Jester King Strawberry Fermentation.

I think a great tool of beer advocacy, how I learned craft beer love and how I try to spread craft beer love, is by sharing.

I do not intend for you to read that the same way that you might read the same statement from a hoarder.

I mean it in an entirely different way: craft beer people are good people. I believe this statement because I've seen it in action many times. I've seen people give away bottles to people that missed out. I've seen people in lopsided trades that they would only do because they wanted someone to try a beer. I've seen people pour beers that cost more than I can imagine, just because they can't drink it alone.

I agree that we need to take care of each other as a community. However, I think that a reserve society in which members are the same good people I've come to know over the past many years is a better way to accomplish that goal than a random drawing or a free for all.

And finally, I agree that the tone of this board has gone notably downhill in the past few months. I'm not sure why that is, or if there even is a root cause, but it's happened. I for one appreciate your disclaimer (quoted) but am bothered by the fact that you need one. You shouldn't have to say you're not arguing with me personally, and you shouldn't have to fear that I or others might think so.

I agree with your conclusion: we need to get BA back to being about helping the community. I just don't agree with the premise that a reserve society doesn't do that.

 

Cheers to you bro!
I hope your attitude spreads, we need it here. And you are right, there are way more great BAs here than bad.

 

Every way they can release the beer will exclude a certain set of people. Selling it first come first serve will exclude those with time restraints and as you pointed out a reserve society cuts out those with rigid budgets. A lottery wouldn't exclude anyone directly but it would sure feel like it if you didn't win.

 

Where did you come from and why are you so smart? Please stay and contribute often.

 

No matter what there is going to be butthurt. I don't like a lottery because it takes getting the beer out of my hands. Although it essentially gives everyone the same chance I like having an impact on the beers I buy.

A reserve society to me is bad for craft beer in general. The only brewery where it might make sense is HF due to their lack of proximity to civilization. But other then that I think they encourage hoarding, hype, and they give a sense of exclusiveness that I don't like in craft beer.

As far as first come first served releases are concerned. If the brewery gives enough advance then most people can take time off (I get that some people can't). If you can not then that's unfortunate and that's what makes brewery release only beers so hard to get. Basically you can't tick everything.

I'm assuming JK wont have many releases where the bottle count is this low. Like I've stated earlier, I feel the best way to handle a bottle count this low with this much demand is to make it for on-site only. That way those who truly want to get the beer to drink it should be able to because people won't be able to but extras to trade.

 

case in point I put up an ISO: Heady Topper for my birthday bash last week and the most awesome BA FatsBelvadere came through and sent me 4 Heady and 1 surprise Founders Breakfast Stout and did not ask for anything in return! I am still going to send him a nice thank you package (as nice as I can make it..).

He did not do the I need this super rare BA Stout for 1 Heady that I also got from a few other BA's (Yes this really happened not once but twice with one having no post but a join date of over a year old)

So in conclusion I have met some really awesome people that are all about sharing what they have brought back from trips/traded/scoured the city for with no need to get anything in return. But I have also gotten tons and tons of direct messages from ISO: post that are so insane and stupid that makes me hate the trading forums. And yes I know that the ugly side will not go away and will only get worse.

 

Sounds like FatsBelvedere should become a regular trade partner if you guys are wanting that sort of thing. It's people like him that you should latch onto and take care of. Cool story!

 

Dude, whats up with all the nice words and encouraging posts? Did you win a trade lately?

 

Just high on life bro. Trading has scaled back, my Fed Ex account is "flagged" the letters and phone calls from their legal dept have cut me back. Sucks, I have 3 regular trade partners who I have been neglecting because I have been gun shy on shipping. I had a two of the guys send me a label that I used to ship but it's not the same. I have a couple of boxes worth set aside until I figure something else out.



Is it better if I'm a dick? I have no problem with that!

 

I think the encouraging words have more to do with what people are posting, not his lack of being a dick. Normally or "used to" be when people posted meaningful and positive posts they would get a positive reaction. Pretty amazing concept.

 

Nah man I actually am enjoying it around here lately too. People are nice and encouraging (not just you). I guess the summer of hoarding is winding down, having Founders, Firestone Walker, the emergence of ABW and brewpubs putting out amazing releases over the course of a few weeks makes for a happy state.

Sucks about the fedex account, I don't even know how that sort of thing happens, but hopefully that gets worked out soon.

 

Great point.

 

A broken growler of Live Oak Heffe in a no reason thank you box to my trade mentor is how that happened. Sad...

 

I'll give big props to JK for contributing greatly to your point. I can't imagine what this forum would be like right now if the AR release was a free for all with no bottle limits. There would be A LOT of po'd people and I promise it wouldn't just be me . The bros would probably have had to lock down the entire SW forum. Thanks to JK for keeping the release civil and fair IMO.

 

Its a BYOW. Limit 25 rounds.

 

Edited

 

They could just delete his post.

 

Edit: F this, not getting banned with you. BMed.

 

I don't think threatening to kill someone you don't know is clearly joking. Even Chow would find that fucked up (I'd hope).

And it's definitely not funny to some of us who deal with death and murder on a regular basis.