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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. Mag00n

    Mag00n Initiate (0) Nov 21, 2008 New York

    His constant complaining about ebaying comes off as whiney to me. Its not like a special circumstance, any popular and limited release from any brewery ends up there in some quantity.
     
    Lordkrystic and maximum12 like this.
  2. tjensen3618

    tjensen3618 Savant (1,225) Mar 23, 2008 California

    Good choice. I am in favor of all beers, especially IPA's, that wind up getting valued way beyond their retail price, going to a draft only, no growler system.
     
  3. standardcherry

    standardcherry Initiate (0) Jan 17, 2011 Massachusetts

    Well to be fair, I don't think the plans are concrete haha, it just says "in the fall".
     
  4. Auror

    Auror Pooh-Bah (1,641) Jan 1, 2010 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    I know this has been brought up ad nauseum before, but I can't wrap my head around how Ebay hurts his business. In any way. The beer has been bought, so he's not losing any money. So what is being affected? His brand? The odds of someone buying the beer on Ebay who could conceivably get to the brewery to buy other beers from Hill Farmstead approaches 0. So let's say someone buys a growler off Ebay for a ransom price, say $80. And it's not fresh. It tastes bad. Let's assume the fictional buyer is an idiot, and he blames Hill Farmstead for the problem and thinks the beer sucks. He still can't buy the beer legitimately! Shaun still doesn't lose any potential money! Let's say the buyer goes online and badmouths the beer and the brewery and the brand (again, he is an idiot). There are two types of people who will read it: people who can't get the beer anyways, and people who can. Those who can will undoubtedly have tried it fresh and can judge for themselves, those who can't get it will have no way to buy it and it won't matter what they believe. Again, Shaun does not lose any money. The only thing I can think of is that he can't brew that much of it and wants the surrounding area to get more. That's all fine and dandy, but limiting to 1 growler fill per person probably accomplishes the same thing without removing the possibility of someone making a day trip up there and taking some home with them. I still haven't been up there to get a growler, so I don't feel any entitlement. I'm just perplexed.
     
    thome50 likes this.
  5. NJOssie

    NJOssie Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2012 New Jersey

    his real customers lose out... he works hard for what he produces and has pride in it and others buying it simply to profit from it is not what he wants or intends with his product.

    is it so bad to have that type of pride in your product? it's what makes his fresh beers so amazing to begin with.
     
  6. Auror

    Auror Pooh-Bah (1,641) Jan 1, 2010 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    What if smoeone likes drinking old IPA's?
     
  7. evilc

    evilc Initiate (0) Jan 27, 2012 California


     
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  8. Beerandraiderfan

    Beerandraiderfan Initiate (0) Apr 14, 2009 Nevada

    Russian River sure is a trend setter.

    Hundreds of dipa's made in Pliny's mold. Now people are jumping on the draft only train.

    Like they say, lead, follow or get out of the way.
     
  9. NJOssie

    NJOssie Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2012 New Jersey

    I saw that... but it all has sprung from Ebay... if you follow their accounts on Twitter and FB it has been tugging at them for a while now.

    I agree that traders who are irresponsible w/ the beer or are hoarding is bad for the beer as well though.

    Again, I don't blame HF at all.
     
    grassrootsVT likes this.
  10. phingdong

    phingdong Pundit (936) Aug 24, 2010 New Hampshire
    Trader

    I'm not sure I want to live in that world. Besides, there's plenty of old ones all over store shelves to satisfy such a craving...
     
    youbrewidrink likes this.
  11. JebediahScooter

    JebediahScooter Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2010 Vermont

    I agree...a bad review from from some knucklehead isn't going to sway the legions of HF fans making trips to buy Shaun out. It seems to me, however, like it's less of an issue of business and more of an issue of his sensibilities as a craftsman. Sort of like a chef at an incredible steakhouse cringing when a patron asks for ketchup...he's made his money, but it still stings a bit. A buddy of mine who likes good beer but is not geeky by any means was over at the house hanging out recently. I was pouring him a bottle of my homebrew...he promptly popped a grape jolly rancher in his mouth before taking the glass. Again, cringe. The beer was for him and it did me no harm for him to not experience my beer as I intended it, so I didn't say anything, but it wasn't a nice feeling to see something I'd labored over and put a great deal of thought and effort into partaken of in such a way.

    Edit: Great avatar, by the way. "It's Troy and Abed in the mooorning..."
     
    litheum94, grassrootsVT and OsNJCB like this.
  12. franklinn

    franklinn Initiate (0) May 29, 2012 Vermont

    Fwiw, when I was up there yesterday we were talking about a guy down in Boston who sold his whole allotment of James(i think?) and mimosa on ebay for ~200 a bottle. Unlikely that the guy even drank any.

    Say what you want about the HF crew, Shaun isn't always the most popular character, but they put in work and are quality freaks. That hard work pays off.
     
    rondufresne, yamar68 and OsNJCB like this.
  13. FishPondManager

    FishPondManager Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2012 Colorado

    I agree with this. From what minuscule knowledge I have, it would be the profiteering aspect of eBay or trading that irks him. Its readily apparent from their website and communications that they take a lot of pride in the product and they want their product enjoyed locally and/or as fresh as possible. Nothing wrong with that. Their growler fills are done very well, but sitting on one is idiotic. I don't even know how any craft beer enthusiast could sit on a HF growler that long. The nectar that pours forth from those beautiful growlers is second to none, IMO. I stood around my sink filled with an ice bath, dancing giddily back and forth like a 5 year old who has to pee, the few times I was able to receive a 750mL growler.

    Sounds like a few bad apples ruining it for those who take almost as much pride sending fesh HF to their trading partners as HF does making and filling the growlers.
     
    DrinkingIPA, grassrootsVT and OsNJCB like this.
  14. immobilisme

    immobilisme Initiate (0) Nov 8, 2005 Illinois

    I am guessing that Shaun hopes to have his tap room up and running by the time Ephraim is released. This way, people can order glasses of their beer on tap instead of just the samples they are allowed at this point.

    Like people said, Hill Farmstead will never bottle their pales. Every brewer has the right to do what they do. I will always respect a brewer who goes too far in protecting the quality of their beer than a brewer who does not go far enough.

    Anyone who sits on a growler of DIPA or any hoppy beer should have their hoppy beer growler rights revoked.
     
    grassrootsVT and franklinn like this.
  15. Auror

    Auror Pooh-Bah (1,641) Jan 1, 2010 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    I guess I just don't like that he's changing a policy that genuinely upsets some customers because of something that doesn't affect his business at all. He's entitled to it, but it rubs me the wrong way.
     
  16. NJOssie

    NJOssie Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2012 New Jersey

    you're thinking "business"... he's thinking his beer... I can respect that he values that more than just the "bottom line"
     
    bwmichaud, grassrootsVT, Pahn and 2 others like this.
  17. Auror

    Auror Pooh-Bah (1,641) Jan 1, 2010 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm passionate about beer, but I don't know what this means. He wants his beer to be consumed under ideal conditions? For what end? So that people will like it more than they might under less than ideal conditions?

    I understand creating circumstances for a consumer to be pleased by a product, but more often than not I think someone who travels to the farmstead and gets a growler to take home with them (which will start out utterly fresh) can do a better job of that than a local bar can.
     
  18. NJOssie

    NJOssie Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2012 New Jersey

    again... you are talking customers and product... he's thinking his beer and his craft and what he intends of it... he asks things of bars he sells to, such as a date at which it has to be tapped...

    think of it as his art not his "product"...
     
    grassrootsVT and franklinn like this.
  19. KevSal

    KevSal Pooh-Bah (2,916) Oct 17, 2010 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    i can understand ebay, but why beer trading?
     
  20. Mag00n

    Mag00n Initiate (0) Nov 21, 2008 New York

    Hes basically stomping his feet and walking in circles.
     
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