Caution Brewing Employee Openly Criticizes Evil Twin Brewing’s Pricing
(Brooklyn,NY) – We just caught a controversial post on Evil Twin Brewing’s Facebook. They posted a long winded letter from Chris Klein of CAUTION BREWING in Colorado, criticizing Evil Twin’s product pricing as well as other brewer’s products. Read on, and share your thoughts in the comment section. “
“We might have our most unhappy customer to date. Chris Klein of Colorado Brewery Caution Brewing Company send us a not-so-collegial email:
Dearest Evil Twin(s),
First and foremost, let me say that you folks make some excellent beers, and I have the utmost respect for your brewers. I’ve had some average ones here and there, but the vast majority of your portfolio is top notch. What I do not particularly care for is the disgusting, offensive, pompous, and entirely bu@lshit price point at which you set your beers.
Yes, bombers are one thing. You can sell a 6% beer as $10 bomber, and you won’t hear much fuss, even though you should. You might even be able to sell it for $12, if it’s a really, really well-made beer. But you guys, oh I bet your team of sales assho*es could (try to) sell it for $20…am I right?!
On the other hand, the pricing of your four packs and six packs is insultingly exorbitant at best. I could reference most of your catalogue in making this point, but instead, I’ll focus on two key examples. First, three to four years ago, your Hipster Ale was being sold for $3 a can plus tax in the southern states. It was seemingly not being sold in larger packs at that time. Considering that it is an average American pale ale on a good day, and its alcohol content is the norm for the style, that was absolutely absurd. Since then, both the price point and the packaging (now in six packs) has changed. It seems clear that you all learned your lesson on that one, but yet you continue such indecency with most other beers. The latest example is your NomaderWeisse Berliner Weisse.
I should note here that I work for a Colorado brewery and intricately understand the costs and labor of making certain styles. Sour/tart beers can cost more and take longer to make, and I am always happy to pay a little extra for good people’s labor. Unfortunately, that is far from the case here. Just yesterday, I saw your Berliner Weisse being sold for $18.99 a six pack, plus tax. I realize that much of this might be markup by the local liquor store, but even on the East Coast, I’m hearing of prices from $13-15. I’ll settle on $15 as an average from here on out. Sadly, $15 per six pack implies that you very well might not be “good people,” as such a price for a 4% beer is highway-fucki&g-robbery. There’s no way in hell that this beer costs that much to make, and the industry provides a number of examples as evidence. Anderson Valley (CA) sells a couple of great 4.2% goses, both for $9-10 a six pack, while Westbrook (SC – where you brewed this god-forsaken beer) sells their excellent gose at the same price and size.
I imagine you guys would argue that, as gypsy brewers, you pay more for the use of facilities, and as a result, have to pass much of that cost on to your customers? Let me remind you all that you have chosen this path; nobody forced you to brew without a permanent location. Financially, you folks are barely getting by, or you’re raking in the cash. I’m guessing that the reality is closer to the latter, and in that case, might I suggest buying some equipment and backing off of those who want to be your loyal customers? There’s no excuse for gouging your customers just because you don’t want to stay put or shell out for your own system.
Yes, you could also argue that Dogfish Head started this model, and that you’re just following in their footsteps. The difference is Dogfish Head puts obscure, rare, highly sought-after ingredients in many of their beers and still manages to charge at least 10% less than you guys. Another example of high pricing is Ballast Point, who seems to be riding the overhyped wave all the way to $14-15 six packs of their Sculpin IPA. And guess what?! It makes them look like total assho#es, and everyone knows it! I can name 10 IPAs that are just as good as, if not better than, Sculpin, and for that reason, I never buy that beer in liquor stores. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, don’t let your social media lackey go on Twitter and compare the pricing of heady, also bu*lshit, foodie juice blends to your beer pricing. Everyone knows those juices are laughably overpriced, but more so, what the fu@k does the price of trendy juice have to do with the price of your beer?! If you guys are too damn stupid to figure it out, comparing someone else’s offensively overpriced thing to your offensively overpriced thing isn’t helping your already weak defense. In terms of any other defenses or counter-arguments you might have, I’ll be frank and say that I don’t really care to hear your propaganda. I’ve formed my opinion, and there’s a near-absolute chance that nothing you can say will change it.
More eloquently, I’ve always loved much of your portfolio, but I’m becoming fed-up with being treated like a source of income, as opposed to a member of a group that you folks need to survive. You’re already one of the biggest jokes of the industry with your childish sibling bickering, so why not stop there, and treat everyone else in the world with some fucki*g respect?
Yours truly,
Chris Klein”
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June 12, 2015 @ 4:28 pm
Laughable. Stoopid rant. If you don’t like the price/value then vote with your feet or move to the next door in the cooler. The writer “may” know things about the cost of producing beer, but also appears to have no concept for either demand side or supply side economics. Shipping small (ish) quantities across state lines, with new(er) broker networks, and establishing new(er) distribution points (tap house, breweries, retail) has much more impact on the going price of brew (out of state brews) in Colorado than the production costs of essential ingredients; If I were a new entrant to a market for a “premium”/sought after brand brew, I’d say its better to price high initially, and people, some people, are paying for it. After you establish a market demand, firm up distributor relations and a consumer following, then you may tune pricing … once your volume/consistency of demand drives supply costs down. I have a few Econ text books from 30 years ago to donate to the Caution library, BTW – Caution DOES have great beers.
June 12, 2015 @ 6:49 am
Bwahaha! This is hysterical. The kid asks for some respect but absolutely LAMBASTS Evil Twin in a disrespectful post. Oh the hypocrisy.
It’s simple, kid: you don’t like the price, don’t buy it and stop whining.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:13 am
Evil Twins prices are the reason I almost never drink their beer. I can always find something just as good or better for 5+ bucks less (and when I do try their stuff, its good but its not THAT good). I kinda agree with the guy, but it really feels like a angry letter that should never had been sent.
If you WANT to spend 15-20 bucks on normal drinking beer, that’s your business.
June 11, 2015 @ 4:29 pm
Hang on. There is much crazy with craft beer pricing. $8 22oz bombers project to $25 six-packs, but no one bitches about bomber prices at that level. We all know bombers are a fantastically profitable product for breweries. From there it is down to what the local market will support. Boutique, premium pricing is a two-edged sword — your per unit margins are high, but your market penetration is low. Retailers may rationally conclude you do not offer an essential product for their markets — rather just a halo they put on every now and then, especially if the distro is eager move something quick because you pump out new “it” beers every couple weeks. In sum, your brewing is slave to your marketing and vice versa. And you may be very good at that for a very, very long time. But outfits who try to play that game without enough bank and heft may get burned.
Believe me, retailers are worried about craft prices, along with exploding product lines that are just baffling to all but the most hardcore bottle shops. Plus, this stuff has very short shelf lives compared to wine and spirits, which it is now approaching in price. When it comes to kegs, retail is really flinty. An expensive keg is a huge investment, one that is a ticking time bomb. If it is priced too high and doesn’t move, it is money down the drain. I’ve already had one shop owner wonder out loud if he can afford to put Wicked Weed fare on when it hits his market soon. And he does a steady biz now in sours and exotics.
This may self correct. All the yelling and bitching surely does not help.
June 11, 2015 @ 12:42 pm
Haha this guy is an idiot. How about you just stay away from Evil twin products and focus on supporting the breweries you do enjoy. Stop getting all bent out of shape over things you have absolutely no control over.
June 11, 2015 @ 10:47 am
It needs to be said, and it needs to be repeated. Beer pricing is going the wrong direction.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a capitalist. I understand that the “right” price is to charge what the market will bear. And we, as beer consumers, are allowing the market to bear this pricing–even excitedly promoting it–by treating these breweries like we’re fanboys and their products are worth acquiring at any price. But they’re not. The quality & taste difference between Sculpin and other 7% IPAs that are selling for $9.99 a sixer are minimal. Stone IPA for $27/case at Costco, compared to a $15 sixer of Sculpin? No contest. Stone is regularly in my fridge. Sculpin is not. Firestone Double Jack at $8.99/bomber compared to the $4.99 bomber of Hop Stoopid? I’m buying Hop Stoopid. I can’t remember the last time I bought Double Jack.
The other thing that needs to be addressed is growler pricing at the breweries. A growler is ~5 12 oz bottles of beer. Excepting truly unobtainable special releases or ultra-high-ABV beers, a 64 oz growler *should* be comparable in price to a $10 sixer, especially since it’s not shelf-stable like a packaged beer. Oh, and since it’s at the brewery, there’s no distribution markup, which is a *HUGE* portion of the cost. But I’m seeing a lot of growlers coming in at $15-20 for a fill. That’s just insane.
We, as beer consumers, need to stop accepting this crap.
June 11, 2015 @ 10:00 am
“I have no qualms paying $15 – $25 for a bomber of decadent Barrel-Aged Barleywine, Stout or Porter and I have on rare occasion paid upwards of $40 for a bomber or 750ml”
Well, the stuff Evil Twin cranks out is nothing like a good barrel-aged brew so your argument makes no sense. Hi point is that they DON’T put that kind of time and effort into their beers, so they’re just riding the craft-brew shitwave of needlessly overpriced product. So, perhaps YOU should stop your pussy-ass whining about his puss-ass whining.
June 11, 2015 @ 8:24 am
Complaining about $15 a six pack? Don’t ever come to Canada Molson and Bud run darn near $15 a six pack.
June 11, 2015 @ 8:23 am
Someone has a bung stuck up their arse. I’m sure the bunghole is just as upset that your beers have more ratings (22,970 ratings compared to his 87 ratings on beeradvocate.com) and are more highly rated. Your company is obviously successful while his appears to be just another one of these many struggling fledging companies making mediocre beer that will eventually go out of business, If his beer is so good why is he spending his hard earned money buying your beer? Keep up the good work.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:37 am
If you think their 6 pack prices are expensive wait until you go to the Evil Twin bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn! This guy’s head would fall right off his body with steam pouring out. Anyways, if you think its too much, don’t buy the beer. One of the better more reasonably priced beers IMO is Citra Slacker Sunshine.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:17 am
Yeah, I don’t buy much Evil Twin unless it’s one of those beers that I can justify spending the money for, like something new and special. He probably should left it anonymous though. 🙂 Would like to see ET’s break down as to why some of those are priced so high.
June 11, 2015 @ 6:16 am
About time someone called out these folks and slimeballs like them. Too much beer is overpriced. Bravo.
June 11, 2015 @ 4:03 am
Been saying this for a while now, Guess I just never wrote a formal thing about it. Agree with each point made.
June 10, 2015 @ 8:23 pm
What a dick. Evil Twin can charge whatever the heck they want.
June 10, 2015 @ 7:44 pm
What a whiner, I’m surprised he didn’t mention the Bruery’s Black Tuesday or Beachwood’s System of a Stout or any other of the popular & highly sought after brews throughout CA, not to leave out Cigar City.
I’ve never heard of Caution Brewing but maybe that’s because there’s some hidden meaning in the name?
Everybody has a choice in the matter. Those who don’t mind paying the, “insultingly exorbitant” prices will do so and those who won’t won’t. If the individual retailers are the reason for the, “insultingly exorbitant” prices then shame on them but by the same token if those beers are sitting on the shelf too long, especially with IPAs, then the customers are not getting the quality product they should and that reflects poorly upon Evil Twin.
I have no qualms paying $15 – $25 for a bomber of decadent Barrel-Aged Barleywine, Stout or Porter and I have on rare occasion paid upwards of $40 for a bomber or 750ml.
#suckit #crybaby #childishcheapskate
June 10, 2015 @ 3:09 pm
Good. I’m glad someone finally had the courage to say ALL of those things.