Side Project Brewing (2024)

maybe there will be tiers now in the club, like MT had, charcuterie club upper level

 

It makes me wonder now who on earth is going to buy those $200 packages with 4 sours and a 12oz stout. Because it seems like almost every big fan of their beers now has the option of buying an individual bottle instead

 

judging by the bbt ‘23 packages sitting for over a month and never actually selling out, I’d say they’re realizing they’re already there. Their solution is to open LC up to the many to widen that revenue stream again and get some of those customers back that have been turned off by the packages.

judging by how many new members there are and that even some have said their purchasing had slowed down recently, I’d say it’s working. I mean they did already get every new LC member to just purchase multiple packages worth of sours in the membership fee itself.

 

the last group of LC going in for silent barrel picks

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or it’s going to be packages for LC without a solo bottle option… it wouldn’t shock me if it came to that.

 

This would surprise me but if this became the norm I would not renew my membership

 

I'd be absolutely shocked. That would make zero business sense.

 

Yeah, I actually am hearing some that aren’t renewing or are planning to leave their Grand Cru Derivation on the table (which could never have been fathomed a couple years ago). Cutting bottle size in half, increasing price per oz, secondary dropping, lack of tradability for whiskey, and the fact many of their releases can be purchased unpackaged IP really makes the club less of a game changer than it once was. Kinda feels like we have finally reached market equilibrium where any additional negative factors to the ones above will result in most beers sitting for a bit.

Still, there’s value in having most bottles reserved without having to stand in line on your weekend, and no packages is the only way I would imagine most of us buy going forward.

 

perhaps i am being too cynical. it’s been known to happen..

 

Yeah, no way they do that. That’s the main benefit. Almost no one would renew.

I’m actually thinking that maybe they go the opposite way. They’ve expanded the membership and maybe they stop doing packages going forward? Maybe that’s wishful thinking because I know that’s a lot of lost revenue, but package sales were slowing down anyway, and now by expanding the membership (what seems significantly) your pool that will be interested in packages is further reduced.

On the other hand, if they stop doing packages, it reduces the value of being in the club. Then you’re essentially paying $250 to have the right to reserve bottles without waiting in line (maybe still worth it).

 

I may be one of the few who is happy about the smaller bottle format. It's tough for me to get through a 750 of stout/BW either by myself or with one of my two friends that enjoy dark beers. Always hesitated to buy a 750 for onsite enjoyment too because I live 40 minutes away and don't want to drive home drunk so it helps in that regard as well.

 

I agree with this! Just wish it wasn’t the equivalent of $80-$150 for a 750ml (at $40-$75 for 375ml).

 

I don't think smaller format is the issue. In fact I think most people welcome it now that shares happen less often. What's making people unhappy is the reduction in size PLUS the increased cost. Most of their 750s were $50 or $60, now they're selling half the ml for the same price and sometimes more (on top of that with packages). I think most (if not all) would welcome a 375 that is $25 or $30.

 

I would be ok with an increase in price per oz if it were less steep. A $50x25oz becoming a $30-35x12oz is fine. Even the $50 12oz were something I could splurge on occasionally. But I passed on For LC, and Silent Barrels and will pass on Derivation Grand Cru as well. I'm really hoping $70/12oz is for very few "special" bottles and isn't becoming the new standard.

 

They already attempted this with Anabasis b6 if anybody remembers. Now that LC is so big I can see an attempt being made again.

 

Could you elaborate on this for me, please? I'm not familiar with the Anabasis b6 release.

 

I can say with 100% certainty that if they were to go to all packages for their stouts and barleywines (whether you’re in LC or not), I would not renew and also would no longer be a customer of SP’s. I actually think we are at my maximum price pain point today as it stands, and I know for a fact a ton of others feel the same way.

Too many other great options out there (like Benthic for example) to pay $150 for a package to get the one beer I actually want.

 

Definitely lots of other great options out there. Especially in STL. I was shocked to find Benthic on the shelves at Friar Tuck in Edwardsville. Not at the point where I want to leave the membership yet but I can definitely see why people would think twice about renewing

 

a few years ago I would have thought the same. Through beer buddies and beer trading groups, I've been able to try top rated beers by many highly regarded breweries across the country. To be clear, SP remains in a class of their own, but the gap has been narrowing. And many of their more hyped bottles have fallen very short of expectations for me.

Broadly, they've clearly been producing more in terms of number of releases and quantity of each, so accessibility has also increased substantially. As has been mentioned, the pricing per ounce has definitely turned many off in terms of wanting to try every single release.

Another factor is that experience levels and priorities naturally evolve, and while I can't speak for anyone but myself, the desire to chase whales and getting to tick off certain beers has waned over time.

 

Anabasis was only in a package with SdF Pinot