Idea for Sierra Nevada

The comment above from @sierranevadabill is from January of 2015, so maybe sales have improved. But if your current stock isn't selling, would it make sense to distribute even MORE of it?

I also believe today's consumer is quite fickle. They constantly want something new, and want variety. The Kellerweis I see sits on the shelves, so I'm not as likely to buy it if its old. But if it comes around only once/year, I'm more likely to purchase it. I also know its fresh(er).

It's one thing if a beer flies off the shelves and you have a hard time keeping it in stock, and making that beer year round. For example, Lagunitas Born Yesterday from a few months ago. But when a beer (like Celebration, Summerfest, Oktoberfest) is still sitting around at the end of the season, I don't think making that beer a year round offering will help sell any more of it.

Remember Noble Pils? It was an incredibly popular spring seasonal for Sam Adams, as a result, they made it a year-round offerings. Then it died. I don't own a brewery, so I could be off-base with this assertion, just my opinion as a consumer.

 

I really like Nooner, but I LOVE Summerfest. If that was year-round and canned it would always be in my fridge. Always. 100% of the time.

 

Their Coffee Stout is absolutely phenomenal. It's an absolute shame you can only get it in a mixed-12 pack. It has got all the wonderful iced coffee notes of Surly Coffee Bender, and Mother's Winter Grind, with a smooth feel, and excellent coffee notes that aren't charred or over roasted. If they released it in 6 packs my yearly case of Mother's Winter Grind might be no more.

Some more heavy coffee beers from them would be great as well. High West-ified was tasty. SN knows how to do coffee, I just need more.

 

I'm only commenting as a consumer - I know alot more goes into the marketing decisions. From what has been released lately from SN - Hop Hunter (hop oil), Otra Vez (gose-like), Sidecar (fruit added) and Tropical Torpedo (beer nerds just love the word tropical) - they have certainly been following the current trends. Unfortunately for alot of beer geeks it won't ever be "juicy" enough, or salty enough or sold in limited quantities. I wish SN would concentrate a bit on what they do best and that's make great and solid beer. Torpedo, Kellerweiss, Stout, Kolsch, etc are all great everyday beers but aside from Torpedo they get little attention from SN and people on this site.

 

Considering how much summerfest they sell (presumably), i highly doubt they will toss it for a different beer.

 

I think it's my favorite domestic pilsner (Prima and Scrimshaw the other candidates) and I sooo wish I could find it in cans come spring/summer. I think it has been canned in the past, but I've never run across them. @sierranevadabill , is it still canned (Summerfest) and is/was the can distribution very limited?

 

Hell yes. The only Kellerweis I ever see on the shelves is oooooooold. It's such a fine warm weather beer, majorly underappreciated, that it would make for a perfect summer seasonal.

 

This. l love their Kolsch and their Vienna Lager, but don't you dare take my Summerfest away. One of my favorite beers, period. Nooner can go away, for all I care, and Vienna needs to be a spring or fall seasonal!

 

I do wish more people would realize how fantastic Keller/Stout/Porter are. Hell, even Pale Ale, one of the absolute best APAs out there, is ignored by the new wave of beer nerds.

 

I don't see the overlap. Two distinctly different beers.

 

So true... While I have had before (at the brewery and such), finally found fresher than 3 month old Pale Ale on the shelf here and it just confirmed for me that SNPA is just THE perfectly balanced pale. It's downright delicious and an easy "5!" from me. I just wish I could find it fresher because it seems to sit in distro warehouses too long and even when a store just gets it, already 2+ months old. Bummer. I would buy a lot more if I could actually find it a bit more fresh.

It's sad because people go out of their way for hyped beer that is not nearly as good, but it's got hype... I am so glad I never really got on that train and appreciate quality... I would take the Sierra Nevada and Victory beers over most of the stuff out there.

 

One great thing about SN's hoppy beers is that they seem to hold their aroma/flavor FAR longer than many other breweries. There just isn't much of a fall-off after 2 or 3 months. I love it.

 

I have the same challenge in my area.

For example, a few weeks I was considering purchasing a 6-pack of Hop Hunter. I took a bottle out of the 6-pack to see that beer was over 4 months old. I placed that bottle back into the 6-pack holder and purchased a different (fresher) IPA instead.

Cheers!

 

Fruited berlinerweisses in the summer would be awesome, also I'd love to see them make a saison.

 

If they could just make BA narwhal affordable. I like the base beer, but haven't picked up the BA version because of price. If it were $20 a four pack I'd buy it.

 

Summerfest>Nooner, but Otra Vez you can't get rid of

 

I'm still seeing Celebration on the shelf at full price, why is this? They make good beers, but IMO none great, don't get me wrong I love their PA , but I can get local fresher and as good. So brew a few beers, make a few great ones, and don't fall into the Sam Adams trap.

 

I couldn't agree more. My guess is that it is not as much the name that hinders the sales as much as the buyer knowing these packs came out in March and September, respectively.

 

This is pretty much the exact same situation I'm in. I've literally never seen a six-pack of Kellerweis, Stout, or Porter on the shelves around here. The only way I even got a chance to try Kellerweis in the first place was when it was in the summer pack one year.