Alesmith - Bottle Releases

Discussion in 'Pacific' started by SDReaper, Oct 14, 2015.

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  1. SoNiC21

    SoNiC21 Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2015 California

    #1061 SoNiC21, Sep 27, 2016
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  2. SDReaper

    SDReaper Pooh-Bah (2,174) Aug 15, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    After having some Noble Empire and Reforged XXI today, if you were on the fence about getting bottles you probably should pull that trigger.

    Despite being an Alesmith homer, Noble Empire is BA decadence '07 rebrew and Reforged XXI has a wonderful port taste to it right now. My guess is that it will develop with time just like Reforged XX did, to the point where I got different flavors after a couple months, and then again after 6 months, and even a third time a couple weeks ago. Quite entertaining.

    [​IMG]
     
    #1062 SDReaper, Sep 28, 2016
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  3. SDReaper

    SDReaper Pooh-Bah (2,174) Aug 15, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Oh yeah, Grumbler fill of the day is coconut/vanilla speedway. Non-SD locals....yeah.... #yourmove @Black_Rider (I also had adobada tacos without guac)
     
    #1063 SDReaper, Sep 28, 2016
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  4. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    I enjoyed the beer at A&S and the bartenders were nice (and more attentive than the main bar)... but I thought the process of getting in there was unnecessary.

    I walked in and was asked very politely to go get tickets from the gift shop (on other side of building) even though there was only 1 other party inside. I get to the gift shop and they ask me for the password... and, in response to my blank face, they tell me its on Instagram. So now I'm looking at her with my "you really want me to take out my phone, open Instagram to get a password to get tickets so that I can give you my money" face and she points to a frame on the shelf that has the password in it...
     
    #1064 FinnishFox, Sep 28, 2016
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  5. pinballplayer

    pinballplayer Maven (1,487) Jul 2, 2014 California
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    Don't leave us hanging! Did she make you tell her the password?!?
     
    #1065 pinballplayer, Sep 28, 2016
  6. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
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    Yes.
     
    #1066 FinnishFox, Sep 28, 2016
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  7. SDReaper

    SDReaper Pooh-Bah (2,174) Aug 15, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It depends on who is in there and how well they know you. Despite me being at Alesmith far too much I occasionally get asked for the timed ticket for entrance, but that is usually when they are busy. The gift shop people don't know me all that well and will ask me for the password to get the ticket.

    Either way, it was designed to be a speak-easy. You don't just waltz into a speak-easy so I enjoy that they are still pushing to maintain the vibe, even though it can get tiresome. But walking is good while drinking.

    Also I have still never had an issue with service. Even when they are slammed I expect it to take a bit of time as they attempt to get to people in order of reaching the bar. I will also pass to someone else when my turn comes around because they look to be shaking with anger of it taking more than a minute to get their beer just because, despite what ppl will say, I do have patience and prefer that patrons enjoy going to my favorite brewery and get the service they had hoped for.
     
    #1067 SDReaper, Sep 28, 2016
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  8. Majikow

    Majikow Initiate (0) Nov 21, 2015 California
    Trader

    Do they have both on draft? Wasn't seeing Noble Empire on the website tap list.

    Also, I'm guessing they are not selling bottles at the tasting room while they are up on BPT?
     
    #1068 Majikow, Sep 29, 2016
  9. Original_Fake

    Original_Fake Initiate (0) Nov 15, 2013 North Carolina

    Everything you described is the whole point behind A&S. What exactly did you expect?
     
    #1069 Original_Fake, Sep 29, 2016
  10. SDReaper

    SDReaper Pooh-Bah (2,174) Aug 15, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader


    Yes, both were on draft as of yesterday. Bottles will NOT be sold through the tasting room while it is on eventbrite.
     
    #1070 SDReaper, Sep 29, 2016
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  11. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
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    I expected a place to go drink their barrel aged beers and not a room inside a brewery trying to be passed off as a speakeasy.

    FW in Buellton has a similar room, just no silly hoops to jump through. Works just fine.
     
    #1071 FinnishFox, Sep 29, 2016
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  12. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    Sure - A&S was designed as a speakeasy which I figured out later. Personally, I think it is a bit gimmicky but, hey, you enjoy it and you sound like you're a local so, at the end of the day, AleSmith won with the idea. The timed ticket totally makes sense when the place is hopping but, as I said, seemed unnecessary with 1 other party there and I'm not "cool" with anyone there.

    I go to AleSmith once a month when I'm down in SD and the service at the main bar is typically good and I am a big fan of AleSmith. On the particular day I visited A&S, the service could've been better. I'm a pretty patient person, wasn't upset at the service or anything... but I'm also not going to wait all afternoon to order a beer.
     
    #1072 FinnishFox, Sep 29, 2016
  13. Xul

    Xul Pooh-Bah (2,139) May 18, 2008 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    To expand on FinnishFox's views, I expected the passwords/timed tickets to be a means of traffic control at busier times, not a committed effort to make it into a speakeasy. If I show up at 1 PM on a Saturday with new releases, I fully expect to have to jump through hoops. If I head in there on a Tuesday afternoon at 2 PM when no one's around, just let me order a couple of BA beers, don't make me play the game.

    I'm hopeful that the process will evolve a bit as time goes on and they'll move to a more flexible approach based on traffic/time of day.
     
    #1073 Xul, Sep 29, 2016
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  14. swanfungus

    swanfungus Maven (1,426) Dec 23, 2014 California
    Trader

    Can we get back on topic and talk about the Ethiopian coffee Speedway label that went up on MBB recently?
     
    #1074 swanfungus, Sep 29, 2016
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  15. SDReaper

    SDReaper Pooh-Bah (2,174) Aug 15, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Special taplist for National Coffee Day today:

    Specialty Beer:
    -Cascara Anvil ESB
    -Coffee Nut Brown
    -Thai Coffee Porter
    -Vietnamese Speedway
    -Double Coffee Speedway
    -Speedway Stout w/ Finca Zacamitla Coffee
    -Cask: Hammerhead Speedway
    -Cask: Mexican Speedway
    -Randall: TBD
     
    #1075 SDReaper, Sep 29, 2016
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  16. rrryanc

    rrryanc Pundit (896) May 19, 2006 California

    I went when I was down over labor day, and I was a) surprised how bright that room is - it certainly doesn't have a very covert vibe once you're inside and b) how many people with tickets they let in (or didn't kick out from earlier?). No place to sit made it a much less comfortable spot to hang out.
     
    #1076 rrryanc, Sep 29, 2016
  17. Original_Fake

    Original_Fake Initiate (0) Nov 15, 2013 North Carolina

    I don't really consider going to the front desk to grab a ticket as jumping through hoops but if you didn't realize what it was supposed to be, I get it. I wouldn't really compare it to Barrelworks though.
     
    #1077 Original_Fake, Sep 29, 2016
  18. tokimedo

    tokimedo Savant (1,038) Feb 28, 2015 California
    Trader

    new coffee speedway variant coming to bottles

    [​IMG]
     
    #1078 tokimedo, Sep 30, 2016
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  19. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    I guess I see it as a "hoop" based on the context... grabbing the ticket when there is a need to control traffic makes total sense. When the place is empty, seems unnecessary.

    Wasn't intending to compare to Barrelworks - now I know they are clearly different concepts. Just my initial thought of what to expect was something along the lines of Barrelworks - essentially an offset room that hosts the BA taps that you can just walk in/out of. Having said that, A&S is much smaller and I'm sure those timed entries are important.
     
    #1079 FinnishFox, Sep 30, 2016
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  20. SDReaper

    SDReaper Pooh-Bah (2,174) Aug 15, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader


    Yeah, on special release days (like saturday for the latest bottle release pickups) it is usually a madhouse almost all day so it helps with the traffic.

    That being said, unless they put a second person in there (which some days they have) there is nothing directing you to gtfo when your allotted time has completed. The person behind the bar is too busy to direct since they have to handwash all the glassware.

    And someone mentioned something about lack of seating. There are 4 chairs at the bar, the 2 nice blue velvet chairs and the couch that can fit about 3. Guessing here, but the lack of sitting space I would assume is to get ppl to go in, have some and move along and not really set up shop inside. I have spent a few 2-4hr sessions in there when it wasn't busy and had I been drinking that entire time odds are I would have taken a nap in the velvet chair (damn it is comfy).

    Edit: The concept is still a young one and obviously they are trying out things to see what works. Those might remember that they were going to have a signup book initially, but that idea got scrapped after day 2 since day 1 a party was already slightly abusing it so day 2 they placed another employee to slightly monitor it. Waste of an employee really that could have been behind a bar or behind-the-scenes since I think he was one of the packaging people.
     
    #1080 SDReaper, Sep 30, 2016
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