Currently enjoying a Bells Hopsolution. Good double IPA.
Beer Thread
- Thread starter PhishPhan682
- Start date
Guy is Poochie from the Simpsons, but I still like him. He's respectful towards the restaurant owners and chefs and does a nice job of promoting them. Thanks for the heads up. I'll set the DVR. I look forward to hopefully sampling Surly from the source. My flight to Minneapolis is booked for 12/9. It'sa ridiculously early flight though so we'll see schedule wise.The summer heat descended on southern Minnesota again today, so I went tropical. The collab version of this with Cigar City was significantly better, IMHO. This is a little too passion fruit-forward.
One other thing - Surly is going to be featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" this Friday at 8 pm CDT (9 pm EDT). It is none of the three in the title, but it'll be pretty cool to see them go "big time." BTW, I've been there ..... 10 times, eaten there each of those times. The food was merely pedestrian, IMHO - but I didn't care after the beer. We'll see how easy Guy is on them.
I haven't bothered with that Boulevard IPA. That's not a style that Boulevard does particularly well in my opinion. I still love them though. Rye on Rye on Rye is one of the best, if not the best, new beers I've tried this year, and Saison Brett is a favorite of mine. I'd kill for 4 or six packs of it.
See, you said the magic word - $6-$10 per draught. (Also, love the old skool spelling of draught.)
As in $10 - most folks get price resistant at $6 per - so, most beverages are priced to stay near that. If you're willing to pay $10, then you'll get closer to 8 oz, as opposed to 5 oz.
Just as a point of reference - 18th Street charges $125 for a 1/6 barrel of their sours. That's 5.16 gallons, which equates to 66 10-oz pours. Which equates to $3.78 at cost to the pub, net of all else. And because Cost of Sales at most F&B places for alcohol (and maybe @TheOriginalHappyGoat can chime in) is around 20 to 30%, that equates to a price point of $12 for a 10 oz pour, assuming 30% COS (which I think is high).
Cut that in half to about $6 per glass, and you're getting 5 oz.
Lesson over.
Carry on.
Liquor cost is not usually a flat %, but will start a lower % for low end crap, and gradually increase as you get into higher quality products. For example, a $3.50 pint of Bud Light will cost the restaurant about $.40, or 11.5%, whereas a pint of Commodore Perry at $6 even will cost a little over $2 to the restaurant, a little higher than 33%.
(Please note, however, that you never get a full 41 pints out of a 1/6 barrel, no matter how great your system is or how short your lines are, so costs are always a little higher - I would keep track of actual sales of different beers between keg changes in order to more accurately price them.)
We even had some really expensive stuff approach 60% cost, but it was worth it to us, because the sale was still valuable. For example, Stag's Leap Fay cost us about $70/bottle, and we sold it for $120. That's 58% cost, but every sale still made us $50, whereas most of our 30% wines were only likely to bring in $20-25. And we sold more of it than other restaurants that were pricing it at $200/bottle, wondering why no one ever bought it.
Yeah, when I said net of all else, I meant including pouring loss etc. Just curious - what was the overall COS for just beverage at your restaurant?
I was told there would be no math. I just want to drink a beer, man. I won't spend $10 a pop often but will if it's something I really want to try. The Fox has enough of a loyal following that it's not a problem for them usually.
And the 18th Street Chili was excellent. Much appreciated as always. The New Oberfalz IPAwas very solid as well. Thanks for hanging out last week. I need to get revenge on Golden Tee next time. One bad hole.....
Good question. Not sure off the top of my head. Much lower than for food. Nice dinner places can't survive without booze. Food costs have been going through the roof for decades.
De nada. Glad you enjoyed the brews.
Where would you put the Hunter Chili with others like it that you've had? Some guys like a more forward chili flavor, but that's not what 18th was going for.
As for the King of Andorra - you describe it as "solid", which I think is appropriate. Doesn't knock your socks off, but at $7 a bomber that's a good beverage.
I'm berry berry proud of winning the first annual PTown Golden Tee Open!
In all the hotel and golf course appraisal work I've done over the past years, blended COS for F&B was about 30-35%. Food is higher, beverage lower. In some cases sub-30%, but that's hard to achieve.
Hmmm. I'll go Abraxas, Xocoveza, Hunter Chili, Bomb, Clown Shoes Mexican Sombrero, Sierra Nevada Chili Imperial Stout. So it's very good. I haven't had Mexican Cake to compare, so these are just what I've had. I love the style.
We followed a standard 30/30/30 model. 30% labor, 30% product, 30% overhead (in this case, all insurance and tax payments were counted as overhead). That left 10% for salaried management plus profit.
We kept total food/beverage right at 30% primarily on strong alcohol sales, especially wine.
Forgot Pipeworks End of Days. I'd rate it the same as Hunter Chili. Obviously they have similar DNA. I could usea touch more heat to both.
I've had Mexican Cake, but my palate was hmmm, in a word, taxed at the time, so hard to really compare. But, my recollection was that Mexican Cake was the bidness.
The only $10 pour I can recall was TG Mornin' Delight. If I didn't have to drive 2-1/2 hours to get home, I would've had 4.
BTW, TG "may" have King Sue bombers for sale this weekend. I'm considering the drive down .......................
I've had Xocoveza, Mexican Sombrero, and the SN. I agree wholeheartedly with your order. Xocoveza was exceptionally good. Green Flash Dia De Los Serranos was also very good, IMHO.
Forgot the Green Flash and Central Waters Space Ghost. Both are very good. Stone Crime and Punishment, both extremely kicked up pepper, barrel aged versions of Double Bastard, are completely different animals from all other chili beers I've had. Much hotter and at $17 per 16.9 oz bottle too rich to drink.
A toned down one I liked a lot was Odd Side's Summer beer. Cuba libre maybe? It'sa relatively light ale, around 6%, with a touch of habanero and lime.
I passed on the Stone heat bombs. I don't pass on much from them, but I'm in no way interested in pain when I drink a beer.
I don't know how many of you beer ninjas have tried this, but I can't recommend it highly enough. It defies style classification, but it is magnificent, IMHO. It is chocolatey hoppy deliciousness.
I dunno, O. I may have to part ways with you on this one. I'd seen this on the shelf before but passed it up as just too strange and gimmicky, but after your post I picked up a six. You're correct in that it defies a conventional style description, but I just thought it was odd. Sort of like someone dropped a chunk of chocolate in my Ruination. Heck, I almost wonder if the beer was a giant mistake and they just created a style around it. OK, probably not.
It's interesting and I'll drink it, but I'm left wondering why this beer was necessary.
@Hoops Cat What's the deal with Three Floyds? This brewery has all but disappeared on draft and in most liquor stores near me in the Fort. Used to be everywhere. My preferred stores carry nothing from them at all and when I once asked why the guy just said something like "some things aren't worth the trouble." Places that used to have Three Floyd's taps all the time no longer have it. Nothing.
Are they assholes or something?
Are they assholes or something?
I dunno, O. I may have to part ways with you on this one. I'd seen this on the shelf before but passed it up as just too strange and gimmicky, but after your post I picked up a six. You're correct in that it defies a conventional style description, but I just thought it was odd. Sort of like someone dropped a chunk of chocolate in my Ruination. Heck, I almost wonder if the beer was a giant mistake and they just created a style around it. OK, probably not.
It's interesting and I'll drink it, but I'm left wondering why this beer was necessary.
I picked up a 6 pack as well after seeing his post. Had one on the train home last night and really enjoyed it. I picked up more coffee than cacao though. It was an interesting combo that I enjoyed. Binny's on Grand in Chicago was sold out of these as of yesterday
I don't blame you, but the current versions are significantly less extreme than the originals from a couple years back. I've only had the new versions on draught but I've been tempted to pick up the bottles a couple times. I absolutely love Double Bastard and the variants. Depth Charged (coffee) is particularly good.
I can certainly understand that. I absolutely LOVE chocolate, so I was reluctant to post my take on that beer to avoid leading anyone astray. I really liked the chocolate up front with the hops taking over at the end of the taste.I dunno, O. I may have to part ways with you on this one. I'd seen this on the shelf before but passed it up as just too strange and gimmicky, but after your post I picked up a six. You're correct in that it defies a conventional style description, but I just thought it was odd. Sort of like someone dropped a chunk of chocolate in my Ruination. Heck, I almost wonder if the beer was a giant mistake and they just created a style around it. OK, probably not.
It's interesting and I'll drink it, but I'm left wondering why this beer was necessary.
A couple years ago Stone did a coffee IIPA collaboration with Two Brothers that was a big surprise hit. I passed because it sounded too weird to be good, but a lot of nerds have been clamoring for it's return. They brewed this in response. I like it, but don't love it. I hope to get some of the soon to be released Enjoy By Unfiltered.I dunno, O. I may have to part ways with you on this one. I'd seen this on the shelf before but passed it up as just too strange and gimmicky, but after your post I picked up a six. You're correct in that it defies a conventional style description, but I just thought it was odd. Sort of like someone dropped a chunk of chocolate in my Ruination. Heck, I almost wonder if the beer was a giant mistake and they just created a style around it. OK, probably not.
It's interesting and I'll drink it, but I'm left wondering why this beer was necessary.
I was in South Bend a couple of years ago, hosting a customer for a Notre Dame football game. We do a tailgate, so I went to pick up beer and booze for the par-tay. The liquor store had a 3F's display with Backmasking, Yum-Yum, Alpha King, and a couple of other things. I picked up Backmasking and Yum Yum plus the obligatory Bud Light for the masses and went to the counter.
I set my stuff down and asked the lady at the register, "Have any Zombie Dust stashed away?" She, um, lost her shiznit. "Those guys are A$$HOLE$!!! We can't even place that on our weekly order - they just send us what they want to send us!!! Sometimes they send a 6-pack, sometimes they send 2 cases, sometimes they send nothing. I HATE THEM!!!" Um, lady, I was just teasing. My apologies. I paid for my stuff and ran from the building like I was on fire.
Conversely, I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago, stopped at a little hole-in-the-wall "craft beer" bar, and the guy had a case of 10-day-old ZD under the counter. I had a couple of bottles, then convinced him to sell me a 6er to mule back home for Little O (who loves ZD).
For $33. Gotta love the bar mark-up.
Unfiltered is awesome. So is Sixpoint Puff, if you have access to their stuff. Pretty much the same beer, IMHO.
In short, I don't know about their product in the Fort. I do know that they don't self-distribute, and I'm guessing that Indiana Beverage covers distribution there for them in your part of the state.
The way I understand the relationship between brewer and distributor is that the brewer, to an extent, can direct product to certain preferred accounts within that distributor's geography. But, that's not to say what percentage of what they produce is getting sent to that distributor / market. NW Indiana and Chicago get a shit ton; maybe the Fort is getting the dregs, and with that, only a trickle of the product is reliably available? If that's the case, then I agree with the sentiment of the guy trying to order their product - why bother?
As to whether they are assholes, I discern a bit of hubris, unbridled arrogance, from Nick Floyd the few times I've met him. His shit doesn't stink, ya know? (And from a certain perspective, it doesn't - every drop of every batch they brew is sold before its even out of the tanks.) So, I'm guessing that some of that attitude has filtered down to the minions. So, yeah, maybe assholes applies.
But, let me be clear - not from the people in the pub, at least as far as I've experienced. I've always been treated well by them. I know that there are contrary opinions out there on the pub, too, so not saying that it hasn't happened (especially when Phil the Door Nazi was in charge of seating, but that's been a long time in the past at this point.)
I'll guarantee you that that place purchased that case illegally. I've been at Floyds when a white van pulls up, and a bunch of women jump out, wait in line at the kiosk, and each buys two cases of ZD. Then they jump back in the van, and head straight back to Illinois.
Also, kind of related to whether or not 3 Floyds are assholes - they may be, but they aren't dicks. They still charge $10 a six for Zombie at the kiosk. $33 for a sixer? Ouch.
When Mrs. O and I visited the brewpub 3 years ago, she RAVED about the service they provided. Note: she is keenly tuned to good service vs. bad service, which is why we will never return to Manny's in Minneapolis. She only gives one chance.
I just think it's odd because FFF used to be everywhere around here. Draft, sixers, bombers. Prime shelf space in larger bottle shops. Now the bottle shop near me...with a huge selection of craft and walk in beer cave...carries zero FFF. Alpha King was a staple on draft in pubs and restaurants all over...now nothing. It's just weird that a major brand so close by would just vanish.
I'd bet a month's pay that's how they picked it up.
I'm fully cognizant of the $10/6er (and $40/case) price at the kiosk, and I'm fully cognizant that I got butt-rammed at $33 for the 6er. But the look on Little O's face when I delivered the 6er a couple of days later? Priceless.
I wish they'd make Permanent Funeral a year-round beer and offer it in 6ers. That beer I'd wait in line to acquire.
Agree on the Perm Fun....picked up 4 bombers when it was released a few weeks ago. Ended up putting them all down pretty quick. Last two weekends were depressing weekends dealing with my wife's uncle's tragic passing due to a boat accident on Lake Michigan. So that beer definitely helped me cope....
Yikes - was he on the boat that ran into the breakwall? Sorry to hear it, man.
Puff is pretty damn good. I got some in Cincinnatia couple months ago. Thanks for reminding me to drink my last one soon. As good as it is I like regular Enjoy By a lot better so I have very high expectations for Unfiltered.
Enjoy By Unfiltered is better, but not by a lot, IMHO.
Put another way, if those are the worst beers you ever drink, you'll be the happy beer nerd EVAR!!!
Yup. Not to stray too far off topic. Bob's brother. He was a passenger. Driver survived and isn't talking to anybody....
Yup. When I pulled them out of the fridge, I hesitated at first but then realized I had nothing else cold.
Find it odd that too many get price resistant at $10 for say a 11 or 12% abv specialty beer, but a $10 glass of wine (maybe 5-6 oz pour) is so commonplace nobody thinks twice. And that's often not ever that good of wine.
I got the idea from that leconte was paying upwards of $10 for a 5oz pour. Maybe I'm wrong....if he was only paying $5 or $6....well quit your bitchin'!
