Are Non-Ticketed Cali Brewery Releases No Longer Worth It?

I love beer but I refuse to stand in line for hours (trying to get a beer at SF Toronado on a weekend day is about my threshold) nor will I ever join a "Society". If whales come my way than I am more than happy to drink them but I don't consider this hobby a competition. Sometimes, I feel like those that do are missing the point.

 

I have to plead ignorance in regards to this comment. How does Alesmith handle their special releases?

 

They put bottles on sale via BrownPaperTickets - once you order online, you have to pick them up within a specific amount of time (roughly 2 months I think), and show ID that matches the order. No mules, no lines, no bullshit. Between the new system and the fact that they seem to be producing more of their barrel aged beers, their special releases have been ridiculously smooth.

 

ISO Pokemon cards, action figures and Beanie Babies.

 

On top of that, they have the release parties, which ties in the BA-comraderie-while-waiting-in-line bit without the waiting-in-line bit. Also, the no mules rule is the real key to making this work, since it means the bottles don't sell out in 5 milliseconds.

So yeah, the Alesmith releases have rocked. Only downside is that they make it too easy to take all my money!

 

If no mules for AleSmith....how did I get 16 bottles of BASS?

 

Since I was the one who posted about Friday's Citra fustercluck, you know my answer. I'm only doing online releases from now on. I had intended to go for Exponential Hoppiness as in past years, but my experience at KRBC on Friday totally turned me off. I'm not mentally prepared to make another long drive, wait over two hours and walk away with nothing. So for those who love camping out, you'll have one less person to worry about now. I wouldn't be surprised to see KRBC switch to online sales in August, but I could never see Alpine doing that.

 

I think you may have been directly in front of me in line on Friday. Were you there with two friends? Happy to hear that you got your bottles on Saturday.

 

Didn't even bother to read the thread. Fu$&ing Beachwood is making IPA's every bit as good as Alpine or Kern River! To each thier own however, I understand the journey is half the fun but I'm too old for waiting in line. I've got my inside hook ups with Younger so I won't be waiting for that and after a couple of those I always go back to Blind Pig which I like better anyhow!

 

Or, you can just go drink it on premise another day. You don't have to pay to play, unless you want to trade it or cellar it (why do either of these?).

 

True, but I don't exactly live close. I would rather open bottles locally.

 

I can see the logic there.

 

The Alesmith releases have gone great but those are for aged beers. IPA releases over a 2 month period wouldn't work as well.

 

Yeah that was me. Had a good time chatting it up in line, but I am glad to hear they are looking to make changes.

 

The timeline to pick the bottles up isn't exactly the most important part of the Alesmith model. Hell, for Citra, say that people have from opening on Friday through closing on Sunday of the release weekend to pick their bottles up. Anything unclaimed goes on sale at the brewpub on Tuesday morning.

 

Good call.

 

For a larger beer release brown paper tickets are the way to go . For a small release like Citra its a bad idea IMHO. How quickly would 300 tickets or less evaporate online ,in the blink of a eye would be my guest. And that would create another shit storm of butthurt . Locals that support them will most likely be shut out . There is no perfect system. I feel Kern is doing things the right way.

 

Finally figured out where those haunting strains of "Nobody knows de trouble I've seen" were coming from while waiting in your last beer line?

 

Locals can get it on tap and scoop up bottles that out-of-towners don't claim (under a theoretical ticketing system). If KRBC was really focused on their locals, they'd make Citra a DONG and not announce when it's going on tap...the fact that they announce it ahead of time and set up allotments per day is a clear sign that they're trying to give people outside Kernville a shot at it.

 

You got 3 friends / family members to order, then pick up the beers for you. Of course, you can still have mules with this system, but getting them to commit financially and to do a pickup for you requires commitment.