Abyss in Texas

Give me a shout when that happens...

 

And I have some big business to give...

 

Specs in Temple got a case today, it was sold out at exactly 6:22pm. Also, the Dancing Bear in Waco got them, but they are charging $22.99 per bottle.

 

Well I be damned, so there is still hope?! lol

 

lol... i'm almost the exact opposite. I'd rather just be lied to than someone tell me they have it in stock but it's reserved for other customers or i'm not on the special list, especially when there's no money down on it and i'm a customer ready to buy it right then and there. guess that's the retail management side of me...

 

Add me to the "Just Keep It Real" camp. Don't tell me it's "sold out" or you don't have any when I just saw someone walk out with a bottle - Just tell me "That's one of my regulars man, He helps keep this place afloat, I'm sorry"

Happened to me with BuffBayou Gingerbread Stout last week, I called a joint and he laughed when I asked if they had it then 2 hrs later a friend of mine, Someone in the cool kids club I guess lol - Walks out with 2 bottles, one for me and one for him........I'm having flashbacks of BB1 now lol

 

@mmireles this isnt directed at you, i just hit quote and got on my soapbox lol.

I can't understand why HEB and WFM holds beer in the back. Most of the employees from my experience have no fxcking clue what they have back there or what it really is/means to beer people. As I've said in a prior post, you have to track down a person who asks another person in hopes of finding a beer manager or someone that knows where the beer manager hid the special release beers. I haven't built a relationship with anyone at WFM or HEB because I can't find someone worth building a relationship with.

Spec's in past and recent releases has placed signs indicating they have a certain beer, and to ask personnel if they have some in the back. Of course, as with special releases, chances are we know they *should* have it and request it as long as they are willing to hand it over. I've built some rapport with past employees at downtown specs to the point where he randomly found me in line and asked if i wanted a 'sold out" bottle of black ops.

With my experience at D&Q, he's a small shop owner and will take care of people that frequent the shop. When I say frequent the shop, I mean people that go there on a regular basis and shop and support on beer in general, not just special releases. Ive brought over a number of people and introduced them to D&Q and Brandon and he's taken care of my friends and I every single time. It helps that he has twitter and is active on it and when he tweets, people ask if he can hold one for them, and chances are he will, unless it's like Abyss and he gets a case of it. Even then he'll give you a heads up and say it'll be here soon.

Build relationships through purchases and personality, otherwise, whine about it the next day to a group of people that could care less because they are trying to get what you want a fraction of a second before you can.

 

Gotta say--Texas beer culture is fucked. If D&Q is the model of a good bottle shop, my god. That place is mobbed with old inventory.

I hope that Premium Draught and Growlers start to provide some leadership on releases. Start lists. That is the only thing I've ever seen work.

 

we can only hope competition will drive the market into a place that will be the best for the consumer.

lists? they only work if you're on it. if you're not, you're fucked and now have new angry customers, but i suppose you can open a beer shop and show houston what an ideal bottle shop is.

 

To be honest, I don't know what's worse... cronyism or a list.

 

depends if youre on the list or not lol.

 

You are totally right about competition.

Nothing is perfect. But at least I know I'm in a pecking order if I get on a list, and then I just wait for a phone call. I don't have to drive around tracking the shit down.

And I referenced Premium Draught and Growlers because I think they're fucking awesome so far--places I would have indeed liked to open.

But I was being harsh about TX beer culture, sorry about that.

 

Or one of the "regulars" lol

 

or if you happen to be at a store when the store manager is there, rather than the beer manager (which is the ONLY reason i was able to get a bottle of abyss)...

 

Beer Manager of HEB at Dunlavy has been in touch with me for > 1 week, so I image we should be good on Abyss. Painful part was talking to beer delivery guy who said "Yeah, I GOT Abyss ready to deliver...." while the waiting game began. Manager had NO CLUE what was coming on her delivery. (read: the retail buyers and merchandisers DON''T communicate/market as one company) Perhaps this is why I prefer D&Q.

 

I had to do that for the last bomber of DR12 at Central Market, Seems like it was yesterday...

 

indeed, nothing is perfect, but i'd rather not wait for something to happen, i'd like to make it happen myself to a certain extent. what if you're on a list, and you're #13 on a list for abyss, and that case only has 12 bottles? do you have a reasonable expectation that they would call you and tell you that you're shit outta luck? At least IMO, being on a list dosent create loyalty on either side, you're just a number.

I haven't been to Premium Draught or Growlers yet since I live in Katy. I'll make a trip out there this week to check out how they compare to d&q.

If you being harsh means i have one less person to move aside at d&q so be it

 

Sounds like what I'm going through w/ Central Market. They were supposed to have this in on Monday however they are dumbfounded as to where it is. Same story with a few Kroger's as well.

 

haha, i have my special place for any saint arnold releases..... a place where DR and Pumpkinator never gets touched....

 

Get to da Choppa! Go, NOW! (how I sometimes feel at beer releases...)