Stone wOOtstout MN?

Greg Koch looks like an insanely dirty crazy person.

 

Rochester MN?

 

According to this article:
http://beerpulse.com/2013/07/stone-...boration-hits-markets-starting-on-monday-783/

It "will hit markets beginning next Monday, July 15th" so based on that, probably the week of the 22nd? Given Stone's release/ship date and transport times to the distributors in MN.

 

If I ran a distribution company, I sure as shit wouldn't take my chances picking up Stone, those guys have no proven track record for huge growth...

 

The newest news I've heard from Stone's distributor here is that we should start seeing more of their collaboration and specialty brews in Minnesota starting a month or so ago. Crossing my fingers for this one and have been told we should see it.

 

Their prices seem high in MN. I don't even by RIS because of the price tag. But maybe it's just me and their prices are this high everywhere.

For the record, people are posting this beer is around $5.50 - $6. It will probably be $10 here.

 

Stone in MN = $$$$$$$ - Which is why we never have problems chasing it. Enjoy By and Espresso are still sitting around.

I won't buy more than 1 or 2 of anything they put out.
Sucks, cause they make great beer.

 

I baffles me how their prices can be so much different than Lagunitas. Lagunitas almost always has an equal (or better) alternative at a dramatically lower price.

 

It's really that much of a markup? Shits crazy.

 

This is just my guess. People on a beer facebook group were talking about the price. I am just guessing on the MN price. I'd easily buy it at $6, but if it's over 8, I will pass. There is just better options out there. I guess it's nice to live in MN these days as we have tons of options at the stores.

 

There is no way I am going to spend $10 on a bottle of enjoy by (yes, it is good), when I can get awesome IPAs in 4pks/6pks for the same price (or close).

I didn't even bother with espresso. I am sure it is great but there is this beer called breakfast stout and you get more than twice as much for the same price. 48 oz or 22 oz? hmmm...

 

Stone pricing in MN is insane. It seems to be regularly between 35% to 40% more than CA pricing and between 20% to 30% higher than other states around the US that carry Stone.

 

I saw RuinTen today for $9.99... it was on the shelf (not even cold) and had a '1 Bottle Limit' sign next to it. I laughed and walked away.

 

Wow.... why is Stone priced so much higher in MN? W00t, RuinTen, IRS, are the same price as their regular bombers here - $5.99-6.99 depending on store. Never higher.

 

I was understanding it as the agreement between the distributor and brewer for the price difference between areas and different states. The distributor buys less of the product than the one in Iowa so they have to buy it at a higher price. So they pass the costs along. The same is true with Great Lakes which also costs more in MN than anywhere else. If any of I written is true, bitch at the distributor.

And whoever is bringing in these crap west coast beers into MN, they can stop now. They bring in Napa Smith and Hermitage, but we cannot get Alesmith and Firestone Walker.

 

Love the Stone products but not for the price point. I would throw down with a Lagunitas any day instead. Still I might get w00tstout just because I am a shameless Wil Wheaton fan.

 

That is the most common pricing in CA, with the rare opportunity to find some, like IRS, at $4.99.

Stone's site lists four distributors for MN:

• C & L Distributors
  1020 S Industrial Drive, Sauk Rapids, MN.
• Capitol Beverage Sales
  6982 Hwy 65, Fridley, MN.
• College City Beverage, Inc
  700 Railway Street S., Dundas, MN.
• Thorpe Distributing Co.
  20240 South Diamond Lake Road, Rogers, MN.

It would be nice to hear some feedback from somebody working within any of these distributors as to why Stone is so much more expensive in MN, than seemingly any other state.

 

Those distributors are all part of Original Gravity (http://www.original-gravity.com/about/) which distributes several craft brands. Stone was of the few brands that we carried that their entire portfolio had to be stored in our keg cooler due to the breweries requirements.

With that being said, Stone loads always come in a reefer trailer, it takes special equipment to transport a load with temperature requirements and if there is a driver team, both those guys have to get paid. Depending on the carrier charges for the equipment and transport times, that might be part of why the beer is higher priced.

I sincerely doubt there is a conspiracy to charge higher prices in MN alone, we just happen to be in Stone's "barren wasteland" of distribution radius so there's not a lot of cheap,fast transport options from CA to MN for the brewery.

Note: Liftbridge is in their portfolio as well but it looks like the website is kinda dated

 

Can you explain why Iowa, which borders MN, sells Stone for approx 30% less?

Edit: This seems like quite a disparity.