Three Floyds Goes to Europe

Assume for a moment he has no interest in the money and in distributing FFF beers any more widely than they are now. I can think of at least 3 reasons why he might want to take this step. It might be a whim. It might be to have an excuse to get away from home for a while. It might be to have a chance to explore aspects of brewing he's not followed before though interactive work with another top flight brewer who pushes the envelope.

 

Before I read this, I put a gumballhead int the fridge, ironically. But back on topic, I would love to see them distribute year round 12 oz bottles to the neighboring state of OH first, to make it easier for me to get it. But if they can get in with Mikkeller, that would be alot of money for them. Maybe this will lead to expanding distribution into more states back home. hopefully....

 

I would like to say I do not hate Portland or the Portland brewers or brewing scene I was misquoted ,In a remark I made about ONE early McManamins pub I didn’t care for .I f%$@ing love Portland and all its beer I am a good friend of Van Havig ,I drank many times with Don Younger(RIP)and loved him and the Horse Brass, Tony Lawrence from Boneyard( I know its in Bend) is a best friend . Portland was the first place I travelled as a professional brewer to the old Flanders street pub ,Bridgeport is one of my favorites .Its the first place I saw Micro’s on draught 9 to 1 over Macro beer and at a stripclub ..Portland rules ! Put a bird on it I love it ! sorry I was misquoted your humble narrator Nick F 3Floyds

 

As a European I can't say I care about this until the place actually opens. It may well end up being all hot air like the Stone one.

 

I would like to say I do not hate Portland or the Portland brewers or brewing scene I was misquoted ,In a remark I made about ONE early McManamins pub I didn’t care for .I f%$@ing love Portland and all its beer I am a good friend of Van Havig ,I drank many times with Don Younger(RIP)and loved him and the Horse Brass, Tony Lawrence from Boneyard( I know its in Bend) is a best friend . Portland was the first place I travelled as a professional brewer to the old Flanders street pub ,Bridgeport is one of my favorites .Its the first place I saw Micro’s on draught 9 to 1 over Macro beer and at a stripclub ..Portland rules ! Put a bird on it I love it ! sorry I was misquoted your humble narrator Nick F 3Floyds

 

I'm glad to hear that. I don't really care what you do with your beer or where you open breweries (in the sense that it's your beer/business, do whatever you want with it), but it was very alarming to read that about a great beer city. Good to hear it wasn't actually intended.

 

Increase the prices! They are clearly too fair as it is, with the $9 increase for waxing and all...

 

Well, he could increase the prices if he wants to make more money, is that what you meant?

 

How does that even make sense, in context? "If you're not traveling and learning new stuff, you're sort of stuck," he said. "Look at [ONE early McManamins pub I didn’t care for]. It's still based on Willamette and Cluster (hops). It's the same (bleeping) beer you were drinking 30 years ago!"
"[ONE early McManamins pub I didn’t care for] was great in the 80s and 90s when there was nothing like it," he continued. "It used to be inspirational. It still is. But the more you travel and learn, the better."

Huh? Why would you choose such a forum to rip on some random pub you didn't like? It seems pretty easy to claim to be a victim of misquoting, without actually explaining how the journalist heard what he heard. Seems to me a case of loving the free publicity, until something you said comes around and bites you in the ass. Maybe it was something you said to illustrate a point, and you didn't intend to denigrate an entire region of brewers and beer drinkers. Own it, and apologize. But blaming it on the journalist seems like a cop-out.

Just my opinion... Josh seems like a thorough journalist, I have a hard time believing he misinterpreted/misquoted you in any meaningful way.

 

It also could have been the work of an editor cutting out content that they did not feel was important, but that would have provided context for beer folks like us. Also, McMenamins is NOT "some random pub." There are like 30 locations!

 

I like and respect Three Floyds’ work, as evidenced by my story in the Tribune this week. I stand by how I quoted Nick Floyd regarding Portland beer in the blog post that accompanied the story.

Josh Noel
Chicago Tribune

 

This bar bootlegs 3 Floyds beer to Tokyo. I think one of the owners personally flies from Tokyo to Chicago and buys its beers to haul back there.

 

Since the article mentioned that Nick was born in the US, maybe he wants to open something closer to "home"? Who knows. Why care really? Can they ever meet the US demand? Probably not.

Which leads me to my other statement. From what I understand FFF was only distributed as widely as it was way back when was because they were contract brewed in MN. That did not go well and will not happen again from what I've heard.

If you're making money and you're happy with how your business is going why keep expanding? If you can fund your growth and never take out loans that sounds like a solid idea. If you know each brewery employee and you do not have to watch over each one, then why not? It seems to me that they have a good thing going. I mean other than people who complain about the lack of supply and FFF's poor party planning skills.

 

This exactly. I understand that folks really would like the opportunity to try their brews, but I'm not sure where this sense of entitlement is coming from. Not every brewery intends to expand ad infintum just because the demand is there. They just don't want to guys! It's their business! There is no contract that says they have to cover every inch of the States before they can try a small venture somewhere else.

He probably hasn't. Because those guys do not distribute to his area.

 

He really should pay attention to improving distribution in his own state though if he wants any future laws that benefit him passed.

 

I had no problems finding ZD on the shelf in Chicago last weekend.
maybe it was just lucky timing...

 

Yeah, what ever happened to Stone and wanting to open a brewery in Europe? Last year they were all over that.
Anyone who knows?

 

Well, if they want to open a "pub " London would be the obvious choice. Or Edinburgh.
What really are the chances though? I wanted to open a fine wine, beer, and bait and tackle shop but not a single bank would touch me.

 

Having read the article, a Chicago pub-definitely a good move. Europe: hmm, sounds risky, but could pay off massively, and they could get a lot of new tools for even better beer. I love their stuff, being from Southern Indiana I can get some regulars. I have gone once to their pub for a meal and would never go back with family because it was so packed (though I'd go back for the beer in a heartbeat), so maybe the 2nd pub in Chi. will help that a tad. And while I love their stuff, IMO they are really hopheady on so many of their lines (just how many versions of IPA's do they make?) and might benefit from some Euro influences, as it sounds light they are looking into.

 

Look, Three Floyds arguably brews the best American-style ales in the world. They have the hoppy beer thing down to perfection--flawless execution, with a consistent taste. If growing large were their thing, they'd be in there with Stone and Dogfish Head and Lagunitas, expanding capacity and/or building new breweries, but it's not. Once they made that decision, then the question arises, "What do we do to keep things interesting?" Opening a brewpub in Europe seems a pretty good answer.

Not that I don't wish I could more regularly obtain their brews. Even living in northern Illinois, I find their beer only maybe a dozen times a year...

 

In the article it says nothing about distribution, which seems to be the majority of posts here. Floyd simply says that he has plans to open a PUB, not a brewery for distribution.

I get that people desire to have FFF distribution in their area. I'm a little spoiled being in Chicago now and able to buy most FFF beers, in addition to growing up not more than a mile from the brewpub in Munster (But back in the late 90s/early 00s people didn't make much of a fuss over FFF.) but people should be happy for Nick and encouraging his innovation and creativity. You can't deny that he's helped innovate the beer world. Just imagine all the new/interesting/crazy things he'll create over in Europe, especially working with Mikkel on a regular basis.

 

That's what I said. People dont understand that FFF distro is tiny even in our area, shit I go to FFF more to buy beer then to my local liquor store.

 

A brewery that doesn't distribute to [wherever I happen to live] going to Europe?! This is the greatest injustice in the history of the world!

 

They can open a pub or distribute wherever they want to. My problem is with the ignorant statement he made about Portland. Really dude? Love your beers, but you kind of sound like you don't know what you're taking about.

 

I was gonna post the same thing. Oh well.

 

American Breweries always nail the Euro Style poorly (can you say Ovila??) RRBC is the only acception with sours, granted their barrels rival Europe's wine country... Late the HATE begin!

 

On the positive side, maybe Mikkeller will send those beers to the large number of states that they distribute to

 

Let's just say, hypothetically, that you've proven yourself as a brewer (i.e., some of the highest rated beer in the world). And you've got enough distribution to provide the income stream you need.

What do you do?

Maybe, open a brew pub in a place you'd like to visit every year...

I'm not sayin'; I'm just sayin'...

 

Naw, makes more sense to start in PA instead. (turf wars!)

 

Hey!!!! PA gets Russian River (at least in Philly). How about sharing the wealth? Let us have the Zombie Dust.

 

Ha!

 

still lookin for your beer in pittsburgh. i want it on the shelf at my store.

 

Already were in NY. Would think they would reenter if they really wanted to...

 

More like 8 or so yrs ago...

 

I gave Greg Koch some shit on here when i found out they were going to france before they came here in MN, and he remembered me when I met him in person, so I'll be a little less voiciferous this time, but I still think its BS to go across the pond before getting to all the good beer markets here in the states that have been waiting patiently.

 

CCB is on my east coast. lol

 

but they just cant seem to make it to PA....

 

How about Texas distribution? It's Like a Whole Other Country®

 

Agreed, no point in worrying about it until it actual happens...Stone Europe, probably not gonna happen.