Toppling Goliath Brewery appreciation thread...

It saves them exactly $0 on BPT fees. BPT doesn't charge sellers anything. All fees are paid by the customer. According to the website, fees are $0.99 plus 3.5% of ticket price. What it DOES do is give TG an extra $2,500 for the trouble of hosting the event and cost consumers an extra $1.68 ($106.17 vs $104.49) to attend.

 

Nobody I know got tickets (out of nine of us) & all of us were on until 530 or later. Twice had tickets pop up, both times couldn't complete the transaction. My wife (no mule, she likes beer more than some of you) had the same problem three states away.

In the end I don't really care, I've had MD before, but one "Damn, we blew that" from TG would be nice. Why is it so hard for people to apologize when they've screwed the pooch? And no matter how anyone wants to spin it, this is a TG mistake.

 

I thought 12 bottles was a case...

 

Disagree. CW did the lottery for their ....heron (can't remember the name of that stuff)? release. I did not win the lottery, but there's no reason to be butthurt. I had my chance. Same with BG....I'm entered. No reason to be butthurt if you don't win...you had your chance.

There are ways to do this where people have a legitimate shot at getting a couple bottles without making them perform like trained seals. It took me 30 seconds to register for BG.

Making someone jump through hoops for 90 minutes for the possibility that you might get a ticket is gonna piss some people off. I saw that coming a mile away. I gave it an hour and threw in the towel.

I'm not butthurt because I was on the fence on whether I'd drive up if I won. $40/bottle is a lot for a non-BA stout. I wasn't even going to try but my best friend said he was, so our Dark Lord Variant share for that night in Chi-town was in limbo anyway. As it is, he got a ticket. I'll probably ride up with him and go to PR while he waits in line. The Chicago people are coming to us now, so it saves me that drive. My day will end drinking 7 different Dark Lord variants and MD so I can't lose.

 

....so where you guys gonna be??!!!

 

But your liver can. RIP.

 

Add the Gophers beating Iowa that day (time TBD) and you will have a reason to drink more!

 

Selling tickets at the brewery would not result in only locals (aunt's, cousins, etc) getting them. I know plenty of people would drive from the IL, MN, and WI. There is no perfect way to release these beers, but I think everyone can agree that yesterday was far from ideal.

And as far as your assumption that anyone that tried hard got tickets yesterday... that is completely false. Others have already mentioned how their whole group got shut out... my friends and I were 0 for 5. Your "true supporter" buddy should have a great time bottle sharing at C&C and drinking MD at 4pm.

 

With 500 tickets I would assume 80% would be from within 100 miles of Decorah. I can't justify driving down to buy tickets to an event and again to pick up bottles. That doesn't seem logical. Very local crowd with that plan. Some people would like it though, so it IS an option.

I can say it was "just keep trying". It wasn't easy, as we all spent over an hour refreshing devices. Then again, it wasn't that hard to just keep at it. I ended up getting myself and wife tickets by just keep trying.
I was bummed when they said it was sold out, then I saw people had gotten tickets, so I kept at it and it worked.
Not sure what to say... It was a crap shoot.

 

I'd say that's a good reason not to be butt hurt!!

 

Hey everyone, I've got some out-of-towner/noob questions about the logistics for MD day. Where is C&C? (Whole name?) How far are the bottle shares and the TG tap room? Walking distance or is driving necessary? What's the parking situation like? What sort of food is available around? My wife is in the PM session, at what point will people line up for the public opening and where?

 

I'd throw that up on the other thread for the event

 

C&C: Courtyard and Cellar, a craft beer bar and bottle shop half a mile from TG. Google says it is a 9 minute walk.

Bottle Share: There will probably be a number of bottle shares, both public and private. The two main public events are C&C's event (all day) and TG's event (4 PM).

Parking: They blocked off the TG parking lot last year, and I assume they will do the same this year. We were asked to park along Ice Cave Road, just behind the taproom.

Food: There are a number of options. There is a bar and grill type place right next to the tap room. Mabe's Pizza is an awesome option. C&C has food available. There is also a good BBQ place right next to C&C. Grab a taco at the Whippy Dip. Other options are available.

Lining up: I don't see a big rush to line up. It doesn't matter what time you get, as long as you make it in your session's time period.

Additional Note: You would be doing yourself a disservice if you did not check out Pulpit Rock while you are in town. They are right next to TG (only a 5 iron away).

 

Downhill, to be more clear.
I might actually bring mine now, just to be more precise. I'll be using a Srixon if anyone sees a ball come through PR in the afternoon.

 

On behalf of all the loyal supporters of TG who stayed on until after 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. or were even checking at midnight (you never know!) and didn't get tickets, I would like to say how annoying and presumptuous your message is. Those of us who clicked our heart's out well past the point that they were clearly sold out, who had tickets seemingly in our carts only to have them disappear over and over again--we are a frustrated and disappointed lot. I don't blame TG, I still love what they make for us and am loyal as ever, but it was a very frustrating experience. Those of us who lost out really don't need silly, smug comments like yours heaped on our already sore heads.

 

I apologize. My sample size was too small to make such generalizations. I hope those who didn't get in this round get in for the next, or consider coming for the day regardless.

 

I might be the only one who thinks the way this was handled through BPT was fair. Everyone had the same opportunity and yes it was frustrating having a ticket in my cart multiple times and never getting one.
Congrats to those who stuck with it and got a ticket. There's always next year.

 

I actually think I feel the same way. I guess I'm confused as to what a better way would be. I suppose a better website host would've not been so glitchy, but then it would've sold out in about 30 seconds...would everyone be OK with that? In the end, I had a chance like everyone did and it didn't work out. Time to move on.

 

Confused on what would be a better way? Take a look at CW's Black Gold release. That's a better way (unless, for some odd reason, you like sitting at a computer hitting F5 over and over, thinking you've got a ticket and then...no you don't repeatedly).