Craft Beer Advent Calendar Thread

...or in the box before it gets to market...

 

We have given strict guidelines to the breweries in terms of expiry dates and until when the beer must be good at. If on the bottle a BB date is printed, this is what we check, we cannot check every bottle if it's good or not - that's simply not possible.

We will continue to make the Calendar because we want to expose more and more consumers to craft beer and it's extensive variety. As example - a consumers that doesn't like Stouts would never go into a store and buy a bottle or 6-pack of any stout. However, in the Calendar it's different. 85-90% of our Calendars are given as gifts. And in a gift, people will try ALL the beers in there, even a Stout (that they think they don't like) and they might discover that they actually like them - hence next time they're in store they might pick up a 6-pack of another stout. We're trying to get more public awareness for craft beer in general - that's what we're trying to do.

The other calendar producers don't have the high inbound freight cost, or a high cost for the box or the high cost of assembly than we do - hence - they can be cheaper. This year, our inbound freight cost from the breweries to the assembly warehouse was way over 120k, and there was no way around it. Take the cost for our expensive box - it's used as a gift box in most cases, and should feel like that, not just a regular/cheap 24-pack. On top our assembly has to be done in a bonded warehouse and is extremely expensive - 24 people @ $56/hr/pp - some cost the others don't have.

 

Would like to point out something here that I strongly disagree Christian with and didn't post the other day. The agent fills out the PO and asks and pays for the product they should get what they want if they aren't then that doesn't help their business or their customers. To this just the messenger stuff with most agencies if a product has a problem with it as an agency most stand up take responsibility for it, buy it back or make it right and then approach the brewery for restatution all out of the public eye. Hopefully all in a very timely manner as a part of good customer service. Or at least that is way I run my agency. In short once the product enters the warehouse the product becomes the agent's responsibility if not that says something about the agent.

 

Someone asked about the Krampus.

I loved it. I've only had a limited experience to sours before. This was outstanding. I loved the story and the date was perfect.

The Craft Beer Advent Calendar so far has been fun and interesting. I've not liked all the beers as much as others but that's the way it goes. It's been cool drinking beers from around the world.

 

Lot of hate in here for the Craft Beeradvant calendar. This is my first go round with it, my wife bought it for me as a gift this year and I've been enjoying it a lot. Most beers I've had from it have been good to great quality and I certainly have no complaints. Packaging is great and the variety has been impressive.

I don't have the Phillips or the CC/P49 ones, but from what I've seen of them it appears they're mostly stuff that's readily available off the shelf. Certainly getting unique offerings in the calendar that are not widely available which is great, though for some, I'd like to be able to track them down again in the future.

Regardless, I'm a happy camper with it and hope to get one again next year. Price is obviously high, but for me (even if I paid for it myself) is well worth it.

 

For those of you who bought the 2014 Craft advent calendar - couple of questions:

1) What was your favorite beer?
2) Would you buy it again given the chance?

Some of the unsold ones around town here are starting to be broken up into individual bottles, and I'm wondering if it's worth pulling the trigger on any.

 

There are unsold ones around your 'town'? Wow.

 

My favourite beers from the calendar were:

Marmalade Porter by Worldtop Brewery
Blackfriar by Inveralmond Brewery
Biere de Noel by Big Sky Brewing Company
Krampus by Birrificio Del Ducato (this was a sour. I loved it. A lot hated it)

This is my second year getting the calendar, I got one last year also. The calendar was more expensive this year. I paid $150 for mine. I enjoyed trying beers from around the world. I enjoyed the different styles. I enjoyed the experience.

I'm not sure I'll get the calendar next year. It works out to 6.25 a beer. I understand the input and production costs involved for the producer. I'm just not sure I see the value in it at $150.

 

value on liquor on marine drive in vancouver had about 10 or so left last i was in, if anyones lookin for one

 

THANK YOU!