Harris Teeter says customers will soon be able to buy three varieties of private-label beer at its stores. The move follows the trend of retailers trying to boost profits by pushing their own brands as lower-priced alternatives to national labels.
Called Barrel Trolley, Harris Teeter says the new beers are intended to give customers another option when shopping for craft beer. Barrel Trolley will be available this month at Harris Teeter locations that sell alcohol.
Here's what Harris Teeter has to say about the beers' flavors: "The Belgian White Ale promises bright flavors of orange balanced by subtly spicy coriander. The Pale Ale, with three types of hops, offers a complex citrus hope aroma with deep flavor and a long crisp finish. Finally, the Amber Ale, coming this fall to stores, is a medium bodied craft beer with a complex malt flavor and a subtle citrus aroma."
A six-pack will retail for $7.99 - more than Budweiser, Miller and Coors, but less than some craft beers at Harris Teeter, which can set you back as much as $10.99.
Private labels have expanded more quickly as consumers sought to save money in the downturn. They're generally more profitable for retailers to sell. Family Dollar has been revamping it's Family Gourmet line, which it hopes will help it keep growing the proportion of private label goods it sells and offset profit-killers such as rising gas prices.
Alcohol hasn't been immune from the privatization trend. Trader Joe's has long sold its Charles Shaw (Two-buck Chuck) wines and has a wide private label beer selection too. Other retailers have been getting into the mix too - 7-Eleven and Walgreens have both started selling private label beers, called Game Day and Big Flats 1901. Harris Teeter already sells Oak Creek, its private label wine.
Have you seen Barrel Trolley in stores? Better yet, if you've tasted it, what are your thoughts - can it compete with craft brewery big boys like Sierra Nevada, Rogue and Sweetwater?
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98 comments:
Nonsense. Paying that much for beer, sheer idiocy.
Nonsense is paying for crappy beer - Budweiser, Coors, Miller, etc.
Who is brewing it for HT?
"Nonsense. Paying that much for beer, sheer idiocy."
$7.99 is the entry point for craft beers.
It just depends on how affluent you are and how much you like good beer. Don't like it don't buy it.
I'm sure the product will be good, but the name is very odd. very random.
Budweiser, Coors and Miller are carbonated alcohol water - they contain no live yeast and are effectively a "dead" beer.
Saw it at the HT at Highland Creek. But haven't tried it. Yet.
At $7.99 they are going for a different demographic than those that buy Coors, Bud, etc. I'll definitely give it a try. Besides the only thing Coors and Bud is good for is tailgating when it's 90 degrees out or pouring them on your brats.
This is yet another pitiful attempt at the Harris Teeter chain trying to price gouge its customer base. Most people are sick and tired of being ripped at the cash register, except of course for the sorry Ballantyne/Southpark soccer moms in their SUVs. Makes me sick to my stomach. I'll stick with Food Lion.
Wow. Beer snobs are as nauseating as wine snobs.
Ahh, the trendy-elite: Commenting on what good beer is. Well, don't fool yourselves. It's only a select group of you that really care about that mess.
There's nothing wrong with Miller and Budweiser products. At least they aren't driving the price up and you can reasonably afford it. Well, at least they're reasonable at places other than Harris Teeter. I wouldn't shop there for any fake beer, craft or otherwise!
.........and Harris Teeter soccer mom trash are even snobbier than craft beer fools.
It's probably brewed in Matthews......at Butler!
The dead yeast comment is hilarious. Almost all beer except for a very special few is without "live" yeast. Those that do contain live yeast are made that way to continue to grow their character and age. For most brewers, having live microorganisms still alive in your final product....that's a bad thing.
The cool thing is craft beers. The ironic thing...3/4ths the people drinking them have no idea what they are drinking or truly experiencing.
Budweiser and Coors are the equivalent of Panther p1ss.
It looks like it is from World Brews out of Rochester NY. Apparently they also brew for Whole Foods.
Harris Teeter has never proven to me that their store brand of vegetables, sauces, and a few other items are anything "special" so they give me no reason to trust that this will be good beer. I think they corporately purchase very mundane and bland products to try and grab business from companies who spend more money in taste research and development. Unless they can show me where it is brewed, thumbs down. I'll pay more for Beer that I know where it comes from and who brews it. Signed, ES in Park Road Area.
Trader Joes carries "Mission Street IPA". Probably some of the best IPA thats ever ran across my tongue.
Oh God, now here come the Trader Joe lovers and their elitist attitudes. All those shopppers are good for are hogging up the parking deck at midtown, just for some trendy reason to be seen by the Dilworthy crowd. What a sorry bunch.
Give it up, Harris Teeter. You can keep your teaparty nose in the air women and their 'yes ma'am' husbands, as well as your overblown prices and no parking. BYE!!! Oh, and I hope all the screaming, bratty kids and their dead brain parents running around makes you happy. They both need a good paddle to the behinds.
I only drink a private label beer brewed by Tibetan Monks in North Korea. It’s smuggled out of Korea through Cuba and then comes across the border from Mexico. You can get it legally in Grenada too. It can only be served naturally chilled, not “ice cold” the way you stupid Americans drink it. Further you have to bury it in the earth to ferment and dig it up for consumption only from October through January. It costs over a $100.00 per ounce but it’s worth it. I typically hire Harris Teeter Soccer Mom trash to clip my toenails, in case you were wondering.
My staple beer is Sierra Nevada pale ale. I picked up some of this not knowing it was a store brand. It was pretty good but not as bitter as I would like. It's worth a try.
these comments are hilarious, all this talk of snobbery and not a single actual knowledgable comment on the quality or taste of this beer. bud drinkers can be snobs too i guess.
Why the hell would you want to drink beer brewed in Matthews, NC?! I will stay clear of this beer for sure.
$8 is way too much for a six pack of beer. I just don't get these yuppies trying to change things. Get back up to New York and leave us the hell alone.
Here's my review of Barrel Trolley Pale Ale:
http://www.frugalflavornova.com/2011/07/my-review-of-barrel-trolley-pale.html
Genesee is nastee!
Another lame attempt by HT to sell overpriced pretentiousness. Who makes the beer? Surely not HT. Also, a brand you've never heard of doesn't qualify it as a "craft beer". More than likely, it's gonna be a crap beer. $7.99 as a cheaper alternative? To what?
It probably isn't much different than the Trader Joe's and Costco private label beers which are brewed by Gordon Biersch.
My thought on these beers is that they achieve the lower price point by sacrificing the volume of hops and barley used thus sacrificing the flavor. If you are trying to save some money though, you can get a 24 pack of the Costco brand beer for $18.
I'm sure Harris-Teeter appreciates the free advertising.
bahahaha. Tibetan Monks, love that comment. CO should hire you.
I don't think I'll be paying $8 for generic beer. I'll stick to what I know.
Yep, that's what I would recommend. There are TONS of much better beers at the $8 price point.
You get what you pay for. I started drinking Bud and Coors, and they do have their place - a tailgate in 90 degree heat at a race or football game- and poured over your burgers or brats. However, if I want to truly enjoy (taste) my beer while eating or sitting on the back porch, it's worth the extra 35 cents per 12 oz bottle. I suppose some of you prefer "Dr. Perky" because $6 is just too much to pay for a 6 pack of Dr. Pepper. For the record, this "beer snob" was born and raised here. I'm quite proud to drink beer made in Farmville, Asheville, Charlotte or Greensboro NC. Send that cheap stuff back up north to Milwaukee and St. Louis! I'm all for brand loyalty, but geez, if there's a better product, dont be afraid to try it.
I'll give it a try, however if you really want a good local beer have some OMB (Olde Meck Brewery). Their Copper Ale is fantastic.
"Oh God, now here come the Trader Joe lovers and their elitist attitudes".....Dude if recommending an excellent $6 IPA is an elitist attitude then you need to seriously take a look at yourself and recalibrate.
Wow, folks "up North" in Milwaukee and St. Louis are now considered Yankees. 09:52 is not only a beer snob, he's an idiot to boot.
I hate Harris Teeter with their rude staff, hateful cops, and high prices.
hot days like this..why not stay in and drink some cold beers like the Charlotte John blogger haha. harris teet is over-priced though...not sure about the 'hateful cops' comment...i haven't experienced that
Foothills is releasing Sexual Chocolate on Saturday. People from all over the East Coast come in for it.
Then you need to get your self promoting _____ to the Central Ave. Midwood store. No parking, the cops there treat customers like inmates, and the managers act like they don't give a damn.
Drink what ya like. Eat what ya like. Every now and then try something you may or may not like.
I guess it doesn't matter much, I'd be wary of trusting my tastebuds and my buzz to any store brand, but I would like to see the ingredients list. Is there rice or corn syrup in it, making it as sickly sweet as the macros?
St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Tibetan Monks, so what. You jokers haven’t had beer until you’ve tasted what the Himalayan Hindu Masters in Sweden produce. They ferment monkey urine for no less than 3 years, mix it with daisy pollen, and sparrow sh!t, and boil it down to produce the sweetest sugar this side of Rock Hill. They then mix that with Belgian wheat, hops from Vermont, and Scottish barley and rye. You really haven’t lived until you’ve had this beer. They call it, “put it in a pretty bottle with a weird name and sell it to dumbass American hipsters too stupid to know any better”.
WWJD?
What
would
Jesus
drink?
"Foothills is releasing Sexual Chocolate on Saturday. People from all over the East Coast come in for it".......Thanks, may drive up, took a look at their website. Will they run out? If you know, how does this compare to Young's Double Chocalate? If you could elaborate.
your all going to burn in hell for drinking alcohol! (even though there was wine served at the last supper)your all still gonna burn!
I found a beer that I like that is available at Aldi's. It is direct from Germany and is called Wernesgrüner Pilsner. It is $5.99 a 6-pack everyday. If you like a crisp import taste at a resonable price, this is it.
I'm having a hard time figuring out how spending $8-9 for a 6 pack of locally brewed beer is more pretentious than spending $4-5 for a 6 pack of beer owned by a multi-national corporation such as Anheuser-Bush.
I never push the craft beer I enjoy on my macro-drinking friends unless they ask. Funny thing is, more and more of them are showing up at social events with 6 packs of craft brew.
Big Boss, Highland, and Mother Earth are a few of my NC favorites. Buy local!
What's with people reposting their lame comments again and again? They were barely funny once.
With some of these idiotic comments on here, I find it amazing some people can even turn on a computer to get on the Internet.
wsw, thanks for the link to your review.
All you beer lovers are welcome to join me at The Flying Saucer this evening for a "Stone Arrogant Bastard" not me...the beer of the day!!!
Cheers...John
If anyone thinks that this type of article really deserves "thoughtful" and "non-idiotic" comments rather than witty ones, join a holier than thou blog page.
As for beer, thank you Harry, for the suggestion. I just had the wangwacker and am inspired to open an bottomless male-driving rickshaw business.
They took oer joebs
To: 10:25 AM
The Fotthills line forms about 4am. I went in Feb 2010, arrived about 11a got in line and they ran out when I was 5th in line. I was able to sample at the bar. I remember it being very smooth for the style and chocolatey with a hint of coffee. I enjoyed.
This is a beery interesting blog!
Well I live in Southpark, drink good beer and cheap beer, and don't give a crap how many of you resent me for either one! It doesn't matter if people understand what the beer style is or not - if you like it, drink it. On the price - if you've ever bought a bud at a bar you paid more than these type of beers cost.
"The Foothills line forms about 4am. I went in Feb 2010, arrived about 11a got in line and they ran out when I was 5th in line. I was able to sample at the bar. I remember it being very smooth for the style and chocolatey with a hint of coffee. I enjoyed"......THANK YOU.
The hate for people who like expensive beer, or shop at certain stores is pretty pathetic really. If you're on here blasting folks for those things, you really need to relax, grow up, and get a life..seriously, it will make you feel better.
This article brought out the weirdos.
WSP SUX
Wow, it's amazing how the "have nots" really hate the haves. If they spent less time "hating" and more time just worrying about themselves they would be a lot more happy. And to the poster who "hates" Trader Joes and the "elitist attitiude". Have you ever been in a TJ's?? These are the most laid back and happy people in our city! If I'm in a bad mood I can just go there and the relaxed and happy vibes take over the most grumpy attitude.
You want to know what it takes to sell real estate? It takes BRASS BALLS to sell real estate. Go and do likewise gents. Money's out there. You pick it up, it's yours. You don't, I got no sympathy for you. You wanna go out on those sits tonight and close, CLOSE. It's yours. If not you're gonna be shining my shoes. And you know what you'll be saying - a bunch of losers sittin' around in a bar. 'Oh yeah. I used to be a salesman. It's a tough racket.'
12:02 brass balls....?????????????
@ 12:02 Hilarious. One of the best opening scenes ever. I'm going to have to watch that later.
You all have proven why Asheville is so much better than Redneck Nascar banktown!
I think PurpleTorndao may have scammed me (SBIX ticket)
It ain't no Big Flats, that's for sure
rank your favirite 80"s metal bands:
queensryche
slayer
bon jovi
styx
strong weiner
IRON MAIDEN
@JULY 13, 2011 10:57 AM - no problem at all. I hope it was helpful.
Barrel Trolley is supposedly made by World Brews A subsidiary of Winery Exchange out of Novato, California.
Their beers score mostly on the lower end according to BeerAdvocate. Only one of there beers "Tap Room #21 Lager" got a score of A-.
Worst "craft" beer I've ever had...they should sell this crap by busch light. Wonder which REAL craft beer got kicked to curb so HT could get some more profits? Probably some little brewer just trying to make ends meet.
I'm pretty sure, whoever it was that got kicked to the curb DEFINITELY produced better beer than this. I took my 6 pack back to HT for a refund and got some blue moon.
I can't believe the level of snobbery here, from both macro and micro drinkers alike.
I haven't had these beers, but at $7.99 there are certainly many craft beers I would choose over it. Sierra Nevada beers are often available at $7.99, and they are excellent (especially Torpedo).
If you like Bud, Miller and Coors, I could care less -- but don't call someone "elitist" just because they prefer the taste of craft beer to some nondescript light lager.
If you Charlotteans enjoy craft beer, I'd love for you to check out www.charlottebeer.com.
Cheers!
Daniel
You Charlotte folk are a riot! Why is someone an "elitist" because he or she prefers the premium taste, quality and flavor of a craft beer? I love me some Coors Light, but I mostly love it because I can get it at $12.99 for a 24 pack (and that's at Harris Teter, to all the HT haters! Not all the time, of course, but frequently w/ VIC). It's cool, it's refreshing, but I need 6 to get a decent buzz! Craft beers are really delicious, and not meant for the tailgate... There's a big difference between the 2, and liking craft beers (and paying for them) doesn't make one "elitist." Nor, for that matter, does shopping at HT ;)
1:28- wow....you "upgraded" to Blue Moon. Did you put an orange in it too?
Can't wait to try this stuff!
For once an article worthy of my typical response. *Burp*
Who ever said Genesee is correct. Genesee brews for World Brew.
Harris Teeter can burn on the lake of fire and take their Ballantyne soccer trash with them. We don't want your teaparty beer!
Amen. This stuff made me sick and I'm thinking about legal action against Harris Teeter. About time they got off of all that money they've been taking from people.
i wish poor people would stay out of my newspaper. i feel like i've been shopping at wal-mart reading these comments. time for a shower!
Wow. It takes such a "bad-a$$, intimidating" person to talk crap and profile people with a keyboard! Get a life! Beer is like music. There is no such thing as a sucky band because there is always someone out there who likes it.
Like momma said, "If you ain't got nothing nice to say, keep your mouth shut!" Ignorance breeds ignorance and that is clearly rampid in these comments. Thanks for the laughs!
On so many forums and blogs there is such bitterness and animosity in Charlotte, over beer no less.
The banks have turned this place into a disgrace of the human race.
me, me, me, me, me! mine, mine, mine, mine!
Let us not forget that most all Craft Beer started out as, for lack of a better word Generic, thats what gives them character.Look at Fat Tire, it started out as a Basement Brew and now it's in 26 States...soon to be 28 to include D.C. and it's the 3rd largest Craft Beer in the Country behind Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada. World Brews does contract brewing for several Private Label brands for different Grocery Chains and your right; it gives the retailer a way to get a higher margin and still offer the consumer a decent value. My advise would be to give it a shot, if you don't like it keep it in the fridge and pass it off to the in-laws when they come over. Who knows, you might love it and over the course of the year you would have saved yourself some money.
I purchased the belgian wit last weekend. Not too bad and for 6.99$ not a bad price either. Will def try it again.
Some of you people are retarded. I'm surprised you moron know what a blog is and how to leave a post.
@ 6:22 PM
Oh the irony.
Bark less; wag more.
1:51-Beer discounts at the Teet are just that: discounts. They are never attached to the use of the VIC card. Frankly, I think HT has the best selection and pricing of beers (micro and macro alike) among any of the major regional grocers, and I miss them when I head south of the border. Lowe's Foods, though, to their credit, is at least trying.
I'm drinking the Belgian white as I type. Good beer and it represents the style well. You'll save a dollar or two compared to some of the more well known craft beers. I'd buy it again.
Picked up a six-pack of the pale ale this afternoon on a whim (and it was on sale for $6.99). Not amazing, but not bad, either. Buy again? Possibly, if the price is right. Stumbled across your write-up googling for it.
It is really important for alcohol sellers from shops, supermarkets, pubs and bars to take an NCPLH course. This course is designed for those alcohol sellers to become a personal license holder. This course covers topics like the Licensing Act of 2003, how to properly sell and supply alcohol, legal responsibilities and underage access and protection of children from harm.
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