Other Half Brewing December 2016

Got there at 12. Out at 2. Missed on Orbit, vanilla. Missed on Stacks because I didn't bring cash. Plenty of forever and blowin up were left.

 

Finishing up my first can of Blowin' Up the Spot right now. Definitely a very tasty beer, but I can see why people are saying it needs a week or so to reach its peak.

I don't regret waiting in line for this, but I'll be very happy if Other Half has some mellow releases lined up for the upcoming months. I don't think I'd do another crazy release like this one. It would have to be structured like the Like Whoa release in order for me to go back.

 

All the bottle options certainly did not help the line movement. I think things will go back to "normal" next release. I was told there will be one next week

 

I get that there was a lot released today but when I got in the garage and noticed they only had two registers working... what's the reasoning of that?


And yea I saw that same guy with his daughter have to pick up bottles in front his door, felt bad for him

That old Asian man with the pointy stick seemed to be yelling at people about the garbage but he wasnt yelling in English so People may have missed the point

 

Also is other half feeding the pink like whoa clowns with this random pink label blowing up the spot cans

 

No line. About 20 cases of blow and 40 cases forever. Some IAL bourbon/rye left

 

I went to this (12/03) release. In at a little before 8, out at a bit before 12:30.

On the plus side, I like that taxes are baked into Other Half's posted prices. That's convenient and good. Moreover, I'm always skeptical when trying these limited release beers (the propensity for the "emperor's new clothes" effect is just too damn high), but I just reviewed Stacks on Stacks and found it to be surprisingly solid - and I'm not exactly known as the most effusive reviewer around here.

The rest of this release was...shall we say, problematic. I haven't been to any of their releases before (or to a release event like this one in maybe 15 months), but there's room for improvement. I don't want to dwell on unconstructive criticisms, and to be fair, people littering while waiting in line (while ironically literally adjacent to a recycling centre - I mean come the fuck on, people) isn't Other Half's fault...at least not directly.

But to offer some hopefully constructive feedback, I think Other Half might have done well not to open the taproom for draught pours until after they had finished the release. Allocating more of the staff who were busy pouring beers in the taproom to handling to-go sales definitely would have sped things along. Additionally, having different lines for cash and credit is a smart move in terms of efficiency, but since cash paying customers are routed to the fast-track, you do have to be mindful of situations wherein a cash-paying customer who was twenty persons back from the credit-paying customer now next to them (both of whom were in a line of people who had been waiting 4+ hours) is asking for a bottle/beer that the intermediary 19 people might have bought. It's not an easy situation to handle, and I didn't get shafted, but a few definitely did. And I don't think Other Half's hardworking staff want to deal with someone who gets irate over that scenario (nor would I).

I doubt I'll go to another Other Half release based on my experience at this one (though the one beer I've tried so far is legitimately tasty stuff!), but I don't matter. Many people will continue to go to these releases, and the lines will grow and grow as Other Half's reputation does. Maybe something like brown paper tickets is the solution; maybe it isn't. But as much as people want to conject about whether the problem is Other Half, the craft beer drinking release culture (i.e. us, ladies and gentlemen), or other miscellaneous factors, the source of the problem is largely irrelevant, and many are criticizing without offering useful feedback on how to improve.

The above aside, I will tell you - neither tacit criticism nor tacit agreement intended - that an Other Half staff member told many behind me in line after being asked if they would reduce allocations that "reducing allocations wouldn't be fair to those who were in line at 4am."

 

I've been banned from waiting on line for Other Half by my wife due to this release. Oops, I really thought the line was going to move a bit faster. Guess with the stouts and the Monkish collab, it brings everyone out.

I showed up at 9:21am and I got on line which had reached back to Centre street. Only decided to stay on line because of the promise of getting a full allotment. Got my beer at 1pm.

 

Three hour wait was rough after getting there at 1030.

Everything but Orbit was available though.

Could've been tweaks, and I don't think they saw it being this nuts. I still thought it was very well managed though.

 

So all we know is that Broccoli is next?

 

Thought everything was gone but Forever.

 

A few cases of blow left. Plenty of forever.

 

Please let at least 1 4pk of the collab make it to tomorrow. I'll be there at open!

 

I don't think that will happen.

 

I didn't think so either but a guy can always dream! I'll still be there tomorrow at open. Not gonna pass up an opportunity to hit my favorite brewery on my way into the City.

 

Thoughts on today's release: opened later than expected, line actually moved faster than expected. line was mostly in check all morning. could show up at 9am and get everything. OH crew crushed it, kudos to them, thought it would take much longer with 3 cans and 3 bottles but they really had a great plan and a great execution of that plan. haven't tried the collab yet, drinking ddh ACE and fully frothed, which I traded for today, both are top OH beers IMO. Great release overall and was able to head to Kane after leaving OH and was lucky enough to get there at noon and grab 4 bottle of Mexican Brunch with almost no line. perfect beer day

 

What?? We're we on the same line? It was slow as molasses and they were out of Orbit. Everyone who showed up at 9 did not get everything.

 

Anyone get details on supposed midweek releases?

 

Can confirm that I was there before 9 and didn't get Orbit. Not that I care, I wasn't that interested in it. That said, I won't do one of these #hypeboyz releases unless it's structured like Whoa was, to echo another commenter. I was in essentially the same spot in line for both, and was out with Whoa in a third of the time as I was for this.one. Just not worth it for me, regardless of how great the beers are. I'll stick to the ones where I can roll up at 1230.

 

Is blow on for fills? I would like to stop in after I get off work later and pick up a growler.