The Bruery (2021)

Notwithstanding how they present it on the menu, but they might have started with half pour pricing and then said "we'll give you a deal if you upgrade to a full pour."

But cost of labor, rent, cleaning, etc is all the same whether the glass is half or full.

 

I agree and get it. A tasting room is not the higher margin end of the business. I just feel it is a necessary evil in their business and they should put a little more effort in the customer experience. IMHO, it's been slowly been a lower priority year after year. Although, the outdoor space is killer at the OG TR, so I hope they are able to keep it in some capacity after we get back to normal. As for the pricing, I just think that if you were to look at 10, 20, or maybe even 100 local breweries from SB to SD, the TR's generally do not charge much of a premium on their pours, if at all.

Anyways, I don't want harp of this much further. I'll still be a customer. Just get a few less pours when I go.

 

That's a tough one. When I would go, I would see a few here and there. Hard to say if most members are weekend people, early afternoon, etc.

Once upon a time, there was almost always something drawing members to the tasting room. Randall offerings, special RS/HS pours that were special variants (Coconut SHIT, etc), special crowler fills that could not be bought in a bottle or can, cask beers once a month, friendly faces that were trained to make an effort to remember the members, etc. If you did not get there before 4pm on a Friday, there was no room to even stand! The good ol' days.... haha

 

If only it was available to all members

 

I remember back in 2016 them doing the posters for the first 100 members and the special glasses once month that went with the highlighted beer of the month.

 

I think the tasting room is the HIGHEST margin end of a brewery's business these days (no distributor, no packaging, no shipping, etc.). It seems these days the only reason to get on the shelves at a retailer is to promote the brand to drive business to the tasting room. That's why we're seeing so many breweries scrambling to open as many tasting rooms as they can.

 

Weird question for BA, but does anyone know if the seltzers are coming back? Asking for a non-BA friend

 

Ah, but the Bruery has a wildcard option that most breweries don't: Society Memberships. I would argue that the main strategic goal of the TR is to get you to join a Society and order your beer online for pickup/shipping (note the customer pays extra for the shipping, so not an added cost like it is for distro). They only want you on-site long enough to decide you'd rather drink at home (where they have unlimited capacity to serve vs TR with finite number of seats).

 

I have two of the posters hanging in my front room right now. If anyone has more, I'd gladly take them off your hands.

 

We have one going on today.

 

Had a Lemon Radler last night. Still so freaking good. Really hope these are on the docket to release again later this year.

Also had a 2019 Tequila Sunrise from Firestone... which I only bring up because I think it's a perfect execution of a "cocktail" beer. It tastes like a barrel beer first and foremost, with the cocktail elements being flourishes. I think that's my constructive criticism of most Bruery "cocktail" beers: they end up just tasting like the cocktail (which is simultaneously impressive, but also not what I want).

 

I see that Bruesicles are back, but now called "beer slushies" I wonder if there was dinner legal issues with the term bruesicle

 

Anniversary party slash Hoarders session question....

"You and 1 guest only are invited to join us during Anniversary weekend for the unveiling of an all-new, super small-batch project. We can’t tell you exactly what it is just yet, but it will take place in the form of a 30-minute session, with a guided tasting in our barrel cellar.

This invitation is not valid for each ticket you’ve purchased; rather it is valid for YOU, specifically, and one guest of your choosing. Your time slot is below; don’t worry, we’ll make an announcement over the PA when it’s time for you to go."

Does my plus-one need to attend the anniversary event?

 

The beer slushies were frozen

 

Pretty sure some of you are going to lose your shit over the last one here. Make me wish I liked blueberry in stouts...

https://mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-bruery-adding-spritz-this.html?m=1

 

Wow!! Can't wait to try that Big Blue Stacks!

 

I would think so. Otherwise, how would they be inside the event to go into the barrel room when your time slot is announced?

The way I interpreted the email was: you buy tickets to the event, you sign up for the Hoarder's session, you choose someone (your ticketed companion) to go into the session with you.

I can't imagine the Bruery allowing access to this small-batch tasting for someone who didn't pay to attend the main event. Of course, I could be wrong...

 

Where is the Lava sounds amazing.

 

Different product! But Bruesicles are coming back. The slushies are beers we crafted specifically to be frozen in the slushie machine.

 

Yes they do. It's during the party.