Introducing Jester King 2016 SPON — Méthode Gueuze

It wouldn't be a lottery for 11k bottles, but only a small portion of that. Jester King posted in this thread and specifically mentioned that their ideal situation would be for the beer to always be on the menu, year-round.

The lottery was just a suggestion, or a compromise, as a way to have both bottles to-go and for on-site only consumption so that they last.

 

I see it as a "pro consumer" way of going about it... Why make someone stand in line for hours and compete with dudes with mules when you can make it equitable and easy for most true fans to get enough for purely personal consumption?

 

What am I missing?? A lottery is not equitable, otherwise I wouldn't be part of a large group of people who missed out on zwanze two years in a row... you're actually increasing the chance that 'true' fans would get shut out by using a lottery.

 

Zwanze was a 200 person event. Hopefully this release will be much larger. But when you have only 200 (or 2000) spots and many multiples of demand for those spots, are you suggesting that standing in line for hours on end (and bringing along/paying people to stand with you) is a more equitable way of distributing those opportunities?

 

You ain't gonna get shut out if you bring yourself to the brewery for on-site bottles. And again... trying to take into account JK's desire to make bottles last through the year for on-site consumption.

 

Right, but you'll be paying a premium for the privilege and that sucks... They've got 11,000 bottles, I just don't think there's any need to get cute and over-think this.

 

I fail to see how doing a lottery, which really opens this up to the whole country is fair. It's basically saying "eh, I'll only go if I win". Even if all the small bottles are sold and the 7000 large bottles are kept for on site, it should last at least the weekend. A lottery shouldn't be needed. I get it, it's people's opinions but I think it's a lazy way out.

 

@jesterkingbeer Just a thought for after the official release on 11/18...

Offer ~ 750 to 1000 bottles (mix of 750ml and 375ml) per month @ 1 per person, onsite consumption only. Price - you can decide.

Bottles are available to reserve on the first day of each month at an unannounced time. The key here is that it is a reservation; nothing is being purchased at this time.

To reserve, call the brewery or reserve online and select a pick up date within that month.

Have your ID and credit card used to reserve over the phone or online checked when you arrive at the brewery.

Receive a dated wrist band that allows you to purchase the beer on that specific day only.

Purchase your beer at the indoor tasting room for consumption on site only (not sure of the laws - do 750 bottles require 2 IDs?). Enjoy the surroundings that created the unique beer in your glass.

Any beer reserved, but not purchased on the particular day selected is forfeited and put back into the next months allotment.

Or it could be sold the next day at bottles to go when the brewery opens (bottles reserved by someone but not purchased at the tasting room on Friday would be available on Saturday at bottles to go, and so on...) corked and capped so you can take it home with you.

I imagine this quantity for sale at bottles to go would probably be pretty low, but it would give people who didn't get a reservation for the month, as well as folks who are from outside of Austin visiting the brewery an opportunity nearly every week to purchase the beer.

 

Jesus man, you guys know how to ruin everything. Beer is supposed to be enjoyable and not some stress inducing shit show. They should release the bottles all on one weekend with a limit of 1 per of each size per person until sold out. They can hold back 1000 bottles of each size and price them for 40 and 75 or more so people coming from out of town or for whatever reason can splurge and purchase one. They could even increase the price as the bottle qty. diminishes to maintain the availability for people that think it's worth purchasing.

 

That is a terrible idea and far too much work. You guys really try way to hard to complicate things.

 

Is this because you would only get one beer?

Think of it more as a reservation for a really nice restaurant with a menu that changes weekly and limited seating.

I haven't had Spon, but from what I've heard, I'll be more than willing to try to make a reservation each month to drink this beer on location.

It is some work for the brewery to manage in terms of how many bottles to organize for each day they are open, as well as managing bottle "security", but it cant be much more than they already do for a big limited release such as Atrial.

Online reservation/inventory systems would easily report how many and what size were needed for each day, as well as the reservers name and CC information. Hire a few people to manage it and have it available year round.

 

I'm with @michael78747... this scenario sounds miserable.

 

With Zwanze, at 200 tickets, lottery was mandatory. With 11k bottles, it isn't, unless JK wants them to be year round (which is their call). I don't think the trade off is worth it, for reasons I stated, but that's just my opinion.

I think it's important to recognize that everyone has their biases here. A lottery is, technically, the most "fair" way to do it, but it's also the most frustrating, and IMO it's too open because there is no commitment. And honestly, it doesn't really cut down on muling. If anything, with no commitment and a big friend base, you can get like 20 people to sign up, and then you just drive them. Since they don't have to wait in line for 3 hours, it'd be easy for locals to convince non-enthusiast friends to just throw their name on the list. If you do lottery, I'd make a ticket cost like a $10 donation to charity or something.

But guys, just because somebody doesn't like a lottery format doesn't mean they are a hoarder or just want to trade. I don't even trade because I'm too afraid to ship alcohol lol.

Everyone has their biases. For the sake of discussion here, I think it's important to remember that. Even with Texans/locals, a lot of people can't commit 3 hours line+the drive every weekend just to get beer. They have lives/families. Gas costs. So ofc they want lottery, because they can't make it two weekends in a row. And people with a lot of money, it favors them to charge a lot for the bottles, because it cuts down on traffic, and at a certain point of wealth dropping $20 on a beer and a $100 on a beer doesn't really make a difference if your really want it, and you know it will be more valuable anyway. Whereas a $40 bottle can turn a lot of people away.

Also, I would love an all cash policy, or at least cash line--I feel like credit cards are like 70% of the holdup at JK, especially when there are swipe problems.

I won't post anymore in this thread. I know I've been cluttering it with too many opinions, and for that I apologize, I just feel like a lottery is the most high-stress option available.

 

I think the emphasis on the method you requested would put an undue burden on JK, when their time would be better spent making more beer so we could tell them how to distribute it. JK is being nice by asking for ways to manage this, but I don't think it is reasonable to expect them to go to the burden of accepting reservations for beer when in actuality they can just throw it on the counter and it is gone in 1 weekend.

 

Ugh, I would honestly lose a ton of respect for a brewery that did that. This isn't getting a reservation at Noma, this is beer.

Sell xxxx amount of bottles starting Nov 18, keep xxxx amount of bottles for onsite. It is up to Jeff at this point to make the calculations and choose the quantities. And for god's sake, no lottery.

 

No, it's because the idea is ridiculous.

 

This is crazy. I just want to buy a beer I'm not trying to get backstage concert passes. If people act like adults and don't try to game the system there won't be a problem.

Never mind I forgot that's impossible....

 

I just want one bottle to take home. I want my bottle to collect dust like a lost trove of Cantillion and in 10 years I want to open it for a special occasion. Sell the small bottles to go, keep bigs on site (or vice versa). As long as there isn't a lottery, which I'll probably lose again anyway, I'll be out there early Friday with MREs and and taking photos around the property.

 

Reservation system ala AR b1, you have until the end of the year (whatever time period) to pick up your bottles. If you don't pick up your bottles by year end, they go into the pool of on-site consumption only instead of public sale at the end of the holding period (like ARb1).

 

I don't believe they held bottles til the end of the year. But this is also a feasible plan.