(Petaluma, CA) – Here is the scoop from Lagunitas Brewing Owner, Tony Magee, via Beer Advocate:
I had to ax the Brown Shugga’ this year and we are going to make a different beer, for this one year only. For the handful of haters out there the name of the new beer is the “Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale“, so I beat you to it!
The truth is that since 1996, given the expensive ingredients, the lengthy time in the brewhouse, and the extra time in the fermenters, we have sold the BrownShugga at far less than it costs to brew, but I have no regrets. In order to brew the Shugga’ this year, I would have had to push my year-round friends, our IPA, PILS, Little Sumpin’, Pale, and Maximus to the back of the bus. Not gonna happen. I could’a gone with the usual craft brewing bullshit of ‘allocation’ but if I can’t supply it, I ain’t gonna brew it. Just give me a break if, for this one year I have to make some room.
I also have to curtail the Hairy Eyeball’s availability by 50% of its normal time window and we won’t even try to brew the also slow brewing Gnarlywine until the new 250bbl brewhouse is on line. It will be the beer we break the brewhouse in with, in late January.
I’m glad to hear that some of you dug the Imperial Red, but it just didn’t sell very well, simple as that. Sometimes good things don’t work. It was fun while it lasted.
All bad news! Love the regular line-up, but always look forward to the special releases. Hope to see them in bigger offerings once you guys get the bigger capacity.
So bummed. But glad I stockpiled Shugga’ last year. Maybe now my wife won’t think I’m such a crazy beer hoarder (at least, not one without reason).
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Ah sad to hear Brown Shugga is my favorite. I never saw the red down here in San Luis Obispo all weve have for months is Lil Sumptin and IPA which definatly isnt a bad thing but I would love to see even some of the other regulars come through town like the Pils and Maximus. Keep up the good work everything ive tried has been amazing and we sell a decent amount of what we can get out of the restaurant where I work.
I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience these brewed treasures when I did.
Thanks for your honesty and you, like your beer, are really Sumpin’ Sumpin’.
Keep up the good work; I’m still a faithful follower of your full product line.
I’m going to really miss the Imperial Red. It was may favorite red!!!
As long as they don’t stop making Little Sumpin’ Wild – I guess we can do without Brown Shugga’
@Matt – I might be completely wrong, but Lil Sumpin Wild is “Summer” seasonal for Lagunitas. Unless the cancelling of Brown Shugga means Sumpin Wild is going to run longer. And that would be the best second place finish imaginable.
I like the way Lagunitas does business. Yeah, I’ll miss Brown Shugga, but I appreciate all of the other brews. Lucky 13 and A Little Sumpin’ Wild are two of my favorites brews.
Cheers to Tony…for being one of the only true guys in this business that puts it straight to the point. I have always enjoyed drinking, selling, and hanging out with the Lagunitas family.
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