A pretty good story in the The Patriot News of the efforts some go to to get one time release beers and the lengths people go to get them… or even to be left disappointed.
The brewery planned to sell only 400 bottles to the public. Cochran, who came from Farmington, N.M., after hearing about Splinter Blue on the “Beer Advocate” website, got No. 401, a bottle originally reserved for one of the brewery’s sales representatives, who gave it up after hearing how far Cochran had come. Beer lovers began lining up outside the Paxton Street brewery shortly after midnight. By 5 a.m., there were close to 50 people in line. Sales were limited to two bottles per person. The brewery handed out bottle caps to the first 200 in line, similar to the wristbands used when concert tickets go on sale.
Quibble? Just that the newspaper chose to use the word “rare” to describe the 400 bottle release in question. I have no problem with special but shouldn’t “rare” be reserved for the uncommon? There are so many of these short run beers going around its well beyond hard to keep up with them – it’s hard not to run into them, trip over them, be pushed around by them. Frankly, there is so much brettanyomyces going around, I hear that Gold Bond is looking at putting out a new product.
“Rare” can’t really mean something that happens as often as short run brews any more than self-assigned connaisseur should be implied to be up there with completing a doctoral program. We all like our hobby. It’s nice to have a hobby – and this is a fun one – but just because you have the postage stamp the kid on the next block doesn’t, well, it doesn’t make it news.
[Original comments…]
Stephen Beaumont – September 17, 2010 9:54 AM
http://www.worldofbeer.com
Agreed, Alan, “limited run” is not the same as “rare” in anything other than the strictest dictionary definition. (From my Collins Dictionary: “rare – 3. not widely distributed.”) That said, if people want to line up for these beers and others want to write about them so doing, well, it seems to me that’s a win-win for all concerned and certainly no skin off my nose. Or yours, for that matter.
dave – September 17, 2010 10:47 AM
http://www.sevenpack.net
Though short runs are not rare the beer in the short runs are since they are not widely distributed.
The last sentence in the post lost me by the way… “just because you the postage stamp the kid on the next block doesn’t”…?
Alan – September 17, 2010 2:08 PM
“Or yours, for that matter.” I have no idea what you could possible mean, Stephen. Surely you don’t mean I shouldn’t write such things. And it is skin off my nose as it creates false upward price mobility. Something like a carnie stringing along mooks… if I have the mid-way terminology right.
Dave: Thanks! Missing a “have”. Blame the 8 am meeting.”
See: Pliny The Younger. Tasty “triple” IPA. Released once a year. People camp outside the brew pub. In San Diego, you have to buy tickets (up to a $50 “donation” at some soulless places) for a 10oz glass.
But it’s not THAT great. Before the hype machine cranked it up to 11, you could readily get your annual tasting at most quality bars without a fuss. Pretty sure Russian River could make this year round, but the return on investment wouldn’t be as great. Smart on them, I won’t fault them for that. It’s the consumer that could use a little shaken-baby-syndrome when it comes to the hysteria it creates.