Silver Eagle Boycott

And to really fully understand how keg loss occurs, just go read the comments in the "Kegs for Sale" thread in the Texas Let's Talk Craft Beer FB page.

It's apparent that there a number of people who believe they own kegs once they pay a deposit for them.

 

Hey any of you new guys have any sours for trade?

 

I agree that Petrol Station made it sound like they were being screwed by AB/SE, when that wasn't necessarily the case. But I did not get that vibe from the the Flying Saucer reps' post in this forum. Also, your blanket statement that some bars sell the stolen kegs for profit (which is true), therefore the bars that are boycotting are "bad" is absurd at best. You aren't labeled bad for a crime you didn't commit, so why should they be?

Also, the boycott is benefitting the craft breweries that are filling the vacated taps, so it IS helping (some) small breweries

 

Truly upsetting that the breweries have to pay for these idiots' dishonesty...

 

I do not understand why people think a deposit equals owning a keg.

Retail should have a 100% deposit on kegs.

 

Actually, even better than that: this new law only applied to bars with Mixed Beverage permits, i.e. sells liquor and doesn't allow to-go sales of beer. In the case of Hay Merchant charging this tax to customers, they actually just exposed a tax that was previously hidden for them, on top of the price of their beers. Meaning, they raised their prices 8.25%.

 

So these bars are in question are throwing a fit over a $10 increase in their keg deposits, meanwhile, they increased their prices for beer 8.25% for profit? Which they passed on to the consumer? Without much mention to the consumer?

The way I see it, the bars price increase was strictly for profit. They literally said this is the way things are going to be, and did it. Strong arming the consumer.

Silver Eagle charging an extra $10 for a DEPOSIT is just to reduce the risk in lending out kegs. Not for profit. Not to strong arm anyone because they are the big guys over the little guys.

Sounds pretty hypocritical to me.

 

I am sure you are shocked by this, right?

 

No, just trying to prove a point.

 

Just found out that 10 or so kegs were stolen from WF Katy last week in the middle of the night after being left outside. Responsibility needs to be taken on the part of everyone for the increase of keg deposits instead of passing on the blame to others. To those that don't return/steal kegs - you are a thief and a dick.

 

How dare you expose ABI/SE'S plan to screw the craft beer bars. The evil macro ' s are the devil!

 

So, is Brash Brewing gonna charge their distributor less for a keg than what they paid for it in order to keep deposit costs low for retailers like Petrol Station? If not, maybe Petrol could boycott them too. It's the principle of the thing, don't ya' know.

 

The issue comes back to AB Inbev arbitrarily raising their deposits on kegs. Do the other brewers represented by Silver Eagle get a vote on the matter? Petrol Station, Hay Merchant, Flying Saucer, et. al. are voting against. Silver Eagle will have the highest keg deposit fees in Texas come September. Shouldn't the deposit fees be uniform statewide? Why should another AB Inbev distributor in a different county charge $40 for a keg deposit while Silver Eagle charges $70 ? Doesn't anyone see the disparity here? AB Inbev brews most of their product for a large part of the USA in Houston. Why should we get hammered with higher keg deposits ?

 

How do you know it's arbitrary? There could be a perfectly good reason like too much loss from bars. And even if it is arbitrary that's their prerogative. It's a business so I don't see why they can't choose to raise their prices as they wish. And no, the breweries don't need to vote. As Scott already mentioned the breweries have their own keg deposits they charge the distributor. The distributor then has their own prices they charge the bars. I think it's pretty simple. The breweries charge the distributor who then charges the bar. Breweries make their money when a sale is made to the distributor. And price disparity is everywhere. You've never run into a store on vacation to find the thing you need is a $1 or $2 more than what you pay at home? It even happens at grocery stores in the same city.

 

It's like we have come full circle. At this point, I think it should just be raised to the price of a keg because it would be justified.

 

I own a bar with 30 taps and contract out my beer with my own cooperage, as a bar owner that has 75 or so kegs on hand would I be happy with higher deposits? Maybe not so much however the amount of money I have tied up in cooperage and knowing how much is stolen each year totally overrides any angst I would have about having to pay higher deposits. I would gladly pay $100 deposits on kegs if it meant I had far fewer keg losses. It is after all a deposit, you get your money back when you return the keg. So many people think a keg deposit gives them the right to purchase the keg. It doesn't.

 

The whole idea of a subvalue deposit, without any recourse to recoup the value of the keg if it's lost, damaged or stolen makes little to no sense. Try going to Home Depot and renting a tool or 2 and call them back saying someone stole it or you lost it and see what happens. They will charge your credit card for the full amount of the tool not just the rental fee.

 

I don't think you read what I wrote. 1. No clue what FS has to say, I haven't read 80% of this thread. 2. I didn't say, "Bars steal therefore the boycotting bars are bad." Bars that steal are bad. Given everything else I have said, the implicit conclusion is that the bars protesting should blame their fellow bars for deposit the hike as those are the bad guys. 3. Swapping craft lines is good for some breweries, but that does nothing to help craft brewing on balance, as PS claims the boycott will do.

 

I agree, it totally makes sense for the brewery to have a 100% deposit on kegs, but I don't think that's likely to happen anytime soon. The only way it would happen is if the macro brewers forced it (in there same way that AB forced this increase).

 

If they want to keep the deposit low than so be it but the bars need to be held responsible for lost or damaged kegs and pay the difference. Without any feeling of ownership, they have no reason to properly care for kegs.