Three Chiefs (2019)

I'm pretty positive with almost every brewery thread I post in here outside of the ones where they bring six whole bottles to share at an anniversary party then give the first ten people multiple pours of each.

 

There were at least 12 of us, but yeah.

 

Help me understand this criticism. Please. I remember the "incident" when there were like six bottles of beer teased on social media for the HPB 5th Anniversary Party... And I realize that is a super-small amount of beer and it could in no way possible be considered an adequate amount to serve for the crowd at that event (~200+ people). My question is... Why is this a problem? I mean, I thought it was *EXTRA* and not part of the original lineup for the event.

Not everyone gets to drink every single beer they want to. Isn't it better that *some* of the beer is available, and *some* people get a chance to try a super-limited offering as a bonus vs. none at all and nobody at all getting a chance to try it? I've been to many, many events over the years where there are "stealth bonus pours" going on in some form or another, from Stone Anniversaries to Pizza Port Fests to Modern Times events to Mikkeller events to the freaking Great American Beer Fest and everything in-between (including at my own Woodshop events, on occasion). I don't think I've ever seen it received so negatively until this one "incident" at HPB 5th Anniversary.

I think it's dope that brewers support each other and contribute to the "specialness" of these types of events by bringing out rare gems (even if in extremely small amounts), and taking the opportunity to share in celebration with them. If you missed out on the beer and you really wanted to try it, so what? There are 30+ other awesome beers there for you to drown your sorrows.

I've shared super-limited beers in the context of a large event where the beer volume is woefully inadequate to serve the crowd, and inevitably I sometimes miss out on sharing the beers with people who really want to try them. It's not personal. It's just super-limited, and unfortunately there just isn't always enough so that every single person gets to try the beer.

If this kind of *generosity* breeds such resentment and long-term backlash... Well... People won't do it any more. Is that really the desired outcome?

 

yawn

 

I've got no dog in this hunt, but, to play devil's advocate here, if you are only going to bring 6 bottles to a brewery anniversary party where there will be 200-ish attendees, and you know full well they will all be consumed rather quickly, why even post on social media? Seems as though the only reason to do so is to play this hype game, and to facilitate beer geek FOMO. Outside of the HPB collab (which I really enjoyed), have not had their beers, but I think it is this type of stuff that is just off-putting to many.

 

If you're only going to bring enough beer that you'll run out within literal minutes, I'd rather you just not promote it at all and surprise people when they get there. And if you're gonna bring such small quantities, maybe spread it out instead of pouring it all for the same people.

edit: that walterfredo post wasn't there when I typed this, but exactly that.

 

Just like everything in social media: To notify the people who want to know.

 

hmmmm, well, agree to disagree. If I'm understanding this correctly, this incident you referred to was at an anniversary party. People who were going were already going, this was not to encourage more attendees, or even to inform attendees they could try their beer, they knew exactly what was going to happen, it was only meant to feed the hype machine and create FOMO. But, if that works for them, which by all accounts seems to be, they're free to do so. But it is very off-putting to many, myself included. I'm not as vocal about it as many, but I find their games they play to be silly.

 

Stealth pours are cool. What Three Chiefs did doesn't fall under that category.

 

I honestly don't have a dog in this fight, but I was getting some silly offers for my VIP ticket - while standing in line to get in - by people who just wanted to try the Three Chiefs beer(s). Take that for whatever it's worth. Posting to IG about the bottles they were bringing definitely had an impact.

 

Yeah, "agree to disagree," I guess...

To be clear... I would disagree with you when you say, "[this was not] even to inform attendees they could try their beer"... I'm pretty sure the social media post delivered exactly that message. Something along the lines of, "If you're going to HPB 5th Anniversary, look out for these special bottle pours."

But I don't know. I tend to take people at face value when they say things explicitly like that.

I'm not naive. I know there is an added pang of FOMO that goes with the territory of social media almost by its very nature. But I prefer to try my damnedest to shrug off negativity like that in my life, and instead to focus on the celebration and positive sentiments that they were explicitly positing. To me, it's just sad and depressingly cynical to read such strong negative motivations into everything these guys do.

Final note, and a personal anecdoate, which I'm sure the naysayers will find some cynical way to interpret... I was at HPB 5th Anniversary. I saw the social media post. I was not a VIP attendee, so I figured these rare beers would likely be gone by the time I got in. But *BECAUSE OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA POST*, I knew about their existence, and I asked a friend about them when I got in after the VIP hour, and lo and behold... he offered to let me try a taste of his pour that he still had in his glass. Funny how the social media post delivered information to someone like me who was curious and interested to know that information, and a positive outcome was achieved... Exactly how you say they had no intention of doing. But whatever. Y'all can choose to revel in your FOMO and your anti-FOMO cynicism.

::STEALTH EDIT::

And oh btw...

Anyone attending Cellador's Sour Friends event tomorrow (even you cynics out there), I'll be bringing a few bottles (probably less than 6, just to get my own little kick out of it) of Woodshop/Cellador Le Grand Brugnon for some "bonus stealth pours". Get at me if you'd like a taste. But PLEASE... If you're reading about it on here, do me a favor and introduce yourself if we bump into each other at the event. Especially if you're one of the cynics. Seriously.

As of press time, I am still on-the-fence about making a post on social media to let people know.

 

Why do people still try to defend breweries like this and call their behavior anything other than trying to garner attention by primarily making the style they know will work on beer nerds like catnip? It’s their right to engage in this type of scarcity marketing. But just stop trying to call it anything else.

 

I'm fairly certain our BA names were included on last year's Woodshop nametags.

edit: got beat again

 

Maybe we just like the guys.

 

Will it be distro'd? Still need to find some Flying Beasts.

 

Yes.

The symbiotic nature of our collabs not only gives our collaborators the ability to reach a broader audience, but it also rewards our fan base and the retail accounts that support them.

Nothing about what we do will ever be about selling every ounce of packaged beer through our tasting room. From what we've seen over the last few years, retail accounts have been alienated due to the growth of direct-to-consumer sales. This is not entirely the fault of breweries, but a vast majority of people and retail store owners want to participate in the stuff they haven't been able to get lately. If we can be the bridge to bring everyone together, it's a bigger win for us.

Plus, I won't have to keep checking these godforsaken forums every day.

 

I do it, because going outside is scary AF. But at least I am as much of an asshole in person as I am online. So....there is that. =P

 

This is exactly how I came to taste Antique Blue. Saw the line developing, figured I wasn't going to get a pour, but was offered a taste anyway by a friend. Can't catch 'em all, but sometimes they'll find a way to catch you...

The fact that you print NOOB or whatever on them as well is hilarious. And Woodshop remains my favorite semi-regular LA Beer Event to date - in spite of the caste system the nametags perpetuate - specifically because people are always cooler in person than they are on here.

 

Yeah, I'm totally not an awkward mess in person...

 

DEBATABLE.