Hoppy Times January/February 1999
"Online" Edition - Volume 6 Issue 1
"Every product we make greets you with a Smile"™
Topics In This Illustrious "Online" Issue Are:
HOPPY WEBSITE HAS RECORD NUMBER OF HITS!!!
HOPPY UPGRADES ITS MERCHANDISE PAGE...
HOPPY AND THE ABC!!!
HOPPY YEAR IN REVIEW AND WHAT IS NEXT...
HOPPY UPCOMING EVENTS!!!
HOPPY STAFF...
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might enjoy
reading our "hoppy" news...
HOPPY WEBSITE HAS RECORD NUMBER OF HITS!!!
AUBURN, CA - Hoppy Brewing Company was an early pioneer in the microbrewery industry by being one of the first to utilize the ubiquity of the Internet. Their online presence has seen steady growth over the past four years, that was until they posted their pictures from the last Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado to their website...
We recently managed to catch up with a busy Mr. Chris Baerwaldt, Hoppy's Information Systems Engineer, to ask him what all of the excitement was about. "I think we do a pretty good job of keeping track of statistics around here, and I just could not believe my eyes when I looked at the statistics for November. Until someone started posting our address to various websites around the world, we had been receiving about 18,000 hits per month for this last year, but in November we received a record of over 1.2 million hits, which just totally blows all of our previous numbers off of the charts," adds a still quite amazed Mr. Baerwaldt. "Yeah, it's too bad that we weren't able to receive a penny for every one of those hits," concludes Hoppy's Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Andrew Reid.
If you are wondering what all of the hubbub is about, feel free to click on the link below. However, if you are offended by viewing temporary tattoos on various parts of the human body, please avoid going to this page, some pictures are a bit risque for general viewing, and since there are a lot of pictures, it might take a bit to download...
www.hoppy.com/gabf98_pix.htm
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AUBURN, CA - With its recent explosive "online" exposure, the crew at Hoppy Brewing has decided that it was time to upgrade its merchandise page on its website.
"We have had a lot of requests for baseball caps (lids), and various other items that we haven't offered in the past," adds an enthusiastic Mr. Robert Helms, Hoppy's Director of Promotions, "so we figured that it was time to do away with the t-shirts and focus on higher quality embroidered items." "In addition to just clothing, we are interested in providing an avenue for people to download our posters, wallpaper for their computers, bumper stickers, and other fun stuff. Lastly, and it's not available yet, but we are in the process of developing a Hoppy screen saver and, a unique little game for people to play," finishes an excited Mr. Helms, about their new web page.
Feel free to click on the link below, and check back every now and then for future updates and more fun stuff.
www.hoppy.com/goodies.htm
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AUBURN, CA - Being a pioneer in any industry is filled with opportunities and setbacks. Hoppy Brewing has recently been informed by the Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control for the State of California, that some of the information that it has been providing "freely" to interested consumers since its inception in 1994 on its website and in its bi-monthly newsletter is not allowed under [current] California law.
As quoted in a recent letter from the ABC: "The Department considers supplier advertising of retail licensees to be a [thing of value] within the meaning and intent of Sections 25500 and 25502 of the California Business and Professions Code." "This is unfortunate, since this information does not cost anything to begin with, and we do not consider it advertising," comments a rather disturbed and disappointed, Mr. Troy Paski, Hoppy's President and CEO.
"We will more than happily comply with their request by removing links to where to find our products, and it is not our intent to circumvent or undermine the law, but we will also work on changing the law so that we can continue to provide the very best customer service available to our loyal customers," adds Mr. Paski.
If you believe this law needs to be changed as much as we do, please feel free to write to us or the ABC at:
Hoppy Brewing Company Dept. of Alcohol Beverage Control
13257 Luther Rd or 3810 Rosin Court, Suite 150
Auburn, CA 95603 Sacramento, CA 95834
ATTN: Business Practices ATTN: Business Practices
With your input, we will work on getting this "law" changed so that you may once again have an idea of where to find our products in a location near you...
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AUBURN, CA - 1998...What a long strange year it has been... From politics to space-flight, and from sports to entertainment, it seems as though no record was unattainable and no subject unmentionable as we continued to march forward at an ever increasing pace into the next millennium...
Unfortunately, 1998 saw a record number of microbreweries fall by the wayside as fast as honeybees at a stinging convention, and yet Hoppy Brewing managed to still hang in there plugging away making their products available to loyal consumers in the Bay Area and to some extent the foothills east of Sacramento. However, things were a bit more rosier for those with a "retail" location (e.g., a brewpub per se) in the industry. This segment of the industry has continued to see steady growth and a solid foundation to continue building upon as it enters the 21st Century. So don't worry about craft-brewed beer going away, it's just going to be harder to find in the coming year on your local store shelves and in your local restaurants...
With that thought in mind, and with online shopping becoming ever more convenient, Hoppy Brewing has recently teamed up with a company out of San Jose called Fulgent Technologies, Inc.. Fulgent is one of the fastest growing developers, publishers, and distributors of software for Internet business solutions for the Grocery industry.
With headquarters in California's Silicon Valley, Fulgent is successfully deploying its eGrocer technology to high-end supermarket chains across North America. Fulgent's unique approach to electronic commerce easily coexists with a stores current business operations, thereby allowing stores to publish their entire inventory of products and take orders without forcing store operators to deal with the intimate details of the Internet.
For more information on Fulgent, and their online technology, please visit them at www.eGrocer.com, and if you like what you see, please let them know that we sent you...
Various other things to look for from Hoppy in 1999 (MIM) are:
1) their Liquid Sunshine in six-packs (if the proper funding can be procured),
2) their 5 year anniversary party in July,
3) a continued commitment to supporting their partners in the industry,
4) and of course a year end Millennium Brew & Party. Better stock up on those Prince records now while they're still relatively cheap... :)
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Mr. Robert Helms, Hoppy's Promotions Director, is currently doing a radio show on business related matters out of San Francisco on Saturday mornings at 9:00am. The radio station is KBPA 1220AM for those who want and/or can tune in to it. Let us know if you tune the show in and what your thoughts are on it...
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Exploratorium will be having a Frogs Exhibition Opening on February 11th, 1999, with approximately 1,000 Members attending the event. Come visit with members of the Hoppy Crew as they pour samples of their fine brews and help kickoff this fine event.
SAN JOSE, CA - Spring will be right around the corner, and just before Spring comes the annual Mardi Gras Celebration. On February 16th, from 5:30pm - 12:00am, Post Street in front on Waves Smokehouse & Saloon in downtown San Jose becomes the West Coast version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. As the official water sponsor for the event, Hoppy Springs will be there to re-hydrate you as your body needs it. For more information about this event, feel free to click on the link below. We hope to see you and your "beads" there for one festive time!!!
www.PostStreetMardiGras.com If you are interested in helping out at an event, or know of a good event for Hoppy to attend, please send Troy a note at troy@hoppy.com. I know he will be glad to hear from you.
In addition, if you would like a complete listing of what we currently have on our calendar, please click on the following web address. www.hoppy.com/future.htm
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If you are interested in sending one of us a note, just visit the following page and click on a name that has interest to you. We promise to write back in a timely manner... :) www.hoppy.com/feedback.htm
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Remember...the craft brew industry is very competitive, and we can always use your help when you are out there in the bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and etc. How can you help us you may be asking yourselves??? Well...we need you to ask your local retailer(s) for our products (to the point of bugging them if necessary), so that you are able to buy the products that you "really" want - not just what is on the store shelf or on tap at the moment...
You, the consumer, have more power than you may know. Speak up, speak clearly, and your earnest taste buds may reap those proactive rewards. If you do this, then we are sure it will not be long before you will be able to enjoy our Liquid Sunshine™ Blonde, Hoppy Face™ Amber, and Total Eclipse™ Black Ales, and our newest product Hoppy Springs™ "Pre-Brewed" Spring Water outside of attending a local festival...
Thinking Globally - Brewing Locally!!!
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Last updated:
12/03/06 / Comments: Webmaster@hoppy.com
