Bay Area Thread

[CommanderofAwesome]

Have some patience people. They haven't even had their Grand Opening yet and the Debbie Downers are already throwing out "meh". I mentioned Alvarado St. earlier and what they were doing when they first opened compared to what they are doing now is literally night and day. Give them some time.

OR! Or, they could get their **** together before putting out mediocre product. Maybe?

 

[AptosBeerDrinker]

OR! Or, they could get their **** together before putting out mediocre product. Maybe?

Tell me about the small business you run and how dialed you were before you started it? I mean, I realize you're not going full Chenman level dbag here, but I just find this level of entitlement off putting. Like because they're not up to your standards before they've even opened you feel the need to offer advice on their business plan and what not. Sorry for the rant but I find the way people feel the need to run to the internet to **** on small businesses really douchey. At least give them a chance to fully disappoint you first, then by all means yelp away.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Tell me about the small business you run and how dialed you were before you started it? I mean, I realize you're not going full Chenman level dbag here, but I just find this level of entitlement off putting. Like because they're not up to your standards before they've even opened you feel the need to offer advice on their business plan and what not. Sorry for the rant but I find the way people feel the need to run to the internet to **** on small businesses really douchey. At least give them a chance to fully disappoint you first, then by all means yelp away.

I get what you're saying, but I could easily flip this on you. Should I not be honest about my experience with them thus far as to not hurt feelz? A brewery specializing in easy drinking lower ABV beers opens up and brews easy drinking lower ABV beers that are by majority's opinion pretty just OK. Doesn't mean they can't improve, and I don't believe anyone is writing them off. Honestly though, there have been quite a few breweries that have opened up in the bay area over the last few years that have been better. Compared to newer breweries when they opened up, I would say they're below the water mark. Not trying to be an internet/yelp tough guy, that is my honest opinion of them THUS far.

 

[rrryanc]

Tell me about the small business you run and how dialed you were before you started it? I mean, I realize you're not going full Chenman level dbag here, but I just find this level of entitlement off putting. Like because they're not up to your standards before they've even opened you feel the need to offer advice on their business plan and what not. Sorry for the rant but I find the way people feel the need to run to the internet to **** on small businesses really douchey. At least give them a chance to fully disappoint you first, then by all means yelp away.

I don't think it's entitlement to expect that a brewery selling beer to consumers (which they are very much doing right now, btw - just because their taproom is closed doesn't mean they're not doing business...) provides a quality product for that return.

I can't figure out why you expect the end customer to finance their growing pains and call anyone who disagrees with their current product "douchey"?

 

[AptosBeerDrinker]

I don't think it's entitlement to expect that a brewery selling beer to consumers (which they are very much doing right now, btw - just because their taproom is closed doesn't mean they're not doing business...) provides a quality product for that return.

I can't figure out why you expect the end customer to finance their growing pains and call anyone who disagrees with their current product "douchey"?

It just feels like a rush to judge them before they've had any chance to find a groove you know? Maybe I misread it though and if I did I apologize. I'm not asking anyone to finance anything. If you're not impressed with the quality of the beer or the customer service or whatever else, you can always just not spend money there. To me though, there's no need to come on here and say their business plan is dumb before they've even opened.

For the record, I had the Pale and the IPA they released a month or so ago and I thought they were above average but not mind blowing. Still, I'm curious to see how they evolve over time. Pretty much everyone's favorite breweries in the area, Cellarmaker and SARA, have evolved greatly since the first couple months they were open. People seem to forget that.

 

[drgarage1]

For me, it's more that it's too early to judge, and the styles they brew are rapid turn-around, so any products that aren't good today could be much better soon. Learning a system takes a long time, and I don't fault anyone for selling beer that is average or above the second they're licensed.

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

The two pale beers I had from Temescal at Brewcade were lackluster and thin, but in their defense they felt like 'figuring out this brewhouse' product.

I tried a couple hoppy beers at Black Sands Brewery and thought they were really tasty. A good place to check out if you are in that area.

 

[RyanG1]

The two pale beers I had from Temescal at Brewcade were lackluster and thin, but in their defense they felt like 'figuring out this brewhouse' product.

I tried a couple hoppy beers at Black Sands Brewery and thought they were really tasty. A good place to check out if you are in that area.

They expanded from their garage homebrew operation?

Will have to swing by and check it out!

 

[chemman141]

Tell me about the small business you run and how dialed you were before you started it? I mean, I realize you're not going full Chenman level dbag here, but I just find this level of entitlement off putting. Like because they're not up to your standards before they've even opened you feel the need to offer advice on their business plan and what not. Sorry for the rant but I find the way people feel the need to run to the internet to **** on small businesses really douchey. At least give them a chance to fully disappoint you first, then by all means yelp away.

I am so famous

 

[rrryanc]

It just feels like a rush to judge them before they've had any chance to find a groove you know? Maybe I misread it though and if I did I apologize. I'm not asking anyone to finance anything. If you're not impressed with the quality of the beer or the customer service or whatever else, you can always just not spend money there. To me though, there's no need to come on here and say their business plan is dumb before they've even opened.

For the record, I had the Pale and the IPA they released a month or so ago and I thought they were above average but not mind blowing. Still, I'm curious to see how they evolve over time. Pretty much everyone's favorite breweries in the area, Cellarmaker and SARA, have evolved greatly since the first couple months they were open. People seem to forget that.

I mean fine, but before Cellarmaker and SARA, there was no Cellarmaker or SARA. We had to be patient, because the next best was extremely marginal. Now? I'm not planning on buying another of their beers until someone I trust tells me it's awesome - I'll stick to those folks that aren't on training wheels I guess. The stuff I've had so far has easily been below average beer.

For me, it's more that it's too early to judge, and the styles they brew are rapid turn-around, so any products that aren't good today could be much better soon. Learning a system takes a long time, and I don't fault anyone for selling beer that is average or above the second they're licensed.

I don't fault them for selling it (although you're potentially alienating future buyers by releasing a substandard product), but I also don't understand the expectation in this community that that's perfectly OK for them to be doing. I get ironing out kinks in service - that requires some interaction with the space and customers to figure out. Brewing beer doesn't have that same excuse.

Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me what these guys do - they're forever away in the east bay and I'll rarely ever head there anyway. I'm just tired of folks sticking up blindly for brewers with ****** customer-facing practices. There's enough good beers these days that we can demand better {customer service, beer quality, hours, location, price, etc} from the breweries, or feel free to take our business elsewhere.

 

[chemman141]

I mean fine, but before Cellarmaker and SARA, there was no Cellarmaker or SARA. We had to be patient, because the next best was extremely marginal. Now? I'm not planning on buying another of their beers until someone I trust tells me it's awesome - I'll stick to those folks that aren't on training wheels I guess. The stuff I've had so far has easily been below average beer.


I don't fault them for selling it (although you're potentially alienating future buyers by releasing a substandard product), but I also don't understand the expectation in this community that that's perfectly OK for them to be doing. I get ironing out kinks in service - that requires some interaction with the space and customers to figure out. Brewing beer doesn't have that same excuse.

Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me what these guys do - they're forever away in the east bay and I'll rarely ever head there anyway. I'm just tired of folks sticking up blindly for brewers with ****** customer-facing practices. There's enough good beers these days that we can demand better {customer service, beer quality, hours, location, price, etc} from the breweries, or feel free to take our business elsewhere.

You finally get me! Now just don't express those feelings of needing "better {customer service, beer quality, hours, location, price, etc}" or people will start hating you too!

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

They expanded from their garage homebrew operation?

Will have to swing by and check it out!

Ha, about that. It was my first time, but if I were to guess I would probably say no; the brewhouse looked crazy small on the left side of the place from the glimpse I got entering. I would guess it is like a 1 BBL Nano operation.
Brews were great though - best draft stuff I had in SF outside of Fieldwork and Cellarmaker.

My buddy Matt who manages at Black Bird brought me over because he lives in the area, and I thought the offerings were all tight and clean. Maybe not worth a specific trip, but definitely worth the dough if passing by.

Oh yeah, anyone who likes them a good cocktail or Fieldwork drafts should go check out Blackbird and say what up to Matt. Tell him Pete sent ya!

 

[Wino1]

Take a step back and realize the people on this thread are the small minority of patrons they'll get. It's a new local brewery in a crowded area - they will have plenty of customers with less sophisticated palates and tasting history than those bantering on here.

 

[rrryanc]

You finally get me! Now just don't express those feelings of needing "better {customer service, beer quality, hours, location, price, etc}" or people will start hating you too!

And yet, I've been in the community for nearly 10 years now, and still haven't been kicked out of a single brewery...

 

[chemman141]

And yet, I've been in the community for nearly 10 years now, and still haven't been kicked out of a single brewery...

Yet, just dont express your feelings too often or they will catch on.

 

[rrryanc]

Yet, just dont express your feelings too often or they will catch on.

Feel free to explore my post history if you think these are new sentiments on my behalf. Hell, the beer "Branding Problem" at Sante was named for a post of mine a couple of years back. It's possible to disagree with folks without having them hate you...

 

[Arbitrator]

Yet, just dont express your feelings too often or they will catch on.

rrryanc's BA account is 10 years old.

Think about that. He has a BA account, and it has lasted 10 years. The dude is the poster boy for avoiding bans.

 

[chemman141]

rrryanc's BA account is 10 years old.

Think about that. He has a BA account, and it has lasted 10 years. The dude is the poster boy for avoiding bans.

So was mine. RIP.

 

[chemman141]

Also, the fact that someone would hate another human being over a disagreement of opinion is pretty pathetic if you ask me.

 

[pen15clubmember]

Feel free to explore my post history if you think these are new sentiments on my behalf. Hell, the beer "Branding Problem" at Sante was named for a post of mine a couple of years back. It's possible to disagree with folks without having them hate you...

Oooh I remember that! What was the branding (I think I remembered it as) "issue" again? Was it that they go by "SARA" and Sante Adairius Rustic Ales?

 

[Wino1]

It's possible to disagree with folks without having them hate you...

Also, the fact that someone would hate another human being over a disagreement of opinion is pretty pathetic if you ask me.

You guys haven't been paying attention to the 2016 election...

 

[RyanG1]

Can we go back to arguing about burritos?

 

[chemman141]

Can we go back to arguing about burritos?

Always, pastor or carne? GO

 

[Gambit1]

Can we go back to arguing about burritos?

So a new burrito place opened in the east bay, the burritoista has made some great burritos in the past, but the current new burritos are kinda meh. But guys, you can't just expect great burritos right away! It takes time to make good burritos, you know, sort out the kinks. Try them again in 6 months.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Take a step back and realize the people on this thread are the small minority of patrons they'll get. It's a new local brewery in a crowded area - they will have plenty of customers with less sophisticated palates and tasting history than those bantering on here.

Was that the point of the discussion? I dont think anyone was saying they won't be a profitable business. Anheuser Busch is profitable and a lot of ppl drink it, does that mean we can't discuss that we don't love Budweiser as a beer?

 

[rrryanc]

Oooh I remember that! What was the branding (I think I remembered it as) "issue" again? Was it that they go by "SARA" and Sante Adairius Rustic Ales?

Yes, and the caps are labeled Rustic. So you have 3 different names/references for the same place. I stand by that - hell the marketing team at my company made us change our email and acronym because they weren't "searchable" enough - I can't imagine what they'd think if we had 3 different names everywhere...

 

[pen15clubmember]

There's an El Farolito in San Rafael that's not nearly as good as the Mission (St.) one. Discuss...

 

[rrryanc]

rrryanc's BA account is 10 years old.

Think about that. He has a BA account, and it has lasted 10 years. The dude is the poster boy for avoiding bans.

I have gotten one warning though.

What was your record for longest account there Arbitrator? Ever make it a year?

 

[Arbitrator]

What was your record for longest account there Arbitrator? Ever make it a year?

Longest was 6 years, median is probably 4 months.

I haven't even been banned from a brewery in ages. If I can play nice, chemman14 can, too.

 

[drgarage1]

I mean fine, but before Cellarmaker and SARA, there was no Cellarmaker or SARA. We had to be patient, because the next best was extremely marginal. Now? I'm not planning on buying another of their beers until someone I trust tells me it's awesome - I'll stick to those folks that aren't on training wheels I guess. The stuff I've had so far has easily been below average beer.


I don't fault them for selling it (although you're potentially alienating future buyers by releasing a substandard product), but I also don't understand the expectation in this community that that's perfectly OK for them to be doing. I get ironing out kinks in service - that requires some interaction with the space and customers to figure out. Brewing beer doesn't have that same excuse.

Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me what these guys do - they're forever away in the east bay and I'll rarely ever head there anyway. I'm just tired of folks sticking up blindly for brewers with ****** customer-facing practices. There's enough good beers these days that we can demand better {customer service, beer quality, hours, location, price, etc} from the breweries, or feel free to take our business elsewhere.

I'm not sticking up for them! But I think there's a difference between what everyone is saying here, which is that their beer is largely boring, and what you're implying, which is that they're selling deeply flawed beers.