Black Friday stories

Shit I guess it does - hadn't really thought about it that way.

Ok full disclosure. No truck. No driving. One store. 2 x BCBCS

 

Spent the day with my family in Ohio, so no chasing was possible. Considered a trip to Northern Kentucky, but the buzz about allotments made that seem a low probability strategy. Decided to drink the Black Rajah growler I'd picked up at Jungles Thanksgiving morning, have a nice dinner of London Broil that my sister-in-law prepared, and caught Mockingjay with my wife and brother to round out the night. If I find any BCBS, I might pick up a 4-pack, but I have a number of last year's in the cellar, so I don't fee any great urgency.

 

I waited about two and a half hours for the release of Bourbon County. I was able to score a four pack of regular BCBS and BCBBW along with two four packs of BCBCS.

 

Speaking personally, I don't know if I'd say I'm upset, but the problem is that GI touts Bourbon County as a "nationwide" release, except for the Chicago-only Prop. I think you'd have far fewer people talking about their state striking out if the states getting the variants were stated ahead of time and GI wasn't so cryptic about where it's going and why. I've spoken to multiple GI representatives who don't seem to have a clue where the variants are going and even had one recommend I check out Vanilla Rye after he knew I was in KC, a market that apparently got no variants. I don't think anyone expects DDG or Heady to show up in their local store, because Lost Abbey and Alchemist don't really leave room for speculation to that end.

As far as the implication that buying up extras to trade is about "advocacy", I dunno. I trade occasionally and have no issue with people who do, but let's be honest--unless you are just randomly beer-gifting beers to people, there is personal benefit in trading. It's not really assisting with lack of distro. It's not some altruistic act. And when someone buys 36 bottles of a limited release plus 3 more each of a more limited release, they are preventing other people who want it from getting it so that they can benefit.

 

I'm still waiting in line at my local bottle shop here in Shanghai.

Guy who owns it says he's never heard of Bourbon County Anything but I'm still holding out and remaining hopeful that China will get a couple of cases of Reg/BW/Vanilla Rye/Coffee.

 

Y'all are crazy. BCBS is an amazing beer but not worth waking up before the sun and waiting hours in a line for.

I woke up at noon, headed to the party store around 7:30 PM and picked up a 4 pack of BCBS. Not going to deal with crazies on Black Friday anywhere. Not even sure if my area got any of the variants. Don't really care either as I'm more than happy with what I got.

 

I have a lady who's liquor store I frequent in Indy who always holds special releases for me. I guess she got in trouble for selling BCBS last year before Black Friday and Goose Island jumped her shit over it so this year she was only allotted a case each of BCBS and Coffee. I went to get a 4 pack of each and she said they withheld her Coffee allotment. Cool story, bro. So I swung and missed on getting Coffee.

Fortunately, my buddy at 96th St Payless Liquors held me a Vanilla Rye and Barleywine so kudos to him for being a good dude. He also held me a Christmas Bomb, Sweet Lushious and some other assorted delicacies.

I'll probably trade for some Coffee at some point.

 

Went to Glen Ellyn, IL for Thanksgiving to visit family. Thought I would take a shot at getting some variants as there was a Binny's right across from our hotel. Got there at 6:15 and was 58th in line. Met some really cool guys and we chatted about beer adventures and line stories, etc. It was 20 degrees so everyone was cold but friendly. To make a long story short, I was about 10 people short of getting any variants. I got 2 four packs of regular and that's cool with me. I was disappointed as I would love to try the vanilla or proprietors but it was a memorable day. Everyone was civil and I think most got BCBS at a minimum.

 

Hit up a founders tap takeover in beautiful Urbana IL. Had KBS, oatmeal stout, and imperial stout; and didn't wait in line for an INBEV product!

 

Slow clap.

 

Had a tip from my local AB/Inbev distro rep (get cozy with these guys!) for a place where I could find BCBS with no issues. Walked into this store 5 hours after they opened, they had sold one four-pack so far. Picked up some other stuff from my distributor as a means of thanks for the tip, had some of their products on draft at the store, gave the store owner some advice on brands to bring in for their craft business, overall a very pleasant stop for a store I'd never been in. Then I went over to my regular where they had some Vanilla Rye and normal BCBS held for me. Turned down the normal as to spread the love to other people, wound up with just the four of BCBS and one Vanilla. Hoping to try this year's vintages of Barleywine and Coffee on draft.

 

You're right, they're the saints of the BA world....

Even if they were sending BCBS out for free, they would still be a PITA for other people in their distro area. But receiving stuff in return doesn't remotely make them advocates.

 

"For those who hoarded, thats a bummer. If you are new to craft beer culture, know that people try to focus on sharing. That's the spirit of craft beer."

This shaming is misplaced. I could see if there is a line 100 people deep, and the 10th guy buys five times the allotment, then I'd understand the bitching. But this idea that morality has some place here, when bottle releases have people standing in line at 5am, makes your argument a strange juxtaposition.

One of the only ways one could accumulate volume of BCBS would be by visiting locations where the line is already done and there are still 4 packs left. Or else, the person stood in line at a variety of locations.

In neither scenario is that person greedily hoarding. The person is either in a low-demand area, or else worked for it. That person's efforts shouldn't be derided by someone in a crappy location where you can only buy one bottle, or who thought he could wait until after work to drop by his favorite bottleshop. It has nothing to do with you.

I'm relatively new to being deeper in the craft beer scene, and frankly shocked and embarrassed by how fragile and nancy-pants so many seem to be. The helicopter parenting of Millennials, I guess. Bunch of whiners trying to protect some sort of idealized culture that never existed in the first place and can't stand up to market forces as craft expands in popularity.

 

I worked all day Friday then came home to be with the wife and kids. Went to a football game yesterday with kids and extended family. So haven't bothered with BCBS. Not to worry, have some great beer in the fridge and plenty more great beer in the store every time I go. Soooooo glad I don't chase beer.

 

Wait, so it's not greedy if you "work for it"? Uh, okay.

Sorry, but that kind of behavior is why the stuff disappears in a single day and prevents anyone who doesn't happen to have time to "work for it" on that day from getting some. I'd agree that extrapolating some kind of morality out of beer buying behavior is a stretch, but there is certainly an ethical undertone. And I've always maintained that it's not black and white and different people will have different standards for what is or isn't appropriate. But the more extreme the behavior, the more people will probably agree that said behavior is too far, even if "market forces" allow it. Someone buying a couple extra four packs probably isn't a huge deal (though it may still bother some), but things like getting two cases worth or tricking stores into breaking their own limits by changing outfits seems a lot more sketchy.

I will say this: the market has historically allowed/enabled some pretty fucked up shit to occur to people. Stuff that *is* a lot more plainly immoral. As noted before, this is just beer buying behavior, so the negative consequences amount to insignificant things like someone not being able to buy a beer they want, but using the fact that the market allows something to justify it seems misguided.

I guess expecting people to think about other people when they act makes me a whiner.

 

Spent the day with my daughter. Then I went to pick Chinese food up for dinner and popped into a nearby package store. They had 3 4-packs left. I decided to pass. It was a catch-and-release situation.

 

I think that this thread clearly demonstrates what is wrong with the world of craft beer as we know it. Is it really necessary to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars, or even more, in order to enjoy a hobby?

 

Unrealistic, yes. And when voiced in a forum like this, I can't help but think it comes across as whining.

What you are describing is some sort of elective socialism, when it is clear everyone isn't playing by the same rules. And that includes anyone who took more than a single bottle, to allow the maximum number of people to experience it. You even acknowledge that someone who buys two 4-packs is somehow bothersome to some people. There is no way to possibly live up to this idealized utopia of beer sharing that some purport to champion.

These same people who more often lord their knowledge of beer over others, who are defined by how many different types of beers they've tried on Untappd, etc. The community that tries to legislate sharing is the same one that defines itself on having a unique, singular opinion. They are concepts that fight each other. It's what brought down communism. It's why you will always be irked - prepare for a life of letdown.

Individuals who got up early, who develop relationships with their local bottle shop, have EARNED the beers they get. That someone rolls out of bed, plays with the kids, shambles down to Total Wine and is bummed out that the beer isn't waiting for them, that someone didn't think of them as they made their purchases, is the sort of inane expectation of the lazy.

The extreme behavior? Sure, I'm with you. If your liquor store is paying people to go buy it so they can mark it up, I think that's deplorable. But hating on someone who spent all day going from store to store to gather a collection of something they obviously value? What gulag were you born into to thumb your nose at such industry?

 

My Black Friday was pretty uneventful. I was lucky enough to live within a few miles of two stores that put regular BCBS out early, and got two 4 packs days before the actual release date, both around $22. My local store did have a case of Barleywine on Friday but I didn't get off work in time to get any.

Unfortunately this may be my last year buying any Bourbon County. Looking at that defective bottles thread on here has me worried.

 

I can't fault In Bev here, they have a popular product, and they're hitting new markets which obviously thins out Distro, it can't be otherwise. And they only go as far as the Distributor, after that it's their game with the sales rep who decides within their region who gets what. Look like parts of Mass is swimming, others got minimal. But it is easier to get than it was 4 years ago though. Its not hard to trade for as well, plenty of local stuff to flip. I can see the complaining now if they flooded the market killing the trade value, after all why else would anyone buy two cases?