THE GIST
The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, California has issued an apology following the ensuing fallout from its botched online release of Duck Duck Gooze. Media and marketing director Adam Martinez took to The Lost Abbey’s blog to personally apologize after the online rush for bottles managed to crash sale attempts on Nexternal, Brown Paper Tickets, and Eventbrite in quick succession.
WHY IT MATTERS
The insane demand for limited release beers has been a problem for a while. So far, no one has been able to come up with a perfect solution for lengthy lines, traders buying by proxy, and, now, online sales.
The biggest problem with the hysteria generated by releases such as Duck Duck Gooze and Bourbon County is that it has the potential to make the craft beer industry look insular precisely as it attempts to venture into more mainstream territory. Outsiders may want to try the latest batch of Hunahpu’s Stout or Dark Lord, but likely wouldn’t give it a second thought now that the entrenched fanaticism these releases generate is well known. And the beers that once brought the brewery great recognition can now turn on them instead, hurting the parent brand rather than having a halo effect.
These situations can have a negative impression on those who are just discovering a love for craft beer themselves and aren't privy to the evolving inaccessibility of these rare offerings. For these drinkers, the welcome package to the craft beer fan club can't afford to come with instructions that say you need to stand in line for five hours to buy freshly released IPA from your local brewery.
While the entitlement of the consumer has reached a fever pitch, hats off to The Lost Abbey and Adam Martinez for his response, however. The first step to solving the problems behind limited beer releases is to admit where mistakes were made. Hopefully the rabidness of those who were scorned can be equally as tempered over time.
— Matthew Curtis
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Duck Duck Gooze Apology – Via The Lost Abbey