Gift Boxes

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:31 pm

FYI, the gift packs are now included in the LCBO website search function for those of you who are interested.

borderline_alcoholic · Tue Nov 11, 2003 5:20 pm

On 2003-11-11 16:31, esprit wrote:
FYI, the gift packs are now included in the LCBO website search function for those of you who are interested.

Aye, but that is only half the battle. After your post, I dutifully looked up the Orval and the Samuel Smiths sets on their website, and was fairly pleased to note that one of my local LCBOs have both in stock, so off I set.

I got to the shop, took a look around but could not see any about the place, so I asked the fellow there about them. He informed me that "hopefully" they will be out on the shelves on Monday. But, I protested, they are listed as being in stock now. Yes, he replied, "hopefully" they will be out on the shelves on Monday. Would it be possible to buy one or two now anyway? No, they will "hopefully" be out on the shelves on Monday.

Oh well, back again on Monday.

Does anybody have a gun I can borrow? I think that might make this sort of simple transaction run a bit smoother...

bluewater · Post by **bluewater** » Tue Nov 11, 2003 9:11 pm

On 2003-11-11 17:20, borderline_alcoholic wrote:

He informed me that "hopefully" they will be out on the shelves on Monday. But, I protested, they are listed as being in stock now. Yes, he replied, "hopefully" they will be out on the shelves on Monday. Would it be possible to buy one or two now anyway? No, they will "hopefully" be out on the shelves on Monday.

That's odd, I had almost the same experience today, but with a much better outcome!

I'd been waiting for the Samuel Smith pack too. When I checked the LCBO's website, it told me no less than 36 (!) of them were at the shop right near me. But do you think I saw a single one when I got there? Nooooo.

So I finally asked a clerk. He, of course, had no clue what they had in, but actually took the trouble to go down into storage to look for them, and, sure enough, brought one up for me! (Why they were still *in* storage I have no idea). Sounds like your clerk was just being a prick.

I feel spoiled, I've had a run of good luck with clerks in different LCBOs lately.

(p.s. 'Tis my first post here, so let me say hello to you all!)

borderline_alcoholic · Wed Nov 12, 2003 2:36 am

On 2003-11-11 21:11, bluewater wrote:
(p.s. 'Tis my first post here, so let me say hello to you all!)

Hello.

That's odd, I had almost the same experience today, but with a much better outcome!

I'd been waiting for the Samuel Smith pack too. When I checked the LCBO's website, it told me no less than 36 (!) of them were at the shop right near me. But do you think I saw a single one when I got there? Nooooo.

So I finally asked a clerk. He, of course, had no clue what they had in, but actually took the trouble to go down into storage to look for them, and, sure enough, brought one up for me! (Why they were still *in* storage I have no idea). Sounds like your clerk was just being a prick.

To be fair, from chatting to the staff there in the past, I suspect that their storage is completely disorganised, so it would probably have taken forever for him to have gone off and found it.

Still very annoying though.

I've had better luck in the past with the LCBOs at Yonge-Davisville, Atrium-on-Bay and St Lawrence Market, where (sometimes after much persuading that these items do in fact exist - e.g. the St Peter's Summer promotional beers were not searchable by name on their internal system, but were searchable on their external website, which then gave a product code enabling them to find them on their system) I have found that they will go the extra mile and wander off to the store room to have a look. My local branch seems to be a bit more disorganised in general, but hope springs eternal...

Anyway, your more positive experience has cheered me up a bit. Perhaps I won't need that gun after all.

...or at least not quite yet.

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Wed Nov 12, 2003 10:18 am

Would you guys mind telling me which stores it is you visited as these products should be on the shelves and I'll light a fire under someone if they aren't. Also, if an employee refused to go look for a listed item for me I'd go directly to the manager and complain...there is no excuse for that sort of service.

borderline_alcoholic · Wed Nov 12, 2003 12:17 pm

On 2003-11-12 10:18, esprit wrote:
Would you guys mind telling me which stores it is you visited as these products should be on the shelves and I'll light a fire under someone if they aren't. Also, if an employee refused to go look for a listed item for me I'd go directly to the manager and complain...there is no excuse for that sort of service.

The LCBO I visited yesterday was the one in the Manulife building (55 Bloor Street West).

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: borderline_alcoholic on 2003-11-12 12:23 ]</font>

bluewater · Post by **bluewater** » Wed Nov 12, 2003 2:54 pm

337 Spadina for me.

I was actually back there again just now, and it looks like they're *starting* to bring their packs up. I didn't see, though, any of the Orval or Maredsous packs they're supposed to have in. I didn't even see any of the Samuel Smith packs I'd asked about yesterday! Oh, but I *did* see plenty of the Corona, Marca Bavaria and Interbrew packs.

To quote the immortal words of P.J. O'Rourke: "What the f***, huh?! I mean, what the f***ing f***?!" At least they had the Chimay packs out.

They had better not be this lax when the Terrible comes in, or I may have to borrow that gun from you, borderline

borderline_alcoholic · Wed Nov 12, 2003 4:11 pm

On 2003-11-12 14:54, bluewater wrote:
They had better not be this lax when the Terrible comes in, or I may have to borrow that gun from you, borderline

FWIW, Terrible is available in cases of 12 750ml bottles from Unibroue directly. It is always nice to have the option to not have to rely completely on the whims of the LCBO (although you do still have to pay via them, I think). If nothing else, it saves on bullets.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: borderline_alcoholic on 2003-11-12 16:20 ]</font>

smoother · Post by **smoother** » Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:34 pm

Quote:
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On 2003-11-11 16:31, esprit wrote:
FYI, the gift packs are now included in the LCBO website search function for those of you who are interested.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aye, but that is only half the battle. After your post, I dutifully looked up the Orval and the Samuel Smiths sets on their website, and was fairly pleased to note that one of my local LCBOs have both in stock, so off I set.

I got to the shop, took a look around but could not see any about the place, so I asked the fellow there about them. He informed me that "hopefully" they will be out on the shelves on Monday. But, I protested, they are listed as being in stock now. Yes, he replied, "hopefully" they will be out on the shelves on Monday. Would it be possible to buy one or two now anyway? No, they will "hopefully" be out on the shelves on Monday.

Oh well, back again on Monday.

Does anybody have a gun I can borrow? I think that might make this sort of simple transaction run a bit smoother...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I had the same trouble in Cambridge (King St.) and @ store in Kitchener, about a week back....Both stores said they were "in the back" I kindly asked if I could get a couple but they refused @ both stores...they said I would have to wait until we stock them on the shelves.

Since then, they have put them on the shelves and I now got the gift packs but overall its just a bit annoying.....

Gunny · Post by **Gunny** » Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:45 pm

I consider myself lucky. My local store had the gift boxes out two weeks ago (store #25 in Dundas). In the past, I have asked for DFH Raison d'etre, Hook Norton Haymaker and St. Peter's Summer Ale to name a few, not having seen them on the shelves, and on each occasion I was accommodated with a smile. Perhaps it's because I purchase in quantity

.

Slainte,
Jeff

borderline_alcoholic · Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:48 pm

On 2003-11-12 10:18, esprit wrote:
these products should be on the shelves and I'll light a fire under someone if they aren't.

Have you had any joy with your applied arson experimentation as yet?

borderline_alcoholic · Tue Nov 18, 2003 2:36 am

I wandered back to my local lcbo today (in the meantime I have thankfully managed to pick up quite a few of the gift sets at other lcbos). The Maredsous set was out on display, but there was still no sign of the Samuel Smith nor the Orval. Arson isn't working, you may have to resort to more extreme pyrotechnics...

Anyway, all was not lost as this time I was able to convince one of the lcbo-mob to wander out back and have a look and he brought out a few boxes of the Sammy Smith set for me. Hooray.

After the initial few setbacks I am doing quite well with these sets. Indeed, my issue now is that there is only so much glassware that I actually need.

When should the Winter Warmers be available BTW?

Uncle Bobby · Post by **Uncle Bobby** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:10 am

Went to the Summerhill store on Saturday, and many of the gift packs were finally available. They even had a mix-six pack (no glass included) from the Van Steenberge brewery. Frankly I prefer the mix-six w/out the glass -- I would hate to think that one would have to buy a glass every time one wanted a bottle of beer.

I picked up a number of packages for gifts, and a couple of things for myself. (It seems like only four weeks ago, that I was standing outside the Orval monastery...!)

Now that the LCBO has gone through the torurous process of actually putting some of these wonderful beers out on the shelves, one has to ask oneself: why can't we get these beers more regularly? I realize that I am preaching to the choir here. And steam must come out of the ears of Rubaiyat and Esprit each time they see questions like this. BUT! really, someone remind me, why did the LCBO stop stocking these products on a year-round basis? I went looking for some bottle-conditioned, Belgian beers only a week or two ago and found only three products: Duvel, Leffe Blonde and Stella (the latter not being bottle-conditioned). If I had been so inclined, I could have instead bought 6 or 7 dozen styles of lager from around the world.

Anyways, as of Saturday, the Summerhill store had most of the products listed on the LCBO gift website, at least as best as I could recall, although I did not see the Petrus gift pack. Not certain what their stock is like. Get there quick if you want to get your Christmas gifts, or if you want to stock up for home consumption.

-Uncle Bobby

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 11:49 am

Uncle Bobby, you should also have been able to find Chimay Premiere in your search for bottle-conditioned Belgian beers. Also, as you no doubt know, we carry a revolving portfolio of some 35 Belgians in the Consignment program although you have to buy in case lots but it's not as though you can't find Belgian beer in Ontario if you really want it...sure, we'd prefer it was in the LCBO but there's not much we can do about it.

borderline_alcoholic · Tue Nov 18, 2003 12:39 pm

On 2003-11-18 10:10, Uncle Bobby wrote:
I would hate to think that one would have to buy a glass every time one wanted a bottle of beer.

It does get annoying after the first 6 boxes. And the lcbo are missing quite an obvious trick too. One of the major points of these packs is as a marketing gimmick, as you still have these glasses afterwards and the thinking is that then you would buy more of that beer throughout the year. From the lcbo this is just not possible. Muppets!

In one or two cases it is not even possible via consignment AFAIK. I think that the only way I can get the Samuel Smith Old Brewery Pale Ale and the Oatmeal Stout at all is to stock up on glassware. Their stout I am less fussed about, but I quite like their Pale Ale once in a while. Thankfully the Belgian ales are pretty readily available.

As an aside, Peter, why do the consignment Samuel Smiths beers come in the smaller bottles rather than the (IMHO much nicer) 550ml ones?