, PA and Memphis, TN

@augiecarton

Cheers!

 

From what I remember Augie saying a couple years ago about Six Point and their contract brewing, I would be shocked if that ever would happen.

 

Augie has also said that their water supply is key ingredient in some of their beers (specifically Boat), and that would keep them from being able to contract it out.

 

Brewing water can easily be replicated. AB does this extremely well for all of their multiple breweries in the US. There may be rationalizations for not contract brewing but replication of brewing water is not valid.

Cheers!

 

So, what exactly did Augie say about Sixpoint and contract brewing?

@augiecarton

Cheers!

 

http://heritageradionetwork.org/podcast/beer-sessions-radio-episode-199-contract-brewing/

 

FWIW I'm very glad Carton has decided to can less Odub in favor of new and more interesting can releases. So many available IPAs, local and otherwise, for people to get in cans. For the Carton fans who genuinely want to drink Odub, there is plenty available all over Jersey in bars and growler fills. As far as traders go - fuck em! I'd much rather get some new Carton cans. Keep up the good fight Augie & co.


EDIT that said, if Boat cans ever leave us, a tiny part of my soul will absolutely die. Don't think it'll happen, just saying.

 

we make boat, that is what we do, when it runs out everything else changes to try to assure that never happens again. the rest is fun, but boat is why there is a carton.

 

It ain't just traders that lose out. I'm not mad that Carton is brewing new beers.

FWIW, growlers and bars get cost prohibitive. Quickly.

For most of the past year and a half, I had 0dub in my fridge or knew it would be coming soon to fill that void. Now? I pretty much have to spend 2 hours in the car to drive to the brewery.

I know Boat is the flagship. I like it, and even buy it occasionally, but it doesn't scratch the itch for me. I can walk away from a 4 pack. If I see 0dub, I buy it.

End result? I buy less Carton beer now. Sad, I know. Everybody loses.

 

Actually I win because that means there's more Carton for me to buy.

 

boat isn't the flagship, it is what we primarily drink, and thus something we don't like to run out of

 

I'm curious as to what the flagship is, as I've always thought of Boat as it.

 

If I had to guess I would say Carton probably does not considere any of their beers flagship and its purely something that customers make up.

 

That makes sense. I'm just so used to seeing Boat 99% of the time whenever I see a Carton tap handle, that it's in my mind.

 

nothing is a flagship, because nothing will always be made. we make what we like. so far 4 years in i still want to drink boat more than anything else

 

Do you prefer most widely and often available beer?

 

I'm glad my loss is your gain. That is the true spirit of BA there...