Black Market New Glarus

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by steveh, Jan 30, 2022.

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  1. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    Has anyone experienced finding retailers outside of Wisconsin selling New Glarus beers?

    I was recently chatting with my brother, who was told by a co-worker, that he had found Spotted Cow at an Aldi just this side of the border in Illinois.

    My first reaction was to call BS, and told my brother all about NG not selling in Illinois since 2002 or 03 and how they seem pretty adamant at keeping the beer within borders. But I sort of wondered if some distros may go rogue to make an extra buck?

    And then I realized a nation-wide retailer like an Aldi store probably wouldn't take a chance on (what would appear to be) breaking the law.

    So aside from visiting this Aldi myself (which I may, in time), I thought I'd ask the community. Wondering how possible this may be -- if at all.
     
    #1 steveh, Jan 30, 2022
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  2. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    A bar in Maple Grove, MN was caught selling Spotted Cow on draft about 6 or 7 years ago.

    The owner was charged with a felony, and sold the bar/restaurant.
     
    #2 MNAle, Jan 30, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2022
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  3. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Right, and some spot in NYC, but that (as pointed out) was some time ago.
     
    #3 steveh, Jan 30, 2022
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  4. HouseofWortship

    HouseofWortship Pooh-Bah (2,735) May 3, 2016 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I suspect there was probably a miscommunication or an error judging the borderline. Did he specify which city Aldi this was at? My guess is he says Kenosha.

    Or it was a spotted cow knock off. Aldi does do knock off beers where the label looks very close to the real thing with a slight name change.
     
    #4 HouseofWortship, Jan 30, 2022
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  5. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I thought the same, but the person specified Antioch, IL.
    I'm familiar with Aldi products and know about their knock-offs, haven't seen a Spotted Cow version. Yet, that is.
     
    #5 steveh, Jan 30, 2022
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  6. beardown2489

    beardown2489 Pooh-Bah (1,966) Oct 5, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Highly HIGHLY doubt it. It’s way more likely he doesn’t know what side of the border he was on. No offense to your brother. But a corporate company like Aldi would NEVER do that. ever
     
    #6 beardown2489, Jan 31, 2022
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  7. beardown2489

    beardown2489 Pooh-Bah (1,966) Oct 5, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah


    I remember gas stations owners buying zombie dust at the brewpub because distributors wouldn’t sell them ZD in those days. But you’ll never see that from a big company like Aldi, ever
     
    #7 beardown2489, Jan 31, 2022
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  8. beardown2489

    beardown2489 Pooh-Bah (1,966) Oct 5, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Can’t believe these gas stations took the risk. The penalty isn’t cheap, and losing a liquor license is devastating for a convenience store
     
    #8 beardown2489, Jan 31, 2022
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  9. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Me too.
    As someone who grew up in the area, I find that difficult to grasp, but maybe people are geographically challenged.
    Point of order: was someone my brother works with, not my brother.
    I thought the same, but who knows what the store's manager knows or thinks? Yeah, he'd be in deep, but I imagine he could plead ignorance.

    But again, I doubt it too.
     
    #9 steveh, Jan 31, 2022
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  10. HouseofWortship

    HouseofWortship Pooh-Bah (2,735) May 3, 2016 Illinois
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    Does the beer distributer drop off at each individual Aldi, or do they drop off at a central Aldi hub where everything is broken down into different shipments for each store? If the latter I guess I could see how they may have accidentally put WI product on a shipment to an IL store.
     
    #10 HouseofWortship, Jan 31, 2022
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  11. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Not sure, but with Illinois distro laws, I imagine they're the only ones who handle stock. But just a guess, as Aldi has house brands that aren't handled by local distros.
    I'm pretty sure Aldi's central distribution center is southwest of Chicago somewhere, so Wisconsin beer would have to cross the border to get to it -- and we all know NG wouldn't (knowingly) allow that.

    Since it's all pretty cloudy and confusing, I suppose anything is possible.
     
    #11 steveh, Jan 31, 2022
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  12. kodt

    kodt Pooh-Bah (2,286) Mar 6, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I know a few bars in Illinois where you can get Spotted Cow and Yuengling upon request semi-frequently.
     
    #12 kodt, Jan 31, 2022
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  13. champ103

    champ103 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,296) Sep 3, 2007 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    There was a store outside of Carbondale, IL of all places, that would occasionally have six packs of New Glarus. This was back, oh 2002-07, somewhere around their. As that is when I was going to SIU and living there for a bit after graduation. The owners said they would bring back some when traveling up there to see family. It was a very small buisness, and of coarse not legal. Can't remember the name now, and probably long closed...but found that interesting when I saw it. They jacked the prices way up so I don't remember if I ever bought any there.
     
    #13 champ103, Jan 31, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2022
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  14. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    This is the sort of black market sales (and @champ103 's example) I've heard of, but never a retailer -- let alone a nationwide retailer.
     
    #14 steveh, Jan 31, 2022
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  15. champ103

    champ103 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,296) Sep 3, 2007 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Yeah, and I doubt that store I'm thinking of would have been able to get any when NG actually did distribute to IL for a short time. That was still only to the Chicago area then correct?
     
    #15 champ103, Jan 31, 2022
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  16. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Can't recall accurately enough. May have been Northern Illinois, because I saw it in Lake County when it was available.
     
    #16 steveh, Jan 31, 2022
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  17. flat_lander

    flat_lander Pooh-Bah (2,490) May 11, 2016 Illinois
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    Can confirm. Smart phones and navigation systems have only served to exacerbate this.

    Dang. You graduated from SIU in 4 years?! Didn't know that was actually possible :grin:
     
    #17 flat_lander, Feb 1, 2022
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  18. sahd-1

    sahd-1 Savant (1,179) Jul 2, 2013 Illinois
    Trader

    There was a wine store in Urbana (the Corkscrew I think?) back around 2000-2001 that sold NG, and legally I assume.
     
    #18 sahd-1, Feb 1, 2022
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  19. champ103

    champ103 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,296) Sep 3, 2007 Texas
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    I remember Corkscrew, was a great place. I would always find Cantillon there.
     
    #19 champ103, Feb 1, 2022
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  20. Jaycase

    Jaycase Grand Pooh-Bah (3,858) Jan 13, 2007 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Pulled this old 2002 trib article up from the google.
    https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-12-04-0212040290-story.html
     
    #20 Jaycase, Feb 1, 2022
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