BeerBorg

I was in Lowes two weeks ago waiting to pick something up, looked along the back wall by the garden center and there it was Christmas stuff ! Lady told me they already had it in and on shelves since middle of August!!! This morning watching the news, Great Lakes announces their tapping date for Christmas Ale on Halloween day! I remember it wasn't but a couple of years ago we could look forward to Thanksgiving week for availability. Barely after July Fourth grocery stores around here had Halloween candy out! Retailers are sucking the life out of Holidays by having to be the first ones in!

This is getting scary ridiculous.

Pretty soon storm troopers will arrive in our neighborhoods and pile into buses to be forcibly transported to the stores.

Hey, I'm going out this weekend for all the Memorial Day sales.

Just shows how bad things are that businesses have to fight for every little bit they can get as early as they can get it.
I haven't left my computer for the last 8 Christmas shopping seasons. If I can't buy it online, it isn't bought. To me the spirit of Christmas isn't standing in line with people who are grumpy, tired, broke and can't get the gift they want. Guess I'm in the minority.

I refuse to participate. I have not bought a pumpkin ale yet. I won't buy such a thing until mid October. I did pick up an Oktoberfest, but it's actually appropriate to get those now. I get some Great Lakes Christmas ale this year, but not until there is snow on the ground at least once, or yule, whichever comes first.

Agreed. I am not ready to start diving into holiday stuff. It just isn't right IMO.

I'm brewing my Christmas Ale next weekend. That's ok, right?

I try to tap it on Thanksgiving weekend.

MrBandGuy wrote:I'm brewing my Christmas Ale next weekend. That's ok, right?

I try to tap it on Thanksgiving weekend.

LOL, yes. Preparing (brewing) for the holidays is one thing. Starting to stock stores with merchandise is another IMO. The deepest layers of hell are reserved for merchants who do this.

Ok, that's a bit harsh but I don't like even seeing Starbucks pimping the Pumpkin Spice Latte yet - and I'm not in there very often

MrBandGuy wrote:I'm brewing my Christmas Ale next weekend. That's ok, right?

I try to tap it on Thanksgiving weekend.

Now that ^^^^ right there is acceptable behavior AND right on time.

Let's not forget that the retailers do not stock Christmas items or put out Christmas displays. They are Holiday items and Holiday displays. And the Holidays start earlier and earlier every year.