Per their board, I got the last one about an hour ago at the cell. Not sure how truthful that is as it relates to the near term, but it was delicious…
I had to work yesterday. That work took me deep into KY. On the way back home I stopped at many stores, as I often do, to hunt for whiskey (mostly for my BIL, as almost nothing is MSRP and he's willing to pay a certain upcharge, but I generally can't afford it). Well, as I stood there looking at two bottles - both of which I wanted to buy, both of which were allocated and I had never seen, neither of which had I ever even had an opportunity to try, and both of which only had a small upcharge - I was debating whether I really wanted to spend the money. On one hand, $150 for a $250 bottle is not only a good deal, but not that expensive when you break out the per drink price. On the other hand, I don't need another bottle of whiskey, and even though I haven't had it and would like to try it, I ultimately decided I'd rather put that money towards gymnastics for my daughter. Then it occurred to me. Acromatic packages are going to be $80+ in a couple days. What the hell was I doing? If anything, whiskey was by far the better choice. Even if my per-drink happiness (utils) were lower from whiskey than Acromatics, it wouldn't be significant, and total happiness from consumption would be far higher and longer lasting from the whiskey. This got me thinking about how Side Project has never decreased prices. Usually, once you increase scale you're able to decrease prices at some point. At the start, people are usually willing to support high prices to help get a brewery up and running, and usually prices always decrease at some point. Now prices at SP are not only higher than ever, but they keep selling beer in packages, they've switched to a smaller format to increase prices (shrinkflation), and all draft prices have gone up. Where is the cost-sharing? Surely I can't be the only person that feels like SP is working to keep profits constant or increasing by passing all costs along to the consumer. Their price increases far outpace anything else in the industry that I've ever seen. I "get" that they are a luxury producer, but they sure seem like the most expensive producer in the entire business. Even if stout prices continue to rise, saison prices should be falling. It'd be especially nice to see some of the beers like Grisette and a la table reach a price point better inline with market substitutes.
Doing actual mental gymnastics to pay for gymanstics. I like it. Soooo....what bourbon? Also, bourbon >>> Achromatic Vibes if that's the decision you're reduced to making.
i think $80 is being generous, my gut tells me atleast $90. im all tapped out from vacation this weekend, ill have to sit this one out. unless by some miracle its a 2 bottle back with another yet-to-be-released beer. i get what you mean about production increase. SARA did that a few years ago, dropped a couple of their staple beers down by like $5 since there was an increase in production and a lower cost for them, they passed the savings to the consumer. It was pretty awesome
I’m as guilty as anyone so this is probably pretty hypocritical of me to say but I wish the conversation here was more about beer and how good or bad it is to drink and less about the economics of beer. On that note I recently had a bottle of La Ruche and it was fantastic. Just an easy drinking summer beer. It’s something I can open if I have non craft beer loving friends over for dinner and it goes well with appetizers or just sitting on the patio drinking
the reviews for BA ambiente seem... average, any reason why? even the hype guys are rating it average lol cinnamon strikes again?
The SP threads have been pretty non economic focused until recently IMO. I mean yes, as soon as packages were introduced it would be mentioned in a post or two, but it’s only now people keep bringing it up since: 1) Both locations are open again, and have been for a while. The packages were originally pitched as an idea to keep the staff employed 2) They opened a third location 3) The SP staff over doubled since Covid kicked off 4) The price on beer is going up even not accounting for the packages 5) They like to mention how much of a small tiny brewery they are despite all of the above Bonus: 6) For members: they keep giving us (essentially) weekly $40 saisons but not the stouts
Curious about this as well. I've never had a problem with the cinnamon level in any of their stouts. To be fair though, I love cinnamon.
Good to know as I'll be at the Cellar either tomorrow and Thursday and now less inclined splurge on or split a 750. To that end, what is on tap or in the cellar currently that is "can't miss" for a Cellar newbie?
Living vicariously and as a fellow MA resident, For Gabe seems pretty can't miss and would be on my list. Also, Floue Floue going in the wild direction. Have a great time.
Y'all sure do complain a lot. Prices are up across the board people. Glass bottles, labels, any/all shipping, and grain has doubled this year for my spot.
Fair enough, there is an example of a brewery doing it once. Still not sure they qualifies as something that "usually always happens"
for sure. people pretend to act like Biden’s legacy is $7/gallon fuel prices but we all know it’s $65 375s.
i don’t have the facts but almost guessing floyds has made this happen… moving from bombers to six packs perhaps. again, i’d have to do my research.
i do agree with you though @unlikelyspiderperson its a slippery slope and once consumers have accepted the price increase or the price at all, why would you ever lower it??
One of the reasons it probably has shifted towards economics and not the beer may be that folks (myself included) have a harder time enjoying the beers/occasions when you feel like you’re being gouged as a consumer. I tried to support side project heavily during Covid and don’t feel like there was been a return on that towards the consumer now that they have cleared the Covid waters so to say and aggressively amped up/expanded as mention above.
yeah, i’m kind of just messing around. although, i will say the price increase we’re already in play before covid was a thing. it’s just amped them up.
That's a really good point, for whatever reasons bombers were always expensive on a $/oz basis, so I'd bet that any brewery that started as bombers only and and switched to 6 packs probably reduced their per oz price in that transition
Revolution absolutely decreased the price on Deep Woods core beers like Deth’s Tar, Cafe Deth, Straight Jacket, and Ryeway when they moved away from the boxed bomber (22 oz) and over to the canned format. This included spending a lot of money to redouble their efforts to dramatically improve their barrel program. And it wasn't an insignificant amount of savings either. Shit, DT and SJ haven't had a price increase since the format changed. Still $24.99 per 4 pack.
yes, doesn’t necessarily have to be “used to $25 for a 750mL and now it’s $20” could be just a transition from large format to 4pk or 6pk.
love the Rev BA 4pks. i often ask myself why i’m spending 50 on anabasis when i could get 8 cans of SJ.
Man, Gin SdF & Gin BdP w/ Spruce tips are some absolutely phenomenal beers, especially during this summer heat. Def need more of both of these!
