When don't beer clubs suck?

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Steve2

Steve2

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The bit of neckbeard hubbub yesterday over the Fonta Flora club on instagram and facebook inspired this post. Unfortunately said hubbub was deleted and the users blocked from posting before I could grab screenshots.

The reaction was extremely negative from their fan base, seeing it as a money grab, a terrible deal, etc. Being in sales, clubs like FF's seem like a great deal to give me my time back and still get the beer I want. If I spent even a quarter of the time I spend driving to/from Jester King and waiting in line on prospecting, I'd make the $200 back and then some.

I know our community likes to ***** a lot, but I wanted to go ahead and ask: what makes a beer club a good deal to you?
 
While no club or society is without it's downsides, Sante Adairius runs one very well. Like many others there is a long wait to get in but Adair and Co. are the nicest people in the biz. Club releases are held for you whenever you can grab them within a certain window from the brewery. Even if you are a little delayed no problem. They recently held a very chill bottle release and event for members with other breweries, De Garde and Jester King. Member communication via social is run well and quick to answer any questions. Plus the beer kicks ass
 
Ryan_G said:
While no club or society is without it's downsides, Sante Adairius runs one very well. Like many others there is a long wait to get in but Adair and Co. are the nicest people in the biz. Club releases are held for you whenever you can grab them within a certain window from the brewery. Even if you are a little delayed no problem. They recently held a very chill bottle release and event for members with other breweries, De Garde and Jester King. Member communication via social is run well and quick to answer any questions. Plus the beer kicks ass
Click to expand...

Also, Good Beer Co. Well priced, bottles shipped within CA, ability to have proxy, and more.

Think lots of TB folks are in it.
 
My favorite comment I read was "I spent over 10k in beer purchases last year." Yet this guy is complaining and ranting over $200...also not realizing that the membership would help him and his demographic, people that live out of state and can't go to every release that's 2+ hours away/waiting hours in line.



Apparently entitlement isn't currently valued at $200, you'll have to add
 
I'm down to two clubs now (Schramm's and Garagiste), although the one's I'm no longer it have nothing to do with being unsatisfied (De Garde Keeper's ended, I left CCB El Cat because the beers were coming too quickly relative to how often I want to drink them these days). There's only one absolute must:

Communication, communication, communication. Let people know what's going on, from the initial sign-up (i.e. making it crystal clear what you're getting for your money) and with regular updates onwards. This is especially true if it's not just a "here's how many bottles you get, here's how they are distributed" kind of deal like Keeper's was, where everything was clear from the start other than events etc. And even then, communication from De Garde was way, way better, more consistent, and more friendly than some others I've seen where members are constantly wondering what's up.

This is doubly true if you're a new brewery or one that's not even open yet. If people are going to exercise some faith dropping a bunch of money on you, the least you can do is make them feel like they are appreciated. The Garagiste Owner's Group is probably the gold standard at this point in how to run a member's club from a new/in-planning establishment. I think we all know what some of the less successful ones are...

Beyond that I suppose it's "do it how you want, it's your business", but I have to laugh a bit at Fonta Flora's indignant response at the criticism. I mean, what did they expect? Potential customers for this sort of thing are obviously going to price it out against other existing clubs (Bruery, Rare Barrel, El Cat, etc. etc. etc.) and note the perceived lack of value. Heck, did they not see the reaction when Upland did something similar a few years ago? Them saying "it's just beer" is a bit rich when they are basically selling two bottles of beer at the price point of high-end bourbon.
 
I have to say I was a big fan of Plan Bee and their hive/swarm. I had to leave because I was buying a house and now expecting another child. Glassware and a party with the price of admission. You could pay up front for six months worth of bottles, monthly, or pay as you go. Discounts for paying up front.

Pickup was almost any time, just email in advance they would make sure to be available. Everything was available on the Web Store with a few limits. If you were pay as you go there was no minimum on bottles. You got first access to everything including magnums, looking for a pickle if anyone has one.

Great service from Emily and Evan. Will probably sign back up next time it opens.
 
I don't like beer clubs because my favorite brewery, in my state, that I've been regularly visiting since they opened and have spent way way too much money at, raffled off slots via online entry to people across the country.

I'd gladly pay a premium to have a guaranteed allotment of every release that I only have to pick it up quarterly/bi-annually but I wasn't chosen.

Missing out feels like all those years of loyalty to their product & events was for naught. Just leaves a rotten taste in your mouth.

Result: I visit said brewery less (their product is no less awesome and I doubt they notice my lack of business), don't pay attention to new releases and spend more time at the brewery a 1/4 mile from my house.
 
SeaWatchman said:
When you have to write a 200 word essay to get in.
Click to expand...

You get dat tote tho...

dlEJ6NQ.jpg
 
mateoloco said:
When Creature Comforts and BTyers start one, right BravoDawg?

BTyers will the seemingly impending passage of SB85 make this more likely?
Click to expand...
Hahaha. I wish. I do enjoy running over to Athens though. Love the town. I entered the lotto for Fonta Flora. I end up in Asheville a few times a year so why not? Locally if Mazurt ever opens I bet they do a club especially since the brewery laws are changing.
 
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I've only been a member of 2 clubs in my life. Both were/have been great experiences.

First was de Garde's keepers. R.I.P. Second, and the only one I'm in currently is the Block 15 Mug Club. And I can't imagine a club being better than how Block 15 does it. You had to win a spot in the membership via lottery. I got in last year. And from what I was told, over 250 people entered and there were only 12 spots.

For $80 you get:

First right of refusal for life.

18oz mug, engraved with your number, that you get to keep at the end of the year.

First beer in the mug is free.

$.25 off every beer for the year. Including happy hour prices.

Mug club t-shirt

Mug Club Mondays - all day happy hour prices.

Free lunch/dinner, beer and dessert on the week of your birthday.

Exclusive opportunity to purchase special release bottles a day early and at a discounted price. (This is the best feature. You never have to enter the lottery for bottles. You get a guaranteed allotment. And no waiting in lines.)

Free entry for 2 to a Corvallis Knights minor league baseball game. (They rope off the party deck at the stadium and give you free burgers/dogs and free beer for the entire game.) (Believe me, this paid for the membership in one afternoon)

Free entry to their Blocktoberfest event.


It's so, so worth it.
 
I only joined one beer club and that was the Bruery RS in 2013. At the time we had very little barrel aged stouts and sour beer in our local market. My wife travels to the west coast for work so she could mule back the beer. We used her miles for me to fly out for free to the anniversary party. It was a fair deal for the amount of beer available and the discount on what I purchased. They were easy to work with and communicated out all the releases. I only did it the one year because I probably still have 75% of the beer from that year and my wife got tired of wheeling back suitcases with a case of beer.

The clubs I would consider joining are all in places I don't visit and I don't have time or the desire to coordinate trustees.
 
Une Annee took a bit longer than anticipated to open, but now that it has, I couldn't be more excited to be a member. Still the best value of any club I've seen. 28 bottles of beer (mostly BA wilds) for $300.

LE GRAND MONDE PLATINUM - $300 RESERVATION AND MEMBERSHIP
  • Invite to taproom soft opening (for the member and one guest)
  • One Le Grand Monde member T-shirt
  • One Le Grand Monde embroidered hat
  • Two Le Grand Monde printed glasses
  • Twenty Four 750ml bottles of sour beer. Two bottles from 12 batches throughout the year (released approximately one every month)
  • Two 750ml bottles of Quad (Released in December 2016)
  • Two 750ml bottles of Airing of Grievances (Released in December 2016)
  • Lifetime 10% discount on all purchases in the taproom
  • First right of acceptance for 2018 reservation and membership at current level
 
mateoloco said:
When Creature Comforts and BTyers start one, right BravoDawg?

BTyers will the seemingly impending passage of SB85 make this more likely?
Click to expand...


We've kicked it around. So far we like the way we handle these releases but we're always trying to improve. We try to be as accessible as possible to everyone without obligations or deadlines to produce for people who have already put out money. It is frustrating to miss out, I realize that, but at least its fair game. With changes that could come with SB85 it could certainly let us rethink the approach and options.
 
Marksy said:
Une Annee took a bit longer than anticipated to open, but now that it has, I couldn't be more excited to be a member. Still the best value of any club I've seen. 28 bottles of beer (mostly BA wilds) for $300.

LE GRAND MONDE PLATINUM - $300 RESERVATION AND MEMBERSHIP
  • Invite to taproom soft opening (for the member and one guest)
  • One Le Grand Monde member T-shirt
  • One Le Grand Monde embroidered hat
  • Two Le Grand Monde printed glasses
  • Twenty Four 750ml bottles of sour beer. Two bottles from 12 batches throughout the year (released approximately one every month)
  • Two 750ml bottles of Quad (Released in December 2016)
  • Two 750ml bottles of Airing of Grievances (Released in December 2016)
  • Lifetime 10% discount on all purchases in the taproom
  • First right of acceptance for 2018 reservation and membership at current level
Click to expand...
I tried my first Une Annee (Le Seul XII, the pineapple one) and was blown away. That's a damn good deal.
 
BTyers said:
We've kicked it around. So far we like the way we handle these releases but we're always trying to improve. We try to be as accessible as possible to everyone without obligations or deadlines to produce for people who have already put out money. It is frustrating to miss out, I realize that, but at least its fair game. With changes that could come with SB85 it could certainly let us rethink the approach and options.
Click to expand...
If you guys start a club and I don't get invited;)
myfD7s6.gif
 
Some good overviews of various clubs: https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/list-of-brewery-membership-clubs.19203/

And it just so happens Os started the thread with the Tired Hands Believers Club, which I think is the absolute best example of how to do this kind of thing:
Os said:
Tired Hands "Believers Club" ($500, $1000, $2000)
$500 [/$1000/$2000] gift card
-10% discount with use of gift card!
-1 Believers Club exclusive t-shirt.
-1 Believers Club exclusive Teku glass.
-1 Believers Club bottle tote.
-Annual Believers Club only bottle release.
-The ability to reserve any bottle we release via thbcbc.com for 1 year. No lines for you, buddy!
Click to expand...
 
I'm in the Perenial Societe du Chene (Society of Oak i think, I don't speak French) it was $300 and you get 1 bottle of each of their first BA releases over the course of the year long membership and the ability to buy a bottle of any additional releases. I also got a glass, 10% off all on-site purchases, and a members only party at some point. It's not a ridiculous deal, but it allows me to get certain beers (BA Sump, Maman, BA Vermillion, hopefully BA Abraxas) without having to make it to a 4pm weekday release
 
Gene said:
Some good overviews of various clubs: https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/list-of-brewery-membership-clubs.19203/

And it just so happens Os started the thread with the Tired Hands Believers Club, which I think is the absolute best example of how to do this kind of thing:
Click to expand...
The best part about that is people still bitched about it! Of course, those people were mostly all morons who didn't know how to read, but it didn't stop them!

edit: To add to the thread, a beer club requires a return on value. I don't want to give a brewery money and get jack **** in return. Specifically, since it's a brewery, I expect beer in return. If someone that beer ends up cheaper outside of the club, I'd be annoyed as well.
 
ccbstl said:
I'm in the Perenial Societe du Chene (Society of Oak i think, I don't speak French) it was $300 and you get 1 bottle of each of their first BA releases over the course of the year long membership and the ability to buy a bottle of any additional releases. I also got a glass, 10% off all on-site purchases, and a members only party at some point. It's not a ridiculous deal, but it allows me to get certain beers (BA Sump, Maman, BA Vermillion, hopefully BA Abraxas) without having to make it to a 4pm weekday release
Click to expand...


I've been to that members party as someone's plus 1. Was a great time. 2014 or 15. Maman Blue and BA Abraxas pours, can't complain.

In reference to fonta flora, I love their beer, more than any other sour brewer in the state. Their grisettes and farmhouse ales are great too. I personally didn't think it was worth the money, and talked privately with friends about it, but I did not feel the need to post publicly on social media about it. It wasn't a god-awful deal, but having most of the membership go towards just not waiting in line, when you could have showed up right at 3 for the last sour release, just wasn't fitting to my needs. Plus I know a lot of people in those lines, and as a single 31 year old, I really don't mind. I'm sad that I won't get the membership only bottles, that's for sure.

Also looking forward to whatever they did with that blackberry still awa they poured 3L of at sourfest/release the funk. That was the best beer pouring that day other than cantillon. Blew red atrial away.
 
Gene said:
Some good overviews of various clubs: https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/list-of-brewery-membership-clubs.19203/

And it just so happens Os started the thread with the Tired Hands Believers Club, which I think is the absolute best example of how to do this kind of thing:
Click to expand...

That's a good example of a club that seems worthwhile to do, if you're in the market to join one. There are good local ones I see here and there that tend to sell out quickly, but for the most part the big breweries seem to be money grabs geared towards the dude who has to have the latest/greatest. With so many direct shipment options (if you live in a state that allows it), I'd rather spend money ordering that way to get something new and fun.
 
I've been in El Cat Club and American Solera so far

American Solera is a great deal. $300+tax for 20 bottles, 2 glasses, a discount, and first right of refusal on beers not released as part of the club. All that is great, but the real reason this one shines is the true concern Chase and Erica put into polling the club for their opinion. Which Fellowship fruit refermentation should we brew next? Should we release X beer as a member only beer, or as a wider public release? What styles would you guys like to see more of? Has this club format worked so far for everyone?

All these questions are put to polls on their member-only FB page. Solid PR if you ask me
 
I'm basically done with brewery clubs until they can run like wine clubs. I understand that the laws around shipping aren't under their control, but there's too much good beer that doesn't require dealing with proxies, paying individual shipping rates, risking boxes being confiscated, and sending thank-you boxes.

I'd say a beer club wouldn't suck if:

1) it didn't charge me a membership fee above and beyond the cost of the beer (and shipping)
2) it didn't force me to buy a t-shirt or a hoodie or some other piece of merchandise I'll probably never use
3) it guaranteed me N bottles of beer a year for $retail - X%, for fixed values of N and X
4) it gave me the opportunity to purchase additional bottles of anything they produce (bottle limits are okay)
5) purchases could be either picked up from the brewery (within 2-3 months of purchase) or shipped to me
6) special events or perks at the brewery are nice, but should be optional, not something you pay for whether or not you use them.
7) Good communication about all of the above
 
kscaldef said:
I'm basically done with brewery clubs until they can run like wine clubs. I understand that the laws around shipping aren't under their control, but there's too much good beer that doesn't require dealing with proxies, paying individual shipping rates, risking boxes being confiscated, and sending thank-you boxes.

I'd say a beer club wouldn't suck if:

1) it didn't charge me a membership fee above and beyond the cost of the beer (and shipping)
2) it didn't force me to buy a t-shirt or a hoodie or some other piece of merchandise I'll probably never use
3) it guaranteed me N bottles of beer a year for $retail - X%, for fixed values of N and X
4) it gave me the opportunity to purchase additional bottles of anything they produce (bottle limits are okay)
5) purchases could be either picked up from the brewery (within 2-3 months of purchase) or shipped to me
6) special events or perks at the brewery are nice, but should be optional, not something you pay for whether or not you use them.
7) Good communication about all of the above
Click to expand...
So I totally agree with all of these points, but it's also why I'll probably never do a club if I can't easily visit the brewery in person.
 
FLBeerFan said:
I've been in El Cat Club and American Solera so far

American Solera is a great deal. $300+tax for 20 bottles, 2 glasses, a discount, and first right of refusal on beers not released as part of the club. All that is great, but the real reason this one shines is the true concern Chase and Erica put into polling the club for their opinion. Which Fellowship fruit refermentation should we brew next? Should we release X beer as a member only beer, or as a wider public release? What styles would you guys like to see more of? Has this club format worked so far for everyone?

All these questions are put to polls on their member-only FB page. Solid PR if you ask me
Click to expand...
As you said solid PR, nice bunch of folks out there too. I am debating about next year cause I know there is some great stuff coming but honestly for me and my group the beer hasn't been worth the money. Feels like they get released to young. We are about to open a few bottles for the second time cause we really felt we needed to cellar them after the first tasting in September. The only one we felt was really solid was Money Blend b1, Cranbarrel was great too... Looking forward to Bluebarrel b2 and Norton Fellowship

The only other club I am in enforces the first rule of Fight Club but if I could I would join for life.
 
I'm a member of one beer club. That being the Bullfrog Brewery pub club. I've easily recouped the $150 I paid for the lifetime membership. Here are some of the benefits...
- 15% off member's meal and up to 7 guests on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesdays
- When new beers come on tap, members get their first one free (12oz / 1 per visit/day) "I get a free beer every visit"
- Access to buy bottle release beers one day in advance
- Invitation to our yearly, private Pub Club potluck Christmas party

Attended my first potluck party at the Bullfrog in December. There was awesome food, free beer, and legit prizes given out.
Also being friendly with the head brewer Nate has lead to multiple free pours of amazing beer.
 

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