a pretty good read for those interested in CO beer/liquor law

http://myclba.com/downloads/ms_11610.pdf

The main subject is a push to allow grocers to sell wine and full strength beer (and I believe liquor is included now too)
Many Coloradans are opposed because they thought it would kill local liquor businesses, who are currently restricted to just one license. This new law allows a phase in period of over 20 years for grocers to slowly acquire multiple licenses through the purchasing of neighboring liquor licenses that are within 1500 feet, if they choose to do so. If there are no liquor licenses within 1500', they must purchase TWO licenses in the local area in order to obtain a license. It also allows liquor stores to phase in up to 4 licenses over the same 20 years. (This keeps out of state chains coming in and dominating from day 1.)

All in all, I think just about everything was thought through and it has been made fair for grocers and liquor stores. Now liquor stores can sell food like specs (cheeses, jelly, etc.) And keeps the grocer chains at bay by treating them all like individual businesses and makes it a fair market place.


A few interesting notes:

Beginning on January 1, 2019, the law that defines "3.2 beer" is eliminated and all beer, regardless of alcohol content will be treated equally.

"On July 1, 2016, all retail liquor licenses will be allowed to have up to 20% of their business be the sale of non-alcohol products. (Namely.. Food. currently liquor stores can not sell food.)


All stores:
Must designate a local alcohol purchase manager to purchase locally produced products
Cannot sell alcohol below cost
Cannot "bulk purchase" across multiple stores all stores buy individually from a wholesaler
Cannot store alcohol beverages off of the licenses premise

Item 1 is nice, because it prevents some guy at safeway headquarters buying beer to fill shelves in CO cities. It's a local person, who is hopefully interested in local CO beer.

Items 2,3 and 4 are huge, because it removes the threat that Kroger, safeway, etc could come in, buy huge amounts of product in bulk at rock bottom price, and undercut the prices of local liquor stores. It basically makes every grocery store be its own little liquor store.


Anyway.. lots of changes coming to the CO beer/wine/liquor landscape, and in my opinion it will be better overall.

Pretty dang current list of CO breweries.. courtesy of someone on the CO let's talk craft beer FB group.
I've hit 45.. not bad for only 4 years here, and two kids since then. How do you other CO ags stack up?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4106517/Tim/Beer/CO%20Brewery%20List.xlsx


87 cities/towns represented in CO. That's impressive. Not just all in the metros.

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Pouring one out for the Stars (down my gullet). Bourbon barrel Russian imperial stout.

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Where would i find this?

some quick googling shows that they release these bishop series whenever. That being said, did you buy it in houston? could i find it in Austin whenever the next series comes out

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some quick googling shows that they release these bishop series whenever. That being said, did you buy it in houston? could i find it in Austin whenever the next series comes out

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Only sold in bars and restaurants. So you have to find a place that will sell bottles to go.

Got it at a bottle shop in Dallas doing a special release a couple months ago.

I'll get you the next one to come out if you can get some Professor Black to Houston for me.

I purchased a bishop barrel 6 from specs on a trip to houston.. Are you sure they are bar release only?

I've been enjoying some Art Car IPA lately. Just a good solid drinkin beer.

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I purchased a bishop barrel 6 from specs on a trip to houston.. Are you sure they are bar release only?

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Originally they were. Never seen them at the specs here. Only bars or restaurants.

That said I'm about to try Saison D'crevisses from Bayou Teche with some jambalaya. I'll report back later, should be interesting . . .

Cant figure out how to post Instagram pics, anyways, drinking an art car IPA from Saint Arnold, it's pretty good.

Hear hear!

Also the Bayou Teche Saison D'crevisses was pretty dang good.

Represent, I'll try and leave some Juicy Bits and Medianoche for you. It's dead in here so I'm drinking a bit. ...

I've been at some gin release all night. On my way home to open a beer ASAP.

/spursfan

You must be watching what I'm watching...or was watching.

Edit: I forgot about the Spurs, thought you were talking about the Astros.

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Edit: I forgot about the Spurs, thought you were talking about the Astros.

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People still watch the Astros? Voluntarily?

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Damnit B! Who asked you!

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Edit: I forgot about the Spurs, thought you were talking about the Astros.

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People still watch the Astros? Voluntarily?

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I'll shoot you a text tomorrow when I get in town. Plans have changed dramatically...

Man some people are really butt hurt about this.

http://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2016-05-13/cold-front/

"He [a local brewery founder] continues, "You can take the production of every brewery in the city, combine it all, and [Oskar Blues] will still be able to make more beer in that one facility alone. I have a hard time comparing what they are doing to what we are trying to do. If I walk into an H-E-B and I start seeing Oskar Blues in the local craft brewery section, I think that's pretty ****ed up.""


[soapbox rant ahead]


Could someone tell this dipchit that Oskar Blues started doing what 'he is trying to do' 20 years ago, before it was cool, before it was trendy, and because them and others like them were successful at it, this guy can even do what he does today? You would think he was talking about a new budweiser IPA showing up in the craft section. I just don't understand his mindset.

I'm kind of sick and tired of the recent trend of getting on your high horse about the big guys selling out or expanding, or even the big guys who are simply growing and make/sell a lot of beer, and because of this, now they aren't craft. The big guys have been doing this a long time. They paid their dues, and they paved the way for you to be able to even open up your brewery and for us drinkers to have the volume and selection we have. It's very millennial. These brewery owners that started in the 90s are getting older and realize they need to retire in the near future, and they have ability to do so now because of a trend they were a part of from its infancy stage.

I don't know why so many brewers (and drinkers) are becoming so against the big guys.. no frieken respect. Most big companies are big because they've been around a long time and they made beer that people like, and these companies are the reason we even have this thread going today. I have never been against buy outs and growth, expansion into new markets. I totally respect and an amazed at the new belgiums of the world, how they were the ones with the real balls to start their business back in the 80s or early 90s when no one knew what this stuff was.. They struggled for years against the big guys with very few others to join them in the fight.


Anyway.. moral of the day: respect your elders.

Social Justice Beer Warrior or just a twatwaffle?

I'm gonna support the crap out of Oskar Blues when their new brewery opens up. I'm also gonna keep going to Live Oak, Jester King, ABW, Hops & Grain, etc. I'll also keep buying the local stuff when I see it on shelves.

Now Atwater on the other hand... Nope.

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...but there's no room on the shelf for my beardhair filtered cumfart triple ipa.

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Some Friday morning punches being thrown, I like it.

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Man some people are really butt hurt about this.

http://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2016-05-13/cold-front/

"He [a local brewery founder] continues, "You can take the production of every brewery in the city, combine it all, and [Oskar Blues] will still be able to make more beer in that one facility alone. I have a hard time comparing what they are doing to what we are trying to do. If I walk into an H-E-B and I start seeing Oskar Blues in the local craft brewery section, I think that's pretty ****ed up.""


[soapbox rant ahead]


Could someone tell this dipchit that Oskar Blues started doing what 'he is trying to do' 20 years ago, before it was cool, before it was trendy, and because them and others like them were successful at it, this guy can even do what he does today? You would think he was talking about a new budweiser IPA showing up in the craft section. I just don't understand his mindset.

I'm kind of sick and tired of the recent trend of getting on your high horse about the big guys selling out or expanding, or even the big guys who are simply growing and make/sell a lot of beer, and because of this, now they aren't craft. The big guys have been doing this a long time. They paid their dues, and they paved the way for you to be able to even open up your brewery and for us drinkers to have the volume and selection we have. It's very millennial. These brewery owners that started in the 90s are getting older and realize they need to retire in the near future, and they have ability to do so now because of a trend they were a part of from its infancy stage.

I don't know why so many brewers (and drinkers) are becoming so against the big guys.. no frieken respect. Most big companies are big because they've been around a long time and they made beer that people like, and these companies are the reason we even have this thread going today. I have never been against buy outs and growth, expansion into new markets. I totally respect and an amazed at the new belgiums of the world, how they were the ones with the real balls to start their business back in the 80s or early 90s when no one knew what this stuff was.. They struggled for years against the big guys with very few others to join them in the fight.


Anyway.. moral of the day: respect your elders.

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The problem is hipsters, entitlement, and the fact that many brewers are huge poons and can't handle aggressive competition. Hipsters can't stand brewery success. They wan't their little place to always be not too busy, but make amazing beer. They don't want it to grow too big and have people in cargo shorts showing up. Or people with their girlfriends showing up to mule bottles. Then there is entitlement among brewers. They think they are entitled to a neighborhood, a style, or some other niche if they are "first." Look at our local breweries like Trinity, Crooked Stave, and Black Project. Trinity thinks they're entitled to every sour drinker in the Springs worshiping them. Crooked Stave threw a fit when New Belgium released plans for an all wild ale taproom right next door. Black Project continually talks down to brewers who kettle sour. Then comes the fact that most brewers are actually insecure, whiny little twatwaffles. They can't stand places who have a more trendy or hyped beer. They cant stand not being in the papers or blogs. They talk endless **** about their competition while simultaneously trying to collaborate because of the dumbass ideology that brewers are all best friends. And then when they do collaborate, they will steal your processes and recipe tweaks.

Bottom line is a lot of brewers are really bad at business and extremely risk averse. Too often they feel their industry is not subject to the laws of basic business. The breweries you see really thriving from small <1000bbl operations all the way up to players like Oskar Blues is that they are strategic, aggressive, and not beholden to any cliche ideology like "drink local" or "drink small." They focus on making the best beer out there and selling that beer at a higher rate in more places than their competitors who are sitting on the sideline *****ing.

/rant

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yeh i'm on board with all of that. Before the hipsters came.. which by my guess was maybe 4-5 years ago? Hard to tell I guess.. anyway, before them, craft beer was 100% supportive of each other, always looking to get their beer, and even their competitor's beer, into more people's hands.

Now, moreso recently, I'm starting to see backlash, jealousy, and even hate towards what is their own kind, and a separation between the 'brotherhood' if you will.

one comment, regarding crooked stave, I thought they were moving out of there because there was some sort of dispute between them and zeppelin (the developer) about brewing there?

http://www.westword.com/restaurants/crooked-stave-moves-its-brewery-equipment-out-of-the-source-will-keep-tap-room-6045555