Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

Do you really think they'd charge $7 in a bomber for this?

 

I took the family there this evening for dinner, tried the mango vanilla first bloom with dinner, since there was no to go on it , (which was pretty good could use more hop kick/flavor but excellent mouth feel and flavor from the fruit and vanilla) and then stopped in the bar on the way out to bring the double home with me but crowlers were gone and they were not filling growlers as of 6pm, was pretty disappointed

 

Based on First Bloom I thought for sure this would last a week or something maybe growlers were just not being filled temporarily??

 

Just to get after it: were they not filling any growlers or only RAM growlers which they were out of? Thanks

 

You're a huge troll, so I don't know why I'm even replying except for the benefit of people who may not know you're trolling.

There is nothing inherently "not premium" about cans. Cans are the best thing for beer, honestly, and just because something is in a can doesn't mean it can't be priced highly (though I would hope the price is justified by the quality of the beer and the costs involved in making it). Some of the best beers in the world are in cans, and there is no reason that almost everything can't be in cans.

Again though, I know you're just a troll, so carry on.

 

Gonna transition here. Was talking to a fella at Half Acre yesterday and we couldn't think of the last (major or local I guess) brewery who went to packaging in 12oz glass bottles. Obviously, places like Half Acre and Pipeworks went from bombers to cans. Who is the most recent modern brewery to decide on 6'ers? I was just thinking how cool it would be to grab ZD, Alpha King, and Gumballhead in 16oz cans...

 

Shots fired.

 

The baretender said it as "i guess we are not doing growlers on the double" fairly certain it was not a glass availability issue

It was definitely still available on tap and the place was pretty dead, I do not think it was an issue with a shortage of beer

 

Thanks for clarifying. Might have to do a two-stop for that and Say Uhh tomorrow

 

Locally, the most recent I can think of (off the top of my head) would be either Moody Tongue or Like Minds.

 

Troll? I'm glad I could help you make yourself feel better by name calling.

What is the highest price beer in a can? What is the highest priced beer in a bottle? What is the highest priced wine in a can? What is the highest priced wine in a bottle? Highest priced spirit in a can and highest in a bottle?

I appreciate your stolid, well reasoned argument defending aluminum, but the world associates glass with premium as you'll learn by answering my questions above. I'm not debating which is better (and it is inert bottles), merely stating premium = glass. So until Bourbon County Rare 3.0 comes out in a tall boy, try again.

 

You are a troll, though, or at the very least a contrarian: you go through all these boards and just shout contrary opinions into the void if for no other reason than to cause someone to react (which I have regrettably done).

There's no doubt that people associate large-format glass bottles with higher-quality items...to a degree. The context (which in this case means the beer style) matters. People want IPAs (and their session and imperial variants) in 16oz. can format not bomber or 750ml format. For the style in question here, 16oz. cans are seen as the premium package at this point, largely probably because the highest-rated examples of IPAs come in that package (see Tree House, Trillium, The Alchemist, Monkish, etc.). Go look at the Mikerphone thread for evidence of this where people who enjoy Mike's beer refuse to purchase his packaged options because 750s are not their preferred method of delivery for hop-forward beers.

Now certainly people would likely balk at buying, say, a 16oz. canned lambic, so the "premium" idea is not completely without merit, but for styles like IPAs, pilsners, helles, kolsch, and similar "drink fresh" styles, the preferred packaging is cans, 16oz. if possible, and the premium perception is shifting with preference in these cases.

As a related side-note, people are beginning to shift away from bombers and 750s in general (except in special cases like lambic, barrel-aged stout, etc.). One look in the market we both share should tell you that, and as a person in the industry, I can tell you that off-premise shops constantly refuse to buy large format and question why breweries don't package in smaller formats instead because they're having trouble moving the 750s and 22s.

I don't really know enough about wine to make an assessment there, but I know canning is relatively new to the market, and I personally believe wine to be even more about perception than beer; look at the opinions of screwtops vs. corks. I don't want to go down that path, though, because as I say, I am largely ignorant to that world.

 

Good thing you didn't judge it before tasting.

I personally think it's cute how worked up people get about your posts. I know you stir the pot some, but have actually never thought you're an actual troll.

 

Do you honestly not consider yourself extremely contrarian and negative it tons of your posts? It's a known thing by plenty of BA Chicagoans...

 

And now for something completely different...

I broked into my Snoochie tonight and thought it was fantastic. It gives Stay Lit a serious run for the money. At the risk of exposing my ass, I'd love to see the beer with a more Nelson hop flavor and I might die happy. Something with that juice and dry just works so well for me. In any case, I know the other 32oz I'm shipping off to my friend is going to be well received. Nice work.

 

You mean the week I'm going to be in town and in and around Corridor several times? Yep, I believe that's the week.

Okay, my brief, emoji-fueled, adult man tantrum is over. Carry on.

 

I'm sorry, I'll fall back in line. I agree with everything everyone says on here though some of their statements may conflict with other things people say. I'll also try to stop being negative- I'm so excited to pay higher prices for beer and am happy no one produces bad beers anymore.

 

I wasn't aware that increasing beer prices was a contrary opinion. So you work in the industry? Your credibility in the cost discussion just evaporated. It seems to me you are just toeing the line of your own self interest for profit now and defending charging customers more..

I don't know anyone who thinks a 16oz can is a premium package. I don't. I think someone was to cheap to go for glass 6 packs. It might be more convenient for people like taking a picnic basket is more convenient for camping than bringing your dining room table.
Isn't Mikerphone selling out of his 750ml hoppy beers with regularity?I agree it is convenient for the consumer to move away from bombers and 750mls because they aren't single serving options for people, but 16oz cans aren't helping that either. Putting a 9% abv DIPA in a 16oz can is 2.4 servings of alcohol....

Canning is about as new to the market as air travel...Budweiser started canning in the 1930s.

 

Ok so clearly you don't think u are extremely negative on purpose and it's only your normal point of view that is elaborated in your posts- got it

 

Was that you that complained on Instagram? Either way, I think you have a pretty legit beef.

I stopped in today and they had a ton of glass, so that couldn't have been the issue...unless they got some huge shipment this morning. And I grabbed a pour and took a crowler home around 1:30pm and my crowler was dated 6/3 (yesterday). I guess they could have filled some late yesterday, but it seems odd if they weren't busy that they wouldn't have filled one for you. As I was sitting there, at least 3 or 4 other people bought pre-filled crowlers and in slow times, the bartender was filling new ones (either they bought their own crowler machine or they still have the one from Wheeling).

I mean, there could be a good explanation, but it just seems odd. If you are still looking for one and can't get there, shoot me a message and you can have mine.