Reached the Saturation Point?

^^^^^^^^^^
This exactly.

Can be adventuresome easily within 10 miles of home with great breweries and a local spot that knows EXACTLY what to have on. He had some 2011 Black Note on last weekend as well as some amazing California Saisons and a hand full of IPAs that would please the harshest critics.

My fridge has no surprises unless gifts.

Easy

 

Years ago, actually (reached the saturation point).

I understand there are over 60 active breweries, most very small, in Washington State and over 200 on the west coast. So MANY choices, and so little time!

So, what I do is to rely on a couple of nearby pubs that completely rotate their taps every several weeks. I let them decide what's good. No reason for me to waste my time at the store reading labels - and possibly being disappointed by my choices.

I have yet to be put off by a recommendation. (besides, so many of those are only distributed in kegs anyway so I would not find them in the, "packy")

 

Just relating to your situation from the other side. For a point of reference, I live a small city in upstate NY which has three beer stores with a similar size selection to you (500 - 800 choices each) within 15 minutes of my house.

When I go out to buy a beer it generally works like this: I go to the closest store and I look for something I haven't had in my preferred style (imperial stouts) at a reasonable price point (say, < $15 / 4pack). If they have that then I buy it. If not, then I make a semi-random decision between A. buying an imperial stout they have that I know I like (often I already have something that fits this bill in the fridge at home); or B, buying something at a higher price point that I have not tried (which is still an option almost every time); or C, buying something in a different style (hello Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale); or D, visit a different store (I rarely do this on the same trip . . . but, instead, visit a different store on my next trip).

I mention all of this to say that for some shoppers it may not be the local brewers but the variety they are looking for . . . rotating quality beers might be a partial solution.

 

You shouldn't have missed out on SingleCut, man...

 

I can only echo those who already mentioned reaching their personal saturation points. I stopped by a local bottle shop to pick up some winemaking supplies yesterday and decided to amble down the beer aisles even though I didn't necessarily feel the need to pick up anything. I've always loved the wide selection of beer at this shop, but it wouldn't be a stretch to say that it felt overwhelming and fraught with analysis paralysis yesterday.

Between life's obligations when you have a family, plus ramping up my own homebrewing and more recently winemaking, I just can't keep up with what is released when anymore, not to mention trying to hunt down special and limited releases. The same goes for breweries even in my own region. There are just too many opening to keep up tabs on and not enough hours in the day. Homebrewing increasingly seems to be my preferred slice of craft beer culture and I'm very much at ease with that.

 

I think it just feels saturated within the group of beer geeks that take notice, which I imagine is a small percent of the actual beer purchasers. We see space on the shelf being taken up by something we don't desire, all while the average person is going to just grab that six pack. We also noticed dated stock, when again the average person will just buy whatever. When I say average, I don't mean Mr Budweiser. A lot of regular people are buying craft beer, all while not writing reviews, rating beers, or even being aware of events and releases. I wish I was more like them sometimes.

 

As a drinker who likes trying new things (yet nowhere near a ticker) I say hell yeah bring us more breweries/beers.

As someone who manages a beer department I am getting sick of coming up with creative ways to stock new beers onto already crowded shelves and coolers. Delivery days are like this weird combination of Jenga, Tetris and craft beer.

 

Saturated? Nope, choices are a good thing. New craft beer drinkers are born everyday. When breweries start closing? Maybe.

 

I cringe whenever I hear a new brewery is starting up in town, or worse, if one of the existing mediocre breweries gets better (one was just bought out by an owner who I know will fix the issues with the brewery). I only have so many drinking hours in a week, and splitting my time further means less hanging out at breweries I know are rock solid.

 

Have you ever compared wine sections to beer sections? We have a way to go.

 

I don't feel a need to drink every beer out there. Too many and loads will be shit anyway. There's only a certain number of beers I'll consume before I croak and I'd prefer to enjoy drinking most of them.