"Shady Merchan(t)dise " by Clay Moore Everyone knows that moments of crisis tend to bring out the best and worst in people, and those on the east coast are all too familiar with this in recent months. The last time I checked, the craft beer industry was thriving. West coast breweries are opening up shops east of the Mississippi and small craft breweries are finalizing their regulatory hoop-jumping to start up and join the fun. So, why are some liquor stores being such shady characters lately? Over the past 6 months, I've noticed an increase in uncraft behavior in NJ liquor stores. While this is not a new phenomenon, it seemed to rear its ugly head during the first drop of Enjoy By in August 2012 and for each super-rare release by other brewers since then. The games that some played by pretending they didn't have it or having it and selling 1 bottle per person while selling the next person multiple bottles just isn't right. For any beer, I would not be opposed to a one bottle limit or a few days before allowing multiple purchases to take place. However, this only works if ALL stores play by the rules, which is unlikely. Here are 2 recent examples of what seems to be rule more than the exception lately. The names have only slightly changed, but we aren't protecting the innocent here. 1) Two of my friends on separate occasions at the same Union County store were refused a 4 pack of XXXX after the on-floor salesperson was willing to sell it. However, when the manager came out from behind his mighty curtain and made up some story that it had to be "pre-ordered," both sales were refused by the store. (2) With confirmation from a bar owner and one with intimate knowledge, I walked in to purchase a bottle of XXXX at a Somerset County liquor store. The"delicate genius" was called to the front when I inquired: Can I get a bottle of XXXX? We didn't get any XXXX deliveries with the holidays -Are you sure? Yep (walks away) -I guess I should just ask what you have in the back and start there. I don't give up anything. If you have something in mind, ask me and I'll tell you if I have it. -Do you have any XXXX? I have 2 left. You can have them. (I'm so special, I can HAVE them) -Ok. Got any XXXX? No. We didn't get any. -This is ridiculous. I don't care if you are a consumer, a distributor, a brewer or an owner of a liquor store, but is this the type of conduct that you want associated with your industry? While the Big 3 sit atop their Beechwood aged, triple hopped, rocky mountain thrones and churn out what they pretend to be craft beers, the craft world has created a secret society where it's truly the haves and have nots -- where elitists who are part of the supply chain are improperly controlling what the consumer can obtain. That's quite uncraft. Just like the sports fan who knows their favorite athletes are taking PEDs, of course we know that some of you are holding back bottles for your friends or your personal cellar stash -- but that is simply because you are dumb enough to say it out loud and brag about it at the bar. The cat is out of the brown bag. Since widespread change isn't going to occur anytime soon, the best way to combat this is to simply don't take no for an answer (which could get awkward and confrontational), stop going to these stores in lieu of more honest ones or thumb your noses at these stores altogether and fill a growler elsewhere. Beer bars can't hide what they have on tap due to their reliance on social media promoting their tap lists, so you are likely never to encounter the same issue there. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to wait in line for the next bottle of a 4X IPA so rare that I have to provide my social security number to get it. But only after the guy behind the counter puts 2 aside for himself and his beer bros. |
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It's time for more ......TALES OF ALES
