Three Floyds distribution question/strange occurrence

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by majorbase2, Nov 12, 2014.

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  1. majorbase2

    majorbase2 Zealot (727) Jun 6, 2013 Wisconsin

    I live in western Wisconsin. No particularly spectacular beer places around here. The best one is about 30 miles away in Eau Claire. Anyway, I was perusing the local grocery store, which has bolstered its craft selection recently. I saw something that caught my eye: Three Floyds. Even at said bottle shop, I have never seen any 3F. So I was pretty shocked to see it. It was Pride and Joy six packs listed at $11.99. Being relatively new to craft beer, I got very excited, but remembered a tidbit I've been burned by a few times before: bottling dates. So I looked at the bottles and, sure enough, they were bottled 7/21, so they're getting up there in age. I should also add that I'd been there a week prior to see if they had Shiner Holiday Cheer (my guilty pleasure), and it wasn't there at the time.

    I went home and went to the 3F website and checked their distro. They did have that location (and only that location) listed, but the ONLY other places in WI that carry them are in far eastern WI.

    So my question is, why did all these older bottles suddenly appear out of the blue at a relatively unheralded grocery store in a pretty small town? Is this a sign of things to come? (here's hoping). The employee I spoke to was clueless, he was just a college student working at a grocery store.

    Also, would it be worth it to go back and nab one, even at their age?
     
    #1 majorbase2, Nov 12, 2014
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  2. ivorycannon

    ivorycannon Initiate (0) Feb 21, 2013 Indiana

    Pride and joy I think is not going to be distributed anymore. Yum Yum is replacing it I think. Then you have your distributors who decide when to stock the shelves with beers. American adjunct crap always wins! I would not buy a pale or IPA from July. that's just me
     
    #2 ivorycannon, Nov 12, 2014
  3. pagriley

    pagriley Pooh-Bah (2,382) Oct 27, 2014 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Pride and Joy doesn't really rock my boat, but it is a decent price for FFF.

    I am from Chicago, and oddly enough had the same experience a few weeks ago. I was in Wisconsin for the weekend and stopped at a grocery store in Baraboo, and there on the shelf were quite a few FFF 6 packs, all at about 12 bucks, so I grabbed some Gumball Head for the neighbors wife who really likes it.

    I think it is just a quirk of distribution combined with the fact that you don't have douche bags chasing the stuff all over town.

    That being said, Pride and Joy isn't too hard to find in Chicago - it isn't one of the 'big fish' FFF's
     
    #3 pagriley, Nov 12, 2014
  4. barrybeerdog

    barrybeerdog Pundit (941) Aug 17, 2012 South Dakota

    FYI: Casanovas in Hudson (as far western WI as you can get) gets FFF on a fairly regular schedule.
     
    #4 barrybeerdog, Nov 12, 2014
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  5. gillagorilla

    gillagorilla Pooh-Bah (2,691) Feb 27, 2013 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah

    The most usually mixed up acronyms:

    3F: Brouwerj Drie (3) Fontienen
    FFF: Three Floyds

    They both have weird distribution anyways.
     
    #5 gillagorilla, Nov 12, 2014
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  6. majorbase2

    majorbase2 Zealot (727) Jun 6, 2013 Wisconsin

    Thanks for the heads up. Driven by it before but never been in there. Have to check it out next time.
     
    #6 majorbase2, Nov 12, 2014
  7. jnrjr79

    jnrjr79 Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2009 Illinois


    Given the thread title, I believe all were perfectly able to comprehend him. But I sure do love enforcement of the non-existent BA Style Guide. :wink:
     
    #7 jnrjr79, Nov 12, 2014
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  8. nickapalooza86

    nickapalooza86 Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2010 Wisconsin

    We get Alpha King and a couple of others here in La Crosse. We used to get it 2 years ago then it went away, now it has been back for about 5 months.
     
    #8 nickapalooza86, Nov 12, 2014
  9. sbxx

    sbxx Initiate (0) Mar 21, 2011 Illinois

    Three Floyds regularly calls themselves 3F and FFF, so either is acceptable.

    Shit, 3F is even on the Cimmerian Sabertooth Berzerker bottles.
     
    #9 sbxx, Nov 12, 2014
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  10. MCMASTERSANCHEZ

    MCMASTERSANCHEZ Pundit (995) Jun 28, 2012 Indiana

    Shiner Cheer is pretty good. Went to Texas a while back and had it there and now every thanksgiving-ish time I start looking for it. Its a nice go to beer IMO. Its better than miller or coors but isnt some other great go to beer. Solid none the less.
     
    #10 MCMASTERSANCHEZ, Nov 12, 2014
  11. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    If your grocery store is part of a chain that has locations in eastern Wisconsin, then maybe this old FFF beer was distributed thru that chain, and maybe it's stuff that would not sell in the other stores. It's usually a frustrating use of time to try to figure out the quirks of the beer distribution system. :wink:
     
    #11 PapaGoose03, Nov 12, 2014
  12. gillagorilla

    gillagorilla Pooh-Bah (2,691) Feb 27, 2013 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah

    No worries, but the title was different when I posted that.
     
    #12 gillagorilla, Nov 12, 2014
  13. offthelevel_bytheplumb

    offthelevel_bytheplumb Maven (1,277) Aug 19, 2013 Illinois

    Four months is not that old for Pride & Joy.
     
    #13 offthelevel_bytheplumb, Nov 13, 2014
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