Let’s Kill The Bomber

My solutions were to use stoppers, which work, or decanting into smaller bottles, which also work. At some point I realized I was working around a format and since I don't work for the beer, the beer works for me, I stopped buying Bombers.

 

That's why I stopped buying parabola and succaba. The 12 oz bottles in my market are $1 less than the bombers were costing me.
But that doesn't jive with the BA ticker narrative that bombers are more expensive. It's the social media economy of "likes" that is driving this. A person isn't going to get the same amount of likes for a double post of the same beer. A bomber costs these guys status points, better get rid of that format and bust out the smaller packages. Smaller packages means more variety, more variety means more likes. See also #bosspour. Don't think so? Look how many posters here complaining about the task of finishing a bomber are on WBAYDN every weekend with multiple posts. It's all about that status bruh.

 

Unsigned.

Let’s get rid of cans, and move EXCLUSIVELY to large format beers!

 

I saw a giant bottle of St. Bernardus Abt 12 once--2 litres?

 

Yeah, I’m fine with 750ml of a saison, but it’s a bit much for a ba stout or barleywine. 12oz is preferred, but 16oz is fine too.

 

I can't speak for everyone, but that narrative definitely does not apply to me and I doubt that it applies to the majority of people who choose not to buy bombers. if it did, we'd be seeing a lot more 8 oz cans. Double the ticks! I almost never have a beer until my kids go to bed, by then it's too late for 22 oz of high octane beer. BA Bigfoot was over $20 for a fancy bottle with Cork and cage, I just got a four pack of 16 oz cans for less than that. And it even came with free toddy spices!

My favorite local shop has only a few large format bottles in stock and they are largely collecting dust. Locally at least, we are winning. And if that victory comes with the help of the tickers and you described above well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

 

On a recent visit to my local beer sellar, he remarked to me how bombers weren't selling like they used to. I don't (and haven't for some time) buy bombers unless it's a Belgian or a Impy stout/RIS. I find that the bomber format for the higher ABV brews (except barleywines) is more convenient - one bomber consumed = one beer consumed. For me, it's a matter of flavor - the Impy/RIS brews usually still taste good at the end of the bottle, the "other styles" don't seem to hold up for the long haul. As for those who complain about the consumption volume/sitting, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?

 

How about meet in the middle and do away with terrible wax?

Quality wax with a pull ring is actually pretty darn clean. Problem is, people cheap out on wax, or leave it up to the customer to cut.

 

If we were at the negotiating table, I would make this compromise. It would be a step in the right direction, less effort to open the bottle would be nice. I would still rather pay a dollar less and skip the wax all together.

 

I have had one bomber, and it was a bit too big for me. An imperial pint at 568 ml seems to be the preferred maximum. Small but important difference. That pint is near enough the magical half liter, about which I have nothing bad to tell you.

 

I love bombers....Especially stouts and barleywines..I can put one down in a sitting or cap it and enjoy it another day...lots of times I think it tastes better after sitting a few days. I will say pricing is better on 12oz. I bought a 4pack of abyss for 20$ and I use to pay $17 for bombers. Huh, maybe I don't like bombers as much as I did when I started typing.

Ok..thought about it some more..I love the bombers I have currently better than ones I have to buy

 

I like the bomber format. It's a good size for super drinkable beers that you want more than 12oz of and it's great for splitting a stronger style. Pricing doesn't really have much to do with the format. That's the brewery/distributor/etc. setting that.

It's already dying as-is, though. They used to be pretty ubiquitous in the world of small/craft beers. These days you can go to a good liquor store and not see a single one.

 

I started buying large format in the early 70s when Ballantine Ale (Falstaff version) hit California in quarts with resealable screw tops. We'd just drink what we wanted and put the dregs in the fridge for the next time. What's the problem? In the late 70s on the east coast I would buy the tavern tall returnable Ballantine Ale with regular crowns. I had picked up a belt buckle that was effective in freeing beer from a bottle that came with a regular crown cap:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/905798447/pre-owned-1976-bronze-blitz-wienhard
(I admit that that solution might be practical only for those wearing denim pants.) Also needed a stopper, but those were available. My problem is with crowlers and other large can formats that can't be stoppered unless poured into a sealable bottle. High prices for bombers is a separate issue. I regularly bought $3 to $4 bombers of Blue Point ales years ago when their six packs were going for $10 or $12,

 

I'm speaking specifically about BAs in this thread. When I see someone crushing 4 or 5 7% ipas bitching about not being able to solo a bomber I call bullshit. You know I'm not wrong.

 

Maybe the problem is having it at once? The sheer amount of liquid does things. Maybe The People are right this time? And losing carbonation. And warming. Just speculating.

 

The first craft beer bar I went into in Florida, the owner was pouring samples from what had to be a magnum of Duvel. Sure was bigger than a bomber, didn't look to be a double.
regardIng the OP, if the brewery offers it in a smaller package, I'm good with it. Only brew I've drank any fair quantity of that I only saw in bombers was DFH My Antonia.

 

My wife likes sparking wines so I got this champagne stopper. It has also worked well bombers
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DHJWP7C

 

I don't pay close attention but I don't doubt you. Aside from Firestone, there has been a steep drop in price every time a brewery switches to a smaller format. You know I'm not wrong

Did you try any of that Behemoth yet? I think I paid somewhere in the teens for a bomber of the non barrel-aged version way back when...

In your honor I might just solo a bomber of Fremont tonight

 

Splitting that 3L in half with my friend last year made for a hell of a night. Now we sometimes bottle homebrew in there for parties