The central PA discussion

[PepeSylvia1]

Sweet maybe I'll shoot up there tomorrow.

stakem had the (717) Canned, right off the bat tasted metallic not sure if I anticipated it and forced the taste but it was present, as it warmed it was more pleasant. Won't go out of my way to get another though. Draft is the way to go.

I had 717 tonight (draft) tasted fine no flaws. I thought it was pretty nice.

 

[stakem1]

So is this the same raspberry sour that's often on tap? If so LOL at that price.

no, the older one was more akin to a berliner at 3%. this one is 2x or more abv and was barrel aged (not sure if the draft/older one was barrel aged or not.)

Sweet maybe I'll shoot up there tomorrow.

stakem had the (717) Canned, right off the bat tasted metallic not sure if I anticipated it and forced the taste but it was present, as it warmed it was more pleasant. Won't go out of my way to get another though. Draft is the way to go.

last weekend I had another can and it was a completely different experience than my first. mineral/metallic character was present but faint in comparison to the first can i opened. this can also had a strong grapefruit character and tartness that was not evident before. i actually really enjoyed this second experience so im chalking it up as variation in cans or just a bunk one i had that first time

 

[Rootz121]

why couldnt have al put them out at like 1pm saturday? wish i lived just an hour closer.

 

[bvdubn1]

I wish the prices wouldn't go up for every release. What happened to the $25 price point?

 

[lazerviking]

I wish the prices wouldn't go up for every release. What happened to the $25 price point?

The bottles sold quick. As long as people are buying the prices aren't going anywhere but up.

 

[bvdubn1]

The bottles sold quick. As long as people are buying the prices aren't going anywhere but up.

That is why I didn't buy any Black Sour or Raspberry. I just didn't think they were good enough to warrant that kind of money.

 

[stakem1]

I wish the prices wouldn't go up for every release. What happened to the $25 price point?

I think michael nailed it. If people are willing to pay and it sells out, why not? Lots of people (myself included) grumbled and bitched and complained during their first release with the 25/30 pricing but at the end of the day, bent over and took the ass reaming just so we could try them and support the brewery.

What ive finally come to terms with is no matter how good they sound, im done with paying this much for beer regardless of who makes it. I want to continue to support them but I feel all these prices do is hurt the average joe bystander who actually enjoys drinking the beer and it caters to people who trade and create perceived value for using these as trade bait. Im sure if I still traded id be somewhat excited to have these at my disposal with no wait in line and no limits to purchase as many as I want. But thats not the case.

I know its just meaningless banter but when the latest grrrz bottle release was announced and people noted the price increase, several folks made comments about Al and how he has created a new standard of pricing ala the $30 sour. Additionally, several people made mention about now that Bullfrog is selling at $30 per bottle, Al will go up too. I kinda shrugged it off...but here we are itshappening.jpg

I really dont think they care though. They can put the bottles on the shelf for whatever price they want and many will get sold. If they stick around too long, they can always discount the price or just throw them back in cases and send them into distribution where other people will gobble them up.

 

[Shakedwnst]

I really dont think they care though. They can put the bottles on the shelf for whatever price they want and many will get sold. If they stick around too long, they can always discount the price or just throw them back in cases and send them into distribution where other people will gobble them up.

You should see those prices.....$35-45 a bottle.

 

[stakem1]

You should see those prices.....$35-45 a bottle.

So I hear. But on the flipside, some bottles were even cheaper at other places than what the shop was charging...

Golden Sour was 5 bucks cheaper at wegmans and you could get an entire case at one distributor for about 23 per bottle if I remember correctly.

 

[Rootz121]

yeap, golden sour is ~$38 up here

 

[PepeSylvia1]

yeap, golden sour is ~$38 up here

I paid 29.99 both at the brewery and at a retailer... Weird

 

[xnicknj]

Al on pricing of Pizza Boy sours:

"just a few words...
As we release these ultra rare, time intensive and intricate corked and caged beers there a few things to think about.
1) it takes 18-36 months from conception to sale. these "wild" beers are fermented in fresh dumped wine barrels from California($$). They are fermented withwild yeast in a completely seperate facililty($$). they take up aproximately 30% of Terry's time($$). We use aproximately 100lbs of fruit per oak barrel ($$) we pay to store them the entire time($$). We pay to insure them the entire time ($$)
If the price point is not what you are comfortable with spending then you shouldnt. You also should not try to sway peoples opinion because YOU dont want to spend the money.
Me, personally am a chevy guy. Usually 3-5 years old. When i see a nice new Ferrari i usually think to myself how expensive it is, but i never post on the ferrari website that they should sell in line with a KIA.
As a business owner you have to make money to cover everyday expenses, pay employees, pay taxes, pay insurance, pay rent, pay credit card interchange fees, pay utilities, pay license fees, pay professional fees, pay for lawn maintenance, pay for repairs and maintenance, pay for inventory and everything else associated with being a business owner.
Thanks for your time,
ALBERT"

 

[PepeSylvia1]

Al on pricing of Pizza Boy sours:

"just a few words...
As we release these ultra rare, time intensive and intricate corked and caged beers there a few things to think about.
1) it takes 18-36 months from conception to sale. these "wild" beers are fermented in fresh dumped wine barrels from California($$). They are fermented withwild yeast in a completely seperate facililty($$). they take up aproximately 30% of Terry's time($$). We use aproximately 100lbs of fruit per oak barrel ($$) we pay to store them the entire time($$). We pay to insure them the entire time ($$)
If the price point is not what you are comfortable with spending then you shouldnt. You also should not try to sway peoples opinion because YOU dont want to spend the money.
Me, personally am a chevy guy. Usually 3-5 years old. When i see a nice new Ferrari i usually think to myself how expensive it is, but i never post on the ferrari website that they should sell in line with a KIA.
As a business owner you have to make money to cover everyday expenses, pay employees, pay taxes, pay insurance, pay rent, pay credit card interchange fees, pay utilities, pay license fees, pay professional fees, pay for lawn maintenance, pay for repairs and maintenance, pay for inventory and everything else associated with being a business owner.
Thanks for your time,
ALBERT"

I wonder how other brewery/restaurants pull this off?

 

[bvdubn1]

I wonder how other brewery/restaurants pull this off?

What about wineries and distilleries? They both age their product for extended periods of time and bring it to market at various price points.

I hear what Al is saying and I can appreciate the time and money it takes to produce sour beers. I made the decision to only purchase the blackberry because that is the one I wanted.

I think that the amount of time it takes to sell through those bottles will be telling with regard to people's opinion of the pricepoint.

 

[PepeSylvia1]

What about wineries and distilleries? They both age their product for extended periods of time and bring it to market at various price points.

I hear what Al is saying and I can appreciate the time and money it takes to produce sour beers. I made the decision to only purchase the blackberry because that is the one I wanted.

I think that the amount of time it takes to sell through those bottles will be telling with regard to people's opinion of the pricepoint.

Yeah I agree about the ammount of time it will take to sell. I said this on FB for some reason.

Pepe SylviaAl's Of Hampden priced these at whatever price he felt necessary to support his business. He needs to feed his family and also make payroll so all of his employees can do the same. If you feel your being ripped off, don't buy it, no one is forcing you to. If they don't sell at that price point, then he will look at his process and make adjustments as needed. This is how business works. It is a dickmove to knock the guy on forums because you don't make enough money justify purchasing these tasty beers.

 

[fletch1]

If you want to save some $ on Al's beers, just head up to VT. It's like $8 a bottle cheaper. Makes sense?

 

[PepeSylvia1]

If you want to save some $ on Al's beers, just head up to VT. It's like $8 a bottle cheaper. Makes sense?

Uhhh where is that?

 

[NearTheGrove]

Terry and Al's beer is at Hillfarmstead?

 

[Shakedwnst]

Uhhh where is that?

So far into the future that the costs have come down

 

[bvdubn1]

Terry and Al's beer is at Hillfarmstead?

They were just up there delivering the old brew house so they obviously took some cases with them.

 

[NearTheGrove]

They were just up there delivering the old brew house so they obviously took some cases with them.

I thought the old system went up there months ago.
I hope they returned with something nice from HF. (besides a nice chunk of cash)

 

[stakem1]

I understand needing to pay the bills...but at the same time you dont need to set your profit margin at such a rate that you pay off everything after a couple bottle releases.

I guess what rubs me the wrong way was that there was seemingly no thought put forward with regards to the first bottle release they had. They didnt figure out what their actual cost per bottle was to then charge accordingly. Instead Al just threw a sticker price against the wall and it stuck. It is my understanding that even Terry was against his initial pricing of $25/30 for their first release but people gobbled it up and that set the standard.

With the second release, bottles went into distro and sold even higher at other locations...so why wouldnt they want to keep them all on site and realize all that profit for themselves? As a consumer I dont like it, but from the business side it makes perfect sense.

Seeing that picture of them being for sale cheaper at other places is the most frustrating aspect of all of this. Especially if you follow the facebook discussion and read that these are so rare they can only be found for sale at Pizza Boy. Im guessing Hill Farmstead only has them because Al personally delivered his old system to them just a couple days ago and took some cases. So there you have it...bottles are $33 now to cover the costs of a VT field trip with a rented flatbed truck. As a consumer you should feel warm and fuzzy knowing that a portion of the proceeds go to interbrewer relationship building.

 

[Shakedwnst]

So there you have it...bottles are $33 now to cover the costs of a VT field trip with a rented flatbed truck. As a consumer you should feel warm and fuzzy knowing that a portion of the proceeds go to interbrewer relationship building.

Right? Hope someone posted that picture from HF right under the facebook rant. There's really no good explanation for why someone 400 miles away can sell beer that you made for less than you can (there is, but it's never going to sound good to your customers).

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Ultra rare!!

Their sour beers are overpriced, plain and simple. Hopefully he's saving all his money to afford a complete brand redesign. Everything about their logo is awful.

As a consumer, if I don't like the trend of $30+ bottles of beer, I'll tell whoever I ******* want what my opinion is. Al can eat a dick.

 

[lazerviking]

Ultra rare!!

Their sour beers are overpriced, plain and simple. Hopefully he's saving all his money to afford a complete brand redesign. Everything about their logo is awful.

As a consumer, if I don't like the trend of $30+ dollar bottles of beer, I'll tell whoever I ******* want what my opinion is. Al can eat a dick.

But, think of the lawn maintenance!

 

[Usofar]

Nice attitude from AL on FB.

Can't figure out how to post a picture from my phone but the "Haters Tears" label was classy.

 

[PepeSylvia1]

 

[stakem1]

well that whole FB thread escalated quickly.

I cant tell who is more upset - the people offended by the prices or the people defending them.

Should make a drinking game out of this. You drink every time a moron posts "drink miller lite if you cant afford good beer"

 

[bvdubn1]

well that whole FB thread escalated quickly.

I cant tell who is more upset - the people offended by the prices or the people defending them.

Should make a drinking game out of this. You drink every time a moron posts "drink miller lite if you cant afford good beer"

there is a huge difference between being able to afford a beer and thinking it is worth the price.

 

[schmidlove]

Tired Hands Tap takeover at the Fridge in Lanc city today @4.