Dogfish Head Reduces Distribution

[Grinder12000]

Well - the problem with the above statements is that DHS was basically the FIRST to create those beers with everybody else following.

I work at a craft brew store and am always having people asking for lower ABV brews. DFH brews sell but not that fast - they are unique and people buy they ONCE just to see what Sam has down now.

 

[HopHead24]

First an NFL lockout and now this...bad news for Wisconsin!

And us in MN. I was making the drive to Hudson, WI just to get my DFH fix!!! Damn. Gonna have to make a raid and stock up!!!

 

[HopHead24]

That really sucks - Indian Brown is one of my favs! First Arrogant Bastard and Stone Brewery and now Dogfish Head out of Wisconsin - thank god we have Ale Asylum!

Stone is coming to MN at the end of the month. Drive on over!!!!!

 

[motobrewer]

I think they have succeeded on gimmicks and hype more than beer quality.

i think that's over the top - everything i've had from them is certainly well-made and repeatable.

seems strange that they'd pull out of a beer-loving state such as WI - does anyone know if we have any weird distro laws/tax that other states dont?

 

[BigE]

I know over here in the Seattle area we can't get enough!! My wife and I regularly buy 60 and 90 minute.

 

[McMalty]

I won't miss DFH at all. I cannot say I like any of the beers I have tried at all. All the IPA;s taste like grapefruit juice and Sam can keep all his weird screwed up beers.....

have you had the Palo Santo? I can't imagine anyone not liking that beer

 

[McMalty]

I think they have succeeded on gimmicks and hype more than beer quality. I think there is a reason no one besides them makes beer similar to theirs. I'm trying not to be a hater, but I truly believe if you were to take their beer and put someone else's label on it, it would not be as popular as it is.

Also some of their "beers" really push the line of being beer. Some of their stuff is closer to being wine cooler than beer. Not that it's bad, it just is what it is. And granted I haven't tried all of them, but like I said, they are priced such that I'm not going to risk $12 on one bottle of "beer" that I may or may not like, when I can spend $8 on a six pack of beer that I may or may not like.

Have you really drank all of their beers? You cannot put a diff label on Midas touch or Raison d' Etre expect it not to become amazingly popular. It's not the "in" thing to like DFH. The simple fact that it is pretty damn expensive makes that almost impossible. Because of the fact that it is pricey, but is still sells extremely well is a testament to the quality of the brew. If you are basing your statement off of a bottle of ipa or something else, then you're not making a fair statement. Buy a 4 pack of Palo Santo and tell me after you've drank it that you regret it. Unless you absolutely hate brown ales (don't know anyone that does), i don't see how you wouldn't like that beer. I wouldn't buy it everyday (altho i want to), b/c it is pricey, but then again, if it wasn't pricey, i wouldn't be able to buy any b/c it would be sold out.

 

[JNye]

Have you really drank all of their beers? You cannot put a diff label on Midas touch or Raison d' Etre expect it not to become amazingly popular. It's not the "in" thing to like DFH. The simple fact that it is pretty damn expensive makes that almost impossible. Because of the fact that it is pricey, but is still sells extremely well is a testament to the quality of the brew. If you are basing your statement off of a bottle of ipa or something else, then you're not making a fair statement. Buy a 4 pack of Palo Santo and tell me after you've drank it that you regret it. Unless you absolutely hate brown ales (don't know anyone that does), i don't see how you wouldn't like that beer. I wouldn't buy it everyday (altho i want to), b/c it is pricey, but then again, if it wasn't pricey, i wouldn't be able to buy any b/c it would be sold out.

meh, its a proven fact higher price distorts the brain to think its of higher qaulity and therefore worth it. Some people actually NEED this. I don't think most of their beers are worth anywhere near what they charge(I'm talking standard beers here) yet people continue to buy it. The craft beer scene is infested with posers and wannabes. Good for Sam for exploiting that market. To be clear I am not calling everyone out who likes his beer(in this thread) a poser, its good beer, I've bought it, but never repeatidly. To each his own. Plus I'm cheap.

 

[RMitch]

i think that's over the top - everything i've had from them is certainly well-made and repeatable.

seems strange that they'd pull out of a beer-loving state such as WI - does anyone know if we have any weird distro laws/tax that other states dont?

From what I know about the beer industry...the fact that WI is in fact a big beer state may be why they're pulling distribution there. Costs more to squeeze their product on the trucks. Not worth it, especially if they're reducing volume of distribution within those states.

 

[lastsecondapex]

Plus I'm cheap.

I agree with some of what you said, but you should have prefaced your post with this statement above... I think DFH is good for brews that I might not personally risk brewing until I've tried something similar. (world wide stout, 120 ipa, raison d'extra, immediately come to mind) IMO they are totally worth the 6.99/ 12oz bottle versus me buying a crap ton of grain and hoping that my gigantic brew turns out drinkable... The world doesn't really need more 8.99/ 6-pack beers, it needs more 6.99/ bottle beers that will leave a lasting impression. If I was drinking for quantity Anheiser-Busch, Miller, or even Yuengling would more than satisfy that need. Thankfully, we have BrewDog, Avery, Trappistes Rochefort, and Dogfish Head to brew from the other side of the spectrum with a lot of great craft breweries in between. What is inspiration worth to you?

 

[Acoma]

DFH gets a lot of flak for being so popular and doing brewmasters as well as going outside the guidelines of what a style should be. That being said I have enjoyed several of their beers. A few of my favorites are Burton Baton, Palo Santo, and Indian Brown. I also feel Sam has been nothing but a positive influence on the craft industry and is always the first guy to give credit to other breweries that came before and after him. If the beer is not your thing then its not your thing but to simply hate on him for selling out of beer is just silly and seems a byproduct of envy. Who wouldn't want a beer that can't stay on the shelf?

 

[PanzerBanana]

It still irks me. "Somebody else wants some beer now, to bad for you". My girlfriend really likes a couple of DF brews. I'm not a regular drinker but I really like how they do their thing. It's just the point....

The only thing that would make sense is if the fan base in the dropped states was so low in comparison they're an acceptable loss. I still think it would have been better entertain reducing distribution just for the sake of the most supportive fans in those areas.

 

[SourHopHead]

I can only get DFH when I travel. NM beer selection is terrible unless we drink local. So many I want to try and I just try and get what I can.

 

[msarro]

It sucks but I respect their decision. They've been running full steam production for a LONG time. Whenever they add new expansions, they're immediately back to full steam. Its sustainable for some sprints, but not for a long term (and that goes for any business, not just brewing). They'd rather scale things back so that their largest markets are well supplied, and then slowly grow into newer markets. Its a sound business move. As for anyone who can't get DFH, we have plenty here in the North East, so let me know when you're coming and I'll pick up a case for you

As for people who say DFH makes crappy beer, you obviously haven't tried all of their beers. Comparing WWS to 120 to Nut Brown to Red and White to Raison... well, there's no comparison. They're completely different brews, and they're all fantastic.

They didn't start the craft brew biz in the US, and they weren't the first brewing crazy styles (hell, just look at Anchor and Sam Adams). They made their name through shrugging standards and saying that style guides are BS, making a consistently great product, and marketing. Frankly, I agree with their stand on brewing standards and guidelines. Standards shouldn't constrain us.

As for people who don't like them purely because of price... well, certain things cost money. I have a 1970 bottle of dom perignon in my house that is worth god knows what. I have numerous vintage bottles. I regularly spend 20+ dollars on a bottle of beer. Moreso, I usually buy the bottles in groups of threes so I can have one to drink, and two to age. Why? I love vintage beers, and I love the idea of having a wine and beer cellar one day. Hell, I almost bought a 120$ Methuselah of Chimay grande yesterday purely to cellar.

Ok, off my soapbox. It sucks for those of you who won't be able to get your hands on it Take it as a business opportunity to brew some extreme beers yourself!

 

[maltbarleyhops]

At this point, Sam could bottle horse piss, talk about it on the discovery channel for 15 minutes, and still sell it like hot cakes.

similar to qoute from the owner of Bells. spoken to a friend of mine in a restaurant. He told me "when i was telling him how much i enjoyed Hopslam every year, even in Michigan its hard to get (cause it sells out so fast) he said 'i could probably bottle piss, hop it and id sell more than i could piss', i then, cancelled my next beer, which was an Oberon and ordered a Fat Tire"

...and he hasnt purchased a Bells product since.

...Do they get to a point when they forget that the consumer is their lifes blood?

 

[rico567]

similar to qoute from the owner of Bells. spoken to a friend of mine in a restaurant. He told me "when i was telling him how much i enjoyed Hopslam every year, even in Michigan its hard to get (cause it sells out so fast) he said 'i could probably bottle piss, hop it and id sell more than i could piss', i then, cancelled my next beer, which was an Oberon and ordered a Fat Tire"

...and he hasnt purchased a Bells product since.

...Do they get to a point when they forget that the consumer is their lifes blood?

I don't really get the point here. My understanding is that DFH was scaling back their distribution so that they could fully serve a given customer base. As I remarked earlier in this thread, I was told the same thing by an owner of Newport Storm. I see the statement by Bell's owner as just being another version of the same philosophy. I understand it, I think it's good business, and if I ran a brewery I'd like to think I'd keep a clear eye on becoming overextended.

This being the Internet, I hasten to add that YMMV, you can obviously drink what you like, and "not that there's anything wrong with that."

 

[motobrewer]

...Do they get to a point when they forget that the consumer is their lifes blood?

yeah i don't think this is what sam's doing.

i mean, imagine if you couldn't find your favorite local 6-pack in stores because they were shipping it all over the place.

the reason DFH is big is because the locals bought a lot of beer over the last 15 years.

 

[scottland]

The Brewmaster's show was filmed in spring/summer of 2010. So the expension was already in place before show aired. With the show airing, DFH beers were insanely hard to find here in AZ. They were sold out pretty much everywhere.

I understand where they are coming from. They had an artifical spike in demand due to the show; think of it as a bubble. There's three responses they can make to that: A. Increase supply, B. Increase prices, or c. Decrease distribution. They did the later. Smart move if you ask me. They won't dilute their brand, they'll keep demand high for their beer, and they won't grow toobig. The bubble of demand for DFH will eventually burst. People probably found the show really fun to watch, but most people who drink BMC won't like an IIPA at first sip.

The states they pulled distribution from were probably the states with the fewest sales, the weakest distribution, or any other number of reasons. DFH isn't forgetting about their customers, they're protecting their brand.

 

[RMitch]

It still irks me. "Somebody else wants some beer now, to bad for you". My girlfriend really likes a couple of DF brews. I'm not a regular drinker but I really like how they do their thing. It's just the point....

The only thing that would make sense is if the fan base in the dropped states was so low in comparison they're an acceptable loss. I still think it would have been better entertain reducing distribution just for the sake of the most supportive fans in those areas.

Well...look at what happened to Krispy Kreme. They expanded much too fast, couldn't keep their stores stocked, so eventually customers decided, "This place sucks, they never have ________ in stock"

So the company lost profit and had to shut down nearly all the stores it recently opened.

If you can only buy a bottle of DFH every couple of months, you're going to soon stop buying their product (even when it is in stock) in favor of another beer you can acquire more readily. It sucks for the consumers in those areas, but makes sense in the long-run.

They can then relaunch distribution in those areas at a later date, in much greater volume, giving them much greater market appeal.

 

[RMitch]

With an increase in production, I wonder if we'll see a decrease in cost?

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

With an increase in production, I wonder if we'll see a decrease in cost?

lol

 

[RMitch]

lol

lol why was that funny?

 

[Mudflap]

With an increase in production, I wonder if we'll see a decrease in cost?

I don't think they're having an increase in production, I believe they already operate and will continue to operate at their current capacity. They are trying to keep from having to increase production even more to keep up with demand, hence the reason for this business move. They are just decreasing in distribution markets. I doubt any savings will be had by the consumer for this.

As for me personally, it blows because I live in TN where they are cutting distribution and I for one really like DFH beers and attribute Sam's reckless style as a big influence in my own home brewing adventures. I was just starting to be able to find DFH at several local quick marts close to home and even at a few restaurants, so I surely wasn't expecting this news. On an up note though, I've got my process down on a 60min IPA clone that is out of this world so I will be alright! (BTW, It's Yooper's recipe, you can do a search for the thread on this site and trust me, its fantastic)
I will miss the Punkin and other seasonal/special brews though. Oh well, looks like I have even more reason to keep on brewing!

 

[RMitch]

I don't think they're having an increase in production, I believe they already operate and will continue to operate at their current capacity. They are trying to keep from having to increase production even more to keep up with demand, hence the reason for this business move. They are just decreasing in distribution markets. I doubt any savings will be had by the consumer for this.

As for me personally, it blows because I live in TN where they are cutting distribution and I for one really like DFH beers and attribute Sam's reckless style as a big influence in my own home brewing adventures. I was just starting to be able to find DFH at several local quick marts close to home and even at a few restaurants, so I surely wasn't expecting this news. On an up note though, I've got my process down on a 60min IPA clone that is out of this world so I will be alright! (BTW, It's Yooper's recipe, you can do a search for the thread on this site and trust me, its fantastic)
I will miss the Punkin and other seasonal/special brews though. Oh well, looks like I have even more reason to keep on brewing!

Well isn't the purpose of expanding brewery capacity to increase production?

 

[McMalty]

I think at some point, one would have to ask himself, why am i doing this? Am I a brewer or the head of a corporation? Am I in this because i love the art of brewing or am i in this to make as much money as possible? At some point, DFH was going to become a monster that consumed itself and went beyond Sam's control. Considering, he's filthy rich either way, why not keep things at a reasonable level, keep your monster in check (or your bubble from getting too big and bursting). A true brewer at heart loves his craft. He can design new beers, be as outlandish as he wants and not fall under such great scrutiny as a behemoth brewer. Say Sam Adams makes a brew, they ship it out all over the country, but wait, it doesn't get good feedback, well now Sam Adams has damaged it's brand and now people are less likely to try new things from Sam Adams b/c they're so big so they should know what they're doing, and yada yada. Sam Adams can't experiment. As brewers, i think most of u can agree that we like to experiment, try to make something unique that's our own, and damned if it doesn't turn out awful sometimes. Sam's just a brewer. His whole mantra is about experimenting. You can't have a successful mega brewery that spends half their time experimenting. But if you scale it back, you can do whatever you want and chock it up to your eccentricity. Meanwhile, you can stay in the same class as most of the other microbreweries around the world and not have to be like sam adams. Don't get me wrong, i love sam adams and they do make some really great beers, but when i go to my local microbrew store, i never ever reach for sam adams, it's always the smaller brew that feels more hands on and home grown. Maybe DFH was becoming the next sam adams and wanted to reign itself in and continue being one of those beers we all reach for when we go to the store. You can't blame Sam for wanting to love his craft lest it become more than him and consumed him. I feel bad that some people can't get DFH now, but there's a lot of beers that i can't get, and i live in a beer market. Prost to Sam for having some brewer's integrity.

 

[curlyfat]

I'm in Wyoming. What's Dogfish Head?

 

[McMalty]

I'm in Wyoming. What's Dogfish Head?

are u serious or are you mocking us?

 

[Hoosier-Brewer]

This news sucks! I'm in Indiana and I'm already having a hard time finding the 60 and 90 Minute IPA's. I bought everything the local liquor store and Kroger had, which was only 1 4 pack of 90 and 2 6ers of 60 and those are almost gone. Guess I need a 60 Minute clone to try soon.

 

[McMalty]

This news sucks! I'm in Indiana and I'm already having a hard time finding the 60 and 90 Minute IPA's. I bought everything the local liquor store and Kroger had, which was only 1 4 pack of 90 and 2 6ers of 60 and those are almost gone. Guess I need a 60 Minute clone to try soon.

looks like DFH has already inspired you to be a better brewer

 

[curlyfat]

are u serious or are you mocking us?

Neither. My point was not to mock. I've only had DFH twice. Once when vacationing in Vegas, and once when I did a big shopping spree in Colorado.

I thought their beer was fabulous, but suspect the allure of unavailability was part of the experience. I have plenty of "great" beer available to me, but am unable to get any of the "legendary" beers here (Stone, Russian River, DFH, etc). Somehow, I survive. In fact, I suspect that the rarity of tasting such brews adds to the fact that I love them so.

Mostly, I thought it would be a funny comment.