Is rare/limited beer killing the regulars?

For BA's it's probably just because we've had most of the regulars/locals in our area and we're pursuing something new. I don't think most beer-drinkers are like us and no I don't think it takes that much away from the regular beer sales.

I've been seeking out most rare/limited/seasonal releases for the last 7-8 months, I think once I surpass a full calendar year, when the limited/annual beers keep rolling out I'll probably go back to my favorites and then only limit myself to the rare & one-offs.

I gotta say though Odell St. Lupulin is a hugely underrated beer, it's seasonal and runs from May-Sept. and I buy that whenever I can for a regular/local.

 

I see what you're saying, but I think the MASS majority of people out there don't really care about one-offs/limited beers. That said, how many of those beers did you pass up when you started getting into craft? In how I purchase beer now-a-days, if I'm going to the store for my on personal amusement, I'll buy one-offs/limited beers, if I'm going to a party of something, I'll buy a OE800.

 

If I see a special release from a brewery I haven't tried I genuinely get excited.
More often than not though I don't see any special release I haven't tried before.
I don't feel like I get specials more than regulars by any means. I'll usually come home with a 4-pack of Rasputin regardless of whatever else I buy. And Dundee is my new favorite cheap beer.
Some specials are worse than the originals, like the Belgian style Yeti...just wasn't for me compared to straight up Yeti. Now Oak Aged Yeti....that's a different story.

TLDR: Specials don't deter me from buying my regulars, they are just a bonus to me.

 

Yea, I'd say the mass majority of people still aren't ready to spend more than $10 on a bottle of beer. I remember the days when I wouldn't spend that much. Ha, those days are gone.

 

deepthoughtsraptor: if "rare, limited, seasonal, and one-off beers" have a "constant flow", don't they become... common?

i just skip most of the limited stuff.

 

If limited beer was killing the regulars, then you would see a dramatic decline in limited beer. The regulars are the cash cows that allow the one-offs to happen.

I have no game plan when I'm headed to the beer store, and I can't say that I have a predictive purchase pattern. I get what I'm in the mood for at that moment.

 

I walked by both a Stone Ruination 10th Aniversary and a Bruery Fruet to by a six pack of Harpoon Summer and a 4 pack of Apollo this week.

What's my secret?

My wife and I bought a house and a had a baby the same weekend, so I'm broke.

Seriously though, I will get to the Ruination Aniversary, I love Stone and it's not that expensive (I think it was $7.25). I will never touch beers like Bruety Fruet. $36 really? It's 3x's the price of Chimay Blue and I doubt I am going to enjoy it 3x's as much. But that's just me.

 

I would admit, without limited releases, i would have easily knocked out the Beers of Fame about 3 months ago. All the new and local stuff keeps coming out, and I keep getting it. I admit that I did my first running around grabbing 4 bottles of Frangelic Mountain Brown from 4 different stores. It got on my nerves to the point where I wont do it again. If I go to a store looking for something rare of new and they dont have it, I rarely leave empty handed. So it helps if you go looking and still buy something.

 

As to the rare and one-offs, If it is available and I can get it without too much effort, I will pick it up. (Nothing tastes better than hype.) But I am not going to follow a truck around to get anything.
As to seasonals, I get excited when a seasonal I really like is coming out (Nugget Nectar!!!!!!!)
I think it is great that some things are only available for a period of time.
There is nothing wrong with a little bit of anticipation.

 

As a repeat beer drinker, I find it harder and harder to find the beers I like to drink at my local stores where most of the space seems to be dedicated to high priced bombers/singles/750's/seasonals and the six packs, cases, and 12 packs are beeing slowly squeezed out. Also you don't see as many styles from each brewery that you used to, now its whatever are their best sellers (and things that don't sell at all it seems), mixed 12 packs, or whatever favorites the beer buyer likes. And its getting really hard to find 12 packs of euro lager and hefewiezen that aren't Beck's, St. pauli Girl, hieneken, pilsner urquell, or paulaner. These days I find myself shopping at more places that aren't top tier beer stores that cater to beer geeks.

 

You don't have to wait. Go to NYC. I bet stores and bars are still sitting on a ton of Nugget Nectar. This year's batch was terrible.

 

I am mostly a repeat buyer. Does not bug me, the lack of shelf space for 6 packs over singles does though.

 

One thing to consider, allocations of limited release beers are often based on the sales of the breweries core line up. This is a big reason why you will not see limited releases "kill" the regulars. Money is made in year round beers, if you do not make your money their you will probably not have the money to produce the more limited product.

 

"Is rare/limited beer killing the regulars?"

only for people too dumb to know the difference between a good beer and a rare beer.

 

Are you saying Blabaer isn't a good beer?

 

The cost of producing those beers is going to be covered in the price of those beers (plus whatever amount of profit the brewery determines is best). Breweries don't sell the limited stuff at a loss, which would be the case if the regulars has to cover some of the cost.

If a core beer isn't selling well, they aren't just going to create a one-off with an outrageous price. I guess it's possible, but a terrible business model.

 

It only detracts from the regular line-ups if you let it.

I've come full circle, from always buying, traveling and trading for the Uber-Rare stuff, to now just enjoying fresh, local beer(or a macro). The rare stuff is almost never worth the time, effort or money. So I would rather spend my time drinking local beer, or going to places and enjoying their local beer.

Beer is not something to get stressed over.