Hoosier Beer Geek has received word that it is official: Dogfish Head is pulling out of Indiana. We are one of the states that will no longer enjoy the beers that DFH has to offer (Sam's post says 4 states; we hear that the number could increase).
HBG has had a long history with DFH. Their 90 Minute IPA was served on draft at the late Deano’s Vino during our first anniversary party, where it received a 5.0 mug rating (much to the disgust of our newer Knights of the Beer Roundtable). And Sam Calagione sent us a video toast for our third anniversary, which was a very cool gesture!
But business is business and they aren’t able to keep up with demand in every state. As they pull back, the Knights of the Beer Roundtable wish Sam and his entire crew at Dogfish Head the very best. We hope to see them in the Hoosier state again in the future.
Until then, cheers!
This sucks!
ReplyDeleteThey were probably my favorite brewer. That is a crock of shit. Thanks, HBG, for breaking the news and totally ruining my day!
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate but I think this may actually turn out to be a good thing. One of the most acclaimed craft brewers has spurned our state which leaves a sizeable hole for another to fill in. Maybe one of our fantastic distributors can now entice another great brand to bring us something just as good. Or even better, maybe this gives some of our own homegrown breweries a chance to further expand their influence in their home markets.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think DFH is good but I probably only bought about 1 6-pack a year of their product.. so sad to say, I don't really feel a big loss here.. More than anything, I feel pretty annoyed that our state was one of 4 singled out. Our state which has shown such a huge explosion of interest in craft beer in the past few years with new breweries constantly opening and new festivals and events all the time.. it seems like a setback to see a bigtime national player pull out right now. If anything, this move kind of alienates me as a consumer. Thankfully there are HUNDREDS of other choices available.
There is plenty of domestic product to keep me happy. Hopefully some of the up-and-comers will fill the vacuum that DFH leaves.
ReplyDeleteI am sad that I don't get some new 120 Minute to compare with my 8 year old bottles. Boo to that.
This seems so sudden given the support that DFH showed for HBG and their recent collaboration with 3F's. Hopefully it is limited, but as Erik said, it could be a blessing in disguise. For now, looks like I'll have to stock up on some 90 min IPA...
ReplyDeleteMaybe, just maybe DFH entered the Hoosier market to help us realize the benefits of craft beers. And maybe DFH realizes the growth of Hoosier craft beers and says "mission accomplished".
ReplyDeleteI realize this is a "glass-half-full" point of view. Guess I should drink the other half now.
That is a real bummer! I would have to say Burton Baton was my favorite, even though it is a seasonal one. The same went for Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland a few years ago. Used to be available in IN, but now I have to go to Illinois to buy their beers(That had to do with distributors; not Great Lakes choice).
ReplyDeleteDogfish head is unique, but with so many outstanding Hoosier and midwest breweries, I can't say that I'm going to particularly miss them.
ReplyDeleteJust picked up a couple 4 packs of 90 minute.
ReplyDeleteWTF? Source?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should turn the underline back on in the links...
ReplyDeleteSource:
http://www.dogfish.com/community/blogfish/members/sam/thanks-for-understanding.htm
Sorry I'm an idiot and read it on my phone and missed the link. Thanks for posting it here.
ReplyDelete