Beer purchase limits at the beer store

You have to have limits otherwise this hobby can easily get out of control. Pick and choose and talk with people whos opinion and tastes you trust.

 

I'm for limits on very limited beers. But I rarely buy more than one or two of any one beer at a time anyway.

 

yes. otherwise the first one or two people would just come in and buy the whole case or allotment. which basically means there's no point in even looking for "shelf-wales" unless you have a friend who works for a store/distributor.

 

My capitalist side says put beer on the shelf and if you have the money and are there at the right time you should be able to buy whatever you want, but the beer advocate side of me wants as many people as possible to be able to enjoy whatever limited beer.

I lean more towards the advocate side since really all I want is one bottle of any given "rare" beer to drink. When I do get extras it is usually to give to friends or share at tastings.

 

Sometimes it gets a bit strange. My fave bottle shop is only 2 years old, so the guys there are a bit green in the business. They recently make Maine Brewing Zoe a 1 bottle limit, simply because they could only get 1 case of it from a particular shipment. Not that it was a limited brew or anything, as Zoe is a year-round brew (as far as I know).

Also, gougers can use bottle limits to their advantage and rail up prices, justifying it with the limited availability. $26 Bold Cutter is high, but not outrageous. But fresh Bitches Brew at $35 is a flippin' sin.

 

More pros than cons in my opinion as well. The business wins because it will sell all the beers no matter what, but arguably it satisfies more customers who will be repeat customers - and gives those customers a sense that they'll have a reasonable chance of acquiring the beer at their store. There's nothing non-capitalist about the bottle limits for these and similar reasons.

 

Agreed with most, this is a good thing. With a limit, it is a little annoying to sometimes have to choose between cellaring and drinking immediately. Without, it is immensely annoying (to the point of losing a customer) to really want to get a beer and find out it was all sold to just a few people who are able to time things just right. And at a limit of 2 instead of 1, slight annoyance with a limit is substantially curbed while still allowing major benefits from the limit.

 

Limits are good, but it still doesn't stop people from driving to every store in a 25 mile radius to acquire as many beers as they can so that they can add them to their hoard.

 

True but they are still researching ways to rid the world of idiots and @$$holes. The quest goes on.

 

Sounds like we're all in agreement here so far. The hoarders haven't chimed in yet, they must be out chasin trucks or somethin. i've only experienced a bottle limit once, when a genorious fellow BA told me about a spot where i could get Pliny in my area. It kinda felt like a drug transaction because i walked in and it was this little shotty store that reeked of raw meat, you'd never expect the awesome craft selection all the way in the back. I asked for pliny and i was directed to their "beer guy" who had to go in the back to get my 1 allotment. All and all a pretty strange experience but i got my 1 bottle and was cool with it. I probably could have gone in the next day and got another but didn't feel the need. You gotta share the wealth.

I agree Pecan, a 2 bottle limit would be way better depending on the amount of cases the store has.

 

Agree with most here. As long as the store remains consistent. Had an encounter at 1 store that I used to buy from, spent a good amount of money there too. Got an email they had 1 case of Cantillon in literally as I was pulling in to their lot. Ask beer clerk, and he says they are all reserved, WTF. He wasn't even the Manager who I knew pretty well. Talked to Manager next time I stopped in and told him I wouldn't be back, he apologized but he was on vacation that week.

Don't even bother posting/emailing if they aren't actually for sale. Their other store in my area is first come first served for everything. I have no problem with limits, just like to try and or share with friends if its Special.

 

I am a capitalist at heart, and agree with that. It is better to move as much inventory as fast as possible. But you also have to think of the big picture. It is also good to make as much of your customer base happy as possible. A happy customer is more likely to be a return customer, and hopefully not just for limited items.

 

It's standard operating procedure here at work. Just in the last two days we scored a case of Alpine Duet and Pliny. 1 bottle limit to customers and employees. Honestly, even with that limit, we never have a case of anything like that for more than 2 days, tops. In the event that a regular misses out, it's no big deal, they get the hookup on the next go around. Thankfully we've actually taken the time to develop relationships with our customers, and our regulars are pretty awesome. As far as i'm concerned, it's all about spreading the love around.

 

I hear you on the part about a limit being an issue for you, but keep in mind the beer store is concerned about ALL customers. You might have wanted to get 8, but getting only 2 probably won't lose you as a customer (or most other people). However, the 3 people that didn't get any because you got 8 might just start taking their money elsewhere. And even if the limit did cause people to go elsewhere once in a while, I'd rather have 3 customers than 1.

As individuals, you or I are concerned with our personal purchases. As an industry, we need to make sure good beer gets into the hands of as many people as possible, even if that means limiting quantities. A unique part of the craft movement is the community atmosphere and the idea of fostering the love of beer among everyone, and the limit (as annoying as it can be) helps focus the industry in that direction.