New Beer Technology. Old Beer Stupidity.
So I have chance to attend a Milwaukee Brewers Game, Opening Weekend of 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio. A lovely spring day for a game. Tickets in the sun, always appreciated by this Wisconsinite. The game highlight for me was a Solo Shot from Rickey Weeks on the second pitch. Then the Brewers lost. So enough baseball.
I am ready to tackle the new season with verve so I walk directly to the nearest beer stand to witness the following:
As I wait in line, I notice that there are no taps or bottles at this kiosk. There are people walking away with frosty beverages. I peer around to see that cups are being filled from the bottom with the New Beer Technology(NBT) from Budweiser. On the bottom of the cup is a round opening with an implanted metal ring with a flat magnetic cap advertising Budweiser.
The workers for that game were volunteers from the local Shiners or Church Group. They are there to raise funds for a good cause and that day my humor level.
The first cup I witness go on to the NBT tap, volunteer #1 presses down to hard on the sides of the cup and crushes the cup. Result – No beer. Cup in garbage.
In comes volunteer #2 to demonstrate NBT to volunteer #1. Volunteer #2 successfully fills cup from the NBT. As volunteer pulls the cup off , the magnet that should float down to seal the bottom floats to the side enough that the seal is not made and beer is flowing out at an approximate 45 degree angle. Result – Volunteer #2 runs off to the garbage can with 18 to 20 ounces of beer flow down his shirt and pants. No beer. Cup in garbage.
In returns an unwavering volunteer #2 to again demonstrate NBT to volunteer #1. Volunteer #2 successfully fills cup from the NBT. Float connects magnetic seal. Result – Beer in cup. Cup in consumer’s hand. The cup that I eventually received with proper seal dripped out the bottom the entire time. I then drank that beer faster as not to waste it.
So why NBT? It seems to me: no foam, therefore a full pour, no spillage on part of seller and the cap on the bottom becomes a refrigerator magnet. So Budweiser wants to charge me for 100% of wasted beer.
Prior to NBT: A tap that flows down creates foam, that is poured off by any respecting server, creating wasted beer, fewer cups each keg, less revenue.
So Budweiser wants me to pay $7 for a cup with a hole in the bottom. This will not happen again as I have figured out your plot with NBT. I am not fooled by NBT marketing. To buy the cup with the hole in the bottom would be Old Beer Stupidity. Be Gone NBT!!!!
Side note: The installation of NBT in your venue will increase your costs: as the number of “crushed by volunteer cups” goes up so does your cost or introduce NBT Volunteer Training – Soft Hands Program which also increases not only your cost but also time..
Cleaning costs will now increase with increased beer spillage since all cups will leak until emptied. The game of “stick your finger through the hole in the bottom of your buddy’s cup to spill his beer” would also greatly increase cleaning. With the old cups, the more volume drank out of each cup, the less chance of spilling the reduced contents while walking.
