Jester King Gin Barrel Nocturn Chrysalis!

A shame that there isn't an instructional video on the nuances of handling a shit show style beer release. Or counting to 550.

 

In Jester King's defense, is there a better way to handle this? Should they only allow 520 people on the premises and sell bottles on an off day or start sales hours early(like sherry atrial)? Should they go the Brown paper tickets or eventbrite route, which is the same shitshow, just online? Should it be a silent release where they just start selling them on a random day at normal hours? Should there be an online lottery like they had for Zwanze day? Anyway they run it, the entitled beer fans of Austin will be crying that they didn't get theirs.

 

is this a real post? have u ever been to any other brewery-only beer events/beer releases? im guessing not

 

Assuming, arguendo, that the above tales are true, I would say one thing @jesterkingbeer should definitely avoid doing is telling someone that they are too far back in line to get bottles, only to then sell bottles to people standing behind that person.

 

I was 528 and I still got one

 

Release was very nuanced and balanced. Good job. Pissed there wasn't crystal bottle LPP, though.

 

@13DegN Shatrial was twice the bottle count, your not getting multiple for one...

 

Shit show beer release?... How do you get through 500+ people in 45 min and call it a shit show?... Sure be pissed that you missed getting a bottle, but it was far from a shit show!

 

I wonder if butthurt effects the terroir.

 

For anyone reading, the release was not a shit show! It was the best release JK has done, and prob one of the best I've seen from any brewery. Crazy fast, and crazy smooth! The people bitching are those that didn't get bottles. I understand being pissed you missed out, but don't bash the handling of the event.

 

I thought the line was very well ran. I was in the 400's, really moved fast once they opened up.

 

Was more snarky... All good. Sounded more organized than ever. Quantity vs value.. The ole debate. Cheers.

 

This was probably the smoothest release yet. Except for me and 9 others.

 

And we didn't "miss out". We are told 520 was it. I asked the specific question. It was answered, incorrectly.

 

Why did you here get so late?

 

I got there before 11. Would've been even earlier had it not been for a 90 minute delay on i10. Either way I was there early enough so that's not relevant. People who arrived 20-30 minute after me bought bottles

 

Got there with the lady around 9:30 and there was a decent sized line. They opened the line at 11 and I was out of there by 1130. Same deal, brought cash but credit line was moving faster. Was very efficient ateast to my naive eyes. Different story had we arrived at 11am.

 

This was not just one of the best beer releases I've ever been to, its one of the best "big deal event with a line" I've been to. Better managed than any SXSW event, small venue show, or anything like that. We got there at ~10:30 and were out before noon with our bottles. They even opened an hour early.

Like, the people complaining need to take a step back, love or hate JK's beers they seem to sincerely care and try at these events and I'm glad to have people like them making beer.

 

Oh you're the guy who got of line, thanks bro I got a bottle thanks to you. Good looking out.

 

I'm sure that's exactly how Jester King had intended that to happen, Ben. To punish myself for preferring using a beer to a wait in a line that I was told to get out of.

 

The folks behind me jumped me in line while I was asking questions, for the record. I hadn't "left" the line before folks were ready to jump in front of me anyways.

 

Wait, so you got out of line and then didn't get beer 'cause you weren't in line? That umm... That sounds like how lines work...

 

I was told by a brewery employee that they were only selling 520 and that he didn't have anymore wrist bands to give out. I asked him if he was serious and he said yes. At this point the folks behind me had already jumped the line and walked around me. At that point the information I possessed was that I wouldn't get a wrist band or s bottle, per a brewery employee who was handing out the wrist bands. I didn't "leave" the line until this was verified. I already said all of this though.

 

Sqwigs I am tired of your entitled whining. you have no right to any beer you just because you think you do everyone except for you that went thinks this was the best release Jester King has ever done yes they said they had 550 bottles available believe it or not being an employee has certain benefits such as the opportunity to buy bottles they allowed employees to buy 30 bottles which left 520 for customers. I know some people in line that did not get a wristband and then decided that it wasn't worth waiting but they were told that they could wait in line and they may or may not get a bottle because some people in line might not be able to buy bottles due to things like fake IDs, declined credit card, etc. this is by far the best managed release they have ever done.

 

And before anyone makes any comments about my grammar or lack there of, That was all done with voice to text on my phone because I didn't feel like typing it out sorry for lack of punctuation and grammar.

 

I have simply described what happened. I didn't "whine" nor am I "whining".

 

This is jester king's first time using wrist bands and opening early. Overall, the line and sales were very well run, and everyone looked happy. Helll, uber was somehow left at 1pm, with no wait at normal bottles to go. There's no way this event was a cluster.

It's unfortunate but plausible there was an issue with the final 50 ppl in line. If the improvements made so far are any indication, the next release like this will be better. JK's efforts to improve are noticeable. They brought in extra staff and opened early to provide a better experience. Hopefully everyone sees the good parts for what they are.

 

I let our staff all buy one bottle. That should have been factored into the count. With that said, I find it irresponsible to accuse someone of lying without knowing, or even inquiring, about the facts. -- Jeff

 

I got shut out as well (I'm guessing in the same manner as squiggz since I was a couple of people behind the "last bottle") so I just went for on-site pours. From watching how quickly the line went, this is probably the best bottle release (given the popularity) JK has done.

 

That would be an appropriate way to handle the situation. I enjoy trying to make things right for customers who feel mistreated. My e-mail is jstuffings@jesterkingbrewery.com. I don't enjoy being called a liar. -- Jeff

 

This is bullshit.

 

The "thanks for lying" comment while maybe distasteful was in reference to me being told 530, when i was 521 in line. This was before I was informed that the people who jumped me in line were given wrist bands.

 

Over 500 people in line and only a select few have any complaints. Jeff, sounds like everything went pretty smoothly. My only complaint is you had to pick a day I had to go in to work to release this. Holidays and Jester King beer releases are the only time I don't like being a firefighter. Oh well, keep making great beers and just know, you have way more happy customers than unhappy.

 

I've gone to most of the jk releases, this release was the best one I've experienced yet for this kind of bottle. I really do want to extend a thanks to Jeff and the rest of JK for opening an hour early and starting a wrist band tagging method to curb line cutters. Also, I want to state that the line moved crazy fast today, they sold out of all 500+ bottles in 49 minutes by our count. I was roughly number 150 in line and had my bottle in hand like 20 minutes, after they started selling them at 11, it was crazy fast. I had friends that showed up at 10 that still got their bottle too.

For those complaining about not getting a very limited bottle at this release, I don't understand why someone would expect to show up at a brewery for a big release so late and still got a bottle. I understand the complaint of misinformation but it's hard to interpret what happened if you weren't there for it so I've got no reaction to that other than just surprised someone would shoe up so late at a release and even think they would get a bottle.

 

Amazingly smooth release! The JK team went the extra mile and it showed.

The staff deserved the opportunity to get a bottle and I'm happy to see that it was made available to them for all the hard work they put in every week no matter if it's a limited release or not.

 

Is what it is. They cover their bases and have extra just in case. There can never be an exact count. We where there near the end of the line and everything seemed orderly to us. Got our bottles and then enjoyed some great beer in the Texas hill country.

 

For such a small release I think it went really well.

 

I'm kinda on sqiggz's side here. If the bottle count was 550, I would assume 550 customers would get a bottle. If you give your employees first crack to buy, you should probably hold back bottles and not make them part of the 550. Just saying. I'd be pissed too if someone told me that 520 was the cutoff when there should have been 550 available. With that being said, I wouldn't have left the line either cause if 520 was the cutoff and I'm 521, I've been to enough bottle releases to know someone will flake out or not be able to purchase one for whatever reason. I also wouldn't call it a shit show when so many people are satisfied with how it went. Funk n Sour 2013 was a shit show...and I drink from that glass with pride!

 

I previously acknowledged this. This is actually the way I've always done it, but it was just magnified today given how small the release was. I'll take into account our employee allocations in the future when announcing bottle quantities.

@lilsquiggz is welcome to contact me directly, and I'm glad to attempt to work out his grievance. In the meantime, I'm not going to let his issue overshadow the great job our staff did in taking care of a 500+ person line in under an hour. -- Jeff

 

@jesterkingbeer I'm happy you were able to sell a bottle each to your employees as they deserve a bottle each especially given the fact it was released on a holiday and on a non usually open for business day.

I thought the line and the wristband situation for an event like this worked very well. It was smooth and was very smart. I got there at 930 posted up in line got a wristband and was through the Gin Nocturn line by 11:20 it was great! I hope more releases of this nature are down the same way.

As for being at the end of the line, yeah sure that sucks being around the cut off but there is only so much you can do, And if you're within the last 10 or so spots (i.e 550-560) I would wait in line in case, like @wiingman , the inevitable fake id, CC decline or any other malady happens.