I remember when...

Not sure what qualifications you're using*, but since Pete's was always contract-brewed and never had its own brick and mortar, I have to wonder.

*I see it was "sales," not necessarily size:

Crazy how fas something can crash and burn, but then -- I don't believe that was Pete's own doing since he'd sold the brand. A great history read here.

 

I remember when Karl Strauss was the best brewery in San Diego. This is pre-Stone and Alesmith. I remember when Pizza Port Carlsbad was Carlsbad Brewing Co and even before that when it was a Wonder Bread outlet. I worked for Stone 10 years ago and I remember that Stone was rated off and on as the best brewery by both BA and RB and that Stone's Russian Imperial Stout was considered one of the top beers in the world, switching positions with Speedway and Darklord. I remember when Frank's IPA was the hoppiest IPA in San Diego and that Greenflash was not a successful brewery. I remember when I first joined that Brandy Angel Share came only in 750ml bottles ,costed 12 dollars, and tasted fantastic. So fantastic and limited that you could literally trade it for anything. I remember when Pliny the Younger wasn't well-known and you could walk into Pizza Port Carlsbad and see it on tap for several days. I remember when I first joined that the majority of people in the restaurant and retail sectors didn't know anything about beer here in San Diego, but now everyone knows a little about the scene and some even know more than me!

 

Yeah, always a problem with terminology when it comes to the exclusively contract-brewed companies. They used to call 'em "Beer Marketing Companies" here on BA (unfortunately, the abbreviate - "BMC" - was just askin' for trouble) and the Feds used to allow them to use the term "_____ Brewing Company" (seems now they only allow "_____ Beer Company" for the contract-only firms) but it does seem particularly inaccurate to call them "breweries".

But, "Pete's Brewing (sic) Co." was the #2 "Craft Brewing Co. (including regional specialty breweries, microbreweries, contract brewing companies and brewpub chains...)" * in the '90s, peaking at around 425k bbl. in 1997. They were always around 1/3 of the barrelage of BBC in that period. Sierra Nevada passed Pete's for the #2 spot the next year.

* Quoting the-then Institute for Brewing Studies/Assoc. of Brewers.​

 

That history I linked was a pretty good read, but it stops at the news of Pete's opening its own brewery in California… which I don't believe ever happened, did it? I can't recall the details, but Gambrinus bought out the brand didn't it? Not sure who has it now, but I don't believe anyone is bottling any Pete's.

 

[Ha- missed that you edited your post and added that link, while I was looking up the figures and typing out my post.]

No, they never built/opened their own brewery, altho' I forget the exact time frame between that cancellation and selling out to Gambrinus. That history seems to be an "official" one written by the company and leaves out a lot of stuff - like the partial ownership of Stroh (their final contract-brewer), a Stroh exec on their board, etc.

I guess Gambrinus still owns the "Pete's" brand - and would probably be happy to sell it to any Pete - or and Tom, Dick or Mary - that comes along waving some cash.

It always strikes me odd that on a website that so many are suspicious of the hucksterism of Jim Koch (and I count myself in the crowd), are often so warm & fuzzy when it comes to "Pete's". In retrospect, his was the "faux" craft - controlled by execs from a venture capital firm and a marketing firm, and eventually a "macro" brewery. (IIRC, one of them, Mark Bronder, even owned more shares than "Pete" Slosberg did).

 

Beers perceived as whales didn't seem to be as prevalent as they are today.

They were all whales...

 

I remember when Sam Adams slogan was "The best beer in America" & many of us would have agreed.

 

I remember when....

people didn't bitch every time a brewery decided to release an IPA

 

I remember the Buffalo Brewpub from that era too. Hard to believe it was one of the best in the region back then.

 

Nobody knew what a scotch ale was. Special releases were fun. Beer Dicks, Hunters, hoarders & traders barely existed.

 

there was a time when i lived for pete's. Depending on the area you lived in, so called craft could be very rare to not even in YOUR state at ALL...

 

still the original batch was damn tasty...

 

I too remember when Pete's came out and remember thinking it was pretty damn tasty. Damn that seems like a lifetime ago. I keep forgetting how fast time flies and how old I am (getting).

I didn't join the site until much later on in my journey and used it more as a reference tool, and being intimidated by the amount of information and amount of different beers out there, and I am still shocked at the sheer volume still out there that I have yet to imbibe.

I was watching an interview of Tom Seaver on the MLB Network the other day and he was talking about his accomplishments and, briefly, the wine he makes and printing on his labels about it not being about the destination as so much as the journey. Which kind of struck home with me. Enjoying the journey...

 

Nope, wrong "Mark" - it was the President, CEO and Director of Pete's, Mark Brozzini, who, by 1997, owned more of Pete's than Pete did - 6.63% to Slosberg's 5.61%. Stroh's share of the company was at 9.66% in the same period (so, still "craft" by today's Brewers Association definition ).

 

...and even at that price our 3 case allotment sat on the shelf for about 4 weeks until I personally bought it all.

 

I still have my t-shirt. Remember when you went to place just because it was a brewpub or the days when you wouldn't yawn when a store 'only' had five different kinds of Stone on the shelf.

 

I will post this again, but this is what back in the day looked like:

 

I remember when German and Czech beers were the gold standard. Now they're just trying to keep up with the craft brewers here in the U.S. Another great example of American ingenuity...

 

The highlight of my Xmas break from college was getting someone to buy us the Saranac 12-Beers of Christmas pack. I still dig me some Black Forest every now and again.

I also remember referring to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as hippie beer while drinking Yuengling.

 

I remember when #9 was the most sought after beer in VT.