Bay Area Thread

[bdogg1]

I'm going for Row 2. I'll be crushing that all week.

hop father is on right now as well....

 

[litheum94]

hop father is on right now as well....

I saw that, but I'm assuming it'll be long gone by the time I get in town.

 

[RyanG1]

hop father is on right now as well....

Up in the area this weekend, maybe I can sneak over the Saturday before noon. Hitting up Woodfour for the first time, since we are staying close by. See they fill unlabeled growlers, hopefully that covers hydroflasks and they do fills of their more sour offerings.

 

[bdogg1]

Up in the area this weekend, maybe I can sneak over the Saturday before noon. Hitting up Woodfour for the first time, since we are staying close by. See they fill unlabeled growlers, hopefully that covers hydroflasks and they do fills of their more sour offerings.

I have only been there once so I don;t know what their rules on growlers are. The food is very good.

 

[litheum94]

Up in the area this weekend, maybe I can sneak over the Saturday before noon. Hitting up Woodfour for the first time, since we are staying close by. See they fill unlabeled growlers, hopefully that covers hydroflasks and they do fills of their more sour offerings.

For your sake, I hope their beer has improved since I was last there.

 

[drgarage1]

For your sake, I hope their beer has improved since I was last there.

Some of the beer is OK. Food is excellent.

 

[litheum94]

Some of the beer is OK. Food is excellent.

I never actually ate there, but their food does seem to get good reviews across the board. Two of the worst beers I've had over the past couple of years were from them, so I always approach their beers with skepticism.

 

[jarrgal]

Blind Pig at AT&T Park!

 

[litheum94]

Blind Pig at AT&T Park!

Keep your eye open for Arbitrator. I'm sure he's at the game.

 

[RyanG1]

I never actually ate there, but their food does seem to get good reviews across the board. Two of the worst beers I've had over the past couple of years were from them, so I always approach their beers with skepticism.

Well look forward to the food and maybe exploring the Barlow.

We were looking for a dog friendly spot for dinner and it fit the bill with beer and food.

 

[bsmithinc]

I believe next week they are having a Perennial tap event too. Should be another good night out there. Gotta love Caps.

You would be right, they are

 

[bsmithinc]

For your sake, I hope their beer has improved since I was last there.

I thought their sticky sour was pretty tasty.

 

[litheum94]

I thought their sticky sour was pretty tasty.

It's been over a year since I've tried anything from them, so it's possible they've improved.

 

[evilhead]

Blind Pig at AT&T Park!

 

[tosh1]

Thought the 2 Woodfour sour bottles i got were decent.

 

[jarrgal]

 

[Arbitrator]

Tears of joy right now. I can't immediately recall Madbum's first name, but I would be shouting it right now if I could.

 

[Arbitrator]

Wasn't gonna say it before but after that post...dude sounds like the beer police. And, well, we all know what people say about them.

Apparently, people say they're generous guys who throw great parties. But hey, if you have a problem with me, feel free not to crash our Firestone party this year.

Was just re reading that thread in anticipation of this year's fest and I thought your username looked familiar...

 

[evilhead]

That **** blew me away. Arb, you're welcome to come by our rental if you get bored/thirsty at some point. Have to try to return the favor after I randomly showed up at your place beerless.

 

[jtmartino1]

Anybody who is happy that Perry's was reselling SARA out the back isn't someone whose opinion I care about, anyway.

**** just typed out a huge response on my phone and it was lost due to ****** wifi here at the hotel. Apparently the French still prefer newspapers in their hands instead of smart phones. C'est La vie.

Bottom line - I used to agree with you but now I don't (100%) because your stance is predicated on support of the law with which I do not agree. Also, the outcome of the illegal activity is insignificant at best.

If the market is unfair, the breweries and distributors and ABC can correct it. But it doesn't always hurt a brewery to sell a bottle at full price to a retailer who will then mark it up more. ****, distributors take a huge cut off mfg prices which is a far worse situation for breweries. From speaking with many breweries, distributors are a far greater problem than single retailers.

The only people this activity hurts are competing retailers. And they can police these issues. Honestly, however, it's not worth the time spent as the profit from legal product is larger proportionally.

Also, I prefer to have a larger selection at bottle shops, three tier or otherwise. And I'm willing to pay extra for convenience (capitalism!)
Most of the time though, my money goes directly to a brewery. Which pains me when they don't care about growler laws, because that's the most profitable way they can sell beer.

TL; DR I vote with my wallet, and brewery owners are usually not great at business or law (or they don't care).

 

[burgundysmoke]

Apparently, people say they're generous guys who throw great parties. But hey, if you have a problem with me, feel free not to crash our Firestone party this year.

Was just re reading that thread in anticipation of this year's fest and I thought your username looked familiar...

No prob. Why not email Vinnie about it?

I've never been to perry's, but I also never go to russian river and have plenty of friends who can't ever go up there either. We are very happy paying a dollar or two extra for those bottles in San jose. Its not your job and there are many people who'd be sad if a lot of that grey market beer wasn't on shelves, albeit at sometimes exorbitant prices

 

[Arbitrator]

That **** blew me away. Arb, you're welcome to come by our rental if you get bored/thirsty at some point. Have to try to return the favor after I randomly showed up at your place beerless.

Nah, don't feel guilty about that. It's cool to get new blood and meet new people. I was just trying to highlight that it's pretty easy to think I do this stuff purely to stir up ****, and it's easy to overlook that I'm into beer. But I generally get along with people in person even if our opinions clash online. Just different opinions with similar passions.

Bottom line - I used to agree with you but now I don't (100%) because your stance is predicated on support of the law with which I do not agree. Also, the outcome of the illegal activity is insignificant at best.

Tbh, this discussion, which made me defend an ideology that I formed in 2008-2010, has made me realize I don't really agree with myself anymore, either -- or at least I'm more pragmatic about it. When there were fewer stores out there, it made much more sense to complain about the ones pulling underhanded **** and potentially hurting their competitors.

But now? Every Whole Foods is a destination bottleshop, Safeway carries Bourbon County, City Beer has lost their best accounts (c'mon guys, Midnight Sun sucks now), and all sorts of little stores have popped up. You're absolutely right that the outcome of illegal activity is insignificant NOW, though I maintain it made more sense 5+ years ago.

The only people this activity hurts are competing retailers. And they can police these issues. Honestly, however, it's not worth the time spent as the profit from legal product is larger proportionally.

Also agreed, 100%. I think I came around to analyzing it from a perspective of monetary alignment during those growler arguments a few years ago. Bottleshops are incentivized to police each other, but don't. I shouldn't bother, either.

And I'm willing to pay extra for convenience (capitalism!)

I'm torn on this. On the one hand, I see that, but on the other -- stores like Perry's are the equivalent of scalpers, or rats in the grainery. I don't know how much value is generated by their parasitic nonsense. But that gets more into political/economic issues.

TL; DR I vote with my wallet

Just to reiterate, I think a purchase (or lack thereof) is such a multifaceted decision, that simply doing so doesn't send the clearest message. It's spending AND giving feedback why, that makes a difference.

I've never been to perry's, but I also never go to russian river and have plenty of friends who can't ever go up there either.

So? You're not entitled to get your hands on everything they release. Either sack up and get in line like everyone else, or go without. You're not special. If the guys from SoCal can do it, someone from San Jose most certainly can.

 

[drgarage1]

What's important to remember in this debate is this: Fredy lov u

 

[burgundysmoke]

eh, ill feel as special as I want, my mom said that was ok!! never mentioned anything like that or a sense of entitlement. great detective work though! i have a brain that remembers things, and stuff, and o yea faces of people that i've met before!! holy cow! exclamation point!

If I'd rather pay an extra 2 dollars a bottle than drive to santa rosa, why do you care? also, not just talking about rr or sara or the bruery.
FWIW, i actually agree with the principle you are defending. But its on me when I decide to go against my own principles, and you yours. I guess I'm the exact person you were talking about in your other post (sorry im not as talented on the multi quote, i remember the words docile and neckbeard).

 

[Arbitrator]

never mentioned anything like that or a sense of entitlement.

Expecting to get beers conveniently is an expression of entitlement, and I only brought it up so we could short-circuit to the endgame this discussion always boils down to: beer police!! narc!! vs. entitled!! 2012er!! Neither one is 'right,' we're just going to stick to our guns. I'm well aware there are people in the scene I will never agree with.

If I'd rather pay an extra 2 dollars a bottle than drive to santa rosa, why do you care?

If I'd like bottleshops to follow the law, why do you care?

But its on me when I decide to go against my own principles, and you yours.

On that, we agree. Yet you're upset that I'm following mine.

I guess I'm the exact person you were talking about in your other post (sorry im not as talented on the multi quote, i remember the words docile and neckbeard).

I stand by it. Remember how many people complained about the last Beatification release, and how many of them will be right back in line for the next one. Look at the ongoing sham of the JWB OG club. The cancellation of the Crooked Stave club. The willingness to put up with asinine growler policies. Breweries can push beer people pretty far and take lots of liberties with them. Most will not complain, and will even act as apologists toward those who do.

 

[drgarage1]

#1, best! Cussmer! Frdy

 

[ASUBeer]

Looks like I might be out in San Francisco for work in the near future. Cellarmaker and Rare Barrel are obvious choices. What other places would you guys recommend? (breweries, bars, bottle shops and good restaurants please)

Also, is it realistic to think I could drive to SARA?

 

[mrk_d]

Looks like I might be out in San Francisco for work in the near future. Cellarmaker and Rare Barrel are obvious choices. What other places would you guys recommend? (breweries, bars, bottle shops and good restaurants please)

Also, is it realistic to think I could drive to SARA?

Drive to SARA and bring bottles to share if you have the time/a car - some of the best beer drinking I've experienced was an evening at SARA.

 

[rrryanc]

Looks like I might be out in San Francisco for work in the near future. Cellarmaker and Rare Barrel are obvious choices. What other places would you guys recommend? (breweries, bars, bottle shops and good restaurants please)

Also, is it realistic to think I could drive to SARA?

There's a million good restaurants, I'll let others speak to that. Outside of what you listed, Mikkellar is a cool spot, but pricey. Toronado is OG, but dive-bar-y. Faction is cool (take the ferry from SF!) and Fieldworks was better than expected on the east side of the bay. If you're on the peninsula, check out Ale Arsenal and Gourmet Haus Staudt.

Not sure how to address your last question. Are you a really bad driver?

 

[ASUBeer]

Also, is it realistic to think I could drive to SARA?

Just checked mapquest. Doesn't look like I can pull this off.