beer date question

The only reason why I check dates on stouts and porters is sometimes you come across an accidentally aged one - which works in your favor.

 

But the breweries signed the contract with those "middle men". So?

Cheers!

 

Well, no we can't agree that most are fresh. (I do the bulk of the grocery shopping for my family.)

What I see is lots of sales reps and/or store employees restocking shelves and putting the older packages up front for the folks who don't bother to read the dates. This includes bread BTW.

 

There's mandatory 3D party distro here if you brew more X amount of barrels. So many choose to stay under that threshold instead on expanding. They take interist in their beers over making a bit more money, they do check, many maintain beers must be refrigerated, if they catch you your done they won't sell to you. There's a bill up now to allow self Distro like it should be.

 

The solution to all this is what one Maine brewery does.
Date the cans, and package them in undated cardboard boxes. Brilliant.
That one lies directly on the brewer.

 

Dale, that is for NC, right? How do we 'fix' this situation for all 50 states (and DC) including beers that are brewed outside of the state?

Cheers!

 

Twenty five years ago as a high school job, I worked in a supermarket stocking shelves. To this day, I reach behind to the back for any dated product, milk, bread whatever. Also, don't take the front box/can/ whatever off the bottom shelf. That's where the mop and or floor buffer splatters everything on the way by. And those mops do multitasking... I don't know about you, but I don't want that stuff in my cupboard at home.

 

Never thought about the buffer. (Although not in a grocery store, I've run a buffer and know exactly what you are talking about.) I usually don't take the front package but now I've an additional reason to avoid doing so. Thanks!

 

LOL I do the same. All bread from back, milk etc. They just move the older items front and stock from the back. I hope they don't get crafty like beer guys and scratch off the dates, then we all are in trouble ha ha.

Second that on floor cleaner, man I never thought about that but lol you just gave me a vivid picture of what goes all over the outside, thanks for heads up.

 

Yes it's a state situation that makes no sense, I'm assuming the dustributiors are generous with campaign money.

How you'd do this on even a regional level would require manpower nothing less. It's time, miles , and vigilance to ensure a proper product to the customer. But the trade off would be cost, or as a compromise....how about showing me clear bottle on dates.

 

I have no expertise in brewing or distributing, but I've decided basically to not buy SN products because I've looked at so many dates and got tired of putting them back on the shelf. Almost everything they sell around here (SE michigan) is old. It's their right to sell how they want, but I would think this issue would effect their bottom line at some point.

 

I get it but don't let that discourage you from buying good beer. SN is good beer, bottom line. At risk of getting this way off topic, I think SN has crossed into the BMC market with their consumer base maybe? (I.e. grab and go)

It's not just a SN problem. In fact, one of my first posts on this topic was stating that I rarely find "old" SN. In the end there are far greater problems than beer dates in our society , and the discussion does seem trivial in a lot of respects, but hey, it's a beer site and it's winter, all good discussion.

 

I always exercise my consumer right to reach for the milk carton in the back and I've noticed I'm not the only one who does that. I don't think the problem of old beer will be addressed until we consumers demand fresh product.

 

What would be funny is if they started stacking the old milk and bread in the rear just to mess with us all ha ha.
Agree, until enough people voice a concern the beers will remain dust covered. We all just need to use our skills and code decipher rings in the mean time.
Cheers

 

When I find moldy produce at a store, I prominently set it out so it can be seen. By everyone. In the past I've pointed it out to staff and they generally just deal with the one I identified and don't cull through looking for the several I mentioned. Some stores - such as Wal-mart - throw away a lot of produce so that there is nothing spoiled. Not sure if that's company policy or just the stores I've shopped at.

So - what should we do when we spot old beer at a craft store;

• Point it out to the staff that is probably aware and doesn't care or isn't empowered?
• Help them by putting it on their clearance shelf?
• Rotate it to the back of the shelf for them?
• Put it on the floor with a post-it that says "expired - bad"
  
• Tip off the brewer in case they care enough to ping the distributor?
• Switch exclusively to stouts to take advantage of pre-aged beer?
• Just shop elsewhere?

 

I actually shop elsewhere now. I have a local bottle shop that is amazing. They love craft beer, stock all the good stuff, and I have yet to see anything old. I still hit TW or others but only take beer that is dated and fresh. I stopped mentioning it to staff at the store because I just got deer in headlight look back, they really don't care they just want their shift to end. I use to contact the brewery but stopped, anymore they don't pay me and I am not wasting time doing their job. Outside this I go to brewery and buy direct and that is best option when going in state, its like a day old most times.
I used to love the report beer option on brewery sites but thought about it and was thinking shoot if your doing your job you would not need to option lol.

 

There's a few great beer stores in Greensboro that even they suffer the fate of old beer. They are vigilant, they do care, they do check, but I bet you couldn't find a fresh Alpine beer if your life depended on it, or take your pick from dozens of beers I'd say mostly Ca IPAs that are in the same boat. It's not their fault in this case because the options are 9 day Wicked Weed Pernicious, or week old Jade from Foothills, maybe fresh Buriel Beers are in this week. They offer what the customers used to like, but as much as I liked Hop Stoopid for $4 a bottle I wouldn't touch it now. On the other end they certinly cannot offer only local options either, it's quite the dilemma. They are forced to carry beers that are very slow to turnover, he knows it's going to sit before its all gone, and I'm quite sure what's happening at the retail level is happening at the distributor, it's backing up as well. I'd guess even a new order from the retailer brings in old beer because the whole system is stacked up with slow moving beers. So again no dates I don't buy, there's really no telling how old some of these beers may be, but I'd say some are 8 months are better on a dated bottle, perhaps more if it's undated because nobody knows.

 

It's a tough industry. Even here in South Dakota with a pretty limited list of breweries in distribution, there are hundreds of beers that craft drinkers expect to find at a decent craft store, even if they don't move very fast (like props?). If a store were to trim back to what really sells, it would be maybe 100 or so beers, making them look craft-weak, and some folks will go elsewhere.

So - what can a shop do when they are typically required to take beer in case increments and they know it could last them over a year? Some stores might take a couple of years to sell a case of an import, particularly with changing tastes. I wonder if most liquor stores may the big bucks on liquor, wine, and macro - and craft is along for the ride because it's expected.

 

It’s very easy to see why a lot of breweries do not date their products, and it has nothing to do with the cost of setting it up. Its camouflage imo nothing more.

 

But one difference is that AB works very conscientiously with their Wholesale Distributors to ensure that old product is removed. I would be very surprised if you found a Budweiser in your local stores that it over 110 days old.

I can report that I can easily find Sierra Nevada beers that exceed 150 days in my local beer stores.

AB and Sierra Nevada have very different business operations as it comes to maintaining fresh product on retailers shelves.

Cheers!