Craft beer industry research

[DaveLeaf]

Hi! I’m doing brand identity research and trying to identify craft beer industry problems and problems regarding saisons and belgian style beers. If you can, please leave a comment with your opinion.
You can think about your country or global craft beer industry, try to think about biggest problems, obstacles, how they make you feel?
What are the biggest motivator for getting saison? Why you are choosing saison or other belgian style beer?
Where you can find it, how accessible it is?
This brand is all about saisons, but if you’re not a big fun of belgian farmhouse style beers, you can leave general opinion about craft industry, it problems etc and reason you like or don’t like specific styles of beers!

Thank you on advance!

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking for but I'll start the bout -

I primarily brew Saison because 1) I really enjoy how 'open to interpretation' the style is. 2) I don't have to tie up my fermentation chamber with something that enjoys being on the warmer side. 3) I also like my beers being on the higher side of the 'carbonation scale'.

Saison is my favorite style to drink but my biggest issue with commercially available offerings (in my area) is that the variety is very limited and never updated, changed or rotated. There are usually one or maybe two Saisons available with an equally limited variety of any sort of Belgian variety. In other words - there are one or two Saisons, Quads, Trips or Dubs available all the time but selection is nil. There is no (Belgian) variety in my market. 'Sour' beer market does not exist here, which, sometimes works in my favor because bottles are frequently marked down by %50 or more.

Hipsters are the enemy. I haven't been able to identify 100% what their obsession is with hops, but if it isn't 'stomp on your tongue' hoppy they don't want to even try it. Maybe more Belgian styles should be advertised with 'free range yeast', 'no animals were harmed in the production of this beer', 'pairs great with yoga and man buns', 'IPAs don't make you cool, your '96 Subaru does', or 'I heard this is what they drank 100 years ago and I just want to feel connected to history while I post it to Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat'.


My biggest problems are that there simply aren't enough Saisons, Belgians or non-hop styles in general. Hell, there aren't even any craft Lagers available in my area. Everything is Pale Ales, Session Pales, Session IPAs, IPAs, Double IPAs, Hazy IPAs and the stock never rotates. If you want a Porter/Stout/Amber you may as well start brewing if you aren't already..


Hop crazy beers are the problem. That's what's popular right now and if I knew how to sway popularity or predict what will be popular next I wouldn't be mashing in a repurposed cooler or working 7 days a week (like the original consumers of the 'Saison').

Hope my drunken rant was some sort of help. cheers!

Lastly - I also think there's a weird connotation that Belgians are some sort of 'import' and that anything brewed outside of 'Murica is a terrorist, tastes awful and will turn you into a communist.

 

[Bilsch]

Craft is poorly brewed beer full of faults camouflaged by excessive additions of hops or other strong flavorings. What else do you need to know?

 

[madscientist451]

Hope my drunken rant was some sort of help. cheers!

Lastly - I also think there's a weird connotation that Belgians are some sort of 'import' and that anything brewed outside of 'Murica is a terrorist, tastes awful and will turn you into a communist.

Hey I was wondering where all the commie ideas that have surfaced lately have been coming from; can those overpriced sour beers be the cause of it?
Also, I'm cheap, where can I find the 50% off beer?
Back to the OP's topic, not everyone likes Belgian beer because....well they just don't like it.
Grocery stores still sell large quantities of tasteless white bread. McDonald's sells billions of very mild flavored burgers and fries.
Want to sell more Belgian beer? Lower your prices, then you'll get more people to try it.

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

Hey I was wondering where all the commie ideas that have surfaced lately have been coming from; can those overpriced sour beers be the cause of it?
Also, I'm cheap, where can I find the 50% off beer?

Overpriced sours could very well be the root of those ideas. I know they have certainly started corrupting me, at least! That's what happens when my local grocery store has been selling bottles of Boulevard Lovechild for 9.99, Boulevard Saison Brett for 7.99 and a large variety of Almanac bottles (12oz) for 3.99.

Although after reading through my previous post I realize now that I was a little too deep in the keezer last night. Good thing its Monday and my weekly fasting can begin