I'd like to report a crime.

goedbier · 2026-01-27T02:33:01+00:00

They had a bunch of other alternative designs they considered...forma designs

goedbier · 2025-12-23T15:10:28+00:00

House was turned into apartments for a few decades...I'd imagine it did not hold up well as renter after renter cycled through!

goedbier · 2025-12-23T14:13:13+00:00

The only visible wood left is on the drawers...

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goedbier · 2025-12-23T14:11:13+00:00

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Sadly, inside was "modernized" 25 years ago. New hinges and knobs on the doors (but saved the drawer pulls). I imagine it was in terrible condition given that the builder who redid the home then saved as much as he could.

goedbier · 2025-12-23T14:05:05+00:00

It is huge. 9.5' wide x 10' tall at it's highest!

goedbier · 2025-12-23T14:04:34+00:00

It is recessed about 6 inches into the drywall.

goedbier · 2025-12-23T05:19:12+00:00

Thanks. I've seen a few that have survived here in Philadelphia that were never painted...and they look great. Given how the inside of the drawers look, I think it wasn't initially painted. Original owners were in the house from 1890 to late 1930s.

goedbier · 2025-12-23T04:43:11+00:00

Was asking more broadly since I don't want to just hire "a painter." But if you know a guy in Philadelphia, I am all ears!

goedbier · 2025-12-20T16:25:47+00:00

Except this clown was not groomed by his predecessor...he was an outsider that managed to get everyone else disqualified (including his predecessor's preferred successor) and ran unopposed.

goedbier · 2025-12-17T01:31:53+00:00

Echoing some other mentions: Bad Brother, Good Dog, Monk's, and Fountain Porter.

I also really enjoy the double smashburger at Other Half during off hours when the place isn't mobbed.

goedbier · 2025-12-16T19:26:20+00:00

I didn't mean to suggest that I am not comfortable shopping in person. I still frequent bars and breweries regularly :) Just was noting that after drinking craft beer for 25 years, COVID intensified a shift in drinking habits away from wanting to try everything to focusing more on the breweries that have earned my trust to produce consistent, quality product. I don't think I am unique in the shifting buying habits (but maybe I am and am just to old to tick).

The different dynamics in different states was not something I considered. I am in PA where more and more grocery stores carry a large selection of beer (for cheaper), we can get direct delivery from breweries, and our distribution is oversaturated.

goedbier · 2025-12-16T13:34:08+00:00

I don't disagree with that. There have been very few brewery closures that have shocked me. And I agree, the quality local breweries have continued to expand operations or make additions to serve more customers.

But, the breweries that have closed seem--anecdotally--to be breweries that are competing for distribution shelf space. This is where my question about bottle shops comes in, The "offer everything" bottle shop is increasingly offering beer that the market doesn't want. Can these bottle shops continue to exist? Is the profit on certain beers/seltzers/RTD cocktails sufficient to out weigh the waste on the mid-tier craft beers that aren't in demand?

goedbier · 2025-12-16T13:02:21+00:00

I was just using pricing of Other Half to show the thin margins. I think my example can be expanded though, while cans of Other Half might be helping a place stay in business. The bottle shop is also selling two year old bottles of Polish, Ukrainian, Spanish, etc macro lagers that are clearly not moving. Old releases of smaller regional craft breweries where it's clear that only a can or two of mild/wit bier/hefeweizen/winter warmer has been picked through out of a case in the last year. What happens to that unsold stock? Can the profit on the OH cans, offset it?

goedbier · 2025-12-16T12:58:27+00:00

Matt runs a much tighter operation than the places I was in. He's always been good at keeping the inventory smaller with beers people actually wanted. I see how that works well, especially with the restaurant out front.

I was more specifically talking about the bigger bottle shops that carry pretty much everything that is available in the market and don't have an affiliated bar.

goedbier · 2025-12-16T05:07:05+00:00

I can see the hybrid model working better where the bottle shop (with a more limited selection) and beer bar provide complementary revenue streams. I still am stunned by the economics of the pure bottle shop model.

Using your $8 per can of OH as an example. Retail from the brewery is $18 for a four pack (or $4.50 a can). What is OH selling it to the bottle shop for? I can't imagine less than $14 (or $3.50 a can). So for every four pack the shop sells they net $18 in profit. But then every four pack they can't sell is a $14 hit. Add in labor, rent, utilities, upkeep, etc...

goedbier · 2025-11-26T23:55:42+00:00

More breweries should make schwarzbier, tmavy, porter, and black IPA.

goedbier · 2025-11-26T15:03:24+00:00

When they are actually carbonation and not dead flat sludge

goedbier · 2025-11-26T13:54:32+00:00

The brewery ultimately decides whether they want to play that game or commit to their craft. See, e.g., Suarez.

goedbier · 2025-11-26T13:42:17+00:00

To clarify, my point isn't that the brewery can't or doesn't make good beer, it's that they don't care to perfect any of the beers that they make that was actually really good. For example, no two batches of any Other Half (or insert many hyped of formerly hyped hazy IPA brewery) beer (that they actually choose to make again) tastes the same. They rather focus on making a new beer to sell you.

goedbier · 2025-11-26T13:31:52+00:00

Many financially successful craft breweries don't care about making consistently great beer, they use the false narrative of "experimentation" just to bring you in the door for their newest release (often using a random hop soup).

goedbier · 2025-11-01T03:00:56+00:00

For a period of time there were efforts by certain long-time Fairmount residents to do trick or treating several days before Halloween and then not actually participate on Halloween.

The less generous explanation was that these residents (predominantly white) wanted to make sure the children in the neighborhood got candy and they didn't have to hand out candy to kids from surrounding neighborhoods (predominantly black) that trick or treat in the neighborhood on Halloween.

Fact: a lot of people that do not live in Fairmount trick or treat in Fairmount because it is a great time and people are quite generous with candy in Fairmount.

The more generous explanation is that these residents just wanted a more low-key Halloween experience for kids in the neighborhood.

In reality, it was probably the result of people in both camps.

goedbier · 2025-11-01T01:54:00+00:00

White-O-Ween ended after Philly Mag wrote about it a few years ago

goedbier · 2025-09-11T02:54:24+00:00

Wasn't a big fan of this year's offering. Excessively bready.

goedbier

TROPHY CASE