Bruery 2017 RS/HS Allocations

I think that getting less for what we're paying for has everything to do with their recent J Wakefield collaboration. But I kid.

@BruerJoel I've always been appreciative of The Bruery's interaction on BA. Over the years, I've felt that The Bruery has genuinely listened to customer concerns and I hope you will seriously digest what people are writing on the dramatic price increases in the tasting rooms. This is such a significant change that I hope you guys carefully compare sales volumes over the next couple months. I typically come in for a flight or two, but today I just bought two measly tasters. Some of the prices, many mentioned earlier in this thread, are really eye opening. I know that you said that the "per taster amount" increased from two to three ounces, but the fill level looked the same as it's always been. Perhaps they just overfilled a splash more in the past. I think we can all accept and expect price increases, but this one is a little over the top. It may be here to stay, but I'm hopeful that you'll be open to reevaluating after you see how it plays out.

 

Here's an email I sent to Patrick and Jonas regarding the price increases... let me know if I'm out of line:

Greetings and Happy Society Member Monday,

Let me preface this by saying that I consider myself a diehard fan of your beer and have always had a pleasant experience visiting either tasting room. I love your beers, staff, events, and every experience I have when I visit!

With that said, I wanted to quickly offer a personal perspective on the pricing changes I noticed during my most recent visit to the tasting room:

I've always enjoyed going to the Bruery because I can come try new things, experimental things, and some good old classics on a relatively regular basis (at least once a week... it's especially pleasant to take a stack of papers to grade when it's quiet) without it breaking my wallet. To come in this time to see the cost of some tasters rise by as much as 150-200% (in the case of Autumn Maple going from $1 to $3), it's disheartening. A flight that cost me just $5 last week now costs at least $12-$15. Such a sharp increase practically overnight makes the change really hard to swallow, and it certainly makes it harder for me to be able to visit as much as I would like to. I would argue (adamantly) that I've become somewhat of a regular in the tasting room, and hopefully a pleasure to serve amongst the staff. While I understand the need to raise your prices, raising them by 50% to in some cases 200% for a taster (which arguably makes up the bulk of what people buy at the Tasting Room) is not the way to go about it. Places like Bottle Logic and Noble Ale Works drove me away with $5 tasters that made it impossible to enjoy a good variety or to try anything new on a budget, and is one of the reasons why I've never followed them to the degree that I followed The Bruery (to the point of becoming a Hoarder in my first year in RS!)

Even more concerning, however, is the price increases on 32 ounce growler fills. I don't consider myself a brewery expert, but I've never heard of a brewery charging the same price for a 32 ounce fill that they do for a 22oz or 750ml bottle. Most places usually sell growlers (and pours for that matter) at a discount compared to bottles, especially considering that they do not need the same packaging and processing as bottles do... that's usually why I buy more growlers. To see the price of some of my favorites jump by 50-75% in order to be in line with bottle prices is more than just painful... it's dare I say frustrating. Any discount I enjoyed from using my growler (which I also paid for) is gone with this change. Nobody I know of sells a 2L growler of something for $40 let alone a 32oz! This is what really breaks my heart, especially considering that I'll be moving in a month an will be relying on my growlers to get some of the latest stuff sent to me. Again, I would completely understand an increase of a few dollars here and there... I would totally support it... but I'll have to use my growler much less (if at all) simply because I can't afford it

I completely understand that the cost of making beer and running your tasting rooms is rising, and thus prices must rise as well. But I've seen some breweries start charging a premium that comes off as less of a "we need to keep up with costs" kind of tone and more of a "we're charging this because we can" one. In respect, and as a diehard fan of The Bruery, I ask that you reconsider at least some of the changes you've made to your pricing structure. Regardless, I will always be a fan and loyal customer... I just won't be able to afford to be so as often.

Always a Bruery Fan,

Terrence J. Mullens

 

Need more beret with peaches and vanilla reviews

 

Too expensive... Done.

 

Tried it, ehhh not gonna buy any bottles. U get peaches and vanilla. Nuf said.

 

The SMM was super relaxed yesterday although I rolled in around 1:15. As for the new beers I got a taster of the 17 Chocolate Rain and Valise both of which were excellent. The Chocolate Rain is especially smooth this year already and I thought that the vanilla and chocolate seem to stand out more in the blend then I remember from years past. I thought Valise was also great and seemed similar in execution to Rue Sans but fruitier and less herbaceous. The Hoppy Obligations V1 was also tasting awesome (seems they are getting a lot closer in execution with every batch to other stand out hazy IPAs in California) and I revisited that for a couple full pours.

 

As an out of state member I only get to the tasting room a couple times a year. Maybe I'm a bit spoiled, but the growler prices were WAY high as to what I'm used to. I can go to Founders and get a 64oz fill for $9 or $16 depending on the tier. Yes I understand that its different states, different beers etc...but $40 for half that size it just insane. Paying the same price for bottles as you do growler fills? Just odd.

 

I've been intentionally out of the beer scene for the last 3 months but usually check in here at the beginning of each month to see what allocations & reviews are looking like.

Regarding the price hike, the Bruery has never been an affordable adventure and nobody likes seeing their costs increase. While discounted beer is great(I can't remember but I think I got Mash & Coconut for like $15, maybe $18 once), most of the pricey beers are styles that are better bottle conditioned anyhow. I feel like the increase is to target the swaths of non-members who regularly pack the tasting room to try dozens of beers that are regularly member only. Given the option of a bottle of CR and a 32oz growler of CR I'd usually opt for the bottle. It isn't going to happen but to me the solution is bump the member discount at the TR slightly to offset the hike and let the general populous tackle the margin.

As with all the cost related gripes ( "DDG is $50+... wtf"), the issue is the same as always; Supply & Demand. If people keep paying for it, those selling aren't wrong.

 

All I have to say is for 3oz of Fred H. it's $2.50. C'mon man.

Got a full pour because I felt like that would be the reasonably priced out of new allocation.

After a few sips it tasted just like pixie sticks, which I thought was great...

Then 15 minutes later I had trouble finishing the full pour because of the aforementioned pixie stick flavor.

 

To add something on the growler fills being the same as bottle price... I've only had one growler fill in the new reserve growler. The next day when I opened it it was almost flat. I asked for a refund but they wouldn't oblige since it was possible I stored it improperly (I didn't). If I bought a bad bottle my chances of being compensated for their mistake is higher. With that in mind there is ZERO benefit to getting a growler over a bottle.

 

It is. Smells like suntan lotion though, which isn't off putting, just unique. I loved it, still have two from the original batch.

 

You're comparing a "bar" to a brewery tasting room though.

It seems like questionable business when an upstart brewery has "bar" prices for their beer or merchandise. A price point just above cost seems like a smart move. Get your product out there, get people to give you money to wear your advertisements (tshirts), get them talking about it. I can't tell you the amount of times I thought I would hate a beer, but a simple little $1-2 2oz taster as part of a flight resulted in me ordering several $20+ bottles or growlers (Befuddlement, Frucht Yumberry, GFA, Chupucabra, Colonel Kernel, Mash & Coconut etc. . .)

If that same $1-2 taster is now $3-4, a consumer becomes less likely to give it a shot, and thereby, less likely to later purchase bottles (or join your clubs).

Of course, Bruery is well established and their clubs are at capacity, hence why this move makes business sense for them. They will still sell all the beers, and now, at a better profit margin.

 

Really enjoyed the noon SMM opening. Wasn't crazy at all, and wait for pours was not bad at all. Only thing that would have made it perfect, would have been a food truck. One showed up, but didn't open till I was about to leave. After a flight, and like 2 full pours (Hazy Obligation and Tart of Darkness), I totally forgot about the price increase.

By the way, the food truck thing was not a criticism. Just saying it'd be cool.

 

No, as @rodbeermunch said above, this is not a bar, it's the breweries' own tasting room.

Again, I'd love to know a competitor or "benchmark" that was used where a tasting room pour is more expensive (per oz) than the bottle.

 

Okay, how about Ballast Point? They charge M3 draft price ($8 for 5oz, source: https://untappd.com/v/ballast-point-tasting-room-and-kitchen/1090752) for Victory at Sea at their taproom, which is a beer that costs, what, $10 per bomber? This is a way worse discrepancy than The Bruery is guilty of, BP is jacking up the per-oz draft price on that beer wayyyy over bottle price.

You're suggesting you can walk into somewhere like Deschutes and order a full pour of Fresh Squeezed IPA for $2 or cheaper because that's how much bottles cost, and that is plainly false.

 

That was probably $23 + 15% off. I can tell you that not too long ago, it would have been $16 + 15% off.

 

I think you read that menu wrong. Victory at Sea is $5 for 8oz. not $8 for 5oz.

 

A few notes from last night. First the beer:

Beret with Peaches and Nilla - Tasted great, will be maxing. Tons of peach and nilla with an already amazing beret base (back in barrels now instead of foders)

Chocolate Rain - Could be the best batch yet. Not too hot and tons of chocolate

Black Tuesday Port (B1) - they were pouring some unlabeled bottles around 6PM. That beer is holding up great. If you got em still, you might want to consider drinking them.

Turo - I've already posted my review on here so I would repeat it but, I do want to mention I found out that this was a really small batch (by bruery standards). It was only a 1100 bottles. It will be interesting to see what happens with this beer over time.

As for the price hike. First and foremost, the people that work there that we're not working the bar didn't seem to be aware of the hike. When mentioned they didn't even believe me at first when I said M1 growlers were $50. Once they saw they price they were pretty shocked too. They didn't really have a comment on it but I think it was pretty shocking, for everyone in the building, to see that kind of a price tag on a growler.

As for my wallet, I got a flight and one full pour. With tax and tip and my 20% discount, $28. That is a pretty big jump over what we were paying before. It's not going to break the bank but honestly, when I go to bottle logic or Noble I feel I'm paying less overall. That being said my drinking habits are different there as at BL and Noble I tend to just get full pours instead of sampling a lot of little things.

Also, I know technically the changed from 2oz to 3oz pours, but realistically, we always got close to 3oz's before. That means we're now paying more for the same thing we've gotten for years.

 

Yay! Beer talk! (says the guy who weighed in on prices yesterday...) Thanks for the reviews!

Where is Valise on the sour spectrum? Maybe in relation to Frucht/Traveling Plum/Beret which I'd describe as an increasing scale.

 

This right here is a HUGE deal to me as well. There are so many beers I would never try, but for another $1 per taster.... what the hell, why not.

Beer that kinda tastes like pizza... sure. here is $1 so I can taste it.
Beer blended by some dude I don't know, named Ryan... sure. here is $1 so I can taste it.
Beer with key lime on nitro I will probably hate... sure. here is $1 so I can taste it.

The Bruery puts out so many limited/unique batches and it is fun to try new things, and $1 spent on something i may not like is not that bad. You will now have me second guessing me in the future.

The easiest way for me to show I disagree with these major changes (yes... the % changes are MAJOR, not minor. doubling prices is MAJOR) is by keeping my money in my pocket and out of Patricks.