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Hill Farmstead getting rid of growler fills for Ephrahim

Discussion in 'Trade Talk' started by standardcherry, Jul 12, 2012.

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  1. standardcherry

    standardcherry Initiate (0) Jan 17, 2011 Massachusetts

    This was just posted on their FB page:

    "We will brew Ephraim again in the Fall. However, there will be no growler fills. We are 90% certain that this will be Draft only. Just like Pliny the Younger. Just like Pat and the good folks at Alpine. Yes local folks, eBay and beer trading has forever ruined your opportunity to take home a growler of our Imperial IPA..."

    Thoughts? I think it's sad, without beer trading many people wouldn't have been able to try their delicious brews. They seem to take this stuff pretty seriously.
     
    stxSS07 likes this.
  2. Crawfordesquire

    Crawfordesquire Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 North Carolina

    Taking their ball and going home.
     
  3. standardcherry

    standardcherry Initiate (0) Jan 17, 2011 Massachusetts

    There is a comment war going on in their FB page right now and I've come to agree with their decision. People buy tons of growlers for trading and get them shipped out when the beer isn't at its best anymore. They have no problem with trading their bottled stuff, just trading the stuff that is supposed to be consumed really fresh.
     
    silentjay and grassrootsVT like this.
  4. NJOssie

    NJOssie Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2012 New Jersey

    more reason why the "I don't care what people do with their beer" attitude backfires. The ebayers can really put a dent in trading for all of us who just want to taste good beer and share with others.

    the trading hasn't been what has fired them up though. It's been the Ebay sales.
     
    Pahn likes this.
  5. landhoney

    landhoney Initiate (0) Apr 19, 2007 Florida

    My question is are the local folks really getting short-changed by the people trading/ebaying the beer? I realize that many/most of them are not on here, and just drink the beer, but are the locals really upset at not being able to get beer they want because of people trading HF stuff?

    I realize that they'd all possibly want two Ann's for instance (or any other limited beer) instead of one, say if it was on premises only and no one could trade it, but as things stand now everyone that wants one locally should be able to get one correct (this is just how I have heard the releases going down)?

    This is really just intended to see what locals think of the situation as far as being able to get the HF beer they want, just curious. :slight_smile:
     
  6. Rymar9

    Rymar9 Zealot (664) Jan 24, 2011 South Carolina
    Trader

    Beer trading has ruined it? How? Why just ephraim and not the other DIPA's like Abner, citra, galaxy? Hill farmstead is one of my absolute favorite breweries, but if anything has ruined beer trading it's their bottle releases of things like Ann, where only 160 bottles are released and people have to trade an arm an a leg for 1 bottle of beer
     
    Lordkrystic, Kotie, kaips1 and 4 others like this.
  7. RochesterAaron

    RochesterAaron Initiate (0) May 24, 2007 New York

    Shaun is very, very particular about his IPAs. When I was there he made one of his assistant brewers cover a glass of beer with his shirt while he walked around the outside of the building so it wouldn't get sunstruck. I've traded 2 growlers of HF IPAs (double citra & nor) and I ended up sending to the closest offer rather than the best offer. When you make an amazing product like he does you get to set the rules that everyone plays by.
     
  8. hopsbreath

    hopsbreath Savant (1,133) Aug 28, 2009 Florida

    I have no problem with this. The local's who live near to HF now have easier access to the beer without lines of people waiting for growler fills. The beer is consumed fresh as the brewer wants it to be and poor reviews from improperly stored/handled Ephraim should be less prevalent. Shaun still sells his beer and still makes money without as big of a headache. Sounds to me like a guy trying to make life easier on himself and I can't blame him.
     
    grassrootsVT likes this.
  9. Crawfordesquire

    Crawfordesquire Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 North Carolina

    In all serousness, I agree, their business, their rules. However, I find this to be arbitrary in a way, and somewhat confusing- is the issue beer trading in it of itself, or the lack of freshness that results from extended, late trading resulting in drinking past the freshness point?
    I assume it is the latter. So then why offer any d/ipa as a growler fill if that is the issue?
     
  10. standardcherry

    standardcherry Initiate (0) Jan 17, 2011 Massachusetts

    Here's what they responded:
    "Why Ephraim? Because it needs to be enjoyed fresh. It's a fresh filled growler. People are still hoarding and sampling growlers from October 2011. And, frankly, beer traders are as much to blame for this as ebay. They purchase dozens of growlers - sit on them for weeks until the most attractive offer comes along - and then send them onward to someone who, likewise, will sit on the growler until their six friends have time in their schedule to join them for a tasting."
     
    black13, Duff27 and claaark13 like this.
  11. NJOssie

    NJOssie Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2012 New Jersey

    from their past tweets and posts it's almost evident the big issue has been Ebay sellers in my humble opinion.
     
  12. Beerness

    Beerness Initiate (0) Mar 3, 2010 North Carolina

    This seriously makes me wanna cry. Ephraim is one of my very favorite DIPAs. (especially the earlier batch). Can't hate on Shaun for this though....his decision makes sense. I noted that he attached 'cellaring/hoarding' to what he didn't like about trading fresh growlers. Perhaps this will just fast track my plans to make a Vermont roadtrip.

    And anyone that hoards/cellars growlers of fresh IPAs should be shot.....in the groin.....3 times.
     
    sisuspeed, grassrootsVT and jrnyc like this.
  13. joshrosborne

    joshrosborne Initiate (0) Jun 14, 2010 Michigan

    Good. More power to them. It's their beer and they should put those restrictions on them if they feel like it.

    What I gathered from the Facebook comments out there is that there are a lot of folks out there who feel entitled to certain beers.
     
  14. mrbubbler

    mrbubbler Initiate (0) Jun 16, 2008 California

    I wonder if this will hurt the sales of ephraim. I would bet a lot of customers make the long trek only because they can leave with growlers for trade and for personal consumption.
     
  15. standardcherry

    standardcherry Initiate (0) Jan 17, 2011 Massachusetts

    I doubt it. I think the logical thing to do would be to serve it at other locations instead of just at the brewery. Then locals would be able to enjoy more of it (and the drive for me to try it would be 1.5 hours instead of 3+ :grinning:).
     
  16. Rymar9

    Rymar9 Zealot (664) Jan 24, 2011 South Carolina
    Trader

    Maybe Shaun should try bottling Ephraim? I mean Sean Lawson bottles Double Sunshine and it seems to work out just fine for him, one of my favorite beers period.
     
  17. NJOssie

    NJOssie Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2012 New Jersey

    this is likely the case... they may send to the accounts they sell to and make sure they don't sell growlers.

    They specifically said like PTY and we know those sales aren't hurting.
     
  18. standardcherry

    standardcherry Initiate (0) Jan 17, 2011 Massachusetts

    I agree, only DIPA that I've liked better than Heady so far. I doubt Shaun would bottle any of the IPAs, from what I've heard he's really fussy about the way people handle his beer.
     
    HopsHopenstein likes this.
  19. FosterJM

    FosterJM Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2009 California

    Boy do I feel slighted. I just emailed HF yesterday and this was the reply I got.

    Hi James

    No concrete plans for Ephraim, Abner will be on tap again in 2 or 3 weeks...

    Phil
    Oh well, win some/lose some.

    Cheers!
     
  20. NJOssie

    NJOssie Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2012 New Jersey

    still supply and demand... he could easily send to his NYC and Philly accounts and it will be all sold. I just don't think the growler policy will prevent such great beer from selling.
     
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