Why the people who sell beer annoy me….

Posted by in Other Oddities on December 14, 2010 3:11 pm / 2 comments

I really want a bottle of Samuel Adams Infinium.  I don’t know why, I just do.  I first stopped into Binny’s out in Downers Grove on the release date.  Their truck is a day late.  I hear it is selling fast so I call Binny’s Beverage on Grand Ave and ask nicely if they have one.  The man says yes.  I ask for one to be held.  He replied that Binny’s does not hold beer.  I know this is untrue, because they do it all the time.  I even offered to pay by phone.  A few hours later I trudge in ask where they are and I am promptly told all the bottles are spoken for and waiting for people to come pick them up.

The manager was less than helpful.  He did say he would call me if someone did not pick theirs up, but made no effort to check about transferring a bottle from another store.  Blows me away, that no one seemed to consider how valuable a customer can be, especially a customer who is looking for a specific beer.  Binny’s is now the main player in Chicago’s beer retail segment.  However, there are plenty of other small shops looking to play David and Goliath.  Binny’s really needs to begin to take the craft beer market seriously and look at treating it more like wine in their service level.
As for me in my quest for Infinium: My brother stumbled across three cases in Ohio and bought a few bottles, and he is not impressed.  I will let you know my thoughts after the holidays.

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2 Comments

  1. Beer Review: Infinium by Samuel Adams | Very Small Beer says:
    November 7, 2011 at 8:59 pm

    […] Notes: I finally obtained a bottle through my brother after a debacle at Binny’s.  Upon uncorking the bottle I noticed dried cork flakes around the rim.  This beer was not aged […]

  2. Store Review: Binny’s Beverage Depot (Chain) | Very Small Beer says:
    November 7, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    […] into an unfamiliar location it may take a moment to get your bearings.  Additionally, and I wrote about this before, Binny’s cannot come up with a corporate policy on reserving beer.  It completely depends on […]

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