The Bruery is closing Provisions

Agreed. After I found out they were only pouring their own beers in flights/tasters, I really didn't go often since I could get mostly the same things at the brewery itself.

 

That's going to be the downside. I like provisions seating and atmosphere far better than the chairs and tables at tasting and yeah, it's already crowded as is.

Gonna need to expand that space sooner rather Han later

 

Truth be told, I'm not surprised in the slightest. At best, it was a place where they could get full value on their own product. But considering they've been popping up on the shelves of Trader Joe's, maybe just selling through distributors is worth the lower price than having rent and overhead to pay in having a shop for you.

Not to mention that if they just sell their bottles at the tasting room, the appearance, or lack of, excess bottles will push you to purchase more. Walking into provisions and seeing stacks and stacks of specific bottles just made you hold off on buying it.

The other beers, unless they were limited releases, weren't moving all that fast.

 

Because it is a known location, or is there actual equipment there?

As a visitor of the tasting room... I am saddened that I never made it to provisions.

 

I am saddened that I never made it to provisions also.
Living in NY made that quite improbable however I do realize that there will be a gaping hole that needs to be filled !

 

my post disneyland wind down is no more

 

Same thing I always do

 

Never been before so decided to make the trip today to pick some stuff up and see the place before its shut down. Really wish I'd been able to go before the final few days, looked like a really nice little store in an area with a lot of other cool little shops. I don't know which place is the bbq restaurant near it but damn it smelled good. Also, confirmed my hatred of roundabouts on this trip.

They are going by a list for 2013 Reserve members to get the discount since the cards aren't out yet. They may not be doing it for all 2012 members, but the gentleman ahead of me was a 2012 member and they went ahead and gave him the 30% off discount also.

 

How picked over was the store?

 

Wouldn't worry about the tasting room getting drastically more crowded...it's not like the tasting area at Provisions could really accommodate more than 12 or 15 people anyway.

 

Once they put in the patio, it was ways 20 deep

 

@Early: They still had some nicer stuff out on the shelves when I was heading out but it was getting picked over pretty thoroughly. I guess I'll put it this way, I'm glad I was there when they opened because what I was after would have been gone within a few hours today.

 

I fail to see how it follows that what Stone is doing is backwards. They're building their brand and selling their beer at a much higher mark-up than to distributors. And they can stock a store almost entirely with Stone branded merchandise and expand the number of locations where they can sell growler fills (which must be absurdly profitable).

I suppose you could argue that they haven't established themselves enough yet, or that there just isn't a market, but I don't see how in any way what they're doing is backwards.

 

I'm sure it makes it much easier on the Bruery if you flash your card so I don't say this with any pride, but I've never once shown my Reserve Society card and I've always gotten a discount. They can look you up in their system/database/list.

 

I scored 2x Tilquin Gueuze, 4x Black Albert, 2x FW DDBA, de Molen Mooi & Meedogenloos & Tsarina Esra Imp. - all at 30% off. Saw one guy hauling off at least a 10 pound slab of artisan-cured meat.

Some of the wild-eyed dreamers in line just before Provisions opened were speculating that the Bruery might dip into their cellars for this event, but no, nothing different than their usual offerings was on display.

 

Are all the Eclipses are gone?

 

There were two left when I headed out. Mellow corn and another that I've forgotten, I want to say it was black or blue wax.

 

Rue closed Provisions due to financial reasons. It is pure stupidity to think they were going to try and celebrate its closure - nobody ever wants to sell off their inventory at a huge markdown.

 

Sorry, not seeing an edit post option. To clarify, there were plenty of bottles of those two types of Eclipses left.

 

I don't what his profit margin is, but I'd buy 2x more beer from him if he lowered his prices 25%.