Beer 2019, imo.

[mdleast 8,521]

Much like the Green Flash West Coast IPA I had last weekend, I haven’t had Bear Republic’s Racer 5 in years and years. Just saw it in cans around here for the first time and picked some up. Classic, old school West Coast IPA.

[Anton Chigurh 3,335]

Turning Point, IMO.

[HenryJames 67,331]

Training Bines, imo.

[shnsajax 3,607]

Walgreens has bombers of Dragons Milk for $3.79.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HenryJames 67,331]

Walgreen’s where?

[Dark Horse 2,426]

I think my Lupulin shift reset, because west coast IPAs are bitter as fuck to me now.

[Anton Chigurh 3,335]

I had these this weekend. They were very good.

[Al_4_ISU 12,623]

I think my Lupulin shift reset, because west coast IPAs are bitter as fuck to me now.

I think they’ve always had much higher IBUs than NE IPAs.

[Dark Horse 2,426]

Well yeah. I just meant that after taking a few years off from drinking heavy, super dank west coast IPAs, they seem much more bitter now than they did at the time. 

[utee94 16,080]

 

21 minutes ago, Dark Horse said:

I think my Lupulin shift reset, because west coast IPAs are bitter as fuck to me now.

 

Just now, Dark Horse said:

Well yeah. I just meant that after taking a few years off from drinking heavy, super dank west coast IPAs, they seem much more bitter now than they did at the time. 

They're the same.  You had just fried your taste buds so badly drinking that brutally overhopped crap, that you couldn't actually taste anything anymore.  Now, your taste buds have had a chance to recover, and you're realizing just how crappy the west coast IPAs really are.

Welcome to the Revolution!

 

[AnotherUTFan 9,982]

 
They're the same.  You had just fried your taste buds so badly drinking that brutally overhopped crap, that you couldn't actually taste anything anymore.  Now, your taste buds have had a chance to recover, and you're realizing just how crappy the west coast IPAs really are.
Welcome to the Revolution!
 

Love you 94, but

[HenryJames 67,331]

2 hours ago, Dark Horse said:

I think my Lupulin shift reset, because west coast IPAs are bitter as fuck to me now.

[Al_4_ISU 12,623]

Shut Up, Meg. IPA me and some buddies brewed. Been fucking around brewing for a couple years and have made a few solid beers, but finally have made a really, really good beer. Mosaic and Pacific Jade hops, almost exclusively dry or cold hopped. 2 row barley and wheat for the grain bill. Perfect for a summer evening.

[GreenspointTexas 9,968]

Goosetown... a guilty pleasure of mine

[Al_4_ISU 12,623]

Goosetown... a guilty pleasure of mine

Nothing guilty about any Schell’s product, IMO.

Even if Goosetown doesn’t taste much like a gose.

[GreenspointTexas 9,968]

Goosetown totally isnt a gose, but its a great drinker when you are/arent catching northern and walleye

[patrickdrinksbeer 820]

Shut Up, Meg. IPA me and some buddies brewed.

in honor of meg gill?

[utee94 16,080]

12 hours ago, AnotherUTFan said:

Love you 94, but

It's possible my opinion is unpopular...

 

 

 

 

[Al_4_ISU 12,623]

in honor of meg gill?

One of the wives. She suggested we quit using tap water, and the deal was if it worked well, it would be named after her.

[Incredulity 11,876]

1 hour ago, Al_4_ISU said:

 

One of the wives. She suggested we quit using tap water, and the deal was if it worked well, it would be named after her.

 

Clever girl.

Getting my tap water filtered and treated was one of the best things I ever did when I home brewed.  Huge difference.

[Al_4_ISU 12,623]

Clever girl.
Getting my tap water filtered and treated was one of the best things I ever did when I home brewed.  Huge difference.

She worked at Toppling Goliath for a bit, and knows her shit about beer in general, despite never brewing

[HenryJames 67,331]

 

[Alvin89 108]

At the stros game last week and dropped some peanuts in my Saint Arnolds Santo.....It was legit good especially at the ballpark. I've been digging Revolvers Blood and Honey. Anybody been to Revolver Bewery?

[GreenspointTexas 9,968]

Holy fuck....Sittin on a shelf in austin while people jizzing over pearl snap and zilker bullshit




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[HenryJames 67,331]

drinkingparish;dr

[mdleast 8,521]

no pics of said people jizzing?

[utee94 16,080]

oh geez

 

[shnsajax 3,607]

Holy fuck....Sittin on a shelf in austin while people jizzing over pearl snap and zilker bullshit

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Boise version. I think every county should be doing it. Thought they got a cease and desist, but still making it.

[DDD Dad 14,647]

Holy fuck....Sittin on a shelf in austin while people jizzing over pearl snap and zilker bullshit




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Best in the world?

[deft 7,059]

Lets just say this, when compared to pearl snap this beer is still the best in imperial stout.

[HenryJames 67,331]

@Bottlecap

[HenryJames 67,331]

@Bottlecap

[utee94 16,080]

Probably the best pina colada beer on Earth.

[Bottlecap 1,523]

Disagree. Not even the best pina colada beer this week. That's Einhorn Tropical, son.

BTW, posted above, but 21st amendment should be dropping Friday, i think. That's when their launch party is at least. At 3 in the afternoon, downtown, on a workday. Ha.

[utee94 16,080]

I have yet to try the Einhorn variants, but I am intrigued.

[HenryJames 67,331]

I think HEB Mueller is selling mixed six packs.

[Al_4_ISU 12,623]

[shnsajax 3,607]

Asshole!

[Guest]

23 hours ago, thestud said:

IMO Revolver hasn’t been good in several years. Not coincidentally, it went to shit when Miller-Coors snatched them up. Blood & Honey was my jam, it is most definitely not anymore.

When I tell 'civilians' that I love craft beer, this is among the most oft answered as a type of craft beer they also like.

I never have felt the love for it.  Hell, I'd take a Sam Adams regular every time over the B&H.

[shnsajax 3,607]

28 minutes ago, slorch said:

When I tell 'civilians' that I love craft beer, this is among the most oft answered as a type of craft beer they also like.

I never have felt the love for it.  Hell, I'd take a Sam Adams regular every time over the B&H.

I never got it either, but people in Ft. Worth thought it was a best shit since they had Honey Brown in the 90's. 

[TornACL 7,792]

32 minutes ago, slorch said:

When I tell 'civilians' that I love craft beer, this is among the most oft answered as a type of craft beer they also like.

I never have felt the love for it.  Hell, I'd take a Sam Adams regular every time over the B&H.

I agree.  You couldn't find a FTW bar that DIDN'T have it on tap for a while there. But it's fallen off big time in popularity already. I don't think it has anything to do with the MillerCoors thing, I think people finally just realized that it sucks. 

[Okie State 3,889]

I never got it either, but people in Ft. Worth thought it was a best shit since they had Honey Brown in the 90's. 

Damn, Honey Brown brings back memories to college days.

[HenryJames 67,331]

Disagree. Not even the best pina colada beer this week.

[utee94 16,080]

Gag.

[dingleberryswitzer 2,724]

Isn't 21st amendment brewed in Minnesota or something?

[dingleberryswitzer 2,724]

Nevermind, I see they opened their own place in 2015.

[Guest]

MMMMMM....

Pine cones and pineapple.

[D_Goose 498]

On 5/31/2019 at 12:56 PM, HenryJames said:

lulz Stockton

Do you even Pavement?

[mdleast 8,521]

Sad to hear about what Ballast Point has become:

https://www.goodbeerhunting.com/sightlines/2019/6/5/ballast-point-dulling-barrel-aged-beer-veteran-employees-go-down-the-drain

Ballast Point Dulling — Barrel-Aged Beer, Veteran Employees Go Down the Drain


Words by Bryan Roth
June 5, 2019
Photo by Michael Kiser
Photo by Michael Kiser

In his final days at Ballast Point Brewing Company, James Murray watches as about 1,300 oak barrels’ worth of wood-aged beer are dumped and destroyed. It's an unfortunate metaphor for how far the California brewery has fallen over the course of Murray’s 14-year tenure. His last day serving as vice president of brewing is Friday, two weeks after he put in his notice to supervisors.

Murray’s watched thousands of gallons go down the drain as part of the closure of the brewery's San Diego-based Trade Street R&D brewing facility, one of two locations ceasing operations after an April announcement of financial troubles and lagging sales.

"Our goal is to right-size our investment, resources and align with consumer trends," Stephanie McGuane, communications and brand PR for Constellation Brands' beer division, told GBH at the time.

"I understand it," Murray tells GBH separately during his final week at Ballast Point. "They don't have a sales force to actively sell obscure, barrel-aged, and sour products."



Regardless of the reasoning behind the beer dump and other moves, it reflects another step toward what could be seen as stronger corporatization of a business that was once a jewel of the American craft beer industry. Production fell by about 110,000 barrels from 2016–2018, and shopper interest at grocery, convenience, and other stores is way off pace in 2019. Closing in on the halfway point of 2019 (through May 26), the Ballast Point family of brands has sold just under a third of its packaged product as it did in all of 2018, setting it up for a third-straight annual decrease by year end.

2019 has shown to be a disappointing start for the brewery, and a disappointing end for one of the final holdovers from what could now be seen as Ballast Point's glory days.

"I helped build and maintain this beautiful culture and awesome facilities, but they didn't quite share that same vision," says Murray, in reference to the leadership at Constellation Brands, which bought Ballast Point for $1 billion in 2016. "It's time to move onto some new adventures and see if I can't replicate that magic somewhere else."

He's taking time off to spend with family before determining where that alchemy might happen next, but the last couple months show Constellation may not be able to take as relaxed an approach.

Along with Murray, two key members of the Ballast Point marketing team have also recently left the business. Hilary Cocalis, who started in February 2013 and most recently acted as vice president of marketing, and Erin Relph, a brand marketer since April 2016, are no longer with the company, according to Murray. They were two of the longer-tenured employees in that department following layoffs of about 20 people from Constellation’s Craft & Specialty beer division in April.

"We effectively don't have an internal Ballast Point marketing team," Murray says, noting that responsibilities were likely to shift to Chicago, the HQ for Constellation's beer division.

Similar worries about Ballast Point’s future were expressed to GBH this spring, following closures and layoffs. At the time, a former employee told GBH that staff losses matched a loss of identity both in stores and at the brewery. Those developments took place against the backdrop of Constellation’s continued push for its import portfolio; the multinational also brought in executives and other staff whose backgrounds are in Corona and Modelo, not IPAs and Blonde Ales.

Along with staffing changes, additional adjustments have been made to employee benefits.

About six months ago, Murray says Constellation discontinued monthly $100 gift-card credits for employees, which were designed to be spent on food, beer, homebrewing supplies, and merchandise from Ballast Point shops. At the same time, another change removed a "shift beer" policy that allowed for a free pint each day of work, with any additional pours coming at a discount. That was reinstated about three months ago, according to Murray, and staff now get a monthly card that allows for a certain number of pints.

These changes—layoffs, the loss of senior leadership, killing specialty programs, reduced benefits—can be seen as collective evidence of the further assimilation of Ballast Point into the Constellation orbit, not to mention a further loss of its own brand identity. Ironically, this kind of corporate behavior more closely aligns with assumptions beer fans and professionals often voice about Anheuser-Busch InBev’s potential treatment of its craft subsidiaries. Instead, AB InBev moves have often balanced less-desirable but predictable changes such as increased bureaucracy, outsourcing for core brands to AB facilities, and tightening of budgets with more positive changes such as elevating and promoting craft partners within the larger company, creating collaboration between brands, scaling up specialty offerings, instituting safety regulations, expanding benefits and pay, and expanding packaging and distribution capabilities.

“The best thing we can do for our craft partners is get out of their way and let them do great things,” Megan Lagesse, head of communications for AB InBev’s Craft Business Unit, told GBH in February. At the time, Wicked Weed Brewing co-founder Walt Dickinson was trying to launch a new, undetermined business venture in Atlanta.

“Constellation Brands continues to support national distribution of Ballast Point products, ensuring consumers across the country can continue to experience the same high-quality, award-winning beer they have come to enjoy,” says Constellation’s McGuane, who adds that, because Ballast Point has been “a cornerstone of the San Diego community for more than 20 years,” it will “continue to invest in a robust presence in our home market of Southern California.”

“We are proud of the team's dedication to the craft, commitment to quality, and innovative approach, and look forward to continuing to serve the craft community,” she adds.

The current developments are simply the latest in a series of changes that started three years ago, and which included the departures of nearly all key leadership. Ballast Point's founder, CEO, CCO, COO (and head brewer), general counsel, and lead R&D brewer—all different people—left within a one-week period in July 2016. Since then, the brewery has seen a precipitous drop in production and sales. In the last two years, the situation has gotten so bad that Constellation has recorded almost $200 million in impairment charges for Ballast Point, writing off a chunk of the original purchase price due to unrecoverable losses.

Outside the financial ramifications, Murray says losses in morale have impacted the work environment.

“We built camaraderie among employees and just had a phenomenal culture of showing up to work, kicking serious ass, having a couple of beers with each other, and repeating the next day,” Murray says. “We all felt very blessed to be able to do this for a living.”

A decade ago, Murray says “quality, friendship, and dedication” defined what it meant to be Ballast Point. Quality is “absolutely still a priority” and focal point, he says, but he isn’t so sure about how far the other two still go.

“There are people that will stay dedicated and groups that will stay friends,” he says, “but I’m not positive what the future will hold.”

[AnotherUTFan 9,982]

I drank beers with that James Murray a few times when he was merely head brewer at Ballast Point - Scripps Ranch and that was my neighborhood brewery. Hadn't thought of him in years. A very good dude. I'm sure he'll be alright, but it makes me think of all the other kids who worked in that exploding brewery back then.