Dogfish Head Reduces Distribution

[Mudflap]

I don't think he's saying they suck now. He's saying if they cranked out a bunch of mass produced subbed out beer, quality would diminish and inevitably this would be the criticism for it, and I agree 100%. I don't think anyone's bashing for taking quality over quantity, at least I'm definitely not, have always respected Sam's passion for the finished product, I just don't agree with the way they chose to solve their distribution problems.

or deal with disappointing their vendors, retailers and customers...

Well, this decision to pull out of entire states isn't exactly pleasing us vendors, retailers, and customers in the affected states. And I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision to make, I just can't find the reasoning exactly. I think the problem is we have two different dogs in this fight. You are obviously in a market with DFH distribution problems. Customers can't ever find the beer, distributors are complaining to the company, ****s on back order for 3months, etc, etc. Where as in my hometown, the market seems to be thriving. I now have two places within a mile from my home that I can get good beer at and just to see (since our back and forth yesterday) I stopped by both on my way home and both had DFH 60 & 90. Went by the liquor store as well, they had Raison D'etra and Midas Touch. Before anyone starts yelling "old stock, nobody's buying" I KNOW they didn't have the Midas Touch last week when I picked up wine for my gf. How much longer this will last due to distro cuts, who knows, but right now we still have some in town.

I guess my frustration from all of this is that they are eliminating a seemingly healthy market, MY market, to try to patch up a failing one? I shouldn't be able to get a beer I like to have on hand because things are effed up in your area. What if it's still not enough beer for the over demanding markets? Now everyone's pissed huh?

 

[wedge421]

Hopefully they decided to focus on nailing down their base recipes rather then do all of these experimental beers that are mediocre at best

 

[rico567]

I don't think he's saying they suck now. He's saying if they cranked out a bunch of mass produced subbed out beer, quality would diminish and inevitably this would be the criticism for it, and I agree 100%. I don't think anyone's bashing for taking quality over quantity, at least I'm definitely not, have always respected Sam's passion for the finished product, I just don't agree with the way they chose to solve their distribution problems.



Well, this decision to pull out of entire states isn't exactly pleasing us vendors, retailers, and customers in the affected states. And I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision to make, I just can't find the reasoning exactly. I think the problem is we have two different dogs in this fight. You are obviously in a market with DFH distribution problems. Customers can't ever find the beer, distributors are complaining to the company, ****s on back order for 3months, etc, etc. Where as in my hometown, the market seems to be striving. I now have two places within a mile from my home that I can get good beer at and just to see (since our back and forth yesterday) I stopped by both on my way home and both had DFH 60 & 90. Went by the liquor store as well, they had Raison D'etra and Midas Touch. Before anyone starts yelling "old stock, nobody's buying" I KNOW they didn't have the Midas Touch last week when I picked up wine for my gf. How much longer this will last due to distro cuts, who knows, but right now we still have some in town.

I guess my frustration from all of this is that they are eliminating a seemingly healthy market, MY market, to try to patch up a failing one? I shouldn't be able to get a beer I like to have on hand because things are effed up in your area. What if it's still not enough beer for the over demanding markets? Now everyone's pissed huh?

It may not matter. The bigger picture probably has less to do with any individual's desire to be able to get DFH in their local liquor store or supermarket. I have a high regard for DFH.....but in the supermarket I go into regularly, they've got lots of competition. So the fact that one person sees a lot of DFH in the stores may be because people are buying other beers, too, while in another area, there's not, so DFH sells out quickly.

There are also lots of things that could be going on that are invisible, or that people like us may -at best- infer from other things. One may be our old friend "unintended consequences." Yeah, Brewmasters looked like a great thing for DFH, and in the short term, it may have been. Even a modest viewership of people (many of whom may not have known what a craft beer was, let alone that they wanted a ******* Brew) would clear out every bottle of ******* Brew on the shelves, which then devolves into "Gimme anything by Dogfish Head."

Now your great-seeming little TV show deal has cleaned out the pipelines, you've got distributors clamoring for beer, and all you can think about is that that DFH 90 in the bright tank won't be done for another three days.

If you respond like some people do and cut corners, there goes your reputation, and the market for anything as specialized as DFH collapses soon after.

So.....what's the answer, except to cut back like DFH has done? I don't know enough about business to know the other options.

 

[motobrewer]

curious....i was just at Discount Liquor in milwaukee (best beer selection in mke, btw) and i saw a full line of DFH Aprihop 4packs.

I checked the date code on one, "2011 3C".

stone seems to be gone. the only thing i saw of theirs was a few 2010 bottles of their guardian.

 

[nickharbour]

it seems like almost everybody in this thread is reading this news as a sign that times are rough for DFH. This is quite the opposite. This is a growing pains issue and they're refocusing to keep the beer on the shelves in the areas where it sells like hotcakes.

 

[brew2enjoy]

it seems like almost everybody in this thread is reading this news as a sign that times are rough for DFH. This is quite the opposite. This is a growing pains issue and they're refocusing to keep the beer on the shelves in the areas where it sells like hotcakes.

This is true. I live close to the brewery so I have seen the progress they have made over the years. It's crazy to see how much they have grown and gained in popularity. They just recently put in some new fermenters & holding tanks. They are trying to keep up, but like mentioned above they have growing pains.

 

[keithbeats]

Like Warren Buffett, brewers should seize this as a buying opportunity. Well not buying, but maybe starting a business in those states to cover the shortage of off-center craft beers. I'm in California, so I'm not game.

 

[dfc]

http://beernews.org/2011/03/dogfish-head-pulls-out-of-four-states-uk-and-canada/

Interesting business move... Tennessee, Indiana, Wisconsin and Rhode Island as well as Canada and The UK will no longer be getting DFH...

They say demand is too high and supply is too low. I see rising prices in the future... time to brew some clones.

I've been trying to get my hands on some 120 minute IPA for a while now.

 

[motobrewer]

did anyone hear me say they're still distributing to WI?

 

[RMitch]

did anyone hear me say they're still distributing to WI?

Milwaukee appears to be just a short jaunt up the road from Illinois. Could be a leftover from a distribution truck/company servicing northern IL and southeastern WI?

Also, whats the bottle date of those brews? They could have been sitting in the distribution warehouses from end of 2010.

Just ideas.

 

[motobrewer]

Also, whats the bottle date of those brews? They could have been sitting in the distribution warehouses from end of 2010.

clearly i've been ignored completely

curious....i was just at Discount Liquor in milwaukee (best beer selection in mke, btw) and i saw a full line of DFH Aprihop 4packs.

I checked the date code on one, "2011 3C".

stone seems to be gone. the only thing i saw of theirs was a few 2010 bottles of their guardian.

 

[RMitch]

Clearly you missed the first part of my post.

 

[motobrewer]

no i didn't, it was ridiculous so i ignored it. lol.

 

[howabouttheiris]

They are now holding prime eye level stocking at every HEB grocery store in Austin, TX. 60 min, 90 min and Aprihop, including a separate display at the front of the BEvERage section. My local pub has all 3 on draft taps.

If there is a shortage, I am not seeing it.

 

[Seanto]

Just wanted to weigh in on whether or not this is a good business decision or not.

From Dogfish's point of view, i'm surprised they didn't do this sooner. Think about it...

You're currently brewing at maximum capacity and serving tons of market. You are not meeting the full demands of any of these markets. Not every market you serve is equally profitable. Solution? Stop serving the less profitable markets and transfer that volume to the more profitable markets. Higher profits means more spending money available for a growing company to expand.

Honestly this is the best scenario as it allows them to keep all other variables the same(for example the quality of the product.)

...and to those who say they never liked their beer, i can't see an IPA lover not liking their 60 minute and 90 minute beers.

 

[Denny330]

did anyone hear me say they're still distributing to WI?

My Green Bay bottle shop said a large Milwaukee based distributor threatened a lawsuit if DFH cut them off. So... we are still getting the goods.

Aprihop with the same 20113c date was in Green Bay. Seems like this may be the first time I actually liked a distributor.

 

[RMitch]

A lawsuit? That is...interesting...to say the least. Not quite sure what the grounds of that suit would be. Seems a little backwards.

 

[northernlad]

I doubt Sam gives two shyts that any of you are going to boycott his beer. In fact, try reading your posts as if you are someone else: "I can't get DFH head in my state? Well, I'm gonna boycott them then."
I am sure he'd rather keep his real customers supplied. Hence the backing out of distant markets.

 

[Mudflap]

I doubt Sam gives two shyts that any of you are going to boycott his beer. In fact, try reading your posts as if you are someone else: "I can't get DFH head in my state? Well, I'm gonna boycott them then."
I am sure he'd rather keep his real customers supplied. Hence the backing out of distant markets.

You're right, Sam doesn't care if some people boycott, he doesn't need the support from us like he did before. He has a whole bunch of new bandwagon-yuppie-"seen it on tv, now I have to have it"-customers to sell to. I guess these are the "real" customers, huh? Way to sell out, Sam. For someone who appears to care more about the beer and the people than the cash, this reeks of sellout. Guess it really is all about the bennys.

 

[jvcjbl]

They are now holding prime eye level stocking at every HEB grocery store in Austin, TX. 60 min, 90 min and Aprihop, including a separate display at the front of the BEvERage section. My local pub has all 3 on draft taps.

If there is a shortage, I am not seeing it.

Talking with the head manager at Spec's downtown Houston Warehouse. He said that Texas is one of Dogfish's BIGGEST customers. He is still pissed that they skipped us on Worldwide Stout this past year! I agree....

 

[munche]

You're right, Sam doesn't care if some people boycott, he doesn't need the support from us like he did before. He has a whole bunch of new bandwagon-yuppie-"seen it on tv, now I have to have it"-customers to sell to. I guess these are the "real" customers, huh? Way to sell out, Sam. For someone who appears to care more about the beer and the people than the cash, this reeks of sellout. Guess it really is all about the bennys.

So to be clear, the "True fans" are the ones who throw a fit at limited distribution and swear off a beer, and the people happily buying and enjoying the beer aren't "real" customers?

If the "real" customer is someone who's going to throw a fit over minor stuff and swear off my products forever, I'll take the "fake" customer who just enjoys it any day.

 

[Mudflap]

Nope, those people throwing a fit over this minor thing (closing distribution to a state is minor?) are called "non" customers. There's no boycotting to be done. How you gonna not buy beer you can't even get? Yea, that'll show 'em...

 

[motobrewer]

Way to sell out, Sam.

lol, are you in high school?

 

[JoeBronco]

lol, are you in high school?

 

[Mudflap]

lol, are you in high school?

wow, nice one. troll much?

 

[motobrewer]

no, i don't. do you?

maybe they should have taken the Goose Island business model instead of "selling out". wait.....

 

[integrator]

maybe they should have taken the Goose Island business model instead of "selling out". wait.....

Nice, that made me laugh!

Maybe DFH just decided that they didn't want to compete with 3F here in Indiana...... Good news for 3F. I'm guessing some of the DFH fans will go to them.

 

[rvklein]

Sam is the first to tell you to Cheat on your favorite brewery. The guy has a love for this industry that shows through in his product.

 

[justinakajuice]

Well, I like his beer. Been thinking of planning a trip up to Delaware to check out the brewery. Seems like a down to earth cool dude that's been through a ton of crap to get where he is at and won't sell out at any cost.

Following his dream and his dream is beer. Can't fault the guy for that and if you do, get the hell off of this forum.