O'so 7th Anniversary Party

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by robear, Oct 17, 2014.

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  1. bmony26

    bmony26 Crusader (491) May 2, 2012 Wisconsin
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    I think they either save them for special events or they will put them on tap at various times after the party. I agree that it's crappy that people skirted paying the $15 for the toys for tots. I couldn't make it to last years party but I still gave them $15 for the cause.
     
    #41 bmony26, Oct 22, 2014
  2. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    I don't necessarily agree that it's skirting- if you're willing to wait until Monday and take your chances, then I think the beer should be fair game. Or, better yet, announce that left over beers will be sold for growler fills and pints on Monday with $3 per fill and $1 per pint going to T4T. Then, you raise the fill and pint prices by $3/$1 to cover the donation. If people want the special beer, they're going to donate to T4T, damnit!
     
    #42 robear, Oct 22, 2014
  3. Ri0

    Ri0 Initiate (0) Jul 1, 2012 Wisconsin

    Has O'so ever sold at a beer they solely brewed for $20 a bottle? How much do you expect Exodus to be once bottled and released? 16 is probably the best BA stout brewed in WI and it still is $15. One could argue that is very high price for a BA stout.
     
    #43 Ri0, Oct 23, 2014
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  4. djhowell

    djhowell Pundit (917) Apr 1, 2009 Wisconsin

    Yea, I had the same thought when I saw the price point. At $20 they're charging more than Cantillon for 750ml bottles. That said, I'm still buying what I can.
     
    #44 djhowell, Oct 23, 2014
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  5. THANAT0PSIS

    THANAT0PSIS Pooh-Bah (2,275) Aug 3, 2010 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    I think you are a discerning consumer. O'so hasn't really given you any reason to expect greatness from them in the sour category, whereas New Belgium and Upland have a reputation for making quality wilds (undeservedly so for the latter, in my opinion).
     
    #45 THANAT0PSIS, Oct 23, 2014
  6. Gonzoillini

    Gonzoillini Initiate (0) Oct 15, 2008 Illinois

    I'd jump in with economies of scale and other arguments, but as I have a personal connection I'll refrain. Having said that, if you feel wrong about paying $20 for Levi / O'Sos stuff please feel free to not purchase them and let other folks who will gladly pay that enjoy their stuff.

    Hope to see a bunch of familiar faces on the 8th, and after we drink too much at O'So I'm hoping to see some of you at the hotel a stumble away to continue drinking.

    Also @Wisconsinality you better come up if only so we can rub beards together.

    Cheers!
     
    #46 Gonzoillini, Oct 23, 2014
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  7. egrace84

    egrace84 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2012 Illinois

    FTFY.
     
    #47 egrace84, Oct 23, 2014
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  8. egrace84

    egrace84 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2012 Illinois

    I'll be there on the 8th, and will be staying at the AmericInn. I'll be bringing a few choice bottles along, and more than welcome to share and hangout. Cheers.
     
    #48 egrace84, Oct 23, 2014
  9. cptnspeed1

    cptnspeed1 Initiate (0) May 20, 2010 Wisconsin

    Exodus has already been bottled and sold twice. It sold for $14-$17. The production costs were undoubtably lower, however due to production scale and equipment.
     
    #49 cptnspeed1, Oct 23, 2014
  10. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    The problem is that $15 is starting to look like a bargain for BA ales. Breweries are shooting well over $20 (Modern Times sold their first three BA Imperial Stout variants for over $20 each, and it's not a particularly great base beer) and some have broken the $30 plane (Beachwood's latest runs $35).

    I refuse to believe that costs have sky-rocketed in the past two years- this is simply breweries taking advantage of a booming demand for BA beers (stouts, sours, quads, whatever). They can buy a decent barrel, fill it with said beer, and charge in some cases 3x what they would charge for the base beer.

    I'm not saying that O'so/Funk Factory is guilty of this, but I do think that $20 for DK is $3-5 more than production costs truly warrant. If they can make that extra money, good for them. If the beer lives up to it, they'll sell plenty more in the future. But it's a big risk. Nobody knows for sure how this (or any un-carbed BA beer) is going to taste a few months to a few years after bottling. But I believe that risks like these pay off big time for truly talented brewers.
     
    #50 robear, Oct 23, 2014
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  11. wisconsinbeer1

    wisconsinbeer1 Pundit (822) Nov 11, 2004 Wisconsin
    Trader

    Barrel Aged Night Train 2012?
     
    #51 wisconsinbeer1, Oct 23, 2014
  12. bmony26

    bmony26 Crusader (491) May 2, 2012 Wisconsin
    Trader


    One of the goals for their anniversary party is to raise money for Toys for Tots so by waiting until after the party to get beer is skirting that issue. Whether or not you or I agree with it, it's their brewery and they can do what they want.
     
    #52 bmony26, Oct 23, 2014
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  13. jRocco2021

    jRocco2021 Savant (1,083) Mar 13, 2010 Wisconsin

    Lol that makes sense.
     
    #53 jRocco2021, Oct 23, 2014
  14. grantcty

    grantcty Savant (1,016) Feb 17, 2008 Minnesota
    Trader

    If you think 15 is pricey for BA Stout, don't come to the Twin Cities. :wink:

    Geeks and Surly fanboys happily hand over 20 bucks/bottle for Darkness (this will be the first time the 'regular' for-sale version has been barrel-aged). In the past, it's been no better or only marginally better than so many shelf Imperial stouts out there for almost half the price.

    Indeed brewery just released Rumking, their Impy stout aged in Rum barrels. The cheapest it was selling for was 14.99. Most places were around 16 or higher.

    Another new release, Clown Shoes Itaska Loonidragon, was 13-14 bucks, higher at some places.

    What's my point of all of this rambling? As @robear points out, 15 is kinda the new norm for BA-beers.
     
    #54 grantcty, Oct 23, 2014
  15. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    Darkness, Dark Lord, and BCBS are the three biggest reasons that special release beers are seeing such high prices. Over the past five years demand for limited beers has at ridiculous rates. The popularity of craft beer has driven both the trading and cellaring demand through the roof, so now folks want as many bottles as they can get.

    The tricky part is deciding which beers you really want and then sticking to your budget.

    There are still a few great deals out there (Alpine Exponential, CW Brewer's Reserve, partially BA beers from Tyranena) but as breweries realize people will pay 50-100% more per bottle, many of them are taking advantage of that. Especially the breweries that have sharp numbers people on staff.

    The Avery BA stuff is way, way too expensive for what you get.

    Either CW has a really brilliant business plan that keeps the prices down or they're biting the bullet on profit they could be making.

    Understood, I was just thinking that there are a couple of solutions that would keep the beer (and T4T $) flowing.
     
    #55 robear, Oct 23, 2014
  16. Wisconsinality

    Wisconsinality Initiate (0) Aug 15, 2009 Wisconsin

    Haha, beer budgets.
     
    #56 Wisconsinality, Oct 23, 2014
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  17. elkabong

    elkabong Initiate (0) Apr 1, 2014 Wisconsin

    i'll need to see the math
     
    #57 elkabong, Oct 23, 2014
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  18. bmony26

    bmony26 Crusader (491) May 2, 2012 Wisconsin
    Trader


    No disrespect intended, the owners are big on donating to local charities. They take the money from brewery tours and will donate it to local charities or someone in the area in need. I have a lot of respect that they are so focused locally and help those in need out.
     
    #58 bmony26, Oct 23, 2014
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  19. SkippyChop

    SkippyChop Devotee (364) Jan 31, 2013 Wisconsin
    Trader

    FWIW, I believe CW has said that they make the same profit margin on all of their beers, including 16. I think this was in response to some complaints on FB after the last anniversary party about prices. 22oz of an imperial stout aged in 21 year bourbon barrels for however many months for $15 is a steal. Not to mention that it's one of the best beers ever made.
     
    #59 SkippyChop, Oct 23, 2014
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  20. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    It all depends on the profit margin, which depends on the cost of (in this case) O'so making the the wort and Funk Factory fermenting and barreling it.

    The wort would be the least expensive part of the process, not sure if it was transported to FF or if they have coolship up at O'so. Fermentation, inoculation of bacteria, and aging can be pricey, mostly due to time and barrels.

    I'd love to see the math on any breweries souring programs, just to get a feel for how much of the price is based on demand and how much of the price is due to actual cost. I do think that most breweries stick to a standard, across the board profit margin on beers- it's really the only sane way to run a brewery, from a budgeting perspective- but I'm sure there are some breweries that quantify what they should charge for barrel-and -blending time differently.
     
    #60 robear, Oct 23, 2014
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