Distributors That Pawn Off Old Beers.....

I'm sure it's a combination of factors. They either don't care, aren't willing to take a loss, or are just waiting for that uneducated guy who doesn't look at bottling dates. It's a shame,but at least we know to stay away from them.

 

maybe there just isn't enough craft consumers in that area and they can't move the product...i'm sure a company wouldn't wanna refund the customer if they have cases left over a lot repeatedly that they ordered and can't sell.. or just the store does not take care of the situation there self..

 

Do you have retailers available to you beyond Total Wine, World Market, and Farm Fresh? Do they have fresher product? If the answers to those two questions are “yes” and “yes” then shop at those other retailers.

It would also be worthwhile for the overall beer community in your area to have a conversation with the beer managers of the stores you mentioned. ‘Educate’ them about their problems and inform them that you refuse to purchase old product. Feel free to mention you will be spending your money elsewhere (if you feel comfortable making that statement).

Cheers!

 

There have been a number of threads on this topic, both regionally and for specific brands, and I think it is because there are too many beers being carried by these distributors, and they aren't managing their stock efficiently.

I have seen 6 month old Firestone on shelves, pointed it out to the beer manager (Firestone says to report beers over 120 days) and it is still there a month later. The distributors won't take it back, the stores don't want a loss, so it sits there until someone buys it

There are very few stores big enough the could push a distributor and refuse old beer and demand fresh, and even then, it would take for ever to check every delivery for bottle dates...

It sucks, but on the bright side I have had some amazing beers by basing my choice on freshness, not ratings or brand. For ipas in particular, I just get whatever is freshest.

 

I'm pretty good at holding grudges. If I find way outdated beer somewhere I won't look there for beer a second time.

 

Just posted a thread about the same thing happening in my area a few weeks back. I really felt like it was the distributor and not the stores because it was all "new" product to the shelves and wasn't sitting, but was still very old beer! Since then I've stopped going to the places I found it happening most and check bottle dates obsessively.

 

The challenge of managing ‘old’ beer was part of the discussion in another recent thread. Below is one comment I made to a retailer (who started the thread):

“I know that this is not easy to do all of the time but if the wholesale distributor is providing product which is old (e.g., > 3 months from bottling) refuse that beer. Receiving old beer will just result in older beer in your store since many folks won't buy it.”

Perhaps you can have a conversation with the beer managers of your local beer retailers on this topic and ask them as a customer to have them refuse purchases of ‘old’ beer from their wholesale distributors.

Here is a link to that thread: http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...lers-tips-complaints-ect.247368/#post-3167506

Cheers!

 

Did you have a conversation with the owner/manager of those retailers?

There may be other ways to 'fix' this problem but all that I can think of is that if the end customer (we beer drinkers) don't force the hand of the retailers then 'old' beer from wholesale distributors will continue to be delivered to retailers and that will be what is available for sale to us.

Cheers!

 

Welcome to just about every big-name, one-stop-shop liquor/bottle store in the United States. Unless you're shopping in a store that caters specifically to craft beer and craft beer alone, I would be willing to bet my annual salary that you will more likely than not find "old" beer on the shelves every time you walk into the store. It's just a matter of recognizing it, and avoiding those purchases if possible, or in the worst case, taking your business elsewhere (i.e. to bottle shops that cater specifically to craft beer that have better turnover and are thus likely to have relatively "fresher" product on the shelves; or to brewpubs and getting bottles/growlers directly from the source).

 

Well, "demand fresh" is a problem - if the distributor doesn't have it, the retailer isn't going to get it. But lots of small, indie shops refuse delivery of past code beer.

Wow. If I did that, I'd have to give up buying beer. I don't think I've ever found a store where I couldn't find something out of code in 5 decades of beer shopping.

 

My local store does that. In fact, they say that they have to be extra careful with certain distributors who are known for delivering out of code beer.

 

Last week i came across a Stone IPA with a best by 11/6/ 2013.

I did not purchase.

 

Pretty much all of them in Spain. You have to check dates here, it´s so disappointing to find an Alesmith IPA that tastes like malt stew.

There are a few exceptions, but in most cases I think they just don´t realise that most hoppy beers have a limited shelf life.

 

Yes it's a problem here in AZ. recently saw some "new" Fuller's ESB that was best before October 2013.

 

Good to know. That actually surprises me a bit. At least here in Chicago I have heard of distributors screwing smaller stores out of special releases if they are too picky, and forcing allocations of shelf turds on stores that they have to take if they want to maintain access. The distro in Chicago is very concentrated and politically connected, so they get to abuse their power quite a bit... Especially the big 2 (one has miller, the other AB)

 

Guess I'm fortunate here. The shops I frequent really watch the codes. Also, I did say "way" outdated. You know, dusty bottles, out-of-season bottles, etc...

 

This annoys me too. I always check dates before I buy. I used to work at a liquor store part time... Avoid sale items most of them are old beers