One of my favorite things about the beer business are the special releases and hard to find rare items. These beers that are often referred to by most of us beer geeks as “whales”. I find much pleasure in being able to get a customer a beer that is very hard to come by, and the look on their face when I bring it out of hiding in the back. That same look I gave to my parents on Christmas when I opened a present and found a Ghostbusters Proton Pack and Trap. A look that was a mixture of equal parts joy, and “Hell yeah, I’m a bad ass!” smeared on their face.
One of my least favorite things about the beer business are the special release and hard to find items. I will get no less than three dozen phone calls about these items. This is on top of the flood of people rushing in with a look of panic on their face asking anyone they assume might be able to show them to the promise land. The poor look of the completely lost wife, mother, father, neighbor, etc… That are somehow talked into coming out to hunt these items while Mr. Beer Lover is at work, or out at another store waiting in some line. The worst are the people that come in with their sob story about traveling 60 miles hitting every store they could spot from the road in hopes of finding the whale of the day.
First, I am not a fan of hoarders. I hold all whales aside so that I can control one person from wiping out my entire inventory while I am at lunch. If a person wants to use their vacation days and gas money to chase bottle limits all over the city, fine. I want to make as many of my customers happy as I can. Oh you drove 60 miles and I won’t give you 2 bottles? Sorry Brah, I am saving these bottles for the guy that comes in and buys his six pack a couple times a week. If you get butt hurt, that is not my problem.
Speaking of six packs! For those of you who do not know how this works… These beers that are very hard to find for the customers are also very hard to get as a retailer! The way this is usually handled “fairly” is the accounts that sell the most of a brands everyday items are the ones at the top of the list when it comes to the limited release. For example: You want your local store to get their hands on some Founder’s KBS because you have a good relationship with the buyer and you don’t want to drive into the city and stand in lines? Well, when was the last time you bought a sixer of Centennial IPA, or Dirty Bastard Ale at that neighborhood shop? That’s the way it works! Same thing holds true with your favorite pub. Next time they have a “Tap Takeover” or event… check it out. Drink the beer! If they cannot buy enough kegs of Avery White Rascal and Ellie’s Brown, then why is the rep going to send them a keg of something rare?
I have been in this business long enough to know that there is someone in your neighborhood that would love to sell you craft beer, and they would love to be able to score some of the whales for you and their other craft beer loving customers. You just need to support them throughout the year, so they have a leg to stand on when they approach a distributor on why they deserve some of that rare beer too. Think of it as an investment into your local economy, your future beer collection, and craft beer. If you get your kicks out of driving half hour to wait in lines the day after Thanksgiving or drive some place to drink so you can get your name on the wall, more power to you. If you want to drink good beer close to, or at your own home, then introduce yourself to your local beer person at your favorite store, or pub. We may seem like dicks, but really, we just have a bad sense of humor. We love the rare beers as much as the next person, but first let’s take a “Shelfie”.