Northern Brewer Replacement

[hops4me]

my go to sf brewcraft, local or 7 bridges for organic, or more beer for online

 

[Paps]

So you're incapable of laughing at yourself. Got it.

I bet you got real upset over those Buffalo Wild Wings ads, too.

I get plenty of LOL`s at people like you.
Don't watch TV so never seen any BW3 ads that bothered me.
Some of their sauses bother me if that counts.

 

[stillshinen]

Who ships to Military oversea's address? They are commonly referred to as FPO or APO PO Box.

 

[hunter_le five]

Some of their sauses bother me if that counts.

Ah, something we can agree on!

 

[fighterf15]

I didn't usually buy from NB but I would think since the new owner has deep pockets and huge buying power that prices will go down and force other suppliers both local and online to fold up shop.

 

[filthyastronaut]

Besides special offers that come up elsewhere, I typically use Yakima Valley for high quality and fresh hops and Morebeer for almost anything else, you can't beat the free shipping on order over 59 dollars. But that's when I'm not going to my LHBS which is considerably well-stocked.

 

[AndrewS]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I am getting back into the hobby after having all all of my equipment stored away for the last 8 or 9 years so this has been a good resource to find the new sources. I remembered More Beer and Adventures in Home Brewing but now I have a few more to check out.

By luck I happened to come across Midwest Supplies last week before this thread was posted and their prices looks good and they were running a 20% coupon so I placed an order with them. They didn't get around to shipping my order until yesterday. I am not sure how I feel about them being bought out but having to wait a week for them to ship will definitely get me to look elsewhere when I am ready to make another order.

 

[stylus1274]

Not likely. There are plenty of people who will still buy there. Plenty of people boycott places like WalMart and Sam's Club for the way they mistreat their employees, but they're not going out of business anytime soon.

Ah ha ha, you are comparing a multi billion dollar conglomerate in Wal Mart/Sams Club to Northern Brewer. Wal Mart has tons of stores around the world. They can handle boycotts. While a significant boycott of any means to Northern Brewer for sure will cost jobs.

 

[applescrap]

Wish I lived a couple blocks from a nb brick and mortar store. Curious to see what the buyouts due to the store. Anyone ever been in one? With some big money back I could see it being an upgrade locally. Anyways, I'm sure that store is nicer than where I go. Online suggestion whatever is cheapest.

 

[Le_Ace_Club]

Wish I lived a couple blocks from a nb brick and mortar store. Curious to see what the buyouts due to the store. Anyone ever been in one? With some big money back I could see it being an upgrade locally. Anyways, I'm sure that store is nicer than where I go. Online suggestion whatever is cheapest.

Before the buyouts it was full of bearded, plaid wearing homebrewers buying locally sourced grain and hops and only making the finest of ales.

Now it's staffed by clean-shaven, suit-wearing bean counters, and the only things on the shelves are bottles of Miller Lite.

 

[Transamguy77]

Not likely. There are plenty of people who will still buy there. Plenty of people boycott places like WalMart and Sam's Club for the way they mistreat their employees, but they're not going out of business anytime soon.

I'm one of those people and it's not just the employees its the way they treat the community so I won't put my money in their pockets. I ordered from NB and it was a 2 week ordeal, that alone was the first and last purchase from them, 2 weeks is way too long for a simple in stock order.

I'm worried this is the new trend, like buying up smaller breweries.

 

[Ameritoon]

Well this has been an interesting read... seems the tangent has gotten away from the OP's question despite numerous attempts to have everyone grab their respective soapboxes and move to another thread. Only thing that came out of this for me; buy where you want; boycott what you want, brew and let brew... Be thankful we live in a country that affords us the freedom to do so!

 

[Terek]

use homebrewstuff.com they are mt LHBS, but sell more stuff online than they do in store. I know the owners, and most of the employees. They are all locals that are homebrewers as well. That is what i like, they are all involved in the craft. Not just working a job. We also have Brewers haven locally. I never buy there. It is just another store out to make money. Most of the employees have little to no knowledge of brewing. Most just know how to work a register.

 

[rhys333]

I'm worried this is the new trend, like buying up smaller breweries.

Pretty much this. They want their oligopoly back.

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

By all means, keep supporting the enemy

Why any one would want to support a company whose main intent is to destroy everything we love about our community is beyond me. Oh well, guess saving a few bucks is more important the preserving our heritage.

 

[ColeVet67]

http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/27/is-anheuser-busch-inbev-doing-an-end-run-around-cr.aspx

 

[ericbw]

By all means, keep supporting the enemy

Why any one would want to support a company whose main intent is to destroy everything we love about our community is beyond me. Oh well, guess saving a few bucks is more important the preserving our heritage.

HOw are they destroying everything we love about our community?" Any more than NB already was doing when they became huge. And that's not their main intent. Their main intent is to make money. Maybe to make beer. To make money by making beer. This isn't Star Wars.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

HOw are they destroying everything we love about our community?" Any more than NB already was doing when they became huge. And that's not their main intent. Their main intent is to make money. Maybe to make beer. To make money by making beer. This isn't Star Wars.

It does not matter what they do, what they buy, or what they make, how they make it, or how many people have jobs BECAUSE of their size.

They were hissed at when they were just Anheuser-Busch. No one cheered when the table was turned and there was someone bigger than Budweiser with enough capital to buy them out (InBev).

All that matters is that they are a giant corporate Kraken hellbent on sucking anything of value into the beer void. And now because of the antitrust merger conditions they have been regulated to a focus on homebrew supply.

Everybody would harp about how the big evil needs to be restricted when they were buying breweries like an impulse purchase of a pack of gum.

Well it happened.

Be careful what you wish for. Right?

 

[Brownalemikie]

HOw are they destroying everything we love about our community?" Any more than NB already was doing when they became huge. And that's not their main intent. Their main intent is to make money. Maybe to make beer. To make money by making beer. This isn't Star Wars.

Great minds think alike.....I wonder where these naysayers buy their gas. As long as NB maintains the quality, prices and doesn't move overseas I see no reason to stop buying from them.

A BIG beer company bought another beer company....big freaking deal. As far as "no hurry" shipping....you can pay more for faster shipping. $7.99 flat rate works great for me as I always order 10-14 days ahead of brewing day.

You guys will buy from whoever you want, but remember one thing....every small beer supplies shop has a goal to be big like Northern Brewers. JMO

 

[ericbw]

Great minds think alike.....I wonder where these naysayers buy their gas. As long as NB maintains the quality, prices and doesn't move overseas I see no reason to stop buying from them.



A BIG beer company bought another beer company....big freaking deal. As far as "no hurry" shipping....you can pay more for faster shipping. $7.99 flat rate works great for me as I always order 10-14 days ahead of brewing day.



You guys will buy from whoever you want, but remember one thing....every small beer supplies shop has a goal to be big like Northern Brewers. JMO

That last part isn't always true. There are business people out there who want a "lifestyle business," where they make a living but don't plan to expand. You have to grow to stand still and keep up with losses, but you can be a comfortable one-off mom & pop if you like that.

 

[WaltStarr]

I wonder where these naysayers buy their gas.

There is a major difference between crude oil (made into gasoline an thousands of other products) and the raw ingredients for beer.

Crude oil is a fungible commodity.

If you do not understand what that means and all of the implications, such as the FACT that some of the money you spend on gasoline WILL end up in the hands of ISIS, then I know why you used that question as a part of your analogy.

 

[rhys333]

HOw are they destroying everything we love about our community?" Any more than NB already was doing when they became huge. And that's not their main intent. Their main intent is to make money. Maybe to make beer. To make money by making beer. This isn't Star Wars.

2015 profits for inbev were $9 billion. Their losses in sales in recent years are greater than NB profits, by a lot. They lobby the government (i.e.: bribe politicians) for favorable deals that are contrary to democratic principles and do everything in their power to choke out small business. Its not about making a buck or two. Its about getting back on the gravy train and dominating the beer market.

 

[MapleGroveAleworks]

Great minds think alike.....I wonder where these naysayers buy their gas. As long as NB maintains the quality, prices and doesn't move overseas I see no reason to stop buying from them.

A BIG beer company bought another beer company....big freaking deal. As far as "no hurry" shipping....you can pay more for faster shipping. $7.99 flat rate works great for me as I always order 10-14 days ahead of brewing day.

You guys will buy from whoever you want, but remember one thing....every small beer supplies shop has a goal to be big like Northern Brewers. JMO

I am not passionate about gas or the gas industry, so I do not care who I buy it from. People bring up this analogy all the time, and it's a poor one.

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

You guys are right, I'm sure if ABInbev was able to control the entire beer market (both supply and sales), we would still have just as many options and the same amount of creativity as we currently have. After all when big beer controlled everything 30-40-50 years ago, the options were limitless. And lets face it, controlling the market IS their ultimate goal, not saying it'll happen but they will sure try hard to reach that goal, destroying any who get in their way.

 

[WaltStarr]

You guys are right, I'm sure if ABInbev was able to control the entire beer market (both supply and sales), we would still have just as many options and the same amount of creativity as we currently have. After all when big beer controlled everything 30-40-50 years ago, the options were limitless. And lets face it, controlling the market IS their ultimate goal, not saying it'll happen but they will sure try hard to reach that goal, destroying any who get in their way.

Liked for the sarcasm.

 

[dallasdb]

Could we please take the AB InBev acquisition of NB/MW conversation to the thread already up for that discussion and continue with the topic of this thread which is alternatives to NB/MW.

Looks like you've given up trying to get back on topic

 

[dallasdb]

By all means, keep supporting the enemy

Why any one would want to support a company whose main intent is to destroy everything we love about our community is beyond me. Oh well, guess saving a few bucks is more important the preserving our heritage.

Where in that article were you able to figure out AB's intent was to destroy homebrewing?

Excerpt from the article for all you doomsdayers.

"According to the American Homebrewers Association, 815 local homebrewing stores sold $764 million worth of beer-making supplies last year to the country's estimated 1.2 million homebrewers. They also say that's likely a conservative number, because a lot of homebrewing equipment is now available at retailers other than specialty local homebrewing stores.

Northern Brewer is estimated to generate some $50 million in annual sales, meaning that at a little more than 6% of the industry total, the industry remains highly fragmented."

 

[Brownalemikie]

There is a major difference between crude oil (made into gasoline an thousands of other products) and the raw ingredients for beer.

Crude oil is a fungible commodity.

If you do not understand what that means and all of the implications, such as the FACT that some of the money you spend on gasoline WILL end up in the hands of ISIS, then I know why you used that question as a part of your analogy.

The last 3 letters of my post were JMO, which means "just my opinion". But let's cut to the chase.....you seem to have a problem with corporate America. Do you have a 401 or IRA account?

Like I said, I'll keep buying from NB until they move across the pond. You buy where ever you like. This is my final comment as this horse has been beat to death. JMO

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

Where in that article were you able to figure out AB's intent was to destroy homebrewing?

Their attempt to control supply? They will treat grains/hop and other raw materials much like how Walmart treats it's suppliers. They will be able to command the lowest price due to volume and impact. If they complete their goal, they will put every other LHBS out of business and be the sole supplier. How can people not see this? I guess it will be good for people whose only concern is saving money, it will be bad for those who enjoy the culture we currently enjoy. A culture that exists despite ABInbev's presence not because of it. They will quash it given the opportunity. The articles contention that ABInbev also wants to influence future brewmasters who oft come from a homebrewing background seems a bit farfetched, but rest assured there is a long-term, nefarious plan with this acquisition. A plan that does not include fostering the wonderful community that we all love.

 

[EthrDemon]

Wish I lived a couple blocks from a nb brick and mortar store. Curious to see what the buyouts due to the store. Anyone ever been in one? With some big money back I could see it being an upgrade locally. Anyways, I'm sure that store is nicer than where I go. Online suggestion whatever is cheapest.

Local NB store is where I've done most of my shopping for the last 2 years. It's definitely a nice facility, I'll let you know if I see any major changes.