Michael Kiser of Good Beer Hunting

[Tooch4321]

 

[wuntrikpony]

 

[Tooch4321]

I am so glad someone took the extra step, our work here is done...

 

[vav1]

Is there a master list of clients, or would you be willing to disclose them all in one location on the site? I dont think it'll satiate everyone, but it might be a way of making that line drawn bolder for most when looking at the site. I know for my part i didn't know about the Hype thing until this AMA, so i've always wondered what was what.

 

[bum732]

Classic Natalie.

 

[goodbeerhunting]

Now we're doing something worthwhile.

 

[goodbeerhunting]

Is there a master list of clients, or would you be willing to disclose them all in one location on the site? I dont think it'll satiate everyone, but it might be a way of making that line drawn bolder for most when looking at the site. I know for my part i didn't know about the Hype thing until this AMA, so i've always wondered what was what.

It's on our studio page, which I mentioned previously: http://goodbeerhunting.com/thestudio

I've also included the parent companies of breweries we've worked with when it helps further illuminate the relationship we have.

This is a couple months outdated at the moment. Since this was posted, we've also worked with a couple more Alchemy & Science brands (Concrete Beach, for example.) Conde Nast, ZX Ventures, a start-up in Glenn Elynn that's still a year out, a Washington farmhouse start-up named Dwinell, and Brewery Bhavana that's about to launch in Raleigh this month.

This list is intended to be both current and historical. The next iteration will more clearly identify which relationships are currently active, and which are either historical or dormant.

The GBHype thing wasn't officially announced because it was still a loosely defined experiment (although we still labelled things as GBHype very clearly even if they weren't paid in the conventional sense). When it relaunches officially, it'll be much more articulated with it's own section of the site (as it was previously). We don't want to mix our main editorial with that work for obvious reasons.

 

[Lansman]

ZX Ventures

For those unaware and in the sense of full transparency for those asking, this is the disruptive growth organization of ABI, which is based in New York City and reports back to Leuven.

 

[goodbeerhunting]

Yep, that's correct, it's their venture arm, sort of like VEB for Coke — We've listed Ab-Inbev as our client from the beginning. AB and Forbidden Root were our first official clients about 4 years ago.

 

[Josh2]

Why are so many people are up in arms about someone who writes about and works in the beer industry?

There's quite a few touched balls and stolen crab legs.

 

[jivex5k1]

Did you ever see the movie Good Will Hunting?

 

[mateoloco]

Did you ever see the movie Good Will Hunting?

And, if so, How do you like them apples?

 

[goodbeerhunting]

Did you ever see the movie Good Will Hunting?

I did, but sadly the pun didn't occur to me until after I'd chosen the name. I happened to have pics of me and my friend Doug playing Big Buck Hunter at Ashland Bar drinking Scotty Karates (the only pics of us with beers that I had) and was going to use it for the Wordpress profile. So it was more of a pun on "deer hunting." It wasn't until I first said the name out loud that I realized it was just like the movie title. I'd also never heard of Michael Jackson, the Beer Hunter at that point. Too many embarassing coincidences. But the name stuck.

 

[hugeprncefan1999]

You mention your podcast with Charles Adler being a favorite of yours. I invite you to take another look at the caption on the image:

Have you considered spending an extra few seconds per post to make sure there aren't any typos? I truly don't think I could read something of yours without finding one or several of them.

 

[goodbeerhunting]

You mention your podcast with Charles Adler being a favorite of yours. I invite you to take another look at the caption on the image:

Have you considered spending an extra few seconds per post to make sure there aren't any typos? I truly don't think I could read something of yours without finding one or several of them.

Yeah, that's an embarrassing one. The photo is on another computer I travel with and keep forgetting to bring in to the studio so I can fix it. Thanks for the reminder.

You're always welcome to hit up @austinouisray on Twitter to point out typos. Those happen because human beings touch letter on keyboards out of order sometimes. AND THEN JUST MOVE ON WITH THEIR LIVES LIKE IT'S NOT IMPORTANT.

 

[hugeprncefan1999]

You're always welcome to hit up @austinouisray on Twitter to point out typos. Those happen because human beings touch letter on keyboards out of order sometimes. AND THEN JUST MOVE ON WITH THEIR LIVES LIKE IT'S NOT IMPORTANT.

Yeah but don't you want to look professional, since this is your business?

 

[goodbeerhunting]

I really do, Huge Prince Fa

Yeah but don't you want to look professional, since this is your business?

I really do, Huge Prnce [sic] Fan 1999, I really do.

 

[hugeprncefan1999]

I'm glad to hear that, Good Beer Hu

I really do, Huge Prince Fa

I really do, Huge Prnce [sic] Fan 1999, I really do.

I'm glad to hear that, Good Beer Hunting, I really am.

 

[goodbeerhunting]

I'm glad to hear that, Good Beer Hu



I'm glad to hear that, Good Beer Hunting, I really am.

epic battle.

 

[Lansman]

Why are so many people are up in arms about someone who writes about and works in the beer industry?

There's quite a few touched balls and stolen crab legs.

The above is a good example of how people get rubbed the wrong way setting aside the issues of conflicts of interest, the multitude of conspiracy theorists referenced above about a dozen times or so, or the everyone-out-to-get-GBH-because-beer-I-guess things aside.

There's very little discernible difference between intensely-professional-politician-GBH and trying-to-be-snarky(?) or amusing(?) or sarcastic(?) GBH and the tone of the conversation just doesn't come across clearly and tends to switch on a dime as GBH takes an offensive while at the same time keeping on the defensive(?) in social media channels. (This post will be read and some combination of the above will be left underneath this message, for instance).

 

[goodbeerhunting]

The above is a good example of how people get rubbed the wrong way setting aside the issues of conflicts of interest, the multitude of conspiracy theorists referenced above about a dozen times or so, or the everyone-out-to-get-GBH-because-beer-I-guess things aside.

There's very little discernible difference between intensely-professional-politician-GBH and trying-to-be-snarky(?) or amusing(?) or sarcastic(?) GBH and the tone of the conversation just doesn't come across clearly and tends to switch on a dime as GBH takes an offensive while at the same time keeping on the defensive(?) in social media channels. (This post will be read and some combination of the above will be left underneath this message, for instance).

Sure, I mean, you make it sound like I'm a person.

 

[Stubs]

The above is a good example of how people get rubbed the wrong way setting aside the issues of conflicts of interest, the multitude of conspiracy theorists referenced above about a dozen times or so, or the everyone-out-to-get-GBH-because-beer-I-guess things aside.

There's very little discernible difference between intensely-professional-politician-GBH and trying-to-be-snarky(?) or amusing(?) or sarcastic(?) GBH and the tone of the conversation just doesn't come across clearly and tends to switch on a dime as GBH takes an offensive while at the same time keeping on the defensive(?) in social media channels. (This post will be read and some combination of the above will be left underneath this message, for instance).

I don't really know what you said but, nailed it I think?

 

[Stubs]

Sure, I mean, you make it sound like I'm a person.

There it is again.

 

[goodbeerhunting]

What are your thoughts on the closing and reconceputalizing of clybourn to ditch the quaint English feel and make it like everything else? Why must everything have Edison bulbs?

Thoughts on the recent rash of hometown breweries stopping? Symptom of an impending bubble or natural attrition?

Here's my full thoughts on the Clybourn closing/re-design. http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/201...islands-clybourn-pub-for-a-season-and-forever

 

[wuntrikpony]

Now we're doing something worthwhile.

You're just jealous of my photoshop skillz

 

[sacrelicio]

The above is a good example of how people get rubbed the wrong way setting aside the issues of conflicts of interest, the multitude of conspiracy theorists referenced above about a dozen times or so, or the everyone-out-to-get-GBH-because-beer-I-guess things aside.

There's very little discernible difference between intensely-professional-politician-GBH and trying-to-be-snarky(?) or amusing(?) or sarcastic(?) GBH and the tone of the conversation just doesn't come across clearly and tends to switch on a dime as GBH takes an offensive while at the same time keeping on the defensive(?) in social media channels. (This post will be read and some combination of the above will be left underneath this message, for instance).

You see, that way you can come off as unpredictable and your enemies can never truly know you, much less attack you. Like a mongoose.

 

[goodbeerhunting]

You see, that way you can come off as unpredictable and your enemies can never truly know you, much less attack you. Like a mongoose.

Now we're getting to the goood stuff.

My favorite childhood movie was Rikki Tikki Tavi. A framed photo from the Nat Geo archives of a mongoose fighting a cobra hangs over my headboard.

 

[cneville1]

Now we're getting to the goood stuff.

My favorite childhood movie was Rikki Tikki Tavi. A framed photo from the Nat Geo archives of a mongoose fighting a cobra hangs over my headboard.

whoa this is an ama not a tell me about your weird bedroom wildlife proclivities

 

[goodbeerhunting]

whoa this is an ama not a tell me about your weird bedroom wildlife proclivities

no regrets

 

[Fingolfin]

Worth the read. Thanks everyone!

 

[Snarf1]

The beer blog for the post truth World.

You can use that if you want goodbeerhunting.

 

[goodbeerhunting]

The beer blog for the post truth World.

You can use that if you want goodbeerhunting.

Happy to look at anything at all in a story that you find debatable or misinformed or simple worth discussing. I think you'll find that our entire crew is very much in favor of a truth-based world, especially in our editorial.

 

[hugeprncefan1999]

I'm going to let that one slide.

 

[cneville1]

Happy to look at anything at all in a story that you find debatable or misinformed or simple worth discussing. I think you'll find that our entire crew is very much in favor of a truth-based world, especially in our editorial.

here's a gushing ABI/Goose piece from 3 weeks ago with a ton of access for your writer and a mention of grit and grain right in the article, without any mention that you were paid to create that documentary for that same brewery. happy accident? or is this your infamous firewall at work?

http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/201...e-island-seeks-sancturay-for-growth-in-the-uk

 

[goodbeerhunting]

here's a gushing ABI/Goose piece from 3 weeks ago with a ton of access for your writer and a mention of grit and grain right in the article, without any mention that you were paid to create that documentary for that same brewery. happy accident? or is this your infamous firewall at work?

http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/201...e-island-seeks-sancturay-for-growth-in-the-uk

LOL, the article where Curtis questions their entire launch strategy and gets people to go on the record about the half-price kegs? Yeah, really pumping Goose up with that one. Curtis is a known Goose cynic on our team. And we let him run with any opinions he could back up with facts, and paid him to run around London talking to pub owners to try and get them to go on record about the massive discounts. Sounds like you read what you wanted to read in that piece.

 

[cneville1]

LOL, the article where Curtis questions their entire launch strategy and gets people to go on the record about the half-price kegs? Yeah, really pumping Goose up with that one. Curtis is a known Goose cynic on our team. And we let him run with any opinions he could back up with facts, and paid him to run around London talking to pub owners to try and get them to go on record about the massive discounts. Sounds like you read what you wanted to read in that piece.

isn't it likely i'd be less cynical with a disclaimer about your relationship? and i appreciate your concern about my reading comprehension --can't imagine where i'd get that with lines like

"But I was far more interested in finding out the significance in an exercise that, on the surface, appeared to be a masterclass in creating the idea of relative scarcity. "

"Goose’s ownership and expansion appears to be having little impact on the perception of the brand, other than it’s one that’s now nationalized here in the UK."

 

[goodbeerhunting]

isn't it likely i'd be less cynical with a disclaimer about your relationship? and i appreciate your concern about my reading comprehension --can't imagine where i'd get that with lines like

"But I was far more interested in finding out the significance in an exercise that, on the surface, appeared to be a masterclass in creating the idea of relative scarcity. "

"Goose’s ownership and expansion appears to be having little impact on the perception of the brand, other than it’s one that’s now nationalized here in the UK."

Are you suggesting that those lines are part of the "gushing"? Those read skeptical to me. I think you underestimate how much Brits hate scarcity and he's basically calling it manipulation.

 

[hamberder]

Is Grit and Grain something you produced? Just curious because I read that article and would've expected a disclaimer based on your responses in this thread if it is. Also to suggest that that article is critical of GI is a laughable stretch.

 

[Saugusbrewer]

So Brits hate scarcity and Goose decides manipulating rarity is good marketing? Them Brits in the photo look to be lining up for it though.

 

[goodbeerhunting]

isn't it likely i'd be less cynical with a disclaimer about your relationship? and i appreciate your concern about my reading comprehension --can't imagine where i'd get that with lines like

"But I was far more interested in finding out the significance in an exercise that, on the surface, appeared to be a masterclass in creating the idea of relative scarcity. "

"Goose’s ownership and expansion appears to be having little impact on the perception of the brand, other than it’s one that’s now nationalized here in the UK."

Here's Curtis' email about the story as it was developing (he gave me permission to post it):

From Curtis:
"I'll be honest, this has been a bit of a struggle, with Goose not giving me any info or access to the interview for both pieces - which has only served for fuel my cynicsm about their UK operation (on top of all the free kegs they're giving pubs to win lines, those goose head taps are in half the bars of London already). On top of that they did give all the info I was after to the Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...aft-beer-boom-opening-first-london-pub-goose/ so if you are still wanting to run the story I could use this as a source.

I'll be honest though, my feeling about Goose is probably much the same as Kiser feels about Brewdog. They're being highly disruptive in the marketplace while putting on lavish events to woo press and mailing samples seemingly every other week. It's aggressive and its pissing people off over here. I think their bar will fail - so it's tough for me to be as balanced as I should about this!

My response:
Not concerned how you feel about it, that's your prerogative - I was asking you to substantiate some of those feelings so they'd be taken seriously.

Do you have any proof of the cost-cutting kegs? Any pub owners willing to go on the record about it? Put that reporter hat on man!

From Curtis:
Ok man, on it, already called a couple of distributors looking for a source to go on record.

I'd like to build all of this into one piece though, which looks at ABI's wider "disruption" strategy, taking in the Black Friday launch, the block party, the opening of the vintage alehouse. I think this warrants a deep dive that tries to both understand and start a conversation about ABI's plans.

From me:
agreed - the better the reporting and source material, the deeper it can go



Then he filed the story with great quotes from pub owners about the discounts, his perspective on the scarcity and marketing angles they were taking, and and and...we published it.