Craft Beer Cellar - Braintree

If you don't like the store, don't go. For me, it is on my way home and I enjoy the tastings. They get beers I like, and call me when they get them in the store. I am more of a drink fresh, drink local kind of guy and do not chase the limited beers too often. Are there other stores you go to that have great customer service?

 

Sure there are but I also could care less if some stores have average service. I don't need people holding my hand when I go to buy beers.

 

So you have no need to interact with the staff because they couldn't possibly be of assistance, but they're the pretentious ones.

 

I didn't say I have no need, I said if the staff at some store isn't helpful I'm competent enough to get what I want with out them.

 

That is far from unique to CBC. That's not a differentiating factor.

Limited selection (lots of people want craft and non-craft choice) springs to mind as a differentiating factor. And there's the lack of wine and liquor.

More power to 'em, but seems drastically limited based on a moral stand that caters to <10% of beer drinkers.

 

Not sure I understand why anyone would complain about a thorough hiring process for a craft beer store.

With the number of threads on this site about idiotic staff members / badly stored beer / etc you would think that a store actually setting the bar high and trying to do things really well would be appreciated, not frowned upon.

Heck, I don't care if Kate & Suzanne make it a 19-round interview process. Whatever they feel is necessary for beer nerds and newbies alike to walk in to one of their stores and feel welcome, get great service and walk out with awesome beer without getting ripped off on price. I've been getting that at the Belmont location since it opened and I would expect their franchises to offer the same thing.

We need more stores to step up to CBC's level.

 

I only care inasmuch as it impacts prices. Which, it does. CBC is not the cheapest store by any means. As I said earlier, CBC has the stock for the experienced craft buyer, but the high-touch service is there moreso for the noobs - unfortunately everybody pays for it equally.

And high prices are going to play a lot better in Belmont than the location they are moving to in Braintree. Granite has a very loyal following with beer geeks in the area, so CBC has their work cut out for them. We'll see - I'll give them a fair shake, but I'm not getting my hopes up that they can be a better store than Granite.

 

Like alot of people here I don't need "help" from beer store personnel - I know what I'm looking for. I want fresh, lowest-priced (preferably refrigerated) beer without all the bells & whistles. Whatever store does that gets my biz.

 

I think that people as well as employees of a store should be informed about what they're buying. Some people don't necessarily specialize in what they're seeking and so the employee can better inform them to try to cater to what they have liked previously. It's less of an "idiocracy moment," because the person who is specializing in the store should know what they're specializing in. The customer doesn't.

CBC offers the discount on half cases and cases as well. The 10% discount on $150 is on top of that. And, where do you get the perception that everything at CBC is so drastically expensive? Compare the prices and you'll recognize that they're just not. Mo by Maine Beer Company is 7.25 at CBC while at Drum Hill Liquors it is 7.99, just as one example. I'm sure we could do a head-to-head comparison, but the notion is misled.

And, why is it a positive thing to bash a company that is aspiring to be a good company and getting recognized for it? That seems to me like mere jealousy. Julios, Colonial Spirits and other stores do a fantastic job, no doubt. And so does CBC.

 

The twice I've been there that small lot was full and I had to park in the pay lot, which is what I mean by PITA parking.

 

Also, I think the whole "nocrapbeer.com" handle is just part of the wonky, quirky atmosphere that they promote. And, nobody on this forum would defend that BMC isn't crap beer — so why attack them for merely stating what everyone thinks?

 

Thanks for relinquishing your troll-hold. You can love KBS and you can promote it, but don't put down CBC for promoting craft beer when you appear as this person who only buys 100 rated things from stores. There are a ton of awesome breweries that don't get the recognition they deserve. And people like you don't help them in acquiring any recognition.

 

Well, what exactly is their discount? At a store like Julio's, I walk in, pick up 6 random bottles, and get 15% off their already quite good prices. I noticed CBC was consistently about 10% higher than prices I can get elsewhere. I'm not saying every bottle is more expensive, but as a whole, they are not a cheap store.

I don't think anyone is bashing them. Most people will happily admit they are a well run store, as I have numerous times in this thread. I just don't think everyone agrees with the way they do everything. Which is fine - no store is going to be perfect for everyone.

 

I'd say I was arrogant and presumptuous about you but the amount of posts you had shitting on CBC and then stating that you worked for Kappy's... and then the amount of eyeroll emoticons that you used... I just can't agree with you that I presumed anything. I merely looked at what you said and realized how pretentious you were.

You can like and dislike anything, obviously. But, in the process, you should recognize that simple subjectivity makes you look like a giant asshole. There are a ton of people who don't know beer like you and do want recommendations and do want an informed staff. CBC isn't doing anything negative, you're just putting them in a very negative light because you don't like them.

Now, let's shotgun a KBS, shall we? Cheers, bro.

 

The discounts at CBC are 5% on a half case of big bottles (6) and 10% on a case of bombers (12) or 6-packs. I don't know the discounts or prices in every store, but the other allure to CBC is the ability to create your own six pack - and the encouragement of that policy. Most stores, even if they allow it, don't really want you to split up the bottles. It allows you to really taste a wide variety of beer.

No store is perfect, obviously, but the way Jnorton00 was talking about CBC was highly inaccurate, crude and bizarre. It was as though he had a personal vendetta with the store...

 

I actually have no knowledge on Kappy's - I just know it's a beer store and I was trying to say it seemed like you didn't like the competition that CBC brought to the table. I only presumed those things because of the post you said where CBC carries "Blue Hills" which is apparently complete crap to you. There are plenty of awesome beers that aren't highly acclaimed on Beer Advocate that go unrecognized because of people like you.

I'm not so much angered as I am disturbed by your lack of understanding of good company philosophy and the great customer service that they offer — it is something that you scarcely find today in any store so it is refreshing to see CBC doing it.

 

Yep - very well could just be dumb bad luck, but if I'm going to drive out of the way to a beer store, I'd at least like there to be comfortable free parking...

 

Fair enough.

Now, real talk: have you had Elijah Craig 12 year? If not, since you're a KBS fan, you should immediately scour everywhere to find it because it is, in my opinion, a more robust KBS. Albeit, KBS is popular because of how absolutely ridiculously well balanced it is while being higher abv than Elijah Craig.

 

You illustrated your points clearly and with ideas backing them... nothing wrong with that. The pretentious and elitist thing still escapes me.

And what are the choices that CBC doesn't offer that would make "all customers happy," ... BMC?

So, they're an evil company because they want to support small breweries and offer quality products to their customers rather than promoting already gigantic corporations like BMC?

And, no, you don't appear as a troll merely bashing the company with no valid points.

 

Have you had Elijah Craig 12 year? It has a very similar flavor profile to KBS, regardless of your history lessons on bourbon or barrel aged beers.

Julios is a fantastic store that I've shopped at a ton — and I'm not bashing them for anything. I'm just saying CBC is a fantastic store as well and all the hate that they've received in this forum is bizarre.

And, I've illustrated my points in each post with lucidity and not an ounce of arrogance. I've merely stated that all the hate on this forum is absurd.