OT: Whatcha Drinkin' II: Another Round!

[Boom Boom Apathy]

granted, wicked weed has basically become THE craft beer tourist destination in asheville at this point, so who knows if the locals even register beyond a small blip on their balance sheet these days

That's what I suspect is the case.

 

[DaveG]

luckily asheville is the exact kind of place that is all about "all local everything" so if wicked weed does start going south, they may see some kind of effect

granted, wicked weed has basically become THE craft beer tourist destination in asheville at this point, so who knows if the locals even register beyond a small blip on their balance sheet these days

For the most part those people are typically even more "all craft everything" then Asheville is "all local everything". Ironically I think Sierra is going to see a big uptick in visitors after this while Wicked Weed drops off.

i drink pbr and jim beam because i am a real american

No, you just drink those cause they're cheap and a six pack of 60 minute IPA in Calgary would have a list price of "left kidney".

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

For the most part those people are typically even more "all craft everything" then Asheville is "all local everything". Ironically I think Sierra is going to see a big uptick in visitors after this while Wicked Weed drops off.

Brewery visitors, probably. The Restaurant/pub and even the Funkatorium, to a lesser extent, are so much move conveniently located and I'd be they don't see much of a drop off at all at. It's quite a drive out to the brewery, and frankly, if I'm out that far, I'll go the extra 10-15 miles to get to Sierra anyway (or hit both), just because that place is so impressive.

 

[DaveG]

The restaurant will definitely be fine, but I think the Funkatorium will definitely see a drop off because of this move. Sours people are about the biggest craft beer nuts out there right now.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

The restaurant will definitely be fine, but I think the Funkatorium will definitely see a drop off because of this move. Sours people are about the biggest craft beer nuts out there right now.

Yeah, maybe if the quality falls off. Is there anyone else doing a lot of sours near downtown Asheville? I'm not a big Sours fan so never sought them out.

 

[Discipline Daddy]

Crazy news. Color me downright shocked.

I'm sure Wicked Weed will see a short-term hit in their business because of selling out. I can say that I will no longer buy Wicked Weed beer. Even if AB&Bev does jack **** to Wicked Weed and they still make exactly the same beer, I simply cannot support a company that has antagonistic and demeaning marketing and primarily pushes **** in a can. I can't respect and support that in good conscience. There are too many other great options in Asheville that I'll just spend more time at Hi Wire, Burial, Sierra Nevada, etc.

I also simply hate hate hate a giant company buying out all these smaller fish. It just feels wrong to me. I mean, I'll buy Advil from Bayer because I trust a big company to do better research than a tiny company can afford to. I'm not against big companies per se. But if I have the option of buying a great beer from a ****** giant company and a great beer from 100 smaller companies that could benefit from my dollar more, I'm going to the small guy. I'll try to help all 100 of them, in fact. I can imagine the scene at their main location in Asheville today.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

I don't understand beer people. And that's ok.

 

[raynman]

Had some Heady Topper today. Not too shabby.

 

[Roboturner913]

Evan Williams red label. 101 proof, 12 years old. Didn't even know it existed until a few days ago when I toured the distillery in Louisville. $130 a bottle and damn well worth it. The only way I can describe it is, you feel like you're tasting it with your entire being.

 

[raynman]

Evan Williams red label. 101 proof, 12 years old. Didn't even know it existed until a few days ago when I toured the distillery in Louisville. $130 a bottle and damn well worth it. The only way I can describe it is, you feel like you're tasting it with your entire being.

Wait, are you sure you aren't in Colorado?

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

No, you just drink those cause they're cheap and a six pack of 60 minute IPA in Calgary would have a list price of "left kidney".

throw a bit more shade there eh

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Beer Study (one of the first bottle shops in the Triangle to carry Wicked Weed) has announced they're phasing it out and can no longer support the company. I've just send the following message to Tasty Beverage (and encourage others to similarly do so). Also plan on asking at trivia tonight if House of Hops would consider phasing it out.

Hey Tasty Beverage crew,
With the news about Wicked Weed getting bought out by ABInBev I was hoping to see an announcement like other bottle shops in the area are making - a commitment to selling craft beer that's antithetical to WW's decision to sell out to Anheuser-Busch rather than Duvel, who also had an offer in and to that end, the discontinuation of Wicked Weed's products being carried in bottles, cans, or on tap. I love Coolcumber and Tropicmost as much as the next beer nerd, but as a small, locally owned business, please consider standing up against the continued corporate takeover of the craft beer industry by a behemoth who's done nothing but denigrate craft brewers as "hobbyists" and craft beer drinkers as effeminate elitists. Please, it'll hurt in the short run but it's better for all of us in the long run. I hope the next time I go into Tasty, the shelves will be devoid of Wicked Weed.

 

[Lempo]

http://www.cnbc.com/2014/11/07/why-those-elitist-millennials-hate-big-beer.html

Gosh. One certainly gets a little bit cynical about the motivations behind the vaunted AB SuperBowl ad. Them millenials so.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I don't understand beer people. And that's ok.

I kinda see both sides of it. I have no problem with WW doing what they did. Zero. They put their time and effort into it and have every right to cash in. I also drink what I like regardless. That said, AB, like many big companies, have used their clout to try and squash the "little guy". Between lobbying, pressuring distributors, etc.. it makes it harder for craft brewers so I can see other's POV.

My wife's cousin owns a winery (not in NC). A few years ago, as he was give me a barrel tasting, I asked him why he didn't expand since he seemed to be doing so well. His response was that if he got any bigger, he would need to sell too much through a distributor and he'd have to discount his product so much, that it didn't make economic sense. His business analysis was that it made more sense to stay small or to get really big, but in between didn't work. He said that much of this was because of the influence a big beverage company had on the distributors and stores carrying product. They weren't doing anything illegal, but I can see why a small winery (or brewery) would be put off by that.

 

[cptjeff]

To get away from the beer discussion a bit, today is Derby Day. Which means I'm drinking a julep, because what else could you possibly drink today?

 

[Wolfpuck]

Gizmo's Deep Blue saison

Good stuff, Dave

 

[DaveG]

Gizmo's Deep Blue saison

Good stuff, Dave

Gracias. Actually we tried out some of the original batch the other day at the brewery, holy **** this beer actually ages phenomenally. I might add a bottle to my cellar for a couple years and crack it open, because oh so good still, but just a bit less blueberry going on.


Also Sens, we do have one at the brewery right now that I might be able to get you hooked on.

 

[tarheelhockey]

http://www.cnbc.com/2014/11/07/why-those-elitist-millennials-hate-big-beer.html

Gosh. One certainly gets a little bit cynical about the motivations behind the vaunted AB SuperBowl ad. Them millenials so.

"Over the past five years, Budweiser has seen a 28 percent decrease in domestic sales volume, while Bud Light—still the most popular beer in America—has seen its sales go down 10 percent, according to Beer Marketer's Insights."


Holy ****, those are dramatically terrible numbers. If that doesn't level out, you won't have to worry about them buying anyone else.

 

[TheOllieC]

Ohio is an awful control state where you can hardly ever find anything good aside from the scarce Elmer T, but this past weekend I was in Kentucky where I got some Bulleit Barrel Strength, a Party Source selection Jefferson's Reserve, and a lot of Buffalo Trace bourbon cream.

Mmmmmmm bourbon cream

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

drinking pbr whilst breaking in my new leather top hat

c'est la vie

 

[Navin R Slavin]

drinking pbr whilst breaking in my new leather top hat

c'est la vie

AHAHAHAHA so you bought it?

I feel lately like I just come to =26 so I can ask CI for pics. The pic I want today is pbr+braid+leather top hat.

 

[RodTheBawd]

AHAHAHAHA so you bought it?

I feel lately like I just come to =26 so I can ask CI for pics. The pic I want today is pbr+braid+leather top hat.

+1 kind sir.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

no shirt

 

[Roboturner913]

Ohio is an awful control state where you can hardly ever find anything good aside from the scarce Elmer T, but this past weekend I was in Kentucky where I got some Bulleit Barrel Strength, a Party Source selection Jefferson's Reserve, and a lot of Buffalo Trace bourbon cream.

Mmmmmmm bourbon cream

God love Kentucky. I swear, your average beat up gas station in Ky has a better bourbon selection than half the fancy liquor stores in Chicago or somewhere like that. I met friends in Louisville a few weekends ago and all we did was drink exotic high-proof special edition bourbons and by the end of the three days I had only spent a couple hundred bucks. GB bourbon

If you are ever in Louisville there is a bar called Haymarket Whiskey Bar. It is easily the greatest bar on earth as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

no shirt

i am not a chippendale or w/e the hell they are called but i may do this