Side Project Brewing (2024)

Just out of curiosity what is the pricetag for LC?
Non-LC here so was looking forward to trying to get in on the Nov 2 release. Is a shitshow (insta-gone) expected for that? When is the pickup window typically? Black Friday was mentioned in the video, but wasn't sure if there was a range. Need to make sure I'll be around at the right time.

 

I do not expect an instant sellout. Though the package is far cost effective and appealing so who knows.

 

I have been killing cans of For Friends. Absolutely fantastic brew.

Looking at the to-go can options, one can grab For Friends, Oma, and Opa.

 

I have the cost in my spreadsheet of beer purchases for the year, but reading that again almost made me throw up a little. That’s a hefty tag to get solo bottles that have been cut in half volume wise.

 

don’t like For Friends as much as CM or Maplewood’s Best but it is still really good. SP’s lager game is ridiculously good.

 

Opa is tasting real good. Stop in Sunday and get your 40% off a case of crispies. Comes out to under $10 a 4pk.

 

Since it appears that LC is being offered none of the cellar releases, I'm curious as to how those releases are going to go. The blog is surprisingly quiet on how releases will be handled (for instance, it was known at the time during the Brewery 10th that 10 yr Barleywine had an allotment per day, and that all other releases were garage releases, etc), whereby none of those details have been noted thus far; just that there's to-go and on site bottles of all 5 beers.

I also remember the Cellar Anniversary usually being more subdued, but doubt that'll be the case this go-around. I think the Sunday of Cellar Anniversary in 2022, there was no line, I waltzed in 20 mins after open and just grabbed a table by myself.

 

The only thing I saw was this:

I'm obviously not an insider, but reading between the lines I'm assuming that 'begin' implies that it will be similar to the brewery anni release (some each day). Given the size of the Cellar, I'm curious to see how the crowd turnout is for these days. Kind of hoping people post pictures.

 

So double the entry fee. Double the cost per oz on the malty beers compared to a few years ago. 1 bottle per person. La Coterie not offered 10 year barleywine. Or DB Reverberant. Or Triple Barrel Anabasis. Or MJK 2024. Or the cellar anniversary releases. Still thinking about re-upping next year.

Do I have Stockholm Syndrome?

 

I remember when I was given shit on here for complaining about LC.

something something tables have turned.

 

I def have nothing to compare to, as this is the first year I've been in LC. I don't have the comparison of the fee being less, or all 750ml bottles, or most bottles not making it to the public.

Everything being relative, LC is better than being loaded with a bunch of sours I don't want. That being said, I'm surprised that for the most part, the public gets a shot at all of the same bottles (this year), and that there's no consideration given for these Cellar Anniversary beers. It's not enough that I won't re-up next year, but it was a little surprising. To see bottles just hanging around on public release, but only allowing LC to buy 1 single bottle is also perplexing to me. Especially for the 375s - I'd have loved another bottle or two of D19.

 

Sounds like you don't like a lot about the membership

 

Was For LC made available publicly??

 

Don't believe so. LC got 1pp and then a bonus 1pp sale the week after. No packages.

 

What beers (other than vintage sales) have been exclusive to LC this membership year?

For Alan? Any others?

 

Derivation Grand Cru and For Alan are all that I have marked as LC only. 10+10 had a quick sale for LC, but I believe it was a garage release before that.

 

There's so much good in the BA community, and so many great members in the SP thread, as is evidenced by all the member-answers to random questions, discussions about meetups, proxy pickups, shares, and so on. Everyone I have met has been great. That said, historically SP has always had a bizarre, gate-keeping cult-like following on BA. The SP thread is the only brewery-specific thread on BA where people so staunchly refused to allow dissenting views and complaints, often times refusing to engage in civil discourse and instead exchanging it for inflammatory remarks. Negative opinions were treated as a personal attack, as if you insulted someone's spouse or child. It's only been in the last ~1-2 years that many people have finally started to realize that:

Raising prices + decreasing allotment (volume) + packages + increasing proportion of sours-to-malty beers in packages + lack of benefits specific to LC members = CK is running a business

He created a hype train and SP has done everything to maintain that, as a business should. But, it feels like SP has chosen every strategy to extract every ounce of value, and it has rightfully so turned a lot of people off. It didn't stop with either inflation, shrinkflation, or packages. Not even for LC.

I honestly don't think anyone - especially those in LC for the last 4 or 5+ years - thought we'd end up here. The change in BBT going to a 2-bottle malty-only package is the first sign we've seen that course correction may occur.