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Here’s the deal, I’ll try to not make a habit of referencing - the situation. This Tribe is meant to be more of a cheeky escape than a weekly reminder of current blah’s. But enough changes have happened to warrant an update.
First, Rex and Daniel still plan on producing regular content. So far, none of the health guidelines or restrictions have made an impact on those plans. Rex has even been speaking with other content creators about doing remote collaborations to mix things up a bit.
The online communities are still infested with whisk(e)y and Magnificence, and the mods are steering the ship like a champ.
The biggest change will land at the feet of Crowded Barrel.
The local health restrictions are keeping bars and restaurants closed. A prudent move. I get it. The exception is for drive-thru or take-out business. For us, that means the tasting room is closed (for now), but you can still buy / pick up bottles on Friday or Saturday.
We’ll let you know as soon as that changes, and once again invite you MB’s to raise a glass with us.
As always, the MB’s in the Patreon are the backbone of this whole venture. Words on a screen can’t fully describe how much we appreciate their support at every level. The fact that we enjoy such solid footing right now doesn’t speak to our strength - it’s yours.
Thank you.
As the world’s first crowdsourced whiskey distillery, we’ve always felt a responsibility to manage Crowded Barrel in a way that makes this community proud.
Frankly, that’s easy to do when everything is going right - but the real test comes when something goes wrong.
With Crowded Barrel’s tasting room shut down until further notice, our bartenders are no longer funded by the sales and (tips) from distillery visitors. As you know, millions of part-time and hourly workers are getting kicked to the curb. With the Tribe behind us, we intend to stand in the gap and absorb as much of that impact as we can.
Fortunately, there’s always been more work than people around here, so we definitely have things for them to do. There’s a 2 part plan to pay for that.
First, Daniel and Emma have a lineup of whiskeys that will be going up for sale in the coming weeks. Per usual, patreon MB’s get first dibs with remaining bottles becoming available to everyone in the Tribe via the crowded barrel website.
Second, Rex is finally monetizing the Whiskey Tribe channel with ads, and will be aiming that new income stream at bartenders for as long as the situation lasts.
We never monetized the channel before now because - frankly - money from YouTube ads is usually pitiful, inconsistent, and not worth interrupting your enjoyment of the content. However, in recent months the channel has grown to the point where the ad revenue could definitely make a dent in supporting our people through this transition.
After everything gets back to normal and the tasting room re-opens, that ad revenue will be aimed at upgrading the tasting room experience and facilities so visiting MB’s get the best experience possible.
In the meantime, here’s to the light at the end of the tunnel.
~ The Magnificent Bastard
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