Summerfest Lookout Thread (2023)

For what this is worth -- this same-said beer guy told me he's seen no mention of SN Summerfest from the local distro. Makes me wonder if that distro is just blowing off this re-release because SN stopped it last year.

 

Except Celebration.

But I disagree, seasonals seem less common anymore -- they seem too specialized for today's beer drinker who wants all availability all the time.

Me, I like to look forward to those special beers.

 

North Coast Brewing date code is YBBBMMDD. e.g., 10300504 = May 04, 2021

 

I'll double-check in a little while.

BBB?

 

BBB=batch code (not related to packaging date anyway)

 

BTW -- that's the tiny code on the front label, right?

 

Yes. Agreed, it's really tiny code to read (for me anyway).

 

@Jaycase got you sorted out, the cans just have regular dating on the bottom. Unfortunately not on the outside of the pack, but the 12 pack bottles have regular dating stamped on the outside of the box.

I'm curious to hear how old they are. I grabbed a 12 pack without checking dates about a month ago and it turned out to be nearly 6 months old. It was not very satisfying

 

See above, already mentioned it's not a beer that will be replacing Summerfest for me -- and certainly not Trumer.

21690111 -- January 11, 2022? Tell me this is correct and I will (vehemently) point this out to the beer guy at the local. Distro underhandedness strikes again.

I wonder if I can report this to North Coast as well?

 

I was fortunate enough to win a Super Bowl BIF and, as a result, scored a couple of cans of Workhorses' Vienna Lager. Very tasty brew.

 

I kinda figured. They have distribution nationwide so they aren’t as trendy. Just like the disdain I’ve seen for Sam Adams. If the product is good who cares.

Jackhorzempa I understand the frustration with them scaling back certain styles in order to pump out trendier beer, but I would be more frustrated if it weren’t for the fact that they are nowhere near alone in this. Even the much smaller breweries near me seem to crank out a handful of styles. Gone are the days where you could go to most breweries and have an IPA, brown ale, stout, and wheat ale in one sitting.

Speaking in generalities I feel like a lot of people on here have an overly romanticized view of craft brewers. At the end of the day you don’t transition from home brewer to business unless you feel there’s profit to be made. Sure you’re still passionate about the product but if you don’t make money you can’t keep selling your beer. A good friend of mine is the founder and owner of a local brewery that does well. He says he still loves what he does but he’s been forced to become a businessman first and leave most of the brewing to his employees. And it’s not just beer, another friend of mine owns his own plumbing company. He came over and installed a bathtub for me and refused to accept any money, he said he was just happy to be doing actual plumbing instead of paperwork.

 

@Jaycase -- any thoughts?

 

Me too.

But FWIW the greater frustration for me is all of the old SN product at my local beer retailers.

Cheers!

 

Me too. Brewers have a very tough task gauging how well the public may respond to any given seasonal. Running out of inventory is way better than, say, many pallets of fresh 2023 Oktoberfest in April 2024. Wholesalers face a similar dilemma. As the buyer for a small and vital wholesale outfit, I chose to pick a number of cases to order of each seasonal based on my own "science" and rarely got overwhelmed by excess inventory. Anyway. Sierra Nevada Summerfest is a very fine beer right now and for months to come. The timing is OK with me. I bought a 12-pack at Harris-Teeter for $15.99 and have been pleased with each can.

 

Yep, I'm reading the same date from that code.

 

So legit question because I have no clue what the answer is. Is that on the retailer, the distributor, or SN? I feel like the distributors and retailers should be keeping an eye on it but you’d also think that the brewer would want to make sure people aren’t drinking stale stuff also

 

Well, except that, as with any seasonal from a larger brewery, they likely Summerfest over a long period of time so the batches that (finally) reach you would hopefully be brewed well after the batches people are buying in other areas of the country.

 

I just sent an email to North Coast.

Might even stop by the retailer tomorrow with what's left of the six-pack.

 

Not with me. 3 reasons I started to hate on them.

1. Releasing 3 ipas for seasonals in a row. (dumping Summerfest and Octoberfests for IPAs)
2. Creating and emphasizing the Little Things line because I dont like those beers at all.
3. Getting rid of the 4 seasonal variety packs with different and new beers and having IPA variety packs instead.

Youre noticing a trend here. Basically I started hating when they went IPA heavy.

 

Such a strong word for something as superficial as beer.

It'll only eat you up inside.