Chicagoland lagers (2020)

Lol, I mean it makes sense. There is a reason macro lagers are still around 100 years later.

 

I thought Pivo would win so I was mildly surprised.

 

This question probably answers itself in a lot of ways, but I was thinking about it recently when I had to re-up my stash. How much more of a benefit is it to breweries to do pick-up/pre-order instead of hitting up the local (or mega) liquor store? How much of a cut does Squarespace and the like take to do online pre-order (i.e., how much better for the brewery is it to just show up masked up and buy)? I have heard that usually breweries have higher takeaway prices so as not to compete with distro, but everyone seems to have dropped their brewery prices to match distro, I assume to drive more traffic.

(Don't know if this has been discussed elsewhere—this is the only "general" thread I've followed.)

 

1. Breweries will keep more $$ if you buy direct from them. If they work with a distributor, the price you see at the store includes the distributor's profit as well as the store's profit. Technically, none of what you spend at the liquor store actually goes back to the brewery. The brewery has already been paid by the distributor (or by the store if they self-distro).
2. That said, if nobody is buying their beers at liquor stores, those stores will order fewer cases in the future and a brewery could have trouble regaining shelf space or getting much of a marketing push from their distributors (theoretically).
3. Pre-order vs. walk-up purchases are pretty close in terms of fees. In either case, Square or whoever is processing the payment will take their percentage. Square charges 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person swipes and 2.9% + $0.30 for an online purchase. For $100, that's a 50-cent difference. I would guess that most breweries are fine with giving up a small amount in exchange for a contactless transaction.

 

I think roughly a liquor store marks up their stuff 20-30% on top of what they pay the distributor and the distributor marks up their stuff 20-30% on top of what they pay the brewery. So it is fairly significant buying direct vs from a liquor store.

You can use PayPal or Stripe payments with Squarespace and they take like 3% + 30cents per transaction or something like that, so it is very similar to just taking a credit card in person.

So brewery might only sell a 6 pack for $5-6 to a distributor, but $10 direct to consumer.

 

New brewery in Downers Grove opened called Goldfinger. Was in the area so stopped in for a couple pours. Only 3 beers right now but the pils is phenomenal. Little hoppy with a crisp bite on the finish. Definitely recommend if in the area!

 

Kinslahger has its Oktoberfest beers for sale. They make both Marzen and Festbier styles, and even sell them in mixed 4-packs!

 

Not sure if it's distributed or not but I'm out at Riverlands for the first time and their Kellerbier, Cottage Cellar, is absolutely wonderful. Ridiculously good flavor.

 

Their lagers are pretty solid now. Big leap in just over a year.

 

Picked up a sixer of Seipp's and I'm really enjoying it. I can see this becoming part of my normal rotation.

 

Having a Cruz Blanca Pastry War. Really enjoying this as a flavorful Vienna. I've had this on draft a few times, didn't realize they started canning it. The label says "Vienna Lager - Märzen Especial" and there's a reference to this being a "Mexican Festbier" on either the website or social media. It has less body and is more effervescent than a lot of Viennas, but still in that general ballpark. It's a solid, but not exceptional beer. I don't think it's worth the premium over GL Eliott Ness (if you can find "not too old" bottles), but I'm glad to have a few more to try.

 

Maplewood is releasing Kell ‘Em All (kellerbier) in cans finally on Oct 14th. Outside of the awesome name, it’s one of my highest rated offerings from them. If your a fan of hoppy lagers, this one is for you.

 

I’m not usually “that guy” but I’m not sure if that name is the best choice in our current climate as a nation

 

I understand what you’re saying, but I think most will pick up on the reference.

 

Will this beer hit distro? Always looking for good a Zwickel/ Kellerbier.

 

I’m not positive on that, the email didn’t specify. Just listed it in the upcoming releases section.