Side Project Brewing (2024)

Resell value plummeting helps a ton. I would have to imagine that reselling all bottles is a lot of work (as opposed to selling like one a year). If that is a side gig for someone, it may not be worth it for a lot of people. I mean, I wouldn’t do the work for like $60/bottle - fuck that; it’d probably need to be at least $100. If packages don’t sell out relatively instantly, bottles won’t sell for more than packages.

Seems like the reason for a format switch to 375ml for a lot of bottles is really about forcing more sour purchases per ounce of stout purchased, rather than to increase the number of members in and of itself. But, perhaps that is just too cynical of a view. To be clear, what I mean is that I am OK if a format switch means more members if other things don’t change, but if the end result is just more packages when there was a high enough yield to give all members a 750 (or two 375s), then it is clear the switch was to maximize moving of sours, not maximizing number of members (which on some level is supposed to be a “reward”). I do understand that members are not just locals or die hard fans, so I do appreciate the juggling they are doing. In the end, sure seems like they need to cut sour production by a ton though.

 

YUP

 

If the sole purpose of packages was to eliminate secondary market for Side Project beers, mission accomplished.

 

On the top of packages and sours - how long do SP sours (on average) spend in barrels?

I can't help but think they're potentially sitting on a huge backlog of sour beers, ready for blending, and release. Even if they cut the sour production down, it still could be awhile before it thins out the options in packages...?

I'd also suggest putting more stouts in 750mL bottles, but in the case of BCV and Coconut Vibes, it didn't seem to help them revive instant sell-out status.

 

The other "problem" with stagnant products - which plagues every brewery - is the problem of "been there, done that". Rereleases are rarely as popular as the first; demand per capita falls. People want new beers, but there are only so many combinations. I am sure at the currently produced volume of Cocovibes (even in a package) that it would have sold out in like 2019. But, it's been released 3 or 4 times. It has to be a top beer for you to want to be a repeat customer at $40 for a non-BA stout, coupled with a $20 sour.

This is a problem that is exacerbated by not just the high volume of stouts that SP now produces, but the increased access everyone has to other breweries. Yea, some people will buy every beer they want from every brewery, but most people are asking "do I want this, or that" at least some fraction of the time. Repeat bottles - especially packages or bottles with now higher prices - get the cold shoulder.

I can't imagine many LC members buy a BBT package, given that the sours aren't exclusive to that package. And, even if they are, you'll be able to get someone to trade you them at 50 cents on the dollar. Even amongst the general public, especially with the proliferation of SP stout availability, I can't imagine many people buy more than 1 BBT package.

 

The barrel time for sours (for the most part) has gone way down. It looks to be pretty uncommon for anything to be over a year now. At this point all of these beers getting bundled with stouts were brewed after people were getting tired of packages.

 

It's gonna be when this D19 package posts and BVC is still sitting there. That online store is going to look alien.

 

and CV too

 

It's a pretty sad look.

Would love to see those stouts go up for bonus sale as individual bottles....

 

I just want them to unbundle that new CdC.

 

they definitely will. not even because of today's result either.

 

Here’s an idea, package D19, BVC, & CV together?!?! Bet it would sell pretty quick!

 

Astounded BVC is still available. Went so hard for b1 and never got it.

 

Sorry if this question is a re-tread, but I've seen it mentioned before that the "count of bottles left" is NOT accurately measured by "putting 1,000 packages in your cart and seeing how many remain," but like... why has this theory been discounted? Because it seems to both make perfect sense and also seems to match a reasonable assumption of "packages left."

Is it just "SP has said it's not perfectly accurate so we think it isn't at all representative?"

There were initially like 700-800 some BVC, then it dropped by like 100 fairly quickly, and now there's like 400ish after interest has slowed. For D19 there were like 180 this afternoon.

 

Probably gonna pop open a Spontanfermier today or tomorrow. If it's good and those packages are still sitting there by the weekend there's a good chance I order another one. Take Untappd ratings with a grain of salt, small sample size etc. but BVC currently has a 4.79 rating and seems to be a really great beer based on those reviews. And I can never have too much Pinot Noir Saison Du Fermier

 

Doubling LC limits on solo bottles would dramatically increase the intrigue of maintaining a LC membership. Or allow LC a solo bottle purchase every week, allowing regular customers to pick up packages, but also slowly turn over stock on the stouts/barleywines....?

Seeing BVC trade for BBT19 has me tempted to pick up a BVC, but I don't really wanna fuss with the package. I've never tried BBT18/19 and would really enjoying ticking the complete series, but not at the expense of a package.

 

There are a variety of options to choose from. The $200+ sour fee membership fee AND packages is a kicker. Something has to give at least a little somewhere.

 

Is there another brewery that does packages like this? I know I’ve seen anniversary packs where several stouts or variants on the same beer will be packaged together but does any other brewery package totally different beer styles together

 

I haven’t seen it with any brewery or really in any other aspect of life except limited whiskey, or Bourbon County (historically, not so much now). But, that is always at a secondary point of sale, never at the brewery/distillery. Some distilleries (willet is one) will charge secondary prices for some bottles. Often distilleries will charge MSRP on limited bottles, but they just put them out infrequently and at random, kind of like “Easter eggs” some people call them, rather than having a specific release or for sale at open.

 

D19 packages removed