Trade advice.

I would say less volume, more rarity. Darkness is a brewery only (pretty large bottle count), but still brewery release only once a year. Maybe I'm wrong, but thats my $.02.

 

You are wrong. Darkness gets distributed to stores, as well as being sold at the brewery for Darkness Day.

 

Well ok then. I retract my statement...

 

Will be in MN for a quick trip Darkness weekend - curious what bottle shops typically have it and how available is it usually? Since the trip is so short, don't have the capacity to camp out, party, wait in line, etc. Thanks in advance!

 

If I recall, people who showed up on Darkness Day, even in the afternoon were still able to get a full allotment. They even let people go back through the line a second time. I don't remember how soon after Darkness Day, that it actually hit shelves.

 

All bets are off this year for bottle shops. Surly recently started using a distributor to send out their product. So it could be around the Monday right after Darkness Day, or two weeks later.

Last year was the first year of Darkness Day when you could show up mid-morning & still get bottles, every year beforehand it was all accounted for by early morning (7:30 AM the previous year). But even if you can't get bottles, you can attend the festivities & drink your fill of Darkness on tap. And it was magnificent last year fresh, best since '07 to this mouth.

 

I am sure someone would set up a pretrade for a bcbs variant, perhaps the non coffee one