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Damn near rioting over craft beer. Oh, Florida/

Started by Sir Squid Diddimus, March 12, 2014, 02:55:33 AM

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Sir Squid Diddimus

So every year since 2010, Cigar City Brewery has held a release party for their award winning and highly coveted Hunahpu Imperial Stout.
The first event was very relaxed as there were only a few hundred in attendance. As the brewery and the beer became more popular (and more valuable), the event grew to unmanageable proportions, and this year they tried, and failed miserably, to control the release day a little better.

It failed.... BADLY.
People flew in from other states to get their hands on a few bottles of this black gold, and when things went wrong. They went really wrong.

http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/food/spirits/cigar-citys-hunahpus-day-a-mess-but-so-was-angry-mobs-response/2169515

http://thefullpint.com/events/cigar-city-hunahpus-day-2014-fallout-pics/

http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/food/spirits/cigar-city-ends-hunahpus-day-after-angry-crowds/2169435

The last one I attended was 2012. It just started getting too big and too crowded. I don't do crowds, so I'm glad as hell that I didn't attend this year's either.
They tried to put a cap on it at 3500, but that didn't go as planned, since people started forging tickets from eventbrite, and you know, nobody thought to buy an extension cord and keep their phones charging while they had to scan the 6,000 or so people who showed ups tickets.
The crowd got hotter, drunker, and angrier as the day progressed, and then it happened.
They ran out of the beer before everyone got the three bottles that their $50 ticket promised them.

Oh hell.
People got unruly, threw empty bottles at volunteers and staff, everyone was forced out by police, yelled, pushed, and chanted "Cigar City Sucks"... all over piss poor event planning.

Now, I love this brewery and I do back them and their product. However, I do not feel a bit sorry for them for this day.
They've grown too big for their britches, should have spent the money on an event coordinator, not trusted the public to just be cool and drink good beer.
The consumer whorism within the beer community is disgusting. People were buying up to 10 cases each at $20 a pop before others that were promised their three bottles even had the chance to get to the tables. Why?
Let me show you:

It's rated a solid 100 on beer forums http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17981/47022/

It RESELLS online through beer forums for anywhere between $100-$300.
WHAT. People buy this stuff, turn around and trade or resell it for ridiculous amounts of money.

Cigar City failed that day, and their reaction is to flip a table and fuckitty bye.
No more Hunahpu Day.

The backlash on the internet has been hilariously gross.
The fake Ebay listing I found was so awesome, till they took it down.




You see this? He almost DIED TO DEATH to get them.

The Good Reverend Roger

That's too much work for a drink whose manufacture can't be trusted in the hands of Americans.

I just walk down the street and drink Belgian beer.  It's pricey, which is a good thing, because there's never a crowd.  And my natural instincts are kept under control by my wife, so it's

QUIET

Which, to me, is worth the difference between a Duvall and something that scored 100 on the beer chart.

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Roly Poly Oly-Garch

So have you had this beer? I've never met an Imperial Stout I like. Extremely curious what one that could start a riot must taste like.

Also, I've pretty much decided that if a given beer festival isn't already a clusterfuck, it's just standing in a long, sweaty, day-drunk line to become one.
Back to the fecal matter in the pool

Sir Squid Diddimus

I've had it every year (still have 2011, 2012, and 2013 in my beer fridge). I will say it is a good beer, but definitely not worth the trouble people go through to get it. There are way better beers out there. Mexican Cake http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24134/78011/ is a good example, but because it doesn't have a solid 100/100 rating, people don't kill each other over it.

The Johnny

That's the power of hype and marketing... i sometimes get looked down upon because i choose to drink JohnnyWalker Red (which has a nicer flavour) instead of JohnnyWalker Black (which is simply more expensive).

But we know hype isnt exclusive to beer or alcohol, it happens in EVERYTHING... once enough people like something then a ton of processes begin to become involved, in which people dont do it because its good or practical or whatever, it becomes a social phenomenom.

We might as well could be talking about social norms or a cultural practice which seem to work that way too.
<<My image in some places, is of a monster of some kind who wants to pull a string and manipulate people. Nothing could be further from the truth. People are manipulated; I just want them to be manipulated more effectively.>>

-B.F. Skinner

Sir Squid Diddimus

Yeah.
So, with all this hissy fitting, the beer will now just be set out for distribution.
This means two things:
A) I might be able to score a keg of it for the bar, which will be difficult, as I'm competing with a place called Redlight Redlight, who's world known
and
B) People will be camped out outside of the liquor stores overnight to get their hands on, most likely, a one bottle limit per customer, and start multiple small fights when the cases go shifting out the back door by the employees.

Could be a good thing, as it may be able to be enjoyed by more people, or could be bad depending on how well the retailers handle it.

There wasn't a lot of trouble with the Cinnamon Roll'd and White Chocolate Wake N' Bake when it went out, so we'll see what happens.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Mesozoic Mister Nigel

"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Eater of Clowns

If I recall, you and Mr. Squid passed some tastes of that around at the 2011 Meatup? I'm pretty happy to have had a beer that people got bludgeoned over. It makes my beerpeen swell with pride.

I'm sorry it got ruined for you, I remember when you were really excited for Hunahpu and Hunahpu Day.

On the plus side, the other hit beverage of the weekend - Budweiser & Clamato Cheleda in a Can, is bountiful and easily acquired. My review, mysteriously, never made it onto Beer Advocate.
Quote from: Pippa Twiddleton on December 22, 2012, 01:06:36 AM
EoC, you are the bane of my existence.

Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on March 07, 2014, 01:18:23 AM
EoC doesn't make creepy.

EoC makes creepy worse.

Quote
the afflicted persons get hold of and consume carrots even in socially quite unacceptable situations.

Cramulus

On a long enough time line, and with enough supply & demand see sawing, everything of value will get the Walmart on Black Friday treatment.

Mark my words - By 2020, you'll see riots at movie openings, marijuana dispensaries, the apple store, you name it.



Cigar City makes some fucking kick ass beer though.



Quote from: Eater of Clowns on March 12, 2014, 06:43:42 PM
On the plus side, the other hit beverage of the weekend - Budweiser & Clamato Cheleda in a Can, is bountiful and easily acquired. My review, mysteriously, never made it onto Beer Advocate.

                Eewwww! I'll take the crab juice!
                             \

Richter

The populace has reached the level of value-destitution that they will let they freedoms get flensed without a whimper, but will riot when they can't have their special stuff they're having just to have.  :lulz:
Quote from: Eater of Clowns on May 22, 2015, 03:00:53 AM
Anyone ever think about how Richter inhabits the same reality as you and just scream and scream and scream, but in a good way?   :lulz:

Friendly Neighborhood Mentat

The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Richter on March 12, 2014, 08:17:32 PM
The populace has reached the level of value-destitution that they will let they freedoms get flensed without a whimper, but will riot when they can't have their special stuff they're having just to have.  :lulz:

ALL OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION SINCE THE YEAR DOT SAYS "HELLO!"
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Sir Squid Diddimus

Quote from: Nobody understands birds on March 12, 2014, 03:16:28 PM
Jesus, that's dumb.

Yes.

Quote from: Nobody understands birds on March 12, 2014, 03:18:05 PM
People are dumb.

Oh yes.

Quote from: Eater of Clowns on March 12, 2014, 06:43:42 PM
If I recall, you and Mr. Squid passed some tastes of that around at the 2011 Meatup? I'm pretty happy to have had a beer that people got bludgeoned over. It makes my beerpeen swell with pride.

I'm sorry it got ruined for you, I remember when you were really excited for Hunahpu and Hunahpu Day.

On the plus side, the other hit beverage of the weekend - Budweiser & Clamato Cheleda in a Can, is bountiful and easily acquired. My review, mysteriously, never made it onto Beer Advocate.

Yes you did, I remember it surviving the flight and me being very surprised.
"Budweiser & Clamato Cheleda in a Can"


Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on March 12, 2014, 08:19:24 PM
Quote from: Richter on March 12, 2014, 08:17:32 PM
The populace has reached the level of value-destitution that they will let they freedoms get flensed without a whimper, but will riot when they can't have their special stuff they're having just to have.  :lulz:

ALL OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION SINCE THE YEAR DOT SAYS "HELLO!"

^^ Alla dat