Disappointing Bottle Releases

I think it's more about the lack of telling people, who were still waiting for hours, that they were not going to get any. If you have 300 bottles and a 3 bottle limit as a courtesy you don't let 200 people sit in line for it. That's just bad customer service, plain and simple.

 

I didn't "quote" you, like "verbatim" or anything ""; I'm merely paraphrasing what seems to be a common sentiment among BAs. I'm not saying you said, specifically, anything that would actually be hurtful to someone else, I'm just saying folks who say stuff like "it's just beer" or "you can get beer that's even better than that limited release at your corner store" seem to be missing the point. And it comes off awfully superior and snobby of folks who say stuff like that, as if only inferior BAs wait on lines for limited releases, while "real" BAs enjoy great beer without all that hullabaloo. OP is lamenting that he was "robbed" not of amazing beer, but rather a particular beer that he felt he had a reasonable chance of obtaining, but was unable to because of legitimately questionable practices by the brewery.

Furthermore, your perspective might be different than my perspective or the OP's perspective. If you can legitimately say that if missing out on the release is the worst thing that happens to OP all year, then he should consider himself lucky, then what prevents me from saying that you should all be ashamed of yourself for drinking even one beer when people around the world are starving or getting killed in the streets by terrorists? It's not for you, or me, or anyone else to decide that what someone else is feeling is wrong.

 

I gotta say, I miss the time when "Beer Advocacy" wasn't all about getting the latest and greatest "walezbro" or "tick." But you are right, there are far more important things to worry about in this world the missing out on a beer release. I guess that makes me elitist for feeling that way.

 

Where do you cut it off? What if 100 of those people only get 1 or 2 bottles? I get what you're saying but there's no way to know for sure when to start telling people they have zero chance.

 

How much advertising was done for the event? Yes the brewery has a right to promote their business, but trying to get an exponential amount of people who won't even get a chance at the beer doesn't seem like smart business in the long run...

 

Giving ya'll a two week heads up to get your crew and a 3 bottle allotment on top of it isn't catering enough? Huh.

 

Obviously, a geography lesson is necessary. Calumet City is in Illinois. And, between Calumet City and Gary is the city of Hammond.

 

Was this the only beer available for sale that day? If so, I agree. If not, I don't blame the brewery for choosing not to encourage people to leave. Maybe customers would choose to buy other beers at the front of the line once they get up there. They're trying to sell beer not just one beer. And food too I think.

 

Betrayed? lol. They likely noticed that more than 96 people were in line and would rather spread the love a little thinner in order to let everyone get some. No clue what the release was, but relax, it's just sugar water.

 

Wrong dude!!! Yes get there earlier, but when they ran out of bottles they should have told the 100+ still waiting in line that they ran out. They also had the Coconut version available for sale, but the responsible and respectful thing to do would have been to inform everyone standing out in the ballz @ss cold that the BA version was sold out and Coconut was still available. They were handing out tickets to those who would get the allotment, and when they ran out of tickets they should have told everyone else. Simple.

 

They did hand out tickets. When they ran out they just didn't tell the rest of the people standing in line, 100+, that they would not be getting any.

 

Still, telling people that is an easy thing to do and is good customer service. Instead of making them wait and pissing them off. A simple, "sorry from this point on you likely won't be getting X release, it's only fair that we keep to our advertised limits. However, we have this on tap and are happy to serve you when you get in". This goes a long way in building lasting business over time versus a few extra pints and a small angry mob to deal with. I mean they can do business how they please, but it will cost them down the road.

 

That seems pretty reasonable given that the sales started around 9:15, 5 people at a time

 

Just seeing that they sold them for $25 a bottle, people are nuts/hype machines.

 

Yeah 18th is all fancy and sh!t sending that info from a smartphone, through the interwebs, bouncing it off a satellite, TO PEOPLE STANDING 20 FLIPPING FEET AWAY!!! Guess they couldn't be bothered to actually use their feet to walk and their mouths to tell all the jerks waiting in line to buy their beer that they wouldn't get any. Just let them stand in line for a few hours in the biting cold and find out when they get in the building that they are SOL for bottles. That will teach them a lesson!

 

I've missed out on bottle releases as well as beers on tap that kicked just before I got there on numerous occasions. It happens. I never get mad - just disappointed. Nothing ventured nothing gained. If the keg taps before I get there oh well - I tried, besides - most of the time its a good craft beer spot that has other fine brews to enjoy. As far as bottle releases, it takes something really - really special to get me to wait on line. Usually I roll the dice - wait and let the line die down ot most often go the next day and hope there's some left. If I miss out I'll try to trade for some. Its all good in the beer hunting game.

 

So you are upset that you had to wait in line, knowing that you may not get bottles, at a small, highly-hyped brewery release party? Maybe this whale-hunting thing isn't for you.

 

After reading this thread and some of the entitled babies whining about how they did not get there in time for their precious, I cannot wait to read the threads after Black Friday's Bourbon County release.

 

Highly doubt it will teach them a lesson. I bet 90% of those jerks will stand in the biting cold the next time they think they can snag the latest hyped release. Which is fine, but you should know what you're getting into. Having never been to a bottle release, I can't imagine any rational person would see 100+ people in front of them and think "oh yeah, slam dunk, i got this". It sounds like there's an inherent risk of being disappointed so if that's going to be a crushing blow, it might be better to stay home.