Founders Tap Takeover

Agree with this 100%. Cant complain on my part about the timing, i got there about 10 minutes after 4 and everything i drove there for was gone. This event (along with a few previous events) has now leveled my expectations for special releases, don't expect anything and it's probably going to be a cluster. =) Ended up getting a pour of Founders Imperial Stout but could have drank one out of my cellar.

Did anyone ask or post the size of the kegs they got prior to the event? IMO the kegs were way too small to support an event like this.

 

I got there early, because I knew there would be a line and I really wanted to try Doom. Like others, I was shocked at the full tulip pour. I went back up for a KBS, but the guy right in front of me got the last one. So I had a Bolt Cutter instead and shared with a buddy who had a KBS. After the Big 3 were kicked, I moved on to an Enjoy By, Waldos and a Rye of the Tiger. There were so many other good beers on tap!

Despite the rush, tight confines, lack of seating and quickness at which those 3 kegs kicked, I thought the event went pretty well. The staff was nice and no one was a dick. And I'm a real dumbass for not eating any delicious B&tB grub while I was there.

One complaint/comment: it really sucked to see several full pitchers of KBS sitting next to the taps after the keg officially kicked. I was told that this was for VIPs. I get it. We all know it happens, but could you guys not be so obvious about it? Kinda sucks for your paying customers to see that and then be told you can't have any.

Anyway, thanks for putting on the event. I enjoyed it and would go back again!

 

my wife/designated driver and I both got the grinder sandwich that was marinated in All Day IPA, so freaking good!

 

I just want to thank you for being open to a little criticism and being very honest and open with your thoughts regarding the event.

I managed to get one of the last cups of Doom, which mitigated some of my disappointment, and your participation in this thread makes me feel better about future events.

 

It kicked in an hour and 20 min, maybe 30 of us there by 5:30 and I only had one and easily coulda had another but wanted an Old Curmudgeon as I just wanted to try KBS on tap at least once same with OC.

 

By the way, some of the things complained about are neither the fault of the bar, the staff, the management, or the distributor. The brewery is in control of how many kegs are released to where and how big they are. Why should a Michigan brewery send multiple half barrel kegs to a bar in a state 900 miles away? There are just not enough to go around to every deserving bar from there to here. And if they start making enough, you'll probably say it's not as good as when it was small batch.

 

Well, I won't. But the rest of you will.

 

One thing B & the B might consider is doing advance tickets so people know when the beer in the small kegs have been spoken for and there's less heartache. That's what Omar recommended for the the small kegs at the Surly 5th Anniversary parties, 2 years ago, and it worked really well. We didn't tap them until 7, and started selling tickets at 4.

 

The brewery has nothing to do with plastic cups, excessive hyping/marketing and oversized pours. If the bar only gets small kegs, perhaps the responsible thing to do is not to market an event endlessly for a month and maybe do a small quiet release for your regulars. Just a thought.

 

That might have been the best tap lineup I have ever seen, with Waldo's, Enjoy By, Great Lake Rye of the Tiger, Indeed Let it Ride plus others along with the Founders. Great job overall!

 

double down on this, was lucky enough to get a glass of bolt-cutter and happy as all hell to stay, check out the music and suck down some of the remaining beer line up.

 

I didn't make it but I agree with this. It's definitely one of the best tap lineups I've ever seen

 

I must say, the B and the B beer garden has become one of the best beer spots in town, always interesting stuff on tap, great beer dinners, killer cheap meats, all around a great spot, and open year round! Keep up the good work Ben.

 

Any bitching that resulted from that Founders event is an indication of the quality of that customer and nothing else.

 

So the organizer of the event who was complaining about the plastic cups is a bad customer?

This is a problem that we have with society as a whole. We view criticism as an attack rather than as information to make us better. Was the tap line up excellent, yes. Did I enjoy beers even though I did not get a chance to try any of the main lineup, for sure. But that doesn't mean it could not have been better. Smaller pours so more people could have tried some of the beers, ticketing, proper glassware for all, all suggestions that may be implemented and make their next even better. If nobody complained, nothing would improve.

 

The bitching is what I take issue with.

Bitching gets us nowhere. Constructive criticism is a different story.

 

Plastic cups suck!!! = Bars and restaurants catering to the craft beer community should really be pouring these expensive brews in proper glassware.

I didn't get any, Boooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! = Perhaps a smaller pour would have allowed more of the establishments valued patrons to enjoy some of these tasty libations.

I guess it is all in how you look at it. If read correctly the bitching is constructive criticism. Sometimes, it isn't. But I think here the vast majority was in trying to help Buther and the Boar and other bars/restaurants that want to put on events like this make them better.

 

Who was bitching? I saw most people stating facts. Also, isn't that the point of a forum? 2-way communication? We're lucky in the fact that the guys responsible for the event knew there were some problems and were open and honest about the lessons learned. They also openly discussed the event on here with the us (the customers), which is also great and their actions support the fact that they care.