Seasonals Grinding My Gears

[Stauffbier]

How in the world does this grind anyone's gears?

Most of the beers will still be for sale in October. Buy it then or buy it now and hold it for a whopping 40 days.

That's how I feel. I bought some fall seasonals today and last sunday. I drink a few now and put the rest in a closet for a couple months...

 

[Double-R]

Hope SN follows the trend.... Means Celebration Ale is on its way..

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Yeh I'm guilty bought a case of yeungling Oktoberfest last week. Hadn't seen it before wanted to get it while I could. It was pretty good too.

 

[Krovitz]

I agree, it's ridiculous. I just saw a 12 pack of summer ales on a shelf that expired on 8/15!!! Fall beers are my favorite seasonals but its way too hot right now. You can always find the bigger breweries fall beers later in the season but some of the better brews are harder to come by after mid Oct. DFH punkin ale always seems to be gone before Halloween.

 

[daksin]

The amount of butthurt on this forum is too damn high!

Quite.

I may raise an eyebrow when I see a pumpkin spice ale in Vons in July or an Oktoberfest in August, but it does't 'grind my gears,' 'frost my hinder,' or 'drive me nuts.'

The idea of seasonal beers is almost* silly in an era where we have 24/7 climate control in our homes, places of business, restaurants, and cars. Of course I live in San Diego where we abolished seasons with prohibition, but I drink what I feel like drinking no matter where my particular slice of the earth is in relation to the sun, or how close we are to the birthday of a magical sky wizard's kid.



*Almost.

 

[DannyD]

this' thread.... my friend, is silly!!!!! JUST DONT DRINK IT IF YOU FEEL THAT WAY......!? One can have many problems....but too wide of a beer selection?.......c'mon!!!?

 

[motobrewer]

The idea of seasonal beers is almost silly......Of course I live in San Diego

this is like a blind man giving opinions on the mona lisa

 

[Homercidal]

I agree with the brewer in that article. It sucks for them. There are a couple of beers I like to get as soon as I can. But I'll drink most beer when I'm ready to drink it. I don't want fall and winter beers in the summer. When it gets cooler out I'll start the shift.

I don't go with the first of the season though. Do people actually just grab the first 6-pack of Oktoberfest they see and then stick with that same beer all season?? That seems lame. I generally try a bunch of different brands as they are available when I feel like having an oktoberfest.

 

[TyTanium]

Here in the midwest, we actually have seasons. My pumpkins are ripening, the air gets cripser, the leaves change, days get darker, etc. The whole mood of the place changes. THAT'S when I want to be drinking Pumking. That's when I want to see fall seasonals on the shelves. It just feels premature when it's still 95 degrees and I see the fall lineup come out. Sure, lots will be on the shelves through the season, but all the best stuff goes in a week. Yes, I can buy them now and hold them, but part of the fun for me is running out on a whim to the beer shop and picking out something fitting for the weekend's activities. Call me old fashioned.

And I guess I'm of the opinion that having an opinion on something is not butthurt. I'm not angry about it, I'm not looking to petition to overhaul the system, just expressing some (obviously shared) feelings. That's not butthurt. Maybe the naysayers are butthurt that they don't have seasons? Or they're butthurt that we have an opinion on something? Haha, I'm posting this lightheartedly, with a chuckle and some sarcasm; it's not an angry post. Mostly too-much-coffee driven (java java).

I don't take life too seriously to get butthurt over beer releases, nor should people get butthurt over people expressing opnions on beer releases.

 

[TyTanium]

...or how close we are to the birthday of a magical sky wizard's kid.

Oh, so that's it. I see how it is. Don't believe in Santa? Let it go.

PS: Jesus rocks.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I care not how soon a seasonal hits the shelves, for like with a TV program I still possess enough sense to buy, or not buy, watch, or not watch.

I do, however, find it irritating to go looking for a seasonal beer mid-season only to be told that it's no longer in stock and unavailable from the brewery/distributor.

 

[daksin]

Oh, so that's it. I see how it is. Don't believe in Santa? Let it go.

PS: Jesus rocks.

You're on! Christmas is awesome and beer is tasty!:rockin:

Anyway, I'm stoked I can put like eight different marzens in my fridge when it's 105F out.

 

[TyTanium]

You're on! Christmas is awesome and beer is tasty!:rockin:

Dude, I knew you were cool. Awesome. :fro:

 

[Gixxer]

I'm with the guy that mentioned air conditioning. If I am outside and its hot then maybe I need a cream ale. But I can take my happy butt inside and after I cool off pour a winter ale into a glass and have a seat. Regardless of time of year. I can't be picky living in the south cause sometimes its 9 months of summer and three months of fall and spring combined.

 

[Tenspeed]

I'm drinking Southern Tier Pumking right now.

And it is so very delicious.

 

[Waynep005]

I saw Sierra Nevada Tumbler at a grocery store in N California last week when it was 105 outside. Nothing says a nice fall beer like a heatwave.

 

[Bobby_M]

The problem is that they don't ADD fall seasonals to the shelf that is still full of summer seasonals. It's still in the mid 80's and it sucks that all the shop real estate is now dedicated to pumpkin and O'fest beers a month too soon. I know, buy an extra case or two.

 

[Gixxer]

I saw Sierra Nevada Tumbler at a grocery store in N California last week when it was 105 outside. Nothing says a nice fall beer like a heatwave.

Hehe it was in the 90s as well when I purchased my sixer of tumbler.

 

[sethcros]

I dont think they do. I swear half that store is already christmas stuff and in a few months the christmas songs will be played and i wont go to the stores.

I think the bigger issue is did you check in ************ when you entered Hobby Lobby?

 

[TyTanium]

I think the bigger issue is did you check in ************ when you entered Hobby Lobby?

Nonsense! There's a lot of sweet stuff in that store. It's not Home Depot, but it's also not <insert girly store> either.

 

[mb82]

Nonsense! There's a lot of sweet stuff in that store. It's not Home Depot, but it's also not <insert girly store> either.

X2
I got in store like that all the time for fly tying stuff. BTW Hobby Lobby rocks.

 

[MZRIS]

they could serve pumking year round and I would drink it weekly if not daily!!!! also Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest is on draft year round here at European St. and it is my Goto beer there!!

 

[sethcros]

X2
I got in store like that all the time for fly tying stuff. BTW Hobby Lobby rocks.

Ok ok I'll give you that it isn't JoAnne's fabrics where I was dragged this last Saturday...

 

[the_bird]

I do, however, find it irritating to go looking for a seasonal beer mid-season only to be told that it's no longer in stock and unavailable from the brewery/distributor.

This, right here. It's like mid-February, and all that's available are spring wheat beers.

 

[MZRIS]

This, right here. It's like mid-February, and all that's available are spring wheat beers.

It's your fault for not stocking up during the pre-season i try to buy a case of my favorite seasonal's when they become available so I can enjoy them for months to come!

 

[CidCitrus]

I don't particularly like most summer seasonals, so bring on the fall beers. Otherwise I agree with the OP.

 

[MicroBrewMaster]

I was down by the shore a week ago and hit up this beach bar, as its was like 95 out I went with the Sam Adams summer and they had already replaced it with octobefest, I was in shock, I mean damn I like the stuff but I can't bring myself to drink that stuff when its the end of july

 

[Vox]

Now if only I could buy only the blonde agave that's sold only as part of the blue moon summer seasonal pack, I would stock up. I do like Sam Adams Summer Ale too.

 

[Punity]

Haha i just bought an Elysian Night Owl sixer and was sitting around my fire last night thinking wow its fall already......damn you marketing

 

[RainyDay]

Fall/Winter brews are where its at, Summer beers are lame. I dont want to drink a beer that's lighter than pale just because it has honey or orange peels or something, that's just nonsense. You know what's good on a hot summer day? A freaking IPA, and they make them year round too!!! Just because its hot doesnt mean I want less flavor.

Anyway, enough of my rant. I love Fall and Winter brews, and I live in Seattle, so we dont really have summer anyway. These early releases are fine by me, as long as they're still around in December/January (dont want them to blow their entire load in August/September and have nothing left in the winter).