The Official Beer Thread

[itsstillmatt]

People wait on line for beer?

 

[texas_jack]

Some guy spent the night out front. It was like 20F.

 

[Tooch4321]



Got my brick. They had 300 bricks and probably only 150 people waiting. Downers Grove Binnys

If you would be willing to part with one of the two glasses lemme know, I will take care of you...

 

[Coronaeus]

I got my Westvleteren 12 gift box this morning. What a circus!

I arrived at the store at around 6:30 AM (store opened at 9:00 AM) and was the 26th person in line. The guy at the head of the line had been camping out since 1:00 AM. By 7:30 AM there were more than 200 people waiting. At 8:20 it was announced that the store had 56 gift boxes. Quite the groan could be heard.

The store manager handed out chits to the first 56 people in line, but many others stuck around just in case the numbers were off. A couple guys were offering double the $74.95 for a chit.

Pretty crazy all in all, and probably precipitated in large part due to the story in the local paper form a week ago. Most of the people I was talking to in line weren't even really beer lovers and had only heard about Westvleteren for the first time a few days ago. I have a feeling a lot of the bottles sold will be empty by the week's end and consumed ice cold to boot.

The best part of the whole experience was arriving home after having bought the beer to find that some drunk had left an empty 40 ouncer of Olde English on my front stoop! Talk about a contrast!

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

I got my Westvleteren 12 gift box this morning. What a circus!

I arrived at the store at around 6:30 AM (store opened at 9:00 AM) and was the 26th person in line. The guy at the head of the line had been camping out since 1:00 AM. By 7:30 AM there were more than 200 people waiting. At 8:20 it was announced that the store had 56 gift boxes. Quite the groan could be heard.

The store manager handed out chits to the first 56 people in line, but many others stuck around just in case the numbers were off. A couple guys were offering double the $74.95 for a chit.

Pretty crazy all in all, and probably precipitated in large part due to the story in the local paper form a week ago. Most of the people I was talking to in line weren't even really beer lovers and had only heard about Westvleteren for the first time a few days ago. I have a feeling a lot of the bottles sold will be empty by the week's end and consumed ice cold to boot.

The best part of the whole experience was arriving home after having bought the beer to find that some drunk had left an empty 40 ouncer of Olde English on my front stoop! Talk about a contrast!

This is what annoys me. People who don't even know what they are getting are taking half of the supply. Even worse than drinking it at sub-optimal temperature is the fact that many people like that will taste it and decide they don't like it. They will think their domestic average joe beer tastes better, and either throw it out or give it to a friend who will think the same thing. After the domino effect goes through several people with that attitude, all the precious WestV will be gone and it will have recieved zero appreciation. Can you tell that I have some personal experience with people like that?

 

[concealed]

This is what annoys me. People who don't even know what they are getting are taking half of the supply. Even worse than drinking it at sub-optimal temperature is the fact that many people like that will taste it and decide they don't like it. They will think their domestic average joe beer tastes better, and either throw it out or give it to a friend who will think the same thing. After the domino effect goes through several people with that attitude, all the precious WestV will be gone and it will have recieved zero appreciation. Can you tell that I have some personal experience with people like that?

I am fine with this. If someone wants to buy something let them. I just don't see a ton of people dropping $85 on 6 beers with absolutely no clue.

 

[texas_jack]



If you would be willing to part with one of the two glasses lemme know, I will take care of you...

Sorry the girlfriend put the kibosh on the deal. She doesn't even like beer but she loves the glasses

I got my Westvleteren 12 gift box this morning.  What a circus!  

I arrived at the store at around 6:30 AM (store opened at 9:00 AM) and was the 26th person in line.  The guy at the head of the line had been camping out since 1:00 AM.  By 7:30 AM there were more than 200 people waiting.  At 8:20 it was announced that the store had 56 gift boxes.  Quite the groan could be heard.

The store manager handed out chits to the first 56 people in line, but many others stuck around just in case the numbers were off.  A couple guys were offering double the $74.95 for a chit.

Pretty crazy all in all, and probably precipitated in large part due to the story in the local paper form a week ago.  Most of the people I was talking to in line weren't even really beer lovers and had only heard about Westvleteren for the first time a few days ago.  I have a feeling a lot of the bottles sold will be empty by the week's end and consumed ice cold to boot.

The best part of the whole experience was arriving home after having bought the beer to find that some drunk had left an empty 40 ouncer of Olde English on my front stoop!  Talk about a contrast!

I doubt someone who had never heard of it and just wants to try it would wait in the dark at 6am. More likely is that they know there is a dollar to be made. Look on Ebay if you don't believe me. I don't understand how one store (yours) could get 56 and another store (mine) could get 300. I know a guy who went after lunch (4 hours after they opened) and still got a brick.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

I am fine with this. If someone wants to buy something let them. I just don't see a ton of people dropping $85 on 6 beers with absolutely no clue.

Of course. I am not saying there should somehow be a rule that only people who can properly appreciate something should be able to buy it. That would be absurd. However, people with enough blow money will buy something they percieve to be exclusive simply because of that perception. It is human nature. I just think the case above would be kinda like camping out waiting for limited concert tickets, and then finding out that many of the people who got in don't even like the band. They are only going to join the party rather than actually appreciate the experience.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

Sorry the girlfriend put the kibosh on the deal. She doesn't even like beer but she loves the glasses
I doubt someone who had never heard of it and just wants to try it would wait in the dark at 6am. More likely is that they know there is a dollar to be made. Look on Ebay if you don't believe me. I don't understand how one store (yours) could get 56 and another store (mine) could get 300. I know a guy who went after lunch (4 hours after they opened) and still got a brick.

Also a good point. I can't argue with what he said the people told him (which is what I originally responded to). But this is a likely case as well.

 

[indesertum]

im fine with it too. you dont have to be an experienced beer drinker to want to try good beers. and maybe the westv will turn them on to drinking even more good beers

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

im fine with it too. you dont have to be an experienced beer drinker to want to try good beers. and maybe the westv will turn them on to drinking even more good beers

Absolutely, you don't have to be an experienced beer drinker to want to try good beers. That is how you learn and gain knowledge. The OP said that many weren't even beer lovers. In my experience (which I know is subjective), people who don't love beer (or at least have a high interest in it), don't generally enjoy strong rich beer. For many beer lovers, the stronger and richer the better. For people who don't love beer, the weaker and blander is often considered better.

 

[concealed]

i can agree with you in regards to giffen goods, where people will want things more because they cost more, definitely a real phenomenon

i agree that it is probably not going to be a great intro beer to craft beer, but different strokes right? for a regular beer drinker its gonna be tough to appreciate the flavors. for someone who regularly enjoys scotch it might be the perfect intro beer.

 

[Coronaeus]

Quote: I'm in Ontario. The LCBO received 1404 6-pack gift boxes (i think that is what i read). They spread these around to a fair number of outlets. It is likely that many of these were held back for employees because numbers from the sold-out locations do not seem to be adding up. Some outlets have had as few as 30 gift boxes.

There was also an article in the Toronto Metro free paper about the Queen's Quay location selling out in 4 minutes! People read this and want to be a part of something that seems to be "special."

I'm sure some people are buying to try to make a buck, but a lot of those I talked too were simply intrigued and thought they'd give it a go.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

i can agree with you in regards to giffen goods, where people will want things more because they cost more, definitely a real phenomenon

i agree that it is probably not going to be a great intro beer to craft beer, but different strokes right? for a regular beer drinker its gonna be tough to appreciate the flavors. for someone who regularly enjoys scotch it might be the perfect intro beer.

Very true that people who appreciate scotch or some other fine spirit will generally not find the rich/complex beers to be as much of a shock to their palate.

 

[CovertDebonair]

Officially finished the "try all 35 beers" card and got a free t-shirt... yep we all need goals!