Sad Day

[Stew!Brew!]

Its a sad day when you drive by your lhbs, gitty about your new batch of blackberry stout(freshly picked blackberries) only to find out it is just about out of business and closed down.

Its a shame i'm not really into ordering ingredients online.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

Your LHBS wouldn't happen to be Brewer's Corner, would it?

 

[Melana]

I feel your pain... i think our LHBS is going under also.

 

[david_42]

It's a tough market and the hop shortage really hurt small brewing businesses. A LHBS is hard pressed to compete with online prices & freshness under the best of situations. Most of the ones I use around here are combined with some other business. One also does retail wine sales, another is an analytical lab and homebrew supplies are a side, another is much bigger on the commercial brewing side.

Some get along by getting involved with the local homebrewing clubs.

 

[Brewing Clamper]

Mine went under a few months ago. They were pretty awesome too...

 

[Displaced MassHole]

Its a sad day when you drive by your lhbs, gitty about your new batch of blackberry stout(freshly picked blackberries) only to find out it is just about out of business and closed down.

Its a shame i'm not really into ordering ingredients online.

I hope your not talking about Home Brew Mart!!!

 

[BigKahuna]

It is a Sad Day...but Online stores are pretty great....and you save a bit of money not having all the eye candy to walk by on your way to pick up a pound of corn sugar.

We'll hoist a pint for your loss.

 

[WhirlingBastard]

It is happening every where. Mine was in Milford, Michigan and it went under three months ago.

Before that my LHBS was in Farmington, Michigan and it went under. I am now left with ording on line since gas is so high. Makes no sense to travel far about.

 

[zoebisch01]

I don't understand why brew-pubs don't sell more of this stuff on the side. I mean at least grain, hops and yeast.

It does suck, and small business is way underadvantaged in this system. I try to support local business whenever possible, especially small specialty shops.

 

[eriktlupus]

fortunatly my lhbs is also tied in with a brewery(bell's beer of kalamazoo mi) as long as the brewery's open i should have beer supplies

 

[Ecnerwal]

I don't understand why brew-pubs don't sell more of this stuff on the side. I mean at least grain, hops and yeast.

IME it's the rare brew-pub that's all that into brewing/brewers as opposed to drinkers, per se. This despite the fact that brewers often make pretty good drinkers. Frequently the front-of-house staff is not very knowledgeable about brewing, and the back-of-house is not all that accessible.

There are exceptions, I'm sure, but on the whole they have not been what they were cracked up to be, in my opinion/experience. So I don't go to many.

I suspect that rather than viewing grain/hops/supplies as a potential side business, they view it as taking away from their profits to be made by turning those items into beer and selling you the beer.

 

[TexLaw]

Man, you have my deepest condolences!


TL

 

[Stew!Brew!]

I hope your not talking about Home Brew Mart!!!

No. I haven't changed my profile, im not in San Diego. (cheers to home brew mart though, they got me started) Im now in Arcata, CA. A small town on the coast in humboldt county, just south of Oregon. Its a shame to hear that a bunch of LHBS are going under, besides supplying brewing enthusiast they are helping the DIY revolution. Brewing is really a great way to not rely on a company for a simple life pleasure. Although most of the beer I drink as well as many of you, usually comes from a small, fairly harmless brewery not to far away. Its the principal that matters though.