Getting local beer has become harder for me. You?

It sucks Dave, but it is catch 22. Reason all these new breweries are popping up and the amount of great beer is increasing is because of the growing population of craft beer drinkers. Growing population and human nature of people not wanting to be left out means lines for releases. I am a glad I am mostly a IPA drinker because most releases that generate lines are other styles. I would be very bummed to have to miss out on one of my favorite beers because of long lines and limited supply.

 

Not sure which releases you are talking about, but I went to RD yesterday. Not much of a line before opening, maybe ten people. There was a lot that came right at opening. Despite that, it was well run for such a small place.

 

Dave, I did not go to the Rushing Duck release, but went to the Blind Tiger that day instead. Blind Tiger had a Rushing Duck event earlier in the week. They had Part II on tap and a bunch of other Rushing Duck beer. Blind Tiger is slow with updating their online tap list. When I went yesterday, Part II, Count Koala, Bollocks, and the Remarkable Liquids beer were all gone. Naturally, the bar was still serving about 30 taps of delicious stuff. I sat next to Warren Monteiro, talked with him about Humphrey Bogart for a couple of hours while enjoying four great beers (two of them local). I didn't miss Part II one bit. Know what I mean?

 

What & where we're the 3 releases? I agree about the northeast becoming an amazing beer destination....Trillium, Tree House, NEBCO, Maine, Bissell Bro's, Jacks Abby, Poughkeepsie, Rushing Duck....just to name a select few.

 

It's all a matter of perspective and what you want to focus on. If your neck of the woods has an abundance of riches (especially when compared against itself of 20 years ago), then there's no need to stress.

 

I think Dave is specifically referring to inability to get any special releases nowadays unless you get up at 3am. Sad but true. But it's been like this for years now with every year getting worse and worse. Demand ^.

 

Local limited releases are very difficult to get unless you're willing to show up hours beforehand. Kane's ANTEAD release was a shitshow. Even River Horse sold out of 3 different barrel aged beers in like 2-3 hours last weekend. Fucking RIVER HORSE. I honestly can't see myself going to another bottle release at a brewery ever again. Am I going to spend my Saturday morning waiting in line for a couple bottles of beer? Uh. No thank you. I'll just go to the store.

However, it seems like you're frustrated with the crowds. I'm frustrated with the breweries. I mean, I can't really blame these breweries for doing releases this way, though. They have a couple hundred bottles of beer. Are they going to go through distro or are they just going to devote a Saturday morning to selling them all? Seems like an easy answer from a business standpoint. But it sucks. High or no bottle limits? Assholes buying way more than they need for trade bait. Reasonable bottle limits? Mules, mules, mules for the same reason.

It's just pretty damn off-putting to me, and I choose not to be a part of it. Seems to me like silent releases are the way to go. The breweries will sell the damn beer either way once news hits the internet.

EDIT: And I'm not sure of what I think of Other Half's last minute date change for their release, but I do think it essentially takes the beer away from people who would've considered traveling strictly for the release, brought mules, and mailed it all to Cali. Instead it goes to locals who probably didn't have time to organize mules. And maybe still sent a bottle to Cali - I dk.

 

Not to mention that line-drawing releases generate publicity and hype for the brewery. Can't blame them at all for doing that. I am just thankful that we have an opportunity to have so many new, good beers. I bet in this day and age you could literally have 5 new beers a day and never have to drink the same beer again for the rest of your life. What a time to be alive.

In the end, it's simple economics... supply and demand. In this age of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., there are few "local secrets" and you have to compete with the rest of the world for the short supply. Frustrating, sure, but in the end, it all comes down to how much you want the beer.

 

Haha. For sure. But ultimately, more people getting into craft will mean more breweries opening leading to more options. But yeah. Agreed.

And just to add on to my earlier point about it making sense for breweries to sell everything in a day at their location if they can. On the other hand, does it make sense? Obviously its quick cash. Yes. Makes sense. But who is the cash coming from? People who will never visit again until the next release? Because if I was a business owner, I'd want my product getting to MY CUSTOMERS. Not just some asshat who drove 2 hours but has never had your beer before. I want to keep my core customer base happy.

I just remember this dude I used to follow on instagram. It was just whale after whale after whale - which was kinda fun for a while. But I remember someone asking him about Head High and he didn't even know whether or not it was bottled. And this was the dude who was first in line with his other whale instagram buddy and their gf/wives (drinking Black Tuesday in line of course) walking away with 4 cases of ANTEAD. And yeah, Kane, that's great and all. You just generated a lot of cash from essentially two people. But I just don't know. That beer could've gone to people who actually would have drank it and would've been far more appreciative for it. Oh, and they probably would buy your product even when it's not some BA Impy Stout.

Oh, man. Thanks, @cavedave for stirring up all these bad memories. Haha. I need a beer.

 

Seems to me @zid has the right of it. Over the last several years I've not scored a single special release from Troegs, Victory, Tired Hands, Yards, etc., or any other of the growing number of good breweries in the Philly area. Further, I actually don't regret it a bit, because every time I go to one of their tap rooms or restaurants I'm able to get some really nice beers and find interesting people to chat with. I also know of a couple of restaurants in the greater Philly area that manage to get kegs of some damn nice beers that I might have to otherwise stand in line for (e.g., once had fresh Nugget Nectar on cask) so I can take my wife to dinner and we're both happy. I get to have good beer and she doesn't have to fix dinner.

 

Of course. This is undoubtedly the truth. But at the same time, there's gotta be a better way of getting bottles to people, no?

 

for crissakes, the ANTEAD release was anything but a shitshow, do we really need to bring this up AGAIN?

and Other Half's stout release was...well...the beer is borderline undrinkable, so who cares?

 

I don't know that there's a better way. In the 6 or so years on this site I've never seen anybody talk about a way of handling limited release beers that didn't piss somebody off or make somebody feel unfairly treated.

 

In Rochester, you have to be in the right place at the right time for special releases from out of town breweries. No such problems with local breweries - I've lived here for nearly a quarter of a century and there has never been a "special or limited release beer" in the way most people use that term (people all over the county excited to nab the beer) - I wish we had your "problem" Dave Cheers!

 

I always find something to drink and really don't beat myself up over this anymore, it's just not worth it.

I got my first taste of it when after going to the Pliny Younger event at Monk's the following weekend I went to DC Brau for the Wings of Armageddon release. I was floored by how many people were there for it (seriously?!?).

I stood in line for Younger which was a real special experience, and then suddenly just to try a local brew I had to wait again? Yeah I wont be doing that too often I think.

 

I guess I just don't understand how people are accepting of the fact that if you want to get a limited release beer from a brewery, you have to stand in line for hours in order to do it. It doesn't have to be like that. I'd much rather see the beers just go into distro and have a chance to get them at the store down the road or have silent releases at the brewery. Just seems like it'd be much simpler that way.

But hey, if that's what people want, and if brewers continue to do it that way, then I'll be perfectly happy continuing to drink my lowly shelf beers.

 

Quite the opposite up here, Dave. You saw how the Luminous thing worked out. And forget the beer, anyway... that bottle share was insane!