"Special growler fills" - is one of the tastiest of the RS perks. I haven't been keeping track of how often they make these available, but does it seem to anyone else that we need the Bruery to offer them more frequently?
Never got one as a 2012 member. The last thing I need is another damn growler, especially since I live in SD.
I guess it depends. My friend and I travelled down there in October and they didn't have a single RS exclusive beer. I'm sure it's a great deal if you go there often.
good perk for locals but for those that use a trustee they kinda get hosed unless their trustee will travel down there for a fill and then ship it.
They are very rare and usually just seasonals. They haven't done growler fills of the good stuff since like 2009. It is a good idea, but never really had any follow through. They should have just removed that from the list of "benefits" by now.
Since I bucket all my Bruery e-mails, I took a few minutes to look over RS growler fills for the past year. It looks like since July, the only RS growler fills in the tasting room have been two Humulus varieties or Smaak with one appearance for Berazzled. At least eight weeks, no RS growler fills were available. Prior to July, there was some variety for our growlering pleasure, like Tradewinds and Gremlin randaliized with Pineapple, Chocosaurus Rye, Humulus with Ginger, Rub-a-Dub Dubbel and Burley Gourd. But the last five months, it appears that they've pretty much overlooked growlers for RS members. This would be a great perk worthy of the name if they allowed RSers to growler fill at least two decent or occasionally excellent Bruery beers each week, or every two weeks. I hope somebody at the Bruery can take note and work this into the 2013 plan for servicing RS members.
Unfortunately, the only beers you mentioned that I would want an entire growler of is the Humulus varieties.
Look at the tasting room right now. 25 beers on tap. 8 of them available for growlers. None for RS/H members. You'd think of the remaining 17 beers at least one could have been available. (Technically nobody even has 2013 membership cards yet, but the list was just about identical before the New Year)
Right there with you. They had three Humulus variants on tap when I went, and not a single one was available for RS members to fill a growler. I was pretty bummed out.
This topic has come up a few times before, including on the Bruery RS Forum. Not enough options for growler fills, period, RS or otherwise imo, and the RS options the last 6 months of 2012, besides berazzled, were pretty much non existent. They should offer more, a lot more (hell, seeing Saison Rue growler fills is even rare now) or remove it as a perk. Personally, I think they should pre-fill (say like Rogue growler that they sell in stores) RS- Growlers, limit them to say 1 or 2 allcoation per month, and just sell them on the E-commerce site (they could say local pickup only, or ship if they wanted to) that way they don't have to worry about running out in the tasting room, (since they love to have a long diverse tap selection) or one member muling 10 fills to trade, sell, whatever. If you don't want another empty growler, the solution could be to make it where you trade in your empty one, for a filled one too.
As a former RS member (2012), I never felt compelled to get a growler of anything, which is sad considering it has the potential to be a draw for RS.
The Reserve Society is a weird thing. I'm perfectly happy with it how it works now, which is basically prepayment for beers and guaranteed access to the ones I actually want from them. But a lot of people (locals, people who travel more) seem to really want the other stuff it claims to be about, like events, growler fills, etc. The other day some friends pointed out that there were hardly any clusterforks last year. Why isn't there one of those every other month? There are only a few big parties every year, why not round it out with these other things? Yeah, they take time to plan and execute, but it shouldn't be too hard to make that worthwhile financially. And the growlers, dear lord, it would be trivial to make that a worthwhile perk, and yet it seems like they just don't even think about it. It seems really strange to me that the gap between unsatisfied RS members and completely satisfied RS member is so small and easy to fix, but they just... don't. Set up a schedule: events every other month, new special growler fill (that's actually special) every other week. Just do it. Everyone will be happier and RS will have less turnover.
The way I see it, those who benefit most right now from RS are those that aren't local. Get a trustee and you no longer have to negotiate trades for RS exclusives.
Yeah. The complete lack of good or even remotely tempting RS Growler fill ups was one reason I just was meh about RS. That and I was never able to get into any of the tasting events or cluster forks, as they sold out pretty quickly. I can't imagine how much faster they will sell out now that you have a few different levels of RS as well as no more provisions for overflow.
That's a good point, as they had been using it for say the BT release event among one thing, as well as some others. The Tasting room will likely be more packed more often then it use to be, though it was usually pretty busy most times I've been there already.
How far fetch would it be (quantity wise) to use that pilot system and offer growlers of the one off/expiramental brews? I mean, it just seemed like they bottled the majority of what the offered so they wouldn't offer growlers that stole bottle sales away.
Not sure if our weird growler laws would allow it, but maybe they could offer nicer beers for RS growler fills if they did 750mL/1L swingtop or 32oz screwtop growlers? It'd be pretty sweet to grab a 750mL growler from a vintage/exciting keg.
Don't remind me. I love, LOVED brown creeper, and tried, on several occasions to get a fill, and yet it always seemed to be up a weekend after I went. Was frustrating too when they would say it was out, and then be back on a week later. They really made those kegs stretch.
Nice! Just rec'd via email: 2. RS Only Draft Offerings: We love our Reserve Society members. To celebrate the new batch of members we will be offering a couple beers on draft only to RS members. We will be tapping a keg of 2012 Black Tuesday, Cuir and 2011 Rye Smoking Wood for Reserve Society members until they run out. Come in starting Friday to take advantage this perk of membership.
I am going tomorrow and would really like to try black tuesday. Any RS members going and willing to buy a black tuesday taster on my behalf haha . I would gladly pay for it and another pint for yourself .
Personally I feel that there should be a weekly RS exclusive growler and a monthly RS only draft offering.
also seeking help from a friendly RS member. i'll be coming back from snowboarding & in much need of trying BT to relax the muscles, pint on me
I'm going to be at the Bruery about 3 pm - anybody who wants BT '12 can BM me - no need to pay for mine. BTW RS members, just how great would it be to have a growler of BT?
Cause the 750ml bottle isn't a large enough format for a 19% beer... Who am I kidding, I could totally polish off a growler of BT with a friend or two.
Through an interesting turn of events, I split a growler of Cherry Chocolate Rain a few years ago with a few friends. In theory, it was marvelous. In practice, it was just plain debauchery.
One of your friends must be mine as well. There's a point where you're no longer drinking Black Tuesday/variants: you're on it. I think I've heard the tale recalled upwards of 10 times, therefore, it's legendary. Will camp overnight for CR growlers.
When I first read this email, I thought they were doing growler fills of these. I re-read it later and realised it was draft only. I could hardly imagine having a whole growler of Black Tuesday! And would fully expect (although hate) paying $60+ for that. Regardless, I wouldn't make it up there this weekend.
What times? May be able to help y'all out. Also, after pestering them on Facebook, apparently we can expect some form of exclusive RS growler fill next weekend.
I I was gonna go up around noon or so. Figure thats when they open so its the best chance if its still on. But i was planning on going to a few places so if later works better thats fine with me.
Snowboarding plans for today got cancelled, wa wa waaaaa... Looks like I'll prob be heading over in the afternoon. Hope to see some of you guys there, cheers!
Might be the best weekend ever to go snowboarding. Hopefully Black Tuesday is still on and we can find a person willing to hook us up haha .
Plans failed, my friend came down with the flu . Hopefully in the new few weeks! Looks like I'll be there about that time, would love help if you see me, I'll be wearing the grey / blue ninja turtles shirt, cheers!
Apologies, but I was there yesterday at 3 pm - Today had a lot of other fish to fry. Hope you were able to land the BT.
