Bay Area Thread

[drgarage1]

Tried Hoppy Birthday today at WF Coddingtown. Good, but not better than Row 2, Happy Hops, or various pale ales from Cellarmaker.

Not this old it isnt. And, like Duet, the Green Flash batch isn't as good as the real thing. The only one they nailed was Nelson.

 

[mjl21]

Not this old it isnt. And, like Duet, the Green Flash batch isn't as good as the real thing. The only one they nailed was Nelson.

Is it an old batch? Didn't ask to look at the keg collar.

 

[stupac2]

Not this old it isnt. And, like Duet, the Green Flash batch isn't as good as the real thing. The only one they nailed was Nelson.

It's like 2 weeks old...

 

[matedog]

It's like 2 weeks old...

 

[drgarage1]

It's like 2 weeks old...

It's been at least four weeks since it was kegged. That's a different experience from drinking the others at Russian River fresh from the tank.

 

[stupac2]

It's been at least four weeks since it was kegged. That's a different experience from drinking the others at Russian River fresh from the tank.

That's bizarre, it only got to the Bay Area two weeks ago. Why was it just sitting around for that long?

Also, RR's stuff is not necessarily any fresher. You'd be surprised at how old some of their pales can be when you get them on tap at the brewery.

 

[loeyjarko]

That's bizarre, it only got to the Bay Area two weeks ago. Why was it just sitting around for that long?

Also, RR's stuff is not necessarily any fresher. You'd be surprised at how old some of their pales can be when you get them on tap at the brewery.

Bro 2, Chill 56

 

[jtmartino1]

That's bizarre, it only got to the Bay Area two weeks ago. Why was it just sitting around for that long?

Also, RR's stuff is not necessarily any fresher. You'd be surprised at how old some of their pales can be when you get them on tap at the brewery.

Distribution is a funny thing. You can ask many questions, like:

1. Why do other parts of the country get FW Parabola before the Bay Area?
2. Why does the Bay Area Peninsula have one of the worst distribution footprints around?
3. Why, when Vinnie insists that his product be consumed fresh, does it take so long for PtY to get to other states? (Philly and Bend both tap kegs 3-4 weeks after it's released locally).

And the answer, as far as I've heard from industry folks, is that distribution is a weird, broken tier of the system.

 

[stupac2]

Distribution is a funny thing. You can ask many questions, like:

1. Why do other parts of the country get FW Parabola before the Bay Area?
2. Why does the Bay Area Peninsula have one of the worst distribution footprints around?
3. Why, when Vinnie insists that his product be consumed fresh, does it take so long for PtY to get to other states? (Philly and Bend both tap kegs 3-4 weeks after it's released locally).

And the answer, as far as I've heard from industry folks, is that distribution is a weird, broken tier of the system.

Also, why does everywhere in the Bay Area besides the East Bay get these Alpine kegs?

 

[matedog]

Also, why does everywhere in the Bay Area besides the East Bay get these Alpine kegs?

Because screw Oakland, Redwood City is the new Brooklyn.

 

[falc0n26001]

Also, why does everywhere in the Bay Area besides the East Bay get these Alpine kegs?

Sacramento usually gets screwed on distribution, but I've been seeing about 10 kegs of each Alpine release every month, at least! A lot of places get 2 kegs. Then they "hold on to them" for a week or so until I yell at them to just put the damn keg on.

 

[ABSTRACTlegend]

Has anybody heard of or been to this brewery yet? I guess they just opened.

http://www.clandestinebrewing.com

 

[Sage1]

Couple of my friends went to the opening and said eh.

 

[Arbitrator]

Just picked up a six mix pack (Fin, Mau, etc) of Unibroue for $7 at Costco in Redwood City. Yeah it's just Unibroue, but it's a steal.

I need to make it to our RWC office this week and stop at Costco for "gas."

 

[matedog]

I need to make it to our RWC office this week and stop at Costco for "gas."

I bought it a month or so ago for $15 thinking it was a good deal. ****, perhaps I should have gotten more.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Distribution is a funny thing. You can ask many questions, like:

1. Why do other parts of the country get FSW WEEKS before the Bay Area?

I could QQ about this forever. Trying to find Union Jack/Pale 31 that isn't 3+ months old in the bay area requires a herculean effort. Last time I was in DC, they had bottles of both that were bottled 5 days ago sitting on the shelf. Friends in UPSTATE NY get all of the FSW BA beers a full month before they hit SF and 6 wks to 2 months before the East Bay. Meanwhile Livermore get them before my friends in NY. I've been trying to figure this out for 2 yrs....

 

[Arbitrator]

I could QQ about this forever. Trying to find Union Jack/Pale 31 that isn't 3+ months old in the bay area requires a herculean effort. Last time I was in DC, they had bottles of both that were bottled 5 days ago sitting on the shelf. Friends in UPSTATE NY get all of the FSW BA beers a full month before they hit SF and 6 wks to 2 months before the East Bay. Meanwhile Livermore get them before my friends in NY. I've been trying to figure this out for 2 yrs....

Four years here, it started in 2010 for me. I don't even buy Firestone anymore. **** them.

Couple of my friends went to the opening and said eh.

What were their thoughts on the Adamantium "Adambier"? As a fan of HotD Adam, I'm pretty intrigued.

 

[falc0n26001]

I don't even buy Firestone anymore. **** them.

Do you think it's Firestone's fault?

 

[Sage1]

They haven't had it – think it just went on tap a few days ago.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Four years here, it started in 2010 for me. I don't even buy Firestone anymore. **** them.

I would like to do this, but they're probably the best brewery on the planet. So not buying FSW is just hurting myself. They make great, affordable beers. Not going to boycott them because of their ****** distribution, but I completely understand your frustration.

 

[drgarage1]

Do you think it's Firestone's fault?

They could leave their distributor if they cared to improve the situation...

 

[RyanG1]

At least we can fill our growlers anyw....

 

[jtmartino1]

Do you think it's Firestone's fault?

Yes.

 

[RyanG1]

They could leave their distributor if they cared to improve the situation...

Would a different distrubtor be the answer or does it need to move to a two tier system (if that is what it is even called?, from brewer -> mouth.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Would a different distrubtor be the answer or does it need to move to a two tier system (if that is what it is even called?, from brewer -> mouth.

Think that's against the law.

 

[falc0n26001]

They could leave their distributor if they cared to improve the situation...

I don't know the situation in California, but a recent NY Times article said that it is very difficult to change your distributor. Like, you have to sue them. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/opinion/sunday/free-craft-beer.html?referrer=&_r=0

 

[jtmartino1]

At least we can fill our growlers anyw....

 

[Arbitrator]

Do you think it's Firestone's fault?

They don't send enough to distributors around the Bay Area, so yes.

I'm tired of truck-chasing 42,000 bottle releases from our own state that languish on shelves everywhere else. Let someone else bother with that. Aside from Parabola and the anniversaries, I don't miss any of their beers.

 

[drgarage1]

Think that's against the law.

Self-distribution is legal in California -- Russian River does it Norcal, for example, and Stone self-distributes in the south and then created its own distributor to help out other brewers.

 

[jtmartino1]

Self-distribution is legal in California -- Russian River does it Norcal, for example, and Stone self-distributes in the south and then created its own distributor to help out other brewers.

Any manufacturer, except for those with a Type 75 brewpub license, can self-distribute to retailers in the state of California.