I noticed a while ago that the small breweries that are making it are cultivating a community around them - opening tap rooms, having "clubs" with special goodies, food truck nights, perhaps trivia and game nights - all much more than just the beer. I love going into my "member" brewery and they will chat with me about how many growlers I can pack into a pannier, etc. Call it the "Cheers Effect" - they know me there.
Aeronaut hosts regular food truck and bike community events and is now a gathering hub for cyclists. Slumbrew has a tap room and a year-round beer garden. Even though Night Shift is out in Everett, just try to find a place to sit on a weekend - and they are letting Idle Hands sofa surf their taps and brewing space until their space is ready, and there is a distillery down the street, too. These are destinations. Mystic cut its own niche with sours, wilds, and saisons and has its own regular features. For whatever reason, Pretty Things didn't go there
...they weren't a real brewery. Rather they took their recipes to various breweries in the Mass aera and had batches contract brewed, under their supervision. Kind of amazing if you think about it, having a "brewery" without a brick and mortar location. This was also why their beers were available in Keg and bomber bottles only. I imagine getting a 12 oz beer/canning operation would be a whole other can of worms for them.
I loved Pretty Things. This announcement pretty much assures it's what we'll be drinking this Thanksgiving, and stocking up some for the months ahead.
They tried to open a tasting room (the plan was Somerville, I think), but they were prohibited from doing so by MA rules that don't allow tasting rooms to be separate from the brewery premises. I'm not sure if they ever considered the little dance that Slumbrew/Somerville brewing is doing with their American Fresh thing in Assembly Sq, where I believe they stuck a little 5 gal brewing setup so that the location can be considered a "brewery."
The other problem was that when they were contemplating this around 2011, MA did not allow brewery to charge for on-premises consumption. This probably made it hard to envision a way to turn a profit from an urban space.
...they weren't a real brewery. Rather they took their recipes to various breweries in the Mass aera and had batches contract brewed, under their supervision.
Isn't that how Sam Adams was brewed and distributed for a long time?
And pretty much any first wave microbrewer on the east coast. In the 1980s, they all went to FX Matt in Utica (now Saranac), and also to White River Junction once Catamount got going.
I get it. They had a tough time getting into larger establishment places. But instead of being smart and promoting their beer, they took their marbles and ran to the ABCC.
All they did was alienate themselves more. Nobody would touch them after that. They pissed off every bar owner in the city.
They hit the pavement and promoted their beer probably harder than any other local brewer. They were constantly doing tastings and throwing release parties. Only selling 22 ounce bottles hurt them. As a consumer I'm glad they called out people who were playing dirty.
And what they called out, was Boston's practices. Nobody cares about the cheats and liars in Boston - Boston bars seem far more interested in pouring gallons of mass market swill into fratboys and not much more. Most of the breweries couldn't care less about Pukecowskiis and the like - that isn't where they are making their money.
There was no shortage of Pretty Things available north of the Charles. I don't think that hurt them one bit. I don't see a lot of tap space for similarly sized microbreweries in Boston, either, and these places are doing fine.
I suspect that what happened is simply an increasingly crowded market, and one where the game changed from selling beer to bars to one where successful operations have started selling direct to the customer, filling growlers, and the like.
By bibliotequetressnotloggedin... on Wed, 11/25/2015 - 10:30am.
I feel like I saw them at every charitable event they could attend, and they did tastings at one of my local packies on a regular basis.
The only problem I ever had with Pretty Things was the lack of six packs-- it would have been nice to be able to take a six pack to a party. Actually, one Thanksgiving, we served 10 bottles of their historic series. Fun, but awkward to carry.
I get it. They had a tough time getting into larger establishment places
Do you know that that's why they're moving on?
Deciding you no longer want to be in a certain line of work, or that you don't want to do what you'll need to do in order to go in a certain direction, is also a business decision. Deciding not to be in business any more is also a business decision. Maybe that's simply what they did. Whatever, more power to them in whatever they decide to do next.
I went to an small event where the owners gave a talk once and it seemed like, in my opinion, they had an unstable model where they did not own their own brewery (unless that changed??) so if that were still the case that could be a real disadvantage.
It is a crowded market and competition is fierce. Someone else mentioned that many small breweries are creating their own demand by having people on site and selling direct. Living in Chelsea I see how that has helped Mystic first hand as they build up their name recognition and the more popular the tap room becomes the more I see it in non Chelsea/Everett stores. A step ahead of them is Nightshift , which is always busy. Part of the success that Mystic and Nightshift has had has been wrapping themselves up in their local community. I know in Chelsea when Mystic first opened (and still) it is not uncommon for Chelsea people to stop by the brewery and buy several bottles for presents during the holidays.
Then sometimes businesses do everything right and they still close. The food , bar and restaurant industry is tough. How many times have you seen a restaurant that you think is doing fine just go bust? OR it succeeded but only because the owners put in ungodly numbers of hours. Even if an owner lucks out and makes decent money off of a project it still comes with tremendous strain and I have seen many restaurant owners step back and take normal business and desk jobs elsewhere for the same money and a 40 hour week.
they had an unstable model where they did not own their own brewery (unless that changed??) so if that were still the case that could be a real disadvantage.
I'm not so sure that was their problem. From a business perspective, contracting it out is a lot easier because you don't have a hunk of cash invested in property and equipment. Rather, you can concentrate on getting good beer made and getting it out there (i.e. marketing). That's how Jim Koch did it, admittedly decades ago in an entirely different market. I don't know anything about the PT situation, but I wouldn't call that an unstable model.
The rest I agree with. It's a tough business with lots of competition and owners find themselves working 7 days a week for nothing. I've been wondering where the breaking point is in the microbrew industry. Think of all the breweries we have just in MA and it's mind boggling. I grew up in the beer industry and love seeing breweries pop up, but you have to stop and wonder, too. Yes, the beer crowd is a very passionate bunch, but there's only so many of them. The microbrew business is a business of passion and that's what keeps people going. Sometimes, it catches up with people and they finally give up.
"That's how Jim Koch did it, admittedly decades ago in an entirely different market."
As he wanted to expand his volume, he contracted with Genny in Utica, NY. His recipe, his techs, only difference was it said Utica instead of JP on the side of the bottle.
It worked.
Microbrewed beer is a market where a lot of people seem to have said, "Hey, we too can brew a beer with lots of hops, which are cheap anyway, and think of a cute name, and we'll get your brother to design a fancy label, and it'll sell like hotcakes!" This is not to say that Pretty Things answers that description, but until you get inside the bottle, how do you know? And to get inside the bottle, it's just sitting on the shelf with a thousand other products that look just the same, and a lot of those fancy labels turn out to have pretty meh contents. Regardless of their actual merit, I think perhaps Pretty Things was a victim of that.
...the high price tag. Not complaining, but a bomber of their stuff was between $7 and $10. I LOVE Jack D'or but often times left it on the shelf for a cheaper Bershire Brewing Bomber, or a 6 pack of Mayflower or Harpoon. The market is super competitive, like you said, and for us craft beer lovers pinching pennies, I just had to pass them by more times than not. Now, at the bar, I'd get it every time, because most beers from the tap hover around the same $6-7 price range anyway. Might as well get one I really like!
bah...this is sad :(
I have to imagine that gypsy brewing is really tiring. If you don't know whose gear you're going to use from one batch to the next necessarily then there's a lot of fitting your stuff to their process and tons of quality control.
I wish they'd held out until Dorchester Brewing came online. I think that could have been a good match for a "permanent" home for them. But if they never wanted to settle on a brewery, then they had a tough road and I imagine that drained them. Probably a bit financially and definitely mentally. Combined with their frontal assault on the bullshit practices of the larger alcohol business locking down taps, I imagine they had a look around and realized...they don't need this level of anguish because they were fine before making Pretty Things and they'll be fine after too.
If you don't know whose gear you're going to use from one batch to the next necessarily then there's a lot of fitting your stuff to their process and tons of quality control.
Fwiw, PT exclusively used Buzzard's Bay in Westport as their brewery for most of their existence. Unlike many gypsy brewers, they didn't bounce from brewery to brewery.
Comments
Well that sucks
I thought they were pretty popular around here.
Sad
Love their beers. Always so interesting and complex. This is very sad.
Dang.
:-(
I noticed a while ago that the small breweries that are making it are cultivating a community around them - opening tap rooms, having "clubs" with special goodies, food truck nights, perhaps trivia and game nights - all much more than just the beer. I love going into my "member" brewery and they will chat with me about how many growlers I can pack into a pannier, etc. Call it the "Cheers Effect" - they know me there.
Aeronaut hosts regular food truck and bike community events and is now a gathering hub for cyclists. Slumbrew has a tap room and a year-round beer garden. Even though Night Shift is out in Everett, just try to find a place to sit on a weekend - and they are letting Idle Hands sofa surf their taps and brewing space until their space is ready, and there is a distillery down the street, too. These are destinations. Mystic cut its own niche with sours, wilds, and saisons and has its own regular features. For whatever reason, Pretty Things didn't go there
IT'S BECAUSE
...they weren't a real brewery. Rather they took their recipes to various breweries in the Mass aera and had batches contract brewed, under their supervision. Kind of amazing if you think about it, having a "brewery" without a brick and mortar location. This was also why their beers were available in Keg and bomber bottles only. I imagine getting a 12 oz beer/canning operation would be a whole other can of worms for them.
I loved Pretty Things. This announcement pretty much assures it's what we'll be drinking this Thanksgiving, and stocking up some for the months ahead.
They tried
They tried to open a tasting room (the plan was Somerville, I think), but they were prohibited from doing so by MA rules that don't allow tasting rooms to be separate from the brewery premises. I'm not sure if they ever considered the little dance that Slumbrew/Somerville brewing is doing with their American Fresh thing in Assembly Sq, where I believe they stuck a little 5 gal brewing setup so that the location can be considered a "brewery."
The other problem was that when they were contemplating this around 2011, MA did not allow brewery to charge for on-premises consumption. This probably made it hard to envision a way to turn a profit from an urban space.
That's not a bad tactic
Isn't that how Sam Adams was brewed and distributed for a long time?
Yep
And pretty much any first wave microbrewer on the east coast. In the 1980s, they all went to FX Matt in Utica (now Saranac), and also to White River Junction once Catamount got going.
Burning bridges is not a good business strategy
I get it. They had a tough time getting into larger establishment places. But instead of being smart and promoting their beer, they took their marbles and ran to the ABCC.
All they did was alienate themselves more. Nobody would touch them after that. They pissed off every bar owner in the city.
They hit the pavement and
They hit the pavement and promoted their beer probably harder than any other local brewer. They were constantly doing tastings and throwing release parties. Only selling 22 ounce bottles hurt them. As a consumer I'm glad they called out people who were playing dirty.
Yah, but the problem is
You're days as a consumer are coming to an end.
The business failed. Scorched earth is not a good business plan.
Boston wasn't their only market
And what they called out, was Boston's practices. Nobody cares about the cheats and liars in Boston - Boston bars seem far more interested in pouring gallons of mass market swill into fratboys and not much more. Most of the breweries couldn't care less about Pukecowskiis and the like - that isn't where they are making their money.
There was no shortage of Pretty Things available north of the Charles. I don't think that hurt them one bit. I don't see a lot of tap space for similarly sized microbreweries in Boston, either, and these places are doing fine.
I suspect that what happened is simply an increasingly crowded market, and one where the game changed from selling beer to bars to one where successful operations have started selling direct to the customer, filling growlers, and the like.
kinopio is right
I feel like I saw them at every charitable event they could attend, and they did tastings at one of my local packies on a regular basis.
The only problem I ever had with Pretty Things was the lack of six packs-- it would have been nice to be able to take a six pack to a party. Actually, one Thanksgiving, we served 10 bottles of their historic series. Fun, but awkward to carry.
I don't know if that's true
I can find Pretty things at most of the bars that I frequent in Kendall Sq.
It's a shame that they're closing shop. They were my go to brew
Do you know that that's why they're moving on?
Do you know that that's why they're moving on?
Deciding you no longer want to be in a certain line of work, or that you don't want to do what you'll need to do in order to go in a certain direction, is also a business decision. Deciding not to be in business any more is also a business decision. Maybe that's simply what they did. Whatever, more power to them in whatever they decide to do next.
I went to an small event
I went to an small event where the owners gave a talk once and it seemed like, in my opinion, they had an unstable model where they did not own their own brewery (unless that changed??) so if that were still the case that could be a real disadvantage.
It is a crowded market and competition is fierce. Someone else mentioned that many small breweries are creating their own demand by having people on site and selling direct. Living in Chelsea I see how that has helped Mystic first hand as they build up their name recognition and the more popular the tap room becomes the more I see it in non Chelsea/Everett stores. A step ahead of them is Nightshift , which is always busy. Part of the success that Mystic and Nightshift has had has been wrapping themselves up in their local community. I know in Chelsea when Mystic first opened (and still) it is not uncommon for Chelsea people to stop by the brewery and buy several bottles for presents during the holidays.
Then sometimes businesses do everything right and they still close. The food , bar and restaurant industry is tough. How many times have you seen a restaurant that you think is doing fine just go bust? OR it succeeded but only because the owners put in ungodly numbers of hours. Even if an owner lucks out and makes decent money off of a project it still comes with tremendous strain and I have seen many restaurant owners step back and take normal business and desk jobs elsewhere for the same money and a 40 hour week.
It is to bad, I liked most of their beer.
That's how Sam Adams started
I'm not so sure that was their problem. From a business perspective, contracting it out is a lot easier because you don't have a hunk of cash invested in property and equipment. Rather, you can concentrate on getting good beer made and getting it out there (i.e. marketing). That's how Jim Koch did it, admittedly decades ago in an entirely different market. I don't know anything about the PT situation, but I wouldn't call that an unstable model.
The rest I agree with. It's a tough business with lots of competition and owners find themselves working 7 days a week for nothing. I've been wondering where the breaking point is in the microbrew industry. Think of all the breweries we have just in MA and it's mind boggling. I grew up in the beer industry and love seeing breweries pop up, but you have to stop and wonder, too. Yes, the beer crowd is a very passionate bunch, but there's only so many of them. The microbrew business is a business of passion and that's what keeps people going. Sometimes, it catches up with people and they finally give up.
Yup
"That's how Jim Koch did it, admittedly decades ago in an entirely different market."
As he wanted to expand his volume, he contracted with Genny in Utica, NY. His recipe, his techs, only difference was it said Utica instead of JP on the side of the bottle.
It worked.
Slumbrew also started out this way
and even though they now have a brewing facility in Somerville, I think most of their brewing is still done elsewhere at contract breweries.
Definitely agree about "crowded"
Microbrewed beer is a market where a lot of people seem to have said, "Hey, we too can brew a beer with lots of hops, which are cheap anyway, and think of a cute name, and we'll get your brother to design a fancy label, and it'll sell like hotcakes!" This is not to say that Pretty Things answers that description, but until you get inside the bottle, how do you know? And to get inside the bottle, it's just sitting on the shelf with a thousand other products that look just the same, and a lot of those fancy labels turn out to have pretty meh contents. Regardless of their actual merit, I think perhaps Pretty Things was a victim of that.
Not to mention...
...the high price tag. Not complaining, but a bomber of their stuff was between $7 and $10. I LOVE Jack D'or but often times left it on the shelf for a cheaper Bershire Brewing Bomber, or a 6 pack of Mayflower or Harpoon. The market is super competitive, like you said, and for us craft beer lovers pinching pennies, I just had to pass them by more times than not. Now, at the bar, I'd get it every time, because most beers from the tap hover around the same $6-7 price range anyway. Might as well get one I really like!
bah...this is sad :(
Tiring
I have to imagine that gypsy brewing is really tiring. If you don't know whose gear you're going to use from one batch to the next necessarily then there's a lot of fitting your stuff to their process and tons of quality control.
I wish they'd held out until Dorchester Brewing came online. I think that could have been a good match for a "permanent" home for them. But if they never wanted to settle on a brewery, then they had a tough road and I imagine that drained them. Probably a bit financially and definitely mentally. Combined with their frontal assault on the bullshit practices of the larger alcohol business locking down taps, I imagine they had a look around and realized...they don't need this level of anguish because they were fine before making Pretty Things and they'll be fine after too.
If you don't know whose gear
Fwiw, PT exclusively used Buzzard's Bay in Westport as their brewery for most of their existence. Unlike many gypsy brewers, they didn't bounce from brewery to brewery.
Boooo!
Loves their saison. Actually, loved all their beers. They will be much missed.
Just another reason why we
Just another reason why we can't have nice Things.