Highland Park Brewery thread

Hell, Bevmo was selling XIX for $40 a bottle when it was just released - $45 is not a bad price for XVII at this point.

What's proper protocol - can I start bitching NOW that the kegs of Lazier and BAHS probably won't last until I'm out of work the Friday night of the release party?

 

Yea I didnt really mean the Firestone price was terrible just putting it out there as a comparison. I do think that GJG price is too high though given that it was released for nearly half that price months ago.

 

The GJG price is criminal - but isn't this the same place that constantly touts stale Heady Topper for like $20 a can? I'm starting to get my grey market beer stores all mixed up.

 

Are you shitting me? I've never seen Bevmo do those kind of prices. But I didn't land any bottles of XIX.

 

Not shitting you, I walked in and they had Sucaba for $26.99 and XIX for (I believe) $41.99 or $42.99. I didn't feel like dropping that much on two beers so I just grabbed a Sucaba and left. Even that felt overpriced but then again I more often find Sucaba/Parabola on tap than in bottles so I have no basis for comparison.

 

Lol. Not sure as that was my first time there but I wouldnt put it past em!

 

City Beer is on the up and up, no shady stuff that I know of. They have a bar inside, so if ordering an out of distro bottle at the bar, it is sure to cost you...just the same as anyplace selling out of distro beer at a bar. #barbottlepricesareusuallyabsurd

 

$35 for that size format bottle is straight robbery. I expect in house bottles to be pricey already buts that ridiculous.

 

See, then I'm getting my places confused. Apologies to City Beer. What's the one in San Diego with the day-glo colored website that always seems to have exorbitantly priced out of distro shit?

 

I don't know what store you're talking about, but City Beer is in San Francisco.

 

He's probably talkin about Fast Freddy's, Beverages 4 "Less"

 

While I wouldn't pay that price, isn't that like double the price? I seem to remember paying around $15 for the bottles. I do think that is on the high end but a 100% mark up isn't that uncommon.
Also, I was supposed to pay $45 for a firestone 19 at CUT in Las Vegas, I felt like I was ripping them off considering every other crappy beer was like $10. Then I really ripped them off when they forgot to charge me, and I didn't feel bad because my steak was underwhelming.

 

Everybody chime in now, "Freddy Looove You."

Required quoting whenever you mention B4Less in Santee.

 

Neza & Greg rule. For those who are unaware, Greg is currently playing drums on tour with Rob Crow (Pinback, etc.) & can be seen in LA on March 26th & San Diego on the 27th.

http://www.stereogum.com/1844511/rob-crows-gloomy-place-business-interruptus/mp3s/

 

I just caught up on 5 pages of this thread...I have a few comments.

I am in the Beer Friends group and I don't remember maxing out every time but I do remember buying some bottles at each online release from the beginning. Being a "beer friend" shouldn't be about maxing out on everything so I'm glad to see that this wasn't necessarily the reason for being in the group.

It sucks to hear that Bob is having to deal with a bunch of turds complaining and whining about beer releases.

Having said that, I think it can be useful to have a productive discussion on how to improve and I think good breweries take all this into account and adjust accordingly as their beer increases or decreases in demand. The last thing we need is long ass lines at HPB for in person bottle releases. Lines for beer are the worst.

I can go either way on the proxies thing. Initially I had no idea that proxies were allowed, so it forced me into getting into my car and making the 30+ minute drive from the west side. I'm glad I did this because HPB has become one of my favorite bars/breweries in all of LA. I look forward to picking up my bottles. It's also nice to have a 2 week window to pick bottles up.

I have proxied for local people, mostly because they initially planned on picking up their bottles in person but life happens and sometimes you just can't make it (it's happened to me). Anyway, it might be time to get rid of proxies if these releases are so limited. I have a few friends who aren't into beer like most of us here but are fans of HPB and they weren't able to get any bottles. I think that sucks especially if bottles are being purchased by people out of state. How about, if proxies must be allowed, that those sales are limited to 1 per person instead? Or just get rid of proxies and only allow them only when there's a real reason for them (I know this is more work but perhaps you avoid the headache of dealing with bitching and moaning). Bottom line is that beer releases will never be (consistently) perfect.

 

This.... So much this. Quality post.

 

Any word on if HPB will be brewing Company of Parrots again? This beer was one of the standouts for me at the Festival of Funk.

 

Good post.

I'd also like to comment about the issue of traffic as someone coming from Mid-City. Folks who know me know that I try to avoid driving at all costs so I'm very sympathetic to people's gripes about LA traffic. That said, the 2-week pickup window gives you enough time to schedule a lunch-time pickup (when they're open at noon), late evening, or weekend pickup to avoid peak traffic. How much easier does it need to be? Door to door delivery? Life does happen so it's nice that you can simply contact HPB and make arrangements for a proxy pickup, but if you're local, it's not unreasonable to be expected to make the effort considering the purchase method was relatively painless.

 

Already in bottles. Given that they're shooting for the hop character to be up front, I would not be surprised at all if as soon as the pick up window for Lazier/BAHS ends that Bob will send out an email the following week or two after that for Company of Parrots B2.


I think the biggest problem with potentially getting rid of proxies is that it's helpful for when it's not a BA or stone fruit beer. Slow Beer, Nebraska, Pushing Carts, All the Yeast, Uncultured and Uncontrollable are all that come to mind that didn't exactly move the fast and had inventory left. By curbing proxying, something that has been allowed since the very beginning, it limits how many bottles they could sell - good for 'treating the locals' with easier to get beer, but bad for potentially moving a product that they don't have any room to store long term at the hermosillo as it is.

 

Totally agree. It would be a nightmare for me to go during the week unless it's Friday afternoon for a long lunch. I usually plan my pick ups on Sunday afternoons. Easy traffic, chill vibe and the drive home is easy peasy.

Having said that, I'll be there for lunch this Friday