Why does Founders never have any Class 3 on tap?

I have noticed a change over the last few years as well...My last visit to Grand Rapids for Winter Beer Fest was without a trip to Founder's. There are just alot of other new options I wanted to check out, and I wasn't excited about anything they had on tap. I don't think it affects my view of Founder's one way or another, as I was happy to spend some time at Perrin, Harmony, Mitten, etc...

 

People are replying more to jampics2 first post then yours.

 

I would agree with the OP. Obviously the brewery has to do what they have to do, but I think it creates much more goodwill with the local base who helped the brewer become what they are today if you treat them better than out of state markets. Why shouldn't the state that a brewery's located in get more of that breweries limited product than other markets? Hell, why shouldn't they get all of it assuming it there's that much demand?

 

If this isn't the most entitled post on this site today I'll be very surprised. Assuming you live in Ohio (because thats what the "totally awesome and everyone will love it!" Big Brother location info says), I take it that you want to have to travel over to Grand Rapids to get this beer? I find that very hard to believe. Well, probably not all that hard to believe as you qualified your statement by saying "those willing to travel". Moreover, I assume you'd want all other breweries to follow suit? Sure would make getting all those beers you rated 5 star very hard to get.

Not trying to come down on you, but the "me first; I'm a local or I drove all this way!" attitude is one of the many things wrong with this hobby; somebody wanting what someone else has, and once they get it they pull the ladder up behind them so others can't climb up.

 

I don't live there. I don't want the beer. How am I being entitled by saying I don't want it if Michigan/GR people don't get the right of first refusal?????

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. I'll stick to the hundreds of well-distributed beers I can get in Ohio and I won't get KBS. Life will go on. Or, if I want some, I'd travel for it if it's really something I feel is worth it.

Exactly.

 

you might be right but then I look at a statement from Goose Island supposedly BCBS is going to be made available year round so obviously if a brewery is willing to commit enough resources to a specific brew they could make it happen.

 

Do you know it was local distribution that allowed founders to get to this point? Maybe Founders got to where they are today by being able to distribute out of state. Maybe the money that allowed them to do all their crazy brewpub only barrel aged beers that make them a beer advocate darling/enemy came from being able to sell their beer in so many places. Should they suddenly disregard those locations that got them to where they are.

Maybe Founders should do what is best for Founders, and not BAers and Grand Rapids. It has worked well so far for Founders, BAers, and Grand Rapids. You cant please everyone, but the people that have problems like this are a tiny fraction of their business.

 

I agree with you however if you really want to change this you need to stop buying Founders beers (voting with your dollar) as well as create a website or facebook page where people pledge not to buy Founders beer until they start making more of the limited/stuff people actually want. If Founders starts losing money and you have a huge following (which I don't think would be that hard since most of their everyday stuff isn't that good) they will have no choice but to change.

 

Whooooaaa there buddy. "Stuff people actually want" what the hell? I think people buy plenty of their beers, limited or not. This thread has turned into nothing productive.

 

You're absolutely right. My bad...it isn't entitlement at all for me to demand that a brewery have as much of a particular beer as I want to buy if I'm actually going to trouble myself to travel to get it. Fuck, if I want to drive to Russian River, they should let me have all the PtY that I want to drink at the pub or take home with me. That's not unreasonable at all.

 

If giving up buying any Founders beer for 6 months after the KBS release meant that they would make 10x as much CBS and KBS or whatever limited you like would you do it?

 

How did "as much as I want to buy" and "all the PtY I want to drink or take home with me" come into this conversation? Please stick to what I wrote or I don't want to discuss this more, thanks.

I'm really not getting you. Either I am having a stroke or your logic just isn't jiving here.

Please tell me how wishing a brewery in a state I don't live in would keep their special beers at their taproom for their locals (not me!) or those willing to make the trip (again, not me!) is being entitled.

 

That's not the point. The point is, Founder's is gonna sell their beer, even if you boycott it, hence the increase in distro...people WANT their beer, and not just the limited releases.

 

I'm not sure which "locals" you're talking to (are they the same ones that pitch a fit that they can't buy five cases like they could years ago?), but as one myself, I have zero trouble getting the amount of KBS that I want or could need. If any local or anyone willing to travel wants some KBS, it will be on tap at Founders on March 30th. It will also most certainly be on tap April 20th for the Black Party. I suggest you show up.

Well, with a bit more focus and extra legwork, anyone can get some on the dates I mentioned above.

They absolutely make more than 8,000 bottles. But if you think keeping it on tap will increase it's longevity of availability by any significant number, you've severely underestimated the hype that KBS has and the number of rabid fans out there.

So your solution to solve the "ZOMGRAREBEERZ" mentality by way of reducing the myth of the beer is by hoarding it all in one central location (like you said, keep it all on premises for locals and those willing to travel) so it's even harder to get? That makes perfect sense.

This.

They also got a big fat check from AB, so I wouldn't be surprised if they now have the resources to pull off BCBS year round.

 

An interesting point. However, even if out of state distro allowed this to happen, why then continue to expand your distribution of limited availability beers to new markets that didn't help you get where you are today?

And Founders can do anything they want, I don't care. I have no emotional investment in this, I don't really even enjoy most of their beer (including KBS). I simply don't understanding pushing a product out to more and more markets when you already can't satisfy the demand for the markets you're currently in. Plus, I tend to respect breweries (and other businesses) that take good care of their local fans/consumers.

 

In response to the OP's original question, yes I've noticed the change and yes it's a bummer. Does that make me entitled or whiny? I don't think so, it's just a rememberance of the good old days, like when you could walk into a store and buy BCBS and KBS no problem. I went into Founders while visiting the west side of the state on an average summer Sunday about 4 years ago and there were FIVE barrel aged Class 3 beers on tap. I had to get a flight of them because there was no way I could drink a full pour of each. I was back this summer and there was nothing exciting on tap, IMO. I too often check the tap list online and am underwhelmed. I'm sure their answer would be the same as their justification for bringing 4 regular beers to the Fall Beer Fest...it's not a big priority for them. It is what it is.

 

I could be wrong, but didn't Founders used to classify their specialty beers like Curmudgeon, FIS, Backwoods, etc as Class 3 and now they are being sold as class 2? I swore when I visited the brewpub last year that FIS was class 3.

If that's the case it's actually a good thing on Founders part to sell these beers a little cheaper to us. There is plenty of variety on the list right now, even though none of it is technically the top class. Watermelon and Mango are beers you won't get anywhere else.

 

I will admit that I am more often than not a tad disappointed with Founders' tap list as well. I love Founders and I make the trip to their tap room prob 4 or 5 times a year. I would never start a thread about this, nor do I feel entitled to have Class 3 beers all of the time, but most of the other breweries/tap rooms that I frequent tend to have a better selection of beers on tap IMO. Founders' sandwiches, on the other hand, rarely disappoint. I enjoy the atmosphere as well. With that said, I will still continue to hit up Founders at least a few times a year.

EDIT: Founders' Black IPA is amazing! Bottle that shit!

 

It's the arguments like this that make me grateful for the New Glarus business model. Having an endless supply of Thumbprints and specialty fruit beers is something I have grown accustomed to. I give a lot of you credit for constantly searching, checking Twitter, Facebook, ect. just in hopes that a liquor store has received a small shipment of said prized beer. I couldn't do it. I just don't care about a certain beer enough to go through the hassle.

I like the idea of having a brewery only release; with some being in bottles, but the majority being on tap for customers to drink over an extended period of time. That's how I would run the KBS release if I owned Founders. And before I get the entitlement BS, I have never had KBS nor have I ever tried to get it.