Are We Getting Spoiled in TX?

No. Your correct. But it's like that every where. We all chase the shiny new toy

 

I don't think we're spoiled, we just have more options to choose from. For every beer I pick up there are 5 others that have to wait for another day, and that number gets larger as more beers come to Texas.

 

Stop worrying, damnit.

Have you been to other states? Ballast Point sits on its' ass everywhere because of its' price and Sixpoint is doing fine.

People are just excited about finally getting new stuff in TX... if a product is good, they're going to buy more of it.

 

These are crazy times and we are spoiled rotten. "Kids" getting in the beer game today have no freeking idea what it was like just two years ago much less five years ago here in Texas.

I am guilty of chasing the shiny new toy but I also continue to drink what I like there after. I still try to stick with my local guys because they won't just pull out like when we don't continue to support them, they will fail. At the same time you put a bottle of Abacus/Sucaba/Jesus Juice in front of me compared to really anything else currently in Texas... I'm sucking down that Jesus Juice every time. Quality wins.

V@S doesn't sit on shelves in DFW, I'm disappointed in the rest of Texas if it's still in your area.

 

I'll feel spoiled when I have more wilds & gueuzes. There's only so much Cuvee Rene I can drink.

And I'll drink up that dusty V@S. Got one in the fridge right now.

 

I think Texans Texan craft beer drinkers in general are spoiled. We've been hearing for the last few years how we don't get any awesome beers, ie stouts, and all that noise. We did, from Texas breweries. It just wasn't good enough for people. We will never be satisfied with what we have. Eventually we will have everything we want, and half of us will be divorced over it, and the other half will be broke. I just hope that the impact on Texas brewers will be minimal cause I'll take JK, Freetail, Branchline, and Guadalupe, over Firestone, Ballast Point, Founders, etc. if it means that our local brewers will lose a lot of money.

 

Basically what ChanceK said. I constantly like to try new things (beers). There's a lot of new things that come, and a lot of new things I have cellared that I've never had before. Thus I'm more interested in the things I have not tried before. Then I figure out what I like, what I don't like, and what beer works best for what situation. Depending on what flavors I want to experience, I'll pickup another 6 pk of Hops & Grain Pale Dog. Or maybe I'm in the mood for some sweet Southern Tier Creme Brulee.

TL;DR: I just don't drink that often anymore, so when I do drink, it's often something new. But from time to time, I go back to my favorites/locals to pickup something I know that I like.

 

I expect breweries like Ballast Point, Founders, and Firestone Walker will always have a decent market wherever they go, because of the overall high quality of their products. But, I wouldn't be surprised if there is an upcoming Texas market shakeup with the losers being some of the "good but not great" national brands that were early to the Texas market but don't really stand up to the best of what's being produced locally (such as Summit, Big Sky, Bridgeport, and such).
I'm also not convinced that the "average" craft beer drinker is as fickle as most of us on this site. I've got a friend who's completely loyal to Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, another who swears by SN Torpedo, etc. They are most definitely craft beer drinkers, but they aren't out chasing every new release by a long shot.

 

Remember what happened with Allagash?

Big Sky's Moose Drool is something I see a lot of non-craft drinking folks buy & Bridgeport is owned by Gambrinus (the folks that own Shiner, based in San Antonio), so I don't see those going away.

 

Drop a shot of Bailey's in that vanilla porter and you have yourself a Columbine Carbomb. Otherwise that beer is useless to me.

 

I perhaps used bad examples - you are correct - Moose Drool occupies the same niche as Alaskan Amber and Fat Tire. But you probably get the drift of the type of 2nd tier quality brewery that I'm refering to (Pyramid, Widmer, Full Sail, Left Coast, etc) - not local and not great.

 

I would trade many breweries we have to get Allagash back. I admit that I was part of the problem as to why they left. I would often pass them up to buy the new beer that came to town. It sucks to have to now trade for a beer we once had and took for granted.

 

yeah, this guy is kind of annoying -
Me: "Try this Victory at Sea - it's a Porter with Vanilla."
Him: "No, I've liked this Breckenridge VP for years now and am sticking with it"

 

Good topic.

FYI - Victory at Sea doesn't sit on Houston shelves (maybe if it is at a random HEB). Something like Sculpin sits probably because BAs pass it up if it is too old. After two weeks or so that grapefruit punch is gone and not much is left IMO.

Anyway, the other issue is money. There are more and more great breweries to choose from. Given a limited budget, I'll always choose the great Texas breweries and the best nationally distributed ones first. Just the other day I picked up a bottle of Unearthly, 2 Iniquity, a Hog Heaven and an El Cedro. After that I'm saving the rest of my beer money for when Founders drops and later next month whatever fresh Texas breweries are available. The new upcoming Karbach brews are an example as well as the fact that we are getting Austin Beer Works and Deep Ellum on a semi-regular basis.

But either way, Goose Island is a good example that you point to. At Specs Sofie and Matilda are on sale, but I can't buy it because some new beers are dropping in the next two months.

Overall, I find that the really good Euro beers suffer a lot of neglect on the shelves.

 

Yeah, I'm with Lutter, I'm not really sure what y'all are talking about. VaS is hard to find in Houston. I get excited when I see Sculpin at Spec's because more times than not it's not there. Sixpoint Resin is one of my favorite DIPAs and I buy it a lot. Yeah, I still chase after every shiny new thing, but if it's something I like, I continue to buy it.

 

VaS remains on the shelf at my HEB. And as far as Sculpin goes, a bomber for $9 a 6'er for $13ish or so, or a 4pk of Resin for $8, Hopadillo 6'er $8, Rodeo Clown 4pk $9. To many choices for less cash of good quality beer for me to justify buying a 6'er or a bomber of Sculpin. As others have said, for every new beer I try, there is 5 more on the shelves waiting and as the IPA/DIPA'S age/not move, tends to put those on the back burner as the bottled on date gets older. And now with Founders and ST here/coming, there are even more beers to choose from. I left of Firestone-Walker because they are not in Houston yet but ya get the picture.

Edit...some of those prices may not be accurate.

 

I have 2 free Resin and a Diesel with your name on it. We tots need to do lunch this week. I'll check my schedule in the office tomorrow morning.


And I'm saving my beer budget for a case of Freetail Ananke...Must. Have. Whole. Case.

 

Ananke really that good?