Westbrook Mexican Cake

A paycheck? Some people don't work at jobs looking for the extras. It's nice to have it as a benefit, but they shouldn't be able to cherry pick the stock room before it's released and put on shelves. If it's not enough money coming in, find a new job, right? I don't know anyone who would knowingly work a job, not make ends meet, just so they could get a stab at a limited release. I'm sure there's people on this site, and else where, but I just can't fathom that.. you know, as a grown up with a family and all.

It comes and goes.. I've seen a few in some places, and other stores have been out since the 1st shipment hit GA. My local hasn't gotten but 2-3 cases, and still hasn't gotten more, much to my asking and asking.

 

I don't know the laws in GA but that would actually be illegal in the states I've worked. Can't give discounts on alcohol to select groups. It's either got to be on sale or not on sale.

Either way though like I said it's tough to find balance for the demand. If you're a beer **** and just say "No beer for you!" to anyone (employee, regular customers, random people who wonder in etc) it's going to negatively affect your business in some way. My coworkers definitely support the store in many ways, so I have a vested interest in being fair with them. Luckily they're all understanding of the situation.

 

I know employee discounts happen in Georgia. I don't know if they are legal.

Clearly, that's what I'm saying.

 

...And the schitt show continues! We now have 16 pages which have digressed to bitching about store employees buying up the limited beer and distributer hoarding. Lord knows the site is going to crash when we start talking about the BA Cake release soon!! BTW, there is still some Cake at Westrook if you can get there (at least there were some bottles left on the shelf around closing time Sat. evening).

 

Employee buyout is a problem in GA at some places. A customer of ours used to work at Total Wine nearby, and told me directly that when Bell's 11 hit he and three other employees each bought a six pack. They got three cases. That's 1/3 of the available beer already taken. That, in my eyes, is shitty. As I said we don't allow that until the craze is subsided, or if it's a really sought after beer for all of us, we'll hold a shop bottle, one for us all to share. Sure we're all beer lovers too, but we understand that not all of us get the chance to get a bottle, and it some cases we may not all want a bottle (Hopslam, for example, is completely boring to me), and we make a stronger bond with customers if they can bet a bottle that was slated for one of us. I think anyone working at a beer store just to score whales really isn't working there for the good of everyone, they're just a selfish prick.

 

I work at a bottle shop and I have the option to buy bottles as soon as they come in but I make sure that our customers don't miss out. Now if it's a really hyped release that I doubt I can get elsewhere then I will get a bottle. I don't see anything wrong with that, especially since I was a loyal customer and regular of this shop long before I got the chance to work there. If you pay your dues, support the brands and the establishment by buying things other than limited releases, then why should you not be able to purchase certain bottles?

More often then not lately I go elsewhere to buy everything I can because I like to support our friends at some other shops in town and that way I'm allowing our customers more of a chance at these bottles. We have a problem with selling out of stuff way too fast a lot of times since we have so many regulars. If you get allocated 12 bottles and you've got 20 people that frequent the shop multiple times a week then someone will miss out. We make an effort to sample out stuff and make sure those who don't get a bottle can at least get a taste.

We also don't hold back special kegs, but instead put them on the day of the bottle releases if possible to supplement the short supply. For example, when KBS landed this year we got 2 cases and a 1/4 keg. We announced we'd do a bottle release at 4pm and tap the keg at the same time. Of course at 15mins to 4 there were already more people camping out in the shop than we had bottles so we went ahead and gave out wristbands. Everyone who came after 4 missed out but at least they could get a draft. I'd rather not ever mess with tickets or wristbands or even release times because of this. You have to sell it when the shop opens. About the only fair thing that can be done is imposing a bottle limit and of course limiting or restricting sales to the employees.

 

why even announce it? if you want to be fair to as many as possible just randomly put some on the shelf at random times, this way people who work day jobs can randomly find it later in the day, etc

 

Back to the topic at hand...enjoyed the hell out of this last evening!

 

I've got a great recipe for slow cooked Boston Butt, adding a bottle of Mexican Cake makes it pretty good - add three bottles and you've got a masterpiece.

 

I like that method as well. Our main issue is space, and honestly, my friend and the owner of the shop is pretty big on just getting stuff in and getting it out. Business is about cash flow and when you are a true independent small business owner you have to be focused on your money.

Ideally tho, if you had a couple cases to work with, I'd say sell the first case right off the bat to the early birds. Then put out a few bottles at a time through the following week and let those who stop in and pay attention reap the benefits. There's a guy in town that I've spoke highly about on here before who uses a similar method and I know it's helped me stumble onto some big wants.

All that being said, I'm not quite sure how to feel about store owners holding back anything. It is their right of course if they so choose to. I think it's really neat to be able to buy verticals or vintage bottles from time to time. Having a sort of cellar can set apart an older, well established bottle shop. I hate though that there's this idea now that every shop has a bunch of limited stuff stashed away in the back. We choose not to do that and constantly have people from out of state or whatever that come through our store, shoot the shit for a while about who they know and where they're from, and end up hinting that they'd like to buy some of our better stuff. I feel like when you tell people you don't have anything they just assume you're holding back and not allowing them to buy whatever it is they want. Next thing you know some entitled prick gives you a bad BA or Yelp review because they felt like they weren't treated fairly. Should we start giving tours of every inch of our space? Maybe include a complimentary microwaved meal?

 

-I've heard rumors of a certain bottle shop in NC that holds some of their limited stuff back and will place them randomly around the store every now and again throughout the year. I think that's kinda cool.

 

I've heard that too - don't know if it's true - but I love the idea.

Most of the great bottle shops I frequent will hold things back - you just need to ask your guy behind the counter. I had an experience once that upset me initially, I was after a bottle of Blushing Monk at a well-known bottle shop in Charlotte, NC. The owner told me he had it and would sell me a bottle - then asked if I'd had it before. When I responded "Yes," he than apologized and said he'd rather hold it for someone who hadn't had any yet. I was pissed at the time - but I get it now. Plus, he know I was probably just going to cook with it.

 

-Your Rare BCS braised pork with Blåbær slaw is to die for, I must admit. Especially served with that westvleteren float you came up with after repeated failed attempts at pairing it with ice cream.

 

Hey all, I found this thread and read the last few pages, but still need a few questions answered.

I am going to Ocean Isle, NC in 2-3 weeks (between Wilmington & Myrtle) kind of a no man's land. I am looking for Mexican Cake & Gose. What would be my best bet in finding some? Going to larger cities? Smaller towns? Wilmington? Myrtle? Driving all the way to Charleston? I'm flying in/out of Charlotte so I'm aiming for stores between Charlotte and the beach. Any help would be appreciated, and if you'd like to setup a trade for some CO stuff (in case MC & Gose aren't around anymore) I can do that too. LMK. Thanks SouthATL region!

 

We have "Easter egg hunts" from time to time but never anything in the Mexican Cake level of rarity. Keeps it fun.
Rewarding customer loyalty is job number one for us. Of 178 BA reviews i think we have 3 below a 3. Two in a two week period this spring from new BA members who don't understand our policy. Sorry if this is too far off thread.

 

You should be able to find Gose in MB, but Mexican Cake- highly unlikely. Maybe at Green's? None of my retail locations that I call on in Columbia have any left, and the last of my allocations are shipping out tomorrow to 2 bars. I'm in Columbia though.

 

There is no Westbrook distribution in NC. There will also be no Mexican cake left as it FLEW off the shelves this year. Your best bet to find gose will be across the border from Charlotte in ft. Mill and rock hill. Either that or places in Myrtle with a preference towards the piggly wiggly at market common.

 

There's a shit ton of Gose left on the shelves pretty much anywhere you might go here in Columbia (about 1/3 of the way from CLT to Ocean Isle).

 

Gose is not "left" on the shelves, it should be very fresh. Westbrook is brewing multiple batches of it to ensure continuity throughout the summer. I'm sure @mikeincharleston will let us know when the brewing season for Gose is ending.

 

I had assumed that it was being brewed in multiple batches. However, I was basing my (admittedly loose) claim on the fact that I see many beers on the shelves of my local stores (mainly Earth Fare and Whole Foods) where someone has obviously picked up a 6-pack, and the stack(s) of the Westbrook Gose always appear untouched. While it could well be that the stockers are "blocking/fronting" them more frequently so that it only seems that the stuff isn't moving, as a former grocery store stocker/blocker, I'd find that very coincidental. At any rate, I don't doubt people are buying it, as it is very popular. Just that there remains a lot to be had.