Some monks don't want Americans getting their beer

[cdh]

The monks who make the Trappist Westvleteren ale speak up about just how and where they want their beer distributed. No American customers wanted.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/f...beer-usat_x.htm

http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002708.php

[plattetude]

I'm not sure I reach the same conclusion that the St. Sixtus monks "don't want American customers." It's more a matter that they know they can't (and choose not to) meet demand and that they're warning customers from buying it from black market sources. I don't see any anti-American bias in that, just a commitment to (a) quality and (b) fairness.

My two cents.

Christopher

[Behemoth]

The monks who make the Trappist Westvleteren ale speak up about just how and where they want their beer distributed.  No American customers wanted.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/f...beer-usat_x.htm

http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002708.php

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The article is a lot less controversial than you're making it sound. They just don't make that much beer, and they are saying anything that ends up in the States is probably there illegally.

edit: oops, crossposted.

Edited October 13, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[cdh]

The article is a lot less controversial than you're making it sound.

Ahhh... but you read it. Controversial headlines bring in readers.

And I do think that is interesting that while the beer has a cult following here, the monks would rather it weren't here at all.

I wonder at the legal status of the "do not resell" labels. Under US law, it would be very difficult to sell a physical product with that restriction on it.

If some Belgians buy it and ship it across the Atlantic, I don't see how that is either making a black market, or illegal per se, provided the recipients have their importing paperwork in order here.

If anybody knows whether Belgian law allows a manufacturer to encumber their products with these sorts of restrictions, and whether the Belgian state will enforce them, I'd love to hear a knowledgable analysis.

[mizducky]

I wonder at the legal status of the "do not resell" labels.  Under US law, it would be very difficult to sell a physical product with that restriction on it.

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For what it's worth, lots of food packages here in the US are marked "Not for resale." For instance, the individual packets of instant oatmeal in my boxful of same each bear a notice that they're not for resale. And I've seen it elsewhere as well.

I too think the original article is perfectly sensible and not at all controversial.

[cdh]

Not for resale labels in the US are all about labelling law. Illegal to sell food without nutrional and ingredient information.

Not the same deal w/ beer at all.

If somebody photocopied the ingredients and nutrition from the outside of your oatmeal box and pasted it onto each individual packet, it would then be legal for resale. "Not for Resale" has no legal force in and of itself.

[James Kessler]

How do you pronounce Westvleteren? Could someone please write it phoenetically? Thanks.

I just had what I was told was a bottle of the Westvleteren 8 at a Manhattan bar last week. There was no label on the bottle at all, and I didn't notice or forgot to look at the cap on the bottle. Sorry. But whatever it was that I had was outstanding, and tasted like I would expect Westvleteren 8 to taste. (I've never had it before.)

[Kent Wang]

My understanding about retail and distribution is that distributors sign contracts with the manufacturer about how much to sell, where to sell it, etc. If a distributor is found violating those terms, the manufacturer can refuse to sell any more products through that distributor. It's a strictly civil matter. But because black market selling might result in non-trivial monetary losses from the breach of the contract, no large-scale distributor or retailer will try it.

[BonVivant]

JK, it's pronounced Vest-fleh-te-run

you had an illegal bottle!

cheers

ps: among us beer lovers we simply call it 'Westie'

Edited December 14, 2005 by BonVivantNL (log)

[JohnL]

The monks who make the Trappist Westvleteren ale speak up about just how and where they want their beer distributed.  No American customers wanted.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/f...beer-usat_x.htm

http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002708.php

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I believe you have misrepresented this issue.

The trappist monks distribute the beer in question at the monastery--"cars line up."

The beer carries a label--"not for resale"

The Monks believe that the quality of the beer can not be guaranteed if one buys the beer via any means other than direct pick up at the brewery/monastery.

You used the term "no American customers wanted" --this is a patent misrepresentation of the articles you provided links for--in fact a photo of the monks loading a "Corvette" with their beer is used in one piece.

This is a legitimate concern with most every alcoholic beverage--I worked with Beck's for years and the brewery was always concerned with Beer sold outside their approved distribution chain for financial and quality reasons.

At no time --reading these articles did I get even a remote impression that the Monks did not want Americans to buy their beer nor any other country--they simply want customers to get their beer direct from the monks--that is their approved distribution method.

The articles both made it clear that the Monks do not consider themselves a for profit brewery that makes and exports beer in the traditional manner.

This is about gray market merchandise nothing more nothing less.

Edited December 14, 2005 by JohnL (log)