Firestone Walker pulling out of Rhode Island

I wish I could get them in Pittsburgh!

 

They're pulling out of other states because I requested them here in South Dakota!

 

They are in the Philly area. Maybe you should ask your local distributor?

 

No more dusty UJ or Easy Jack on the shelves when I go to visit the in-laws? I'm shook.

 

I guess I won't hold my breath for the thriving beer state of Arkansas...

 

Interesting, they just arrived in Indiana a few weeks ago.

 

True that. Although I enjoy a pivo or Union Jack, I’ve found that at shops all over New England FW’s offerings are often very dusty and passed over.

I think this is once again a sign of the times. The “larger” craft brewers that had plans to go national over the past few years have been dealing with a market place that is more interested in drinking smaller and local.

 

Hmm, it seems pulling out is sometimes a good thing. Take that, Mr. Schneider, ninth grade health!

 

There was a time when 2-3 wk old UJ 6 packs were a solid buy for me. It was the king of the golden WCIPA style IMO. But those days are long gone - the beer was always dated, & either it changed or my tastes. Perhaps both.

Recently saw a year + old sixer last month in a store, still at $13.99 no less. Sad.

 

Hopefully it'll be several years before this hurts the stock of barrel aged gems in the Nikki's Liquors vintage room...

 

The only thing I'd be sad to see leave are their barrel aged beers. I'm really interested to see what happens to the industry over the next few years. The market is getting very saturated

 

does that mean more parabola for MA?

 

is it brewer driven or distributor driven? Too small to succeed?

 

I do know that the boxed beers sit in RI . I never hunt them in MA or NH because I know they will be at certain shops in RI. It's just not selling well. There is too much shit on the shelves everywhere. Things will be overlooked even if undeserved .

 

*Beavis voice*
You said ‘pull out’! Huhuh huh huh huh huhhuh

 

This sucks that ______brewery stopped distributing to_____. I haven’t bought or drank them in ____ years but it will be sad to see them go.


***just wanted to save some BA’s time with this form for the next few years.

 

Aren't they owned by green flash? Who are pulling out of at least new England? I had assumed that meant Alpine as well.

Just did a quick Google search and who knows what the future holds for either brewery but it doesn't look good.

http://beerstreetjournal.com/comerica-bank-forecloses-green-flash-brewing-ceo-exits/

 

In general they had a problem getting good code dates to us in New Hampshire. 2-3 months old already coming in from distro on most core stuff all the time, aside from Luponic. Sluggish sales so less frequent shipments from the brewery to distro + cross country travel = trouble.

They might be my favorite non-New England brewery, but they're suffering from the same thing other nationally ambitious breweries are: failure to build a connection with the non-local consumer. They have bare bones sales staffs and rely on essentially just getting the beer in the door at retail to ensure sales. When more breweries try to get through the same door, you have to wait longer or you don't get in at all. You need the consumers on the other side of the door to force the gatekeepers to give you the "lift the rope because hot girl is trying to enter the club" treatment.

Why does anyone care about your beer? Why does anyone want it? The answer can no longer be because it is good beer. There's too much good beer now that form better connections (more local, fresher, more on trend, better label art).

Are you innovating? Are you advertising? What's your brand story and why does it make people want to drink your beer?

Firestone Walker is owned by Duvel (Duvel-Moortgat).

 

Excellent summation of the current situation. Plenty of good beer being passed over nowadays.