Tired Hands (October 2018)

Damn, 150 cases of the milkshake left.

 

I love it.

How's the new shake tasting? My buddy grabbed me one four pack and is offering up another if I want it.

 

Yeah was there for a couple trades around 830 and wasn't planning on buying but there was no line so I did.

 

I am thinking the shake may make it to the weekend. planning on going tomorrow for lunch and hope to pick up the shake. They only sold a total of about 200 cases last night. It wasn't long ago that they were selling 600 cases on a release night. They really need to figure out why the sales are falling off, I believe it is a combination of pricing and quality. It only takes one bad experience to turn people away with so many other options available. I love there beer and want hem to succeed. Maybe they need to bring back some of the classics and limit the adjunct ingredients. I understand that they like to experiment but the sales are really down.

 

Have you experienced quality issues with Tired Hands beers? If so, how prevalent is this?

Cheers!

 

I mean I think it's a couple of factors: number of releases (the every few weeks model means that shakes aren't that rare), output (large batches that while yes were selling like crazy are now just the norm and with allotments what they are there is no need to line up), the number of breweries that do this style has exploded and a variety of direct trade competitors have scaled way up (Tree House, Trillium etc) and all of these are effecting the trade value which in turn means that demand is going down. I'm sure of course that there are still people out there who haven't had them and will still get good secondary trade pricing on them but it's just not crazy anymore. Plus this would be the equivalent of Tree House doing a Very Green or other non rotational beer every other week so even going can for can at this pace it's hard to keep up. It will still sell in a couple of days but you are right, not a couple of hours.

 

Agree with most everything said above. My one friend who loves to speculate about this also thinks two additional factors are at play - some folks felt burned by the anniversary release having canning issues after standing in line for hours, and the fact that they’re charging a super premium on these one off culinary beers that really don’t seem all that different tasting from a cheaper priced Hands can. I know I personally have cut back on getting their cans, mainly due to price. It’s hard to justify a 24 dollar 4 pack of a one off beer that I may or may not care for.

 

Quality- I meant quality of the flavor of the beer.

I have had no issues with can leakage or oxidation etc.

 

The Instagram complaints seem to center on people not wanting to pay for one-off "experiments" that they aren't sure if they'll be good.

Which is interesting, considering "experiments" were originally what would drive the biggest lines, the FOMO factor extra high because it could be a "one-time" one chance beer.

The main reason, I believe, is that hazy beers are now available on a shelf where there is no line.

 

People just love to complain. I 100% believe in the psychological aspect of a line. People who would probably pass on this sitting Guava Lavender shake would have lined up yesterday had there been a line to Athens

 

Doubtful the business is hurting if they sell out in a week or two instead of a day... the vast majority breweries (or any business) would love to be able to sell out at all, let alone without any substantive distribution costs.

 

I haven't been in a while but I do believe this is why they kept the amount of registers low. Slower line means longer line means more people wanting to get in said long line.

I see newer resturuants do the same thing, artificially manufacturing slow lines to create hype. Ever been to Goldie in Center City?

 

I attribute it mostly to price and supply. Supply has risen drastically since they now do a shake every other or at worst every third week with pretty large allotments. Then couple that with the continued high prices and demand has dropped off. People no longer think "OMG a shake this week, I need to get there" and have changed the mindset to "eh, another shake, if it sounds good to me I'll try to get there, if not there will always be next week (or the week after etc.).

 

I'm really surprised they haven't gone the Other Half route and tap some of the more experimental culinary beers a day or two before the cans go on sale, if only to generate some sort of hype to move the stock of cans quicker.

 

Normally I would state that Tired Hands needs no suggestions on how to get the hype going but perhaps they will take heed of your post and do what you mentioned?

Cheers!

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining they are finally lasting into the next few days, not at all, it saves me a ton of time and aggravation. Me myself, I was just explaining why the lines have all but gone away. Am I happy about that? Damn right. Do I want them to hype their releases more to sell the cans quicker? Hell no.

I agree with you, I think right now they've hit a sweet spot. I mean think about it. I went today at lunch, walked right in and got my allotment of shakes, I also had available 4 other cans (at the Ferm) if I wanted and.............there is the whole General Store now with a constant supply of both Hop Hands and Alien Church. Look at how far we have come. Is the next step possible limited distribution? Hmmmm.

 

That could also have the opposite effect -- if people are able to taste them first, they may decide they aren't that good /worth the price, or may only buy a 4-pack rather than a full allotment. I know I've had buyers remorse a few times after getting my cans home and tasting them.

Another effect of the line was, since I waited all that time I might as well get the full allotment vs. now when I can just stroll in, I might only buy one or two 4-packs.

 

Heh, man, I had that effect on me so many times when waiting in line. I'd wait with the mindset of just getting 1 4 pack of each, and by the time I was done sweating my ass off in the heat, I'd just go full yolo and get full. lol.

 

Financially I can't imagine selling beer a week or two after canning (or a few days in the case of the shakes) is an issue for the brewery at all. They are still getting all the money, and truth be told, by stretching out availability over time there are more times for people to swing by, stop at the Ferm and eat or drink,etc. It's only in the weird Pokemon collecting FOMO world of Insta-beer hype that this seems to be a problem . Not for normal people.

Now granted , if the trade value on secondary market takes a hit due to lack of hype and scarcity , that may eventually force prices down by eliminating the line-life underemployed peeps who basically serve as unoffical and unpaid distributors. But it's possible that slack will be made up by others who can just swing by the brewery any time for a couple 4 packs. Remains to be seen