Walgreens beer selection - including very old craft beer. Photo: Mathew Powers

[Feb 11th Edit: Since writing the article below, I have received one email from a Walgreens representative. However, the email went through my editor, and the subject simply involved "trying to find my email." I responded to that email, and offered to open up my blog to Walgreens for a response, but to no avail. I have never heard back from him or her again. I am still hopeful, though.

On the other hand, I have received emails and tweets from distribution representatives who thanked me for writing this -- I am humbled by that, to say the least. They have since contacted the stores and are hoping to rectify the situation, which is not to say this situation equates to Watergate, obviously. It was, and is, my goal to get old, stale craft beer off the shelves at Walgreens. It appears that I have been mildly successful in getting the ball rolling, at least. Cheers to that!]

The original blog is below:

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Walgreens sells exceptionally old craft beer. One wonders...What else to they sell that’s old?

Walgreens, mostly known as a pharmacy and drug store, has ostensibly transitioned into a high-end convenience store. Most Walgreens now contain several aisles of groceries, wine, liquor and beer – including craft beer. Some Walgreens even offer ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads, and desserts. It reminds one of the old White Hen stores, but with a pharmacy, too.

However, when it comes to craft beer, Walgreens is mismanaged, misguided, and misinformed. They are making a mockery of what craft beer is all about, mostly due to their practice of pushing remarkably old beer onto its customers.

Take for instance, displaying Sierra Nevada’s 2015 Summerfest front-and-center on the shelves during the first week of February, and then having the audacity to put it on sale. This may seem like a good idea to someone in charge of moving inventory, like moving old toys or winter coats, but we are talking about something one consumes. Can Walgreens really think selling Summerfest – 2015 Summerfest – in the midst of winter (2016!) somehow instills confidence in its customers that Walgreens employs knowledgeable staff? It makes me think they are unaware of the current position of the Earth on its orbit around the Sun.

Does Walgreens want to show customers, many of who are there for the purposes of getting, or remaining, healthy, to think they encourage the purchasing of old products? Is that the Walgreens philosophy? Is that the corner of "happy and healthy?"

But, it gets worse.

Sometimes, they sell beer that is more than one year past its “best-by” date - and it’s not so obvious to find!

Are they ignorant of best-by dates, negligent, or simply don’t care about their customers? It think it is a fair question, since the proof is on their shelves.

Encouraging people into buying craft beer that’s way past its prime, notably hoppy beer that should almost never be aged, is also senseless.

A new craft-beer drinker will taste it, be unimpressed, and never buy it again. How does this help Walgreens move product? A knowledgeable craft-beer drinker will immediately know the beer is old. Thus, the next time they need beer, and maybe a few other items, they will go to Jewel, Meijer, or other stores. Certainly, they will not go to Walgreens just for beer. A knowledgeable craft-beer drinker, which is not a small part of the population anymore, might also ask the question, “If they sell beer this old, what else is old in this place?” Does a place that sell drugs want anyone thinking that?

Walgreens' strategy of selling craft beer is incredibly misguided, as well. The hodgepodge of brands, styles, and selections points to a complete lack of focus and direction. My advice would be to not only sell mostly local and regional crafts (with a few nationally recognized craft beer brands), but also feature it.

Instead of pushing old, bad, stale products, might I suggest that Walgreens...

Show people that craft beer is worth trying, and then when they try it -- fresh beer -- they might actually like it and buy more of it...from Walgreens!

Show people that they not only care about their customers' happiness, but also the local economy. Show people Walgreens is a part of the community!

Selling the right beer, selling it fresh, and promoting it responsibly, will alleviate the problem of having craft beer sit on the shelves. Randomly selling a White IPA -- a style that only caters to a portion of ardent craft-beer fans, and really old beer, is utterly pointless.

On a more disturbing note, why would anyone trust Walgreens with his or her medicinal needs if Walgreens can't seem to check a simple best-by date on beer? What else in the store is old? I would never claim they push old drugs onto their customers; I have no evidence of that. However, Walgreens is presumably a trusted pharmaceutical dispenser. Should they be? Should we trust a place that either intentionally, ignorantly, or carelessly sells old, consumable products?

Is that trustworthy? I wonder.

Maybe Walgreens thinks it is still the 1970s? Maybe they hired Morty Seinfeld?

[Note: Although I have reached out to Walgreens with several emails, I have yet to hear back from them on this matter. I am hopeful they will respond to this blog.]

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