Washington Beer News (2023)

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by BBThunderbolt, Jan 1, 2023.

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  1. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    CRFT Beers in Auburn posted about it yesterday, and a friend of mine said he’d heard the same thing from shops in Seattle.
     
    #21 distantmantra, Jan 13, 2023
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  2. TheBungyo

    TheBungyo Pooh-Bah (2,037) Dec 1, 2004 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    Heard the same thing from an industry person last weekend.
     
    #22 TheBungyo, Jan 13, 2023
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  3. snaotheus

    snaotheus Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,924) Oct 6, 2008 Washington
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Cool, thanks guys!
     
    #23 snaotheus, Jan 13, 2023
  4. thuey

    thuey Pooh-Bah (1,705) Nov 13, 2015 California
    Pooh-Bah

    From Russian River's IG: Russianriverbrewingofficial (@russianriverbrewingofficial) • Instagram photos and videos

    After a long 10-year absence, we are thrilled to announce our enthusiastic return to Seattle, WA! Feeling superstitious, we waited to make this important announcement until after the truck pulled away from our loading dock a few hours ago! Next week Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig, Happy Hops, STS Pils, Supplication, Damnation and MORE will start showing up in bottles and on tap in and around the greater Seattle area. Some of our new (and some original) accounts include all Chuck’s locations, Special Brews, and Brouwer’s. For a complete list of our current Seattle accounts, check out our website. Follow them on social media for news on when they might be releasing the beer. We can’t wait to finally celebrate our return to Seattle!

    https://www.russianriverbrewing.com/seattle-washington/
     
    #24 thuey, Jan 14, 2023
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  5. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yup. I figured it would just be a matter of time before RR returned to Washington, and /or increased their distribution footprint. Production has increased considerably since they opened the Windsor facility, and consumers in California, Oregon, Colorado and SEPA can't drink it all (or at least not fast enough). I would assume it's only a matter of time before bottles/cans of elder, blind pig, etc., start to show up in the Philly area as well (currently they're only available on tap).
     
    #25 John_M, Jan 14, 2023
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  6. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    #26 BBThunderbolt, Jan 14, 2023
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  7. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    >sarcasm to follow<

    Gee, apparently the great state of Washington has seen fit to amend their laws to fit our desires. About damn time you heathens haz gotten your shit together to bow to our wishes.

    >sarcasm done<

    AFAIK, the laws haven't changed; if a beer is on distributors available list, it's available to every account. Has Vinnie gotten over this, or, as I suspect, and was the case before they left, that they'll just be giving their preferred accounts a heads up on incoming loads.

    As much as I like Blind Pig, Pliny, and the sours, RR can just fuck right off, the petty, game playing, sensitive little Nancies.

    Go ahead, ask me what I really think.
     
    #27 BBThunderbolt, Jan 14, 2023
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  8. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    As we've discussed before, it was pretty clear that wasn't the "only" reason RR decided to pull out of Washington. I always assumed that RR wasn't able produce enough beer to continue to fill Washington accounts, and wanted to focus on the local market (which is something I could understand). In fact, it wasn't all that easy to find RR stuff here in Oregon prior to the Windsor facility opening, and frankly I was expecting RR to discontinue distribution in Oregon as well eventually.

    Why Vinnie decided to point to a law that has been on the books for years as the reason RR was pulling out of Washington is something I'll never understand. AFAIK, Oregon has a similar law on the books here, and apparently Vinnie is completely unbothered by that.

    I know he doesn't want BevMo to carry his IPAs/DIPA's because they won't guarantee to keep them refrigerated, but even that concern seems like a bunch of BS these days. I've seen plenty of places in California that had bottles of elder sitting on the shelf (sometimes for months), so it seems pretty clear he's learned to "relax" his standards when it comes to freshness concerns. So it's no surprise that he's suddenly cool with shipping beer to Washington again (despite their annoying and archaic laws - sarcasm intended as well).

    Shrug. I'm sure most everyone will be ecstatic to see PtE around the SeaTac area again. Most everyone. :sunglasses:
     
    #28 John_M, Jan 14, 2023
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  9. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    They were/are very exacting with their standards for their retailers. Not only demanding that things be kept refrigerated but also keeping tabs on how things move and limiting future purchases if they perceive the hoppy stuff as having been allowed to sit too long.

    They may have lowered their standards a bit but I think it's more likely that they simply can't keep tabs on everyone who carries their beer the way they did in the best. I'm friendly with one of their accounts and he said they are by far the most involved brewery that he carries. It's very possible that covid demands on top of their prior expansion have caused them to lighten up, but as of 2019 they were still keeping tabs on everyone carrying their hoppy stuff and exerting some level of control over how much they could have based on their prior sales.
     
    #29 unlikelyspiderperson, Jan 14, 2023
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  10. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    So, knowing the laws of the state, he still chose to sell his products here. Then got pissy about having to follow those laws, and not being able to play favorites for his friends, he took his ball and went home. And now we're supposed to bow and scrape because he deigned to allow us his nectar again.

    That 'bout sum it up?
     
    #30 BBThunderbolt, Jan 14, 2023
  11. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I don't know the details of their history in Washington. Obviously you've got a thorn in your craw about the way you perceived it. Guess you'll have to...not buy their beer?

    From my perspective RR has done a better job than anyone at controlling the quality of their beer in the distribution chain. Like most things in life, maintaining that quality standard requires behavior that will annoy people who are used to a sloppier standard. Amidst a sea of aging cans of ipa that have crept past them in price but rarely quality, Pte and Blind Pig stand out as reliably fresh and excellent beers that haven't gone up in price in a decade.
     
    #31 unlikelyspiderperson, Jan 14, 2023
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  12. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    And they've got a very small list of places that will carry their product. 90% Seattle, a couple shops in Tacoma, one in Puyallup, one in Auburn, one in Edmonds. They're going with Stoup Distributing this time, and I know for a fact that other stores carry Stoup distributed products, but they're not on the list. I'm curious what would happen if PCC tried to order some Russian River.
     
    #32 distantmantra, Jan 17, 2023
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  13. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yeah, Ive no doubt that the beers will only go to "approved" accounts, just like before, laws be damned.
     
    #33 BBThunderbolt, Jan 17, 2023
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  14. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    The PCC's I've been to have generally had very good beer selections, and so I can absolutely see them wanting to carry RR products. Not to come across as completely naive, but I would hope the distributor would fill the order.
     
    #34 John_M, Jan 18, 2023
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  15. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Wanting to, being legally able to, and having the source allowing it, are 3 drastically different things.

    I've zero doubt that they've signed with a distributor that is willing to follow their wishes.
     
    #35 BBThunderbolt, Jan 18, 2023
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  16. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Now that I'm home, on my laptop, and not relying on my teensy fone keyboard, I suggest y'all open a beer and listen to a true story from back in the day:

    Back when, I knew of a bar in Bellingham that tried to get the beers that weren't available otherwise, but the owner would go down to Seattle a couple days a week. He'd stop by the small breweries, and bring things back. He'd also stop by distributors to pick beer up, and save the delivery charges.

    As mentioned above, if a distributor had a beer listed, and was physically available, the distro HAD, by law, to sell it to the first account that asked for it. As it happened this one day, they were unloading a RR drop, and every keg and case already had an accounts name on it, before it came off the truck. Bellingham bar owner points out the law, asks if the beer is listed, and opens his checkbook. Well, the 1/6bbl had to be sold. AFAIK, that's the only time a keg of Pliny has been North of Skagit County.

    Just rolling in, the beer is accounted for, before any account other than The Blessed, had a shot at it. Not trying to offend or crush hopes and dreams here, but if y'all think yer gonna see it places you didn't a decade ago, well, good luck.

    The fact that Brouwers (and I love them) is the spot for the new release should tell us everything we need.

    Yes, I am very cynical, and I hope I'm wrong, but, I ain't holding my breath about that.
     
    #36 BBThunderbolt, Jan 18, 2023
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  17. westlaunboy

    westlaunboy Pundit (882) Mar 31, 2010 Washington
    Trader

    Sorry, what does Brouwer's being the spot for the new release tell us?
     
    #37 westlaunboy, Jan 18, 2023
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  18. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    They were one of the spots that used to get RR stuff regularly. It would seem to be an indicator that the accounts as before will get first crack at things. There's bars and stores that weren't open 10 years ago that will likely get stuff too, but I suspect it's gonna be a lower number of outlets than folks are hoping for.
     
    #38 BBThunderbolt, Jan 18, 2023
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  19. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I don't know Terry. The beer landscape has changed considerably since RR pulled out of Washington, and it seems like RR is having a lot more difficulty selling product (since the opening of the Windsor facility). Elder now sits on the shelf for weeks and months in some parts of California. I suspect that's part of the reason RR had it's sudden epiphany regarding returning to Washington. My impression is that RR has a lot more beer to sell now, unlike when they last were a presence in Washington. Back then RR could afford to pick and choose who was going to get their highly coveted beer, but that's likely no longer the case. Time will tell, but my guess is that RR will happily sell product to anyone who wants to buy it in the SeaTac area. Maybe even to accounts in Bellingham (not sure why that was a problem previously. I was able to find PtE fairly easily in Tacoma. The last pint I had of elder in Washington was over at the Parkway).
     
    #39 John_M, Jan 19, 2023
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  20. woemad

    woemad Grand Pooh-Bah (5,601) Jun 8, 2003 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    RR themselves have posted it on FB.

    Edit:
    And if I'd read a little farther I'd have seen that info was already posted.

    Funny story. In that FB post I naively opined that it'd be nice if Spokane saw a few RR beers. Cue the mocking laughter emoji from some west side douchebag. Apparently that shitlording dude that used to come to the NW forum and ask for Spokane recommendations while simultaneously slamming Spokane as Hicksville, USA, is alive and well.
     
    #40 woemad, Jan 19, 2023
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2023
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