I see that Zak Avery has followed Adrian Tierney-Jones in writing positively about the Meantime College Beer Club in return for a bottle of their first beer. A loyal reader (I think there's one of them) might recall I asked who this club was for a while back, offering as it does some kind of colour-supplement lifestyle proposition as part of the package.
I still don't know, but am interested in any views about where something like this sits in the current elitism debates that have occupied the likes of Zak, Tandleman, Phil at Oh Good Ale and, across the pond, Stan Hieronymous. For sure it is, as Zak notes, "exclusive" at 350 notes for an annual membership, but is it the same thing as "elitist". Phil posits that money affords opportunity, it does make a difference. Elite, then?
As an aside, I see Zak got bottle 74 out of 100 of the RIS Meantime brewed as their first CBC beer. I assume they haven't had all 500 memberships taken up, or the series would have to run to an edition of 1,000 bottles. A cynic might suggest a bit of below-the-line advertorial from a couple of respected industry writers might move things along. I wonder if there are any spoogebeerian consortia in the membership list? I can't imagine they'd want to miss out on such rare spooge...
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According to those numbers it appears there are less than 50 members (ATJ & ZA obviously got a bottle each taking the max total down to 49).
I would like to know if any of the 'regular beergeek blog/twitter' group have taken it up as it's far too much money for me to justify to the Baroness as like you say "it's only beer"...
Subsidise Meantime's cashflow by giving them £350 of my money, and get back a dribble of beers at just under £14.60 a bottle? I don't think so, thanks.
£15 for a 750ml bottle of exclusive 14% stout including postage doesn't sound too unreasonable to me, my issue is that it's not clear what the other beers will be and all sounds terribly 'experimental'.
Although I may buy a £10+ bottle of ale from time to time (such as Marble Decadence - I have two) I wouldn't want to be doing it twice a month every month.
I think it's an interesting project, and it is a bit pricey, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's poor value. Who is it for? Beer lovers with a bit of disposable income, I guess. Nobody would hold a grudge against someone spending their hard-earned on membership, would they?
Martyn - if they'd sold all the memberships on day 1, then sure, that would be a nice wad of cash. However, I suspect that membership will grow gradually, meaning that Meantime have probably speculated before they will accumulate.
Has it occurred to anyone that just talking about it advertises Meantime Virally anyway?
Maybe spoog in a goldplated bottle dedicated to the banking industry?
Invite an active "personality" type like Messrs Clarke, Morrissey, or May to stir it after convincing them that it is their recipe, call it "Grabbing Bastard", charge GB£300 a bottle for no sensible reason, sit back and watch the free advertising Blog its way out there!
Could do a deluxe version stuffed up a Bulls Arse for GB£1000!
meantime are a good brewery but surely not a great brewery.i dont hear people raving about how good their beers are. they get lots of publicity in London but its about the brewery,the shape of the bottles,the master brewer etc not the beer.cheers
There becomes an assumption that because the beers are expensive they must be good. Unfortunately, the very premise of the club means that we can't decide in advance if there is value for money becasue they are all unique brews.
For instance Marble Special is available from the Marble Arch at £12+. You can purchase single bottle or search out a review. This club demannds you payment upfront and if you don't like the beers it's tough. I wonder how many of these beers will end in in cabinets and cupboards to be admired rather than drunk.
Hi Birkonian: I guess that's where my thinking is heading. It looks like an attempt to lever the Meantime brand into some kind of upmarket lifestyle proposition, but is Meantime perceived that way?
I don't imagine they'd want ticker consortia all over the CBC beers (one has already tried to tap Steve Schmidt up for some beer on BA) - they don't strike me as the target audience for membership of gentlemens' clubs and poncy magazines, which I understand are part of the package for members.
Another thing that occurs to me is, given their early disdain of the British scene, why they would think UK beer drinkers are now ready for such beers...
A fool and his money are soon parted.
I suppose it is elite, but if those that have the dosh want to, that's up to them. As for those that get free bottles writing about it to drum up support, that is up to them. The interesting outcome would be for them subsequently to say that they had joined up, so good was the beer and offer. I shouldn't hold my breath though. Likewise I won't be holding my breath until they send me one!
As anonymous says Meantime are a good brewery, not a great one. Saying so makes it all the less likely too.
But it adds variety and nobody is being coerced.
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