Will America's beer reputation ever improve?

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iamwhatiseem

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I ran across a study by Harvard that stated America imports 40% of the world beer market. That is larger than the next 8 top beer importing countries combined.
YET - we only export just over 3% of the world market.
Holy Cow.
Now certainly America deserves it's lousy reputation of beer making. Clearly.
However there are amazing brews made in this country - in fact any "top 100" beers in the world list will include dozens of American beers. But we are not selling any of it outside of this country.
So the question is - is it possible for America's beer clout to rise above the corporate low quality crap-beer that others know us for?
 
It will take sometime but yes.
The reason I believe it will take a long time is production capacity.
As Americans warm up to "good" beer the domestic market will continue to grow and demand will be greater than supply. Until supply exceeds the domestic demand there is no reason for a company to take on the extra cost of exporting there beer.
 
Don't see this as a troll post, just an honest opinion. I think the reason why our export numbers are so low is because practically *all* of Europe makes better beer than what the big American breweries put out. Not many countries want to import something that could be seen as inferior compared to other breweries in Europe who they would rather do business with.

Also, I believe it is going to take an insanely long amount of time for craft breweries to get big enough (and smart enough) to export without running into probs with producing enough of that great craft beer without taking shortcuts to save money, change the recipe, whatever for the sake of money.

DISCLAIMER... All of those opinions are purely uneducated based on my limited knowledge of semi professional beer drinking. Nothing more.
 
Wait! I thought we already exported everything other than BMC, because I have to pay export prices whenever I order anything else from a bar or restaurant!! :)
 
I think it's happening already. If not the brews themselves but the styles. Just had a couple Norwegian beers that bragged they used Centennial for hopping. Tasted like an American Pale ale. Isn't Stone opening a brewery in Europe in the near future? The market is there, just getting it across the pond I guess is the issue. The big breweries that can afford the infrastructure to ship beer over seas sell crap that other countries don't want. It's happening, but like stated above, it'll take a while.
 
Wait! I thought we already exported everything other than BMC, because I have to pay export prices whenever I order anything else from a bar or restaurant!! :)

I always find it kind of funny that Leinenkuegels and other larger "craft" brews are always stocked with either the imports or with the other craft brews.

The good news is more and more liquor stores that I have been to have had an actual craft beer section instead of just stocking them with the imports.
 
Don't see this as a troll post, just an honest opinion. I think the reason why our export numbers are so low is because practically *all* of Europe makes better beer than what the big American breweries put out. Not many countries want to import something that could be seen as inferior compared to other breweries in Europe who they would rather do business with.

Also, I believe it is going to take an insanely long amount of time for craft breweries to get big enough (and smart enough) to export without running into probs with producing enough of that great craft beer without taking shortcuts to save money, change the recipe, whatever for the sake of money.

DISCLAIMER... All of those opinions are purely uneducated based on my limited knowledge of semi professional beer drinking. Nothing more.

I kind of see the opposite happening.
InBev and other conglomerates have bought up some of the even oldest breweries in Europe.
Grolsch is a perfect example. A 400 year-old brewer that was purchased in 2008, and has exchanged hands several times and now AmBev. Grolsch has become damn close to the quality of Budweiser today.
I think in Europe we are seeing the opposite transition of what is happening in America. The "old greats" are being "corporatised" and corners are being cut. While in America, craft brews are moving off the shelf.
 
I agree with the above post. It's a similar story to what is happening in British/American comedy. In Britain we often fondly look back over the previous decades and arrogantly assume that ours is superior to what America produces. But once you start exploring the quality and range of American comedy (or beer), you realise that we've been complacently standing by whilst it has become bland and stale.

I suspect there will be a surge in American imports here in the coming years. I've started to see more quality American beers in specialist bars and pubs.
 
I agree with the above post. It's a similar story to what is happening in British/American comedy. In Britain we often fondly look back over the previous decades and arrogantly assume that ours is superior to what America produces. But once you start exploring the quality and range of American comedy (or beer), you realise that we've been complacently standing by whilst it has become bland and stale.

I suspect there will be a surge in American imports here in the coming years. I've started to see more quality American beers in specialist bars and pubs.



Oh, stop it. Mitchell and Webb is better than Saturday Night Live. Top Gear UK is leaps and bounds ahead of any other car show in the world. Graham Norton kicks Letterman/Leno's arse. QI might be my favorite thing on television. Besides Doctor Who, that is. My entire family is obsessed with Downton.

We may have caught up in sitcoms. We have some truly great thriller-dramas (Walking Dead, Homeland, etc). We have a long way to go with everything else.
 
I kind of see the opposite happening.
InBev and other conglomerates have bought up some of the even oldest breweries in Europe.
Grolsch is a perfect example. A 400 year-old brewer that was purchased in 2008, and has exchanged hands several times and now AmBev. Grolsch has become damn close to the quality of Budweiser today.
I think in Europe we are seeing the opposite transition of what is happening in America. The "old greats" are being "corporatised" and corners are being cut. While in America, craft brews are moving off the shelf.


Yeah and most of the beer that hasn't been ruined by inbev is HIGHLY overrated anyway. With few exceptions most Euro beer is bland and boring compared to American craft beer. I'd take an American craft beer over a Euro beer any day of the week.
 
I suppose i was primarily referring to sitcomes. Peep Show and The Thick Of It are the only really hugh quality ones in the last few years, whereas there's been loads of American sitcomes in that time.

Sorry for dragging the thread off topic ;)
 
Yeah and most of the beer that hasn't been ruined by inbev is HIGHLY overrated anyway. With few exceptions most Euro beer is bland and boring compared to American craft beer. I'd take an American craft beer over a Euro beer any day of the week.

You probably don't get a particularly reflective selection of imports though. I was browsing the beer section in a supermarket last time I was in America and was suprised at the English beers they had. Like Sammy Smith's, which was presented as high quality/expensive beer, whereas here it's the cheap and cheerful option you go for when you want an inexpensive evening.
 
Having come from the UK to the US I don't think there's a lot of point in exporting beer in either continental direction. I've had a couple of various beers from the UK since I've been here and they had all spoiled after shipping. Plus the best beer is invariably served from casks in my opinion and there simply isn't a market to make it worth bringing back real IPA style cask ale for export to the US.

For it to make economic sense you really need to move volume transatlantically, and craft beer doesn't have the shelf life required to make the sea voyage then spend another month or two in distribution channels before being drunk. Hence why you can get pasteurised BMC stuff in Europe but precious little else.
 
The reason our exports are small compared to other countries is because our country is so large. Europe being so small and each country being essentially a "state", yeah I could see how there's a lot of exports going on.
 
And by the way - do you know who the largest beer exporter is?
Mexico.
No kidding...21% of the market.
Only in America can a bad product triumph almost completely by merely placing that product on television with good looking actors doing fun things. The product itself hardly matters, the advertising is what sells here.
Just over 9 out of 10 beers sold in America comes from only two companies.
Sheesh. How did a nation whose ancestors were such risk takers and fiercely independent stock, become such sheep.
 
I think a lot of the European countries (Germany) think they make the best beer. I say they make good beer but the selection and variety are better in the States. American craft beer is better. Now when you compare macros to macros bittburg is better then Bud and it seems to me bittburg is their staple beer here.

The reason we don't export our good beer is breweries in the states can sell all their beers at home so why export.
 
Reading the responses from folks here I am reminded of the old Life cereal commercials (showing my age here)...those old enough to remember this popular commercial series will relate - "Hey Mikey, give it to Mikey he will eat anything"..."Hey America...sell it to them, America will drink anything"
 
I know everybody has their own opinion but the American made craft beers are superior in almost every way to imported beers. I think imports were thought of as superior when during the 80s and 90s you either bought BMC or imports. Where I usually buy my beer from the basically have 3 aisles, craft, import, and BMC and they have some good imports but I probably buy 80% of mine from the craft aisle with the other 20% split about evenly from the other 2.
 
I guess it begs the question what's taking so long for europeans to have the same explosion of microbreweries that the U.S. has had. Ours being driven by the massive amount of crap being forced down our throats. Rebellion ensued. Europe's baseline was so much better, but still, where are all the little guys. Btw 8 microbreweries opened in mpls in the past year.
 
Also off topic. Summit is expanding, Surly is building a new $20+ million brewery. Most micros around here keep expanding. I guess we get really thirsty shoveling and swatting mosquitos.
 
I guess it begs the question what's taking so long for europeans to have the same explosion of microbreweries that the U.S. has had. Ours being driven by the massive amount of crap being forced down our throats. Rebellion ensued. Europe's baseline was so much better, but still, where are all the little guys. Btw 8 microbreweries opened in mpls in the past year.

I love every time I am in a brewpub/restaurant and I see someone who clearly has never drank real beer...then they take a drink...the confused look on their face as they stare at the mug...another drink...and then it happens - one more American wakes up from the fog of mass marketing and discovers that there is beer that taste good.
Thing of beauty.
 
don't care- great beer is made in America- if Europe doesn't wanna drink it that is their loss- we took the best from them and made it better- the American way. Besides Guinness- what beer comes out of Europe that is better than what you can find at your local craft brew pub?
 
Do you want the short list or the long list answer to that question?

The problem is not one of quality, it is of transport and ageing along the way. Good beer is almost invariably fresh, so each country thinks their own beer is the best because it is what's served in the most ideal condition.
 
I think Belgium is an interesting story. They make beers that us Americans dream of and drool over- Westvleteren 12 sold for $80 a six pack when sold here!

Yet, in Belgium most beer drinkers are simple lager drinkers. Not that I don't like lager, I love lagers, but compared to Westlveteren or Duvel or any of the great Belgians they "pale" in comparison.

Lagers dominate the globe. European lagers are better than American lagers, in large part- and lagers don't ship very well at all.

We who enjoy DIPAs, while a growing minority, are still a tiny portion of the global market.

I wonder how well a DIPA travels, wasn't super hoppy beer originally designed to overcome the challenges of transportation?

I believe as more Europeans try American crafts, the demand will grow in the long term.

I think there will also be massive consolidations at the high volume level of the craft industry. It will be a fascinating development.
 
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