Side Project / Shared (2022)

I swear I’ve seen him say it himself, but I checked on ba and it was never said. Owell I might be trippin

 

I will never understand the desire to act like CK is some kind of god or benevolent being. The idea that CK put stout releases online out of the kindness of his heart - so more people could try them, and allowed proxies for that purpose - is such complete and total bullshit. Anyone that believes that is fooling themselves. It was necessary to put bottles (and package them) online during COVID while storefront was closed. Period.

CK has always been about that Hype. He’s the conductor of the Hype Train. He has mastered how to drive Hype. He has never been the fairest dude (although some people act like he is). He has never been about “I want to make sure these rare beers get into the most hands possible”. If that was true, a variety of limitations and/or checks would be put into place that other breweries can and will do (eg Hill Farmstead) to increase fairness. CK has a desire to build as much hype as possible, and he does that. -And, he is good at it. One of the ways he continues to do that is through limiting the number of available stout bottles to the public through increasing the number of member bottles. By limiting supply to the general public he is increasing hype through rarity. Members can jump my shit all they want, but members get so many bottles without packages (with the ability for them to buy more during public releases, albeit with packages). The number of bottles far exceeds any other membership that I have ever heard of. And those bottles get trade and sold - it’s not like they exclusively get consumed.

While I am admittedly Salty that I don’t get to try more, I am grateful for what I get to try - but this post isn’t because I am salty. It’s only been over the last few months that people have finally started to talk about some of the ridiculous things, like continuing packages, and like some of the OLD ass adjunct beers being brought out for a premium. If this were any other brewery you’d see people rail so much harder. Everyone rails on liquor stores for packages (even when the desired bottle is kept at MSRP, you just have to buy other bottles with it). But for some reason it took people this long to finally admit it’s pretty much bullshit that packages are ongoing. Only recently have people finally started to really complain about prices, because a $60 375ml bottle is absolute craziness - and to bundle it with a package is pretty insulting.

My beef isn’t inherently just with some of the practices about SP. It’s more that people act like we should be grateful to CK, as if he is benevolent in how he runs SP. the only reason people are so nice is because they get perks.

 

This is kind of a bizarre take IMO. La Coterie is the only membership I can think of where members actively don’t get some of the bigger beers because “there isn’t enough to cover the membership.” Then there’s coconut vibes/morning vibes which LC doesn’t get at all anymore for whatever reason they came up even though there’s thousands of bottles.

I’m also pretty sure that Modern Times (for example) releases more beers to members in two months than LC will get in an entire year, although I suppose that example may be going away soon.



But yes, the main point of a business is to make money.

 

i was going to say last night that i think we are making this too complicated. sure the packages came about due to the pandemic and out of necessity to move product due to not being able to sell draft and on-site bottles. but once they were selling out as fast as one could blink their eyes, it was all over from there. why would they stop? to me, that’s the entry fee for them making their beers (especially limited ones) available on line to everyone instead of just locals and bordering states.

as far as benevolence or fairness is concerned, it was always my experience at SP (and Perennial) that in the before times, if you arrived before open you got an allocation. whether that was one bottle or six. that’s pretty fair. that’s also a lot more manageable crowd buying bottles when compared to online sales where anyone in the world can purchase barring they can find a proxy.

am i happy about 375mL stout bottles. hell no! but i’m not unhappy about Cory’s decision to produce smaller format stout bottles at exorbitant prices as it’s his business to do what he wants with and again, they’re still selling out. so is it him to blame or us, the consumers?

one final thing about the hype comment. ALL small craft breweries need hype. period. unless you’re Bell’s or Sierra Nevada or whatnot, you have to be hyping your product. what i think Cory has done (whether right or wrong) is actively try to cut into the secondary market. packaging limited stouts that sell for 6-10 times what they retail for i think helps cut into that secondary a little. i could be wrong about that though.

 

I agree with most of this, but I’m still gonna be salty about 375 mL pricing even though I fully recognize (a) I’m still buying the MFer and (b) it’s absolutely Side Project leadership’s prerogative as to how they run their business. Cory, Karen, whomever is involved in the decision there are doing what works for them and we as consumers do what works for us. As someone who has never ever sold a bottle of beer or whiskey, the pricing starts to get very difficult for me to manage. I’m not made of money. I’m not without dependents. I rarely purchase a bottle of wine more than $25, let alone $60-$120 (single consumption product like SP). It’s part of the reason I drink whiskey and $15-20 wine more often these days. Price per pour is a lot cheaper. @JPick and I have been asking ourselves for years where the breaking point ends up being…prices too high to want to purchase. We’re closer and closer! Not. There. Yet. I have cut way back on packages, though.

 

for sure. it’s gotten to the point where i am drinking DAB, High Life, Busch Light when i’m not drinking craft beer because of the cost of packages and stouts. which btw, those are definitely beginners / newbs pricing. i mean sometimes all i can say is “ouch!”

that said, if you, your buddy, and i all sit a few packages out (or all of them), they’re still going to sell out. that’s just the reality of it. and SP knows that. the demand is such that if a few get shoved out due to pricing there is plenty more to jump in and fill their vacancies.

 

For me, we are past that breaking point. I used to line up and buy every single release. But I don’t buy any of the packages anymore (makes no sense as a stout/bw/strong ale drinker that doesn’t even enjoy the acidic stuff to pay $100+ for essentially 1 beer I want). Annnnd, I think I’m the only local in StL that’s been buying at SP since day 1 and still isn’t in LC, so I can’t buy the biggies without the packages.

 

You are absolutely correct about this. Always amazes me that there are THAT many people out there than can afford to buy these packages so that there are still insta-sellouts. I can see why the SP leadership team prices/packages the way they do given this, but I do think it’s a fine line that alienates some of us, and may not set the brewery up for long term expansion of the customer base.

 

you always pay cash or what?

 

can they afford it or are they selling off the other non-stout beers in the package (or other beers from other breweries) to afford it? i always see the 2-3 bottles of big packages up for sale on MBC after an online package release. usually a few after each release lol.

also, this weekend sounds like your jam then! lineup, get a bottle, drink one or 2 on-site. no package involved!

 

lol. You’d think so! But no, not the case. I don’t know if an error was made, I hurt someone’s feelings, or what…

 

Yep. I’ll be there this weekend.

And I’be never tried to sell anything, but I’ve tried to trade the packaged beers and they have almost zero value. To the point, I almost threw them away until I finally found someone that would trade me some reg bcbs for a bunch of em.

 

Well the packages have worked against them slightly, normally PN releases would sell out, and it looks like it barely any bottles because people have the expectation that it will be packaged with a beer in the future. I wonder how many bottles don't get purchased because of this

 

i would guess quite a bit. that’s certainly how i’ve looked at quite a few. however, there are always exceptions for me too (SF, both Nelson & Motueka - somebody start buying more Motueka before i buy them all!!, and SdF Pinot) based on my personal tastes and those bottles’ prices. but i definitely hold off on others expecting they’ll be packaged.

 

Can’t determine that from one batch. Without more data that we will never know anyways. The batch size on PN is always different….

 

It’s not just pulling nails. Every sour lately sits and then gets put in a package later. I’ve stopped by them cause too many times I’ve bought something I’ve only wanted one of, and then if I’m inclined to buy a package im stuck with two. Now from side project they are still moving the bottles, but there is no doubt packages have changed peoples purchasing habits.

 

I don't think they will but I wonder if they'd ever try the route of liquor stores with allocated spirits and/or Tavour's "secret stash" and allow people the opportunity to "unlock" a stout based on past spending. Was it ever speculated that this was the strategy they employed when they expanded their LC memberships? I know initially the membership was friends and family, and maybe that's how they extended memberships again, but have been curious on their LC expansion rationale.

 

Double bourbon generational in CK’s IG story, wonder if that’s Saturdays release

 

Bourbon Cognac DB gen was stellar, really curious about this Bourbon Bourbon barrel treatment.