Pretty sure that was Midwest. And maybe even before the two companies merged.
Northern Brewer
- Thread starter Ace_Club
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I started brewing, extract kits, five years ago and ordered exclusively from Northern Brewer. Their shipping became unsatisfactory and I switched to MoreBeer. I moved on to all grain brewing about a year ago, with all orders, grains, yeast, equipment, etc., switched to Ritebrew. I like Rightbrew's product line, love their fast processing, and very fast delivery time to NC. My orders, submitted to Ritebrew on Sunday, are shipped on Monday, and arrive 2 days later at my house on Wednesday, every time, without fail. This makes me happy.
Reminder from a Moderator: Don't respond to each other. Post about your direct experience as a customer and let others post about theirs.
My experience at Northern Brewer has been very positive - they have what I'm looking for, their shipping is easy to understand and I can choose very quick or longer, depending on my needs. Love their constant discounts on the items I most use.
I have always had good experience using NB. Both with shipping and customer service. But it HAS been a few years since I have used them.
I will wait for a while to figure out what this merger/acquisition/partnership really means.
I will wait for a while to figure out what this merger/acquisition/partnership really means.
sabotenfighter
Well-Known Member
NB has been dead to me since the original owner sold it off. The last couple years they have been doing little more than rebranding crap off of Alibaba/AliExpress for the most part.
When BrewingTV suddenly went all Chip and then completely gone with no real warning, I knew something was up. Things went downhill shortly after that.
When BrewingTV suddenly went all Chip and then completely gone with no real warning, I knew something was up. Things went downhill shortly after that.
Just a reminder to only post comments about your personal experiences with the company in review.
If you feel compelled to discuss the InBev buyout, then go to the thread outside of the review forum and discuss there.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=592174
Thank you.
I sent in my backup order to NB on the "I can wait" shipping option with the expected delivery date of Wednesday 2 November 2016.
Ever since the "I can wait" option appeared, delivery has arrived either the last expected date, or the day before.
Instead, under new management, UPS tracking has the expected delivery day Thursday 27 October 2016, six days ahead.
The "I can wait" option was always squirrelly, seemingly deliberately delayed to incentivize higher shipping rates rather than merely lower priority for the cheaper rates. With one data point, maybe my shipment points to my preferred "merely lower priority."
That said, I'm still debating switching to the 2,638 miles away Seven Bridges Co-op Brewing Supply as my backup to Barley & Vine.
ANY OHBS CLOSER THAT WANTS MY BUSINESS SHOULD CONSIDER STOCKING BRIESS ORGANIC MALTOFERM 10000 LME.
Ever since the "I can wait" option appeared, delivery has arrived either the last expected date, or the day before.
Instead, under new management, UPS tracking has the expected delivery day Thursday 27 October 2016, six days ahead.
The "I can wait" option was always squirrelly, seemingly deliberately delayed to incentivize higher shipping rates rather than merely lower priority for the cheaper rates. With one data point, maybe my shipment points to my preferred "merely lower priority."
That said, I'm still debating switching to the 2,638 miles away Seven Bridges Co-op Brewing Supply as my backup to Barley & Vine.
ANY OHBS CLOSER THAT WANTS MY BUSINESS SHOULD CONSIDER STOCKING BRIESS ORGANIC MALTOFERM 10000 LME.
Yeastieboy
Well-Known Member
Nobody buys from NB anymore [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
Burquebrewer
Well-Known Member
I recently added a review for a product on Northern Brewers website. I will admit that the review was not a positive one. When I logged in and looked in the review section of that same product, I noticed that my one star review was not there... and all of the product reviews for that product were five star reviews!!! WTH! Talk about pulling a blindfold over customers eyes.
AB has sure taken that company downhill! I haven't ordered from them since the change of ownership Anyone else have a similar experience?
AB has sure taken that company downhill! I haven't ordered from them since the change of ownership Anyone else have a similar experience?
imasickboy
Drinkasaurus extraordinarius
This is nothing new. They've done this long before the AB involvement.
We're all at fault for making sure this isn't more widely known. Sorry you found out the hard way.
We're all at fault for making sure this isn't more widely known. Sorry you found out the hard way.
Black Island Brewer
An Ode to Beer
Yep, this was the case long before AB.
NothingRhymesWithCurtiss
Well-Known Member
Back in August my wife bought me 3 kits from NB when they were doing their IPA day promo. Life got in the way and I didn't get around to brewing the final kit until a month ago. I'm not saying which kit it was, because it has a lot of favorable reviews, but I thought it was awful. I followed the directions, pitched fresh yeast, and closely maintained temps. But the beer was just not good.
I emailed NB this past Sunday about it, just to see if they would do anything given their "Beer Kit Guarantee." I didn't expect anything and I didn't ask for anything, I just shared my dissatisfaction. And what did they do? They apologized and offered me a replacement kit of my choice or a store credit. To which I accepted.
While a lot of folks (myself included) have given them flack for "selling out to the man," I am thoroughly impressed that they have remained steadfast in giving outstanding customer service.
Now, I'm not saying I'm going to go back to ordering from them regularly, but I've been known to drink a Goose Island or Elysian from time to time...
I emailed NB this past Sunday about it, just to see if they would do anything given their "Beer Kit Guarantee." I didn't expect anything and I didn't ask for anything, I just shared my dissatisfaction. And what did they do? They apologized and offered me a replacement kit of my choice or a store credit. To which I accepted.
While a lot of folks (myself included) have given them flack for "selling out to the man," I am thoroughly impressed that they have remained steadfast in giving outstanding customer service.
Now, I'm not saying I'm going to go back to ordering from them regularly, but I've been known to drink a Goose Island or Elysian from time to time...
Wildcat_Brewing
Well-Known Member
It's annoying that they always email you if you were looking at an item on their website "saw something you liked?" or some **** like that. Most of the time it is just to see a grain or hop description, not even looking to buy. I had to send an email to get them to stop. I will still buy if they have a good promo, I still drink plenty of bud light anyway (NB is the sellout). Always like more beer much better, 2 days free shipping instead of 2 week $8 shipping.
Sell them hop candy and once someone else buys them out, you'll never get an email from them again, haha? Must have been a slimmer margin on the product than what the new folks worked on, my guess. Hoppy Trails~
Yeastieboy
Well-Known Member
I don't buy from Northern Brewer since the sellout however, I might be known to still buy a Matilda from time to time... mostly to dump over a braising pork shoulder.
Expensive way to braise pork. I'll stop now before I'm arrested for being off-topic.
Yeastieboy
Well-Known Member
Meh. It's all relative. Works for me.
meatcleaver
Well-Known Member
Anyone else annoyed by Nb's pop-ups at every page load prompting you to sign up (when you're already signed in) or to buy bottles (which I don't need).
this is new since the AB buyout, and I've stuck with em so far but this may be the last straw.
I'm a repeat customer, already signed in & trying to shop...why would they want to harass me?
this is new since the AB buyout, and I've stuck with em so far but this may be the last straw.
I'm a repeat customer, already signed in & trying to shop...why would they want to harass me?
I like NB, and I shop there occasionally. But the creepy emails are getting creepier. Starting about a month ago if I look at anything on their site (not signed-in), I get an email right away telling me I have excellent taste and a link back to whatever I was looking at.
The *really* weird part is my wife has started just getting NB ads on her iPad. I have never used her iPad, I don't even know how to use it, so it shouldn't have any tracking cookies... are they stalking my IP address? It's either that, or they are tracking me via Amazon because my wife uses my Amazon Prime account.
The *really* weird part is my wife has started just getting NB ads on her iPad. I have never used her iPad, I don't even know how to use it, so it shouldn't have any tracking cookies... are they stalking my IP address? It's either that, or they are tracking me via Amazon because my wife uses my Amazon Prime account.
I'm pretty sure it's the latter. Amazon tracking ads.
Yeastieboy
Well-Known Member
I stumbled upon NB's latest kit; a Goose Island Clone.
I put items in my cart a month ago and monitored the expected delivery date for "I can wait" shipping at Northern Brewer for the ingredients for my next two brews that I couldn't get from Barley & Vine. When my desired date of 9 March 2017 appeared, I ordered. The box was delivered 3 March 2017. So, two out of two times that I have ordered since new ownership, the "I can wait" delivery has been well ahead of expected delivery time, while all of the "I can wait" orders under old management arrived on the last date. I see a pattern. May it continue.
That will happen when you only have half the orders you did before.
May it continue.
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Funny experience with NB. I have not shopped there in years ( since finding other stres with better quality/service/price). I am less inclined to shop there under new ownership. But I found an old christmas gift card in some house cleaning and discovered that I had $25 to spend. I decided to grab 2 carboy handles and 2 fermometers. Placed the order last week. The other places I deal with would have shipped it by now. Today NB tells me that "their brewmasters are working feverishly" to prep my order. Really? You mean there's a backorder. Why not sat say so? Why not tell me when you expect the b.o. items to arrive. Brewmasters my ass.
HopGobbler
Well-Known Member
^ I took advantage of their latest IPA sale and just got the same stupid email, way to not be prepared for your own sale 
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
I haven't shopped there in years, and since they sold out, I never will.
This apparently happened a few weeks ago, but ZX Ventures sold their stake in NB to another private equity firm.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...street-Capital-Holdings-LLC-Acquires-Northern
https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...street-Capital-Holdings-LLC-Acquires-Northern
Fascinating. Can't wait for more info to come out about this.
I've sworn them off since the buyout. Will we take them back if they have re-thought their "affair" with big beer?
I've sworn them off since the buyout. Will we take them back if they have re-thought their "affair" with big beer?
OnePlate
Yeast are my housepets
Some good thoughts about this over here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/ab-inbev-sells-northern-brewer.668154/
Dancy
Well-Known Member
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I understand some hate NB but I live 5 minutes away and 12 minutes from Midwest here in the Mpls, MN area. I order some online from others but they are convenient for grains and brew day supplies. I have had good luck with in-store service.
I've been to NB several times, both before and after the inbev buyout. I didn't see any difference. They are a good place to order sacks of grain that I can't get locally (shipping was pretty cheap last time I did that), and a fun store to shop on the rare occasion I'm in Minneapolis.
SundayBrewer
Well-Known Member
Maybe i'm missing something but i logged into my NB account to do a review and i don't see any where to put it. All i see is ask a question. tks
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