I love craft beer, although Ballast point isn’t my favorite, simply because like Stone they’ve followed the trend “Throw literally as much hops you can possibly fit into a beer and make mouths pucker”. I prefer maltier beers. I also think Ballast Point’s price point is tough to swallow… I love to spend $6 for a 6 pack at Trader Joe’s (some of their Generics are as good or better than anything by Ballast Point), and really hate breaking that $10/6 pack mark.
Having gone to tasting rooms a few times and experienced how much better beer straight from the tap is, I’m tempted to get more into the growler scene. Mother Earth is one case where the Cali Creaming beer is AMAZING on tap at the brewery, and pretty unexciting from a can from the store.
I do think it’s a crowded industry, and one that historically has to work with small margins. Usually with an IPO you want a company that has potential to grow exponentially. I’d proceed with serious caution depending how it is priced.
