Hill Farmstead (2021)

Good catch - you beat the print edition distro by one day! Thanks for sharing, although it isn't exactly the news I'd hoped for...

 

A quote from the article:

“SH: I do not envision the taproom reopening in 2021. We will continue with the curbside model throughout the year.”

 

Thanks a ton for sharing this!

 

Looking forward to the brews they’ll be putting out this year!

 

Ending the interview with this:

made me giggle.

 

This surprised me, and the whole article had kind of a mid-life-crisisy vibe that made me worry about the future of the brewery. It doesn’t sound like brewing beer and selling it for money is all that appealing to Shaun. But it was also super vague. So he had some big life epiphany, but like, what was it?

 

I kind of got that vibe too, but also, if you’ve ever listened to the Good Beer Hunting interview with him, he’s always had that vibe. His business plan initially was to sell a growler a week. The more and more I listen to podcasts with Brewer/business owners, the more I hear about how most just got into this gig to brew beer, not manage other human beings or build a brand. It’s just something that happens, and some accept it and thrive, and others can’t stand it. I’m not saying Shaun is the latter, he’s obviously excelled at building his brand, creating a healthy work environment for employees, and built an all encompassing hospitality experience with his property and beer, but it’d make sense 2020 would make him rethink things and get back to the basics. I’m honestly happy with just being able to bring home their beer again.

 

Sooo I guess we’re not getting a nacho Doritos dry hopped ba farmstead ale this year?

 

Yeah it seemed like the first question in the interview was disconnected from the meat of the questions thereafter, and revisited at the end, which tied it back in and helped formulate the original sentiment that I think you lost in wondering what the epiphany was (as I originally did).

And I think that epiphany is that he doesn't need to run an on-site neckbeard festival several days a week in order to be successful.

 

He mentions single use cans...I’d happily deal with a 1/6 or 1/4 when it comes to ipas and dipas

 

Certainly a Catch-22 for him. He doesn't sound like a guy who enjoys the notoriety of the world's best brewery, but he's also brewing beer that is perceived as "valuable". I imagine the crush of the compromise would magically disappeared if all he offered were shelfies.

I am huge fan of the shift in business model. Again, one person's opinion, but my favorite Hill visits were off weeks with no big releases, just hanging in the taproom, or the porch, and relaxing with a pour of Edward. The mad crush of a Samuel or Damon release holds no appeal to me anymore. Standing there with hundreds of people and their mules doesn't sound that fun. Could be I'm getting older and grouchier, I accept that.

And it sounds like the reservation model will alleviate the bullshit of sitting in long ass lines in the taproom hoping you get a pour, and then trying to beat the line-jumping people hovering near the bathroom JUST IN CASE a whale is put on the list. My vision of a Hill visit is sitting there relaxing, not staring at my phone, taking pictures of the beer I'm about to put on MBC.

I got this guys, "Okay boomer."

 

Toasting you with my coffee. Nailed many of the feelings I have with visits before pandemic.

 

I’m not overly social, those type of events never appealed to me, because of it, I haven’t tried some of their more sought after releases, but it’s never really bothered me. On a slightly different note, and maybe it’s just me, but seeing people resell something like civil disobedience for a large markup, is disappointing.

 

I feel like this has been the greater awakening than any inclination to stop brewing. I think the compromise was that, in order to brew, he had to invite people to the farm in order to make the brewing worthwhile. The pandemic, the rules and regulations, has opened his eyes in terms of what he can do as far as changing his business model to lessen the strain on the area. It has also opened his eyes to how he can manage that better too. At least that's what I got out of it.

I'm with @dropkick1977. I don't like going to the brewery on the busiest of days. It's a zoo and kind of robs the place of the peace and tranquility that makes it a great place to visit. I think a reservation system could definitely help with that. And while I'm not someone who likes to stay at Hill for hours, I do hope there is some way to be able to enjoy a beer while looking out at the scenery.

 

It's been interesting to see him go from a happy-go-lucky guy at beer fests pre-Hill to however you'd describe him today as. Is he a "victim" of his own success? Misses the connection he once had with the Hill property that was taken away by admirers of his beer visiting and showering praise? If you build it, they will come, right? Prolly won't help his isolation desires by labeling the area as an "energy vortex" . He is literally on an Island while he is figuratively putting himself on an island. Obv with 3 vaccines and numbers falling he could easily reopen the taproom, even if it was just with take-out windows. Will it ever reopen as it was once known? Maybe in the interest of employing some locals and drawing the crowds away from Hill another taproom could open elsewhere. The genie is out of the bottle and people just naturally want to kneel at the source.

 

"There are collaborations that occur for nothing other than marketing"

My favorite line from the whole interview.

 

Could not agree more. Easily the most enjoyable visits I've had have been those where time & space afforded the opportunity to just relax and have a few pours.

I hate that it's come to this, but I understand where Shaun is coming from too. Pretty much every elite brewery has to deal with shitlord behavior, but the others tolerate it because it's generally good for their bottom line. He just isn't and will never be motivated by that, so what motivation would he have to tolerate it if he doesn't have to?

It's highly unfortunate for those of us with genuine admiration and respect for their work and their space, but I don't know how else to legislate against that. I don't think posting a "no assholes allowed" sign will help.

 

Reading the interview I didn't necessarily get doom and gloom from it. Seems like the time away has been positive, and it sounds like he has ideas on how he'd like to run things for the foreseeable future. With most of my trips coming midweek, I'm with y'all who like the quiet side of things up there. (That said I've had a blast at anniversary weeks and FoFA, too - from a visitor perspective I think day 1 of a big bottle release sounds a lot worse than most of the busier times I've been there, when it's been more about hanging out outside or in the taproom.)

Online ordering system has been a huge plus in my book. V interested to see what the future of the on site reservation system holds, definitely not ruling out it being an improvement. Already sounds like team HF is happier, so that's a great start.