The Crooked Stave Cellar Reserve Thread

[DrLoveMD]

New, better glassware. Mini tasters, tulips, and snifters.

 

[RyanG1]

Hopefully 2014 memberships will soon appear here?

http://membership.crookedstave.com

 

[DrLoveMD]

Hopefully 2014 memberships will soon appear here?

http://membership.crookedstave.com

I seriously don't think any 2014 memberships are going to open to the public.

 

[lazerviking]

I seriously don't think any 2014 memberships are going to open to the public.

Even with the price hike, I doubt very few, if any current members will drop.

 

[RyanG1]

Even with the price hike, I doubt very few, if any current members will drop.

Figured. Well then time for some trustee on trustee action.

 

[Osyrus]

Crazy how much this has blown up in the last year, after memberships sat for so long. So glad I got in when I did. Even with the price hike I'm in for next year.


Also, hope they have those mini-snifters available next month at the party. Definitely want to pick one up!

 

[FishPondManager]

I wouldn't be surprised to see some out of state members drop. The increase in membership and likely bottle cost will really hurt when you start adding about $2 per bottle in shipping.

This is purely speculation, but the increase in production we've seen over the past year could also translate into new member opportunities.

 

[quirkzoo1]

I wouldn't be surprised to see some out of state members drop. The increase in membership and likely bottle cost will really hurt when you start adding about $2 per bottle in shipping.

This is purely speculation, but the increase in production we've seen over the past year could also translate into new member opportunities.

I would agree with this. I have been a member since the beginning but with the price increase the decision is less automatic than it has been in the past.

 

[Shmeal]

New, better glassware. Mini tasters, tulips, and snifters.

ISO.

 

[ShawDeuce221]

I wouldn't be surprised to see some out of state members drop. The increase in membership and likely bottle cost will really hurt when you start adding about $2 per bottle in shipping.

This is purely speculation, but the increase in production we've seen over the past year could also translate into new member opportunities.

I also agree, but this out-of-stater is still in. I might not be maxing out on every bottle that comes out (like I did this year), but I would rather buy them than try and trade for them. Hooking up my badass trustee with HF along the way...he's too good to me.

 

[poonamibaxter]

I wouldn't be surprised to see some out of state members drop. The increase in membership and likely bottle cost will really hurt when you start adding about $2 per bottle in shipping.

This is purely speculation, but the increase in production we've seen over the past year could also translate into new member opportunities.

If I wasnt able to take advantage of the 15% discount in the tap room then this would have been an automatic no for me. I'm still second guessing my decision to renew and may end up selling my membership to one of my friends.

Are we going to see an increase in production this year? They are still going to be using the barrel cellar for all their BA beers, has that space expanded and they've gotten more barrels? If so, is this going to translate into more allocation bottles for us to purchase or expanded nationwide distro of their normal beers? We are all assuming the bottle prices will go up, if this happens I'll be less than thrilled but I expect it. In the end its a business, good on em for making money.

 

[Stuck_In_Iowa]

As someone who regrets not pulling the trigger on the membership last year, a fifty dollar increase doesn't bother me much at all.

I'm positive that I spent over $350 on Crooked Stave beers via trade, a visit to Denver, and shipping anyways.

I'm optimistic not everyone renews, and I have some extra cash around the time they would open it up to new members.

 

[Previously]

Renewed!

 

[Penguin3200]

Renewed!

Renewed!

 

[Dsal891]

Hoping memberships open up. I want in!

 

[BadJustin]

Hoping memberships open up. I want in!

+1

 

[ncaudle]

New, better glassware. Mini tasters, tulips, and snifters.

that mini taster!!!

 

[Osyrus]

that mini taster!!!

I'll pick one up for you next weekend when I'm out there if you want.


Speaking of next weekend... anyone have any details on the member party? Kinda flying (pun intended) into this one blind...

 

[DenverBeerDrinker]

I'll pick one up for you next weekend when I'm out there if you want.


Speaking of next weekend... anyone have any details on the member party? Kinda flying (pun intended) into this one blind...

Party isn't until the 9th.

 

[Osyrus]

Party isn't until the 9th.

The 9th is next weekend.

 

[bugdoc]

The 9th is next weekend.

You must have very, very long weekends, then.

 

[Osyrus]

You must have very, very long weekends, then.

This upcoming weekend is the 2nd, next weekend is the 9th. Semantics.

Regardless, anyone have any word on what's up?

 

[acurtis]

Can members who will not be attending do anything with their "tickets"?

 

[huckyourmeat]

Can members who will not be attending do anything with their "tickets"?

Historically, no. It's not really a ticketed event, but rather a membership party. Just an opportunity for members to get together and have fun!

 

[acurtis]

Historically, no. It's not really a ticketed event, but rather a membership party. Just an opportunity for members to get together and have fun!

That is what I figured. Was going to try and attend but the time is flying by

 

[poonamibaxter]

Last year's was pretty much just a bottle share. I'm sure a couple beers were on tap for purchase but I don't remember which ones, it was beers normally available to anyone in the taproom. There were no tickets and no one checking memberships. It was a different world back then so who knows what to expect this year. The source doesn't allow bottle shares so that part is definetly out if it is there. I would venture to guess if it's at the source, it will be no different from going there on a random Saturday.

 

[DenverBeerDrinker]

Last year's was pretty much just a bottle share. I'm sure a couple beers were on tap for purchase but I don't remember which ones, it was beers normally available to anyone in the taproom. There were no tickets and no one checking memberships. It was a different world back then so who knows what to expect this year. The source doesn't allow bottle shares so that part is definetly out if it is there. I would venture to guess if it's at the source, it will be no different from going there on a random Saturday.

The email said it was at the old taproom. Or I'm just assuming that since it's the day to pick up bottles and they said all bottles will be picked up at the old taproom

 

[quirkzoo1]

The email said it was at the old taproom. Or I'm just assuming that since it's the day to pick up bottles and they said all bottles will be picked up at the old taproom

This is my understanding as well.

 

[DrLoveMD]

New email below:

Cellar Reserve Members,


I would like to take a moment to talk about the 2014 Cellar Reserve membership as we start to look at our year ahead. A lot has happened in the past year- all of Crooked Stave’s growth and additions to the Barrel Cellar have occurred so quickly that it’s hard to imagine that only a little over 12 months ago there were only 2 Crooked Stave employees. This growth has allowed us to introduce more people to Brettanomyces and barrel-aged beers. Within the last year we’ve also grown up and learned a lot about ourselves and our process. Understandably,we have received some questions about how the 2014 Cellar Reserve is going to be run and what is going to be available throughout the year.

The Cellar Reserve will still run similar to 2013, and as returning members the structure will be familiar but with the opportunity to participate in more events throughout the upcoming 2014 year. This last year taught us a lot about putting on Cellar Reserve member releases and what it takes to hold onto beer throughout the year. For this reason in 2013 we are being much stricter about pick up times, and how long after the year we will hold on to allotments. On that note, all 2013 beer must be picked up by March 1st, 2014 or it will go to our brewery bank and possibly be used in 2014 Cellar Reserve member dinners that we are planning. In addition, we recently had to lease a new unit in order to store Cellar Reserve member beer because members are not sending in their trustees and not making it out for Cellar Reserve bottle releases. We never expected that we would have so much beer not being picked up and filling up space in our small unit.

When we started the Cellar Reserve membership it was just Travis and Myself, and the membership was quite small. For the past two years the Cellar Reserve membership has been sold at $300 with tax already included. As the membership has stayed the same price for the last two years, the cost to plan, produce and store these beers has increased greatly and the time and labor is more than we could have ever imagined. That is fine, every beer we release is a labor of love and the Cellar Reserve member beers should have the most passion and creativity go into them. We love making these beers, and the Cellar Reserve exclusive beers are hands down the best beers we make. In order to keep experimenting and producing limited quantities of beers, which we view as our best, it's necessary to increase the price to reflect all the extra costs we never expected.

The price increase will also be seen on the price of bottles throughout the year. Where previously a bottle was valued for retail at $12 and sold with a 15% discount for $10.20, Cellar Reserve member beers in 2014 will be valued for retail at $15 and sold to members at $12.75 per bottle. Given the quality of these beers, their exclusivity for members, and the current market rate of shelf sours in Colorado, we feel that the price fairly reflects the quality and is still discounted for members.

For 2014, Cellar Reserve members will receive even more opportunities to attend special events hosted by the Crooked Stave team. Recently during GABF we held our invitational festival called “What The Funk!?” All 2013 members were given the opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public. For the next year, our goal is to host at least two events that parallel What The Funk!? in 2014, with tickets being made available to Cellar Reserve members first. With our new space at The Source and the Barrel Cellar now available for events, we are looking forward to hosting special events throughout the year and seeing all of you there!

In addition, we would like to start hosting beer dinners for Cellar Reserve members. It is my plan to work alongside chefs and feature exclusive Cellar Reserve member beers. All of this is early in the works and like all things we’ll likely have some kinks to work out, but it’s just one more way that we are trying to expand the scope of the membership.

In hindsight this email should have been accompanied with the announcement that 2014 Cellar Reserve memberships were being offered for sale. We are all very excited about the 2014 membership beers as we start to plan for them and continue to think up ways to make them even better. We hope all of you will join us again in 2014 as we know it will be a lot of fun!

The final release of 2013 is coming up on Saturday, November 9th from 11am-4pm. We are planning to have another big blast with food, bottle shares and some guest beers. Hope you all come out to celebrate what a great year 2013 was and usher in the 2014 year!

Cheers,

Chad Yakobson

 

[Shmeal]

Still can't justify a membership while being part of two other memberships. I'll just have to keep trading for them.