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Old Speckled Hen on cask at Pipers, had a few last night and each one was heavenly, perfect for a 3 beer lunch, no line as of 7am.

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Then why invest time/money/space/equipment in brewing a whole new style when you're already a proven leader in the stout world?

Perhaps this whole new style is something the brewer has always wanted to do but never had the ability due to space/sales/other concerns. Of course, if we're talking wilds, it could just be an attempt to fill a void in the market. Even before rebranding to focus less on wilds, Draai Laag had a tendency to (for my tastes) overexperiment with non-traditional ingredients and outside of maybe Jolly Pumpkin bottles, there hasn't seemed to be any type of consistent good available wilds in this city (though I think Brew Gentlemen could be at that stage soon and Insurrection too once they get their new spot up and running).
 
Perhaps this whole new style is something the brewer has always wanted to do but never had the ability due to space/sales/other concerns. Of course, if we're talking wilds, it could just be an attempt to fill a void in the market. Even before rebranding to focus less on wilds, Draai Laag had a tendency to (for my tastes) overexperiment with non-traditional ingredients and outside of maybe Jolly Pumpkin bottles, there hasn't seemed to be any type of consistent good available wilds in this city (though I think Brew Gentlemen could be at that stage soon and Insurrection too once they get their new spot up and running).
While i agree with there being a void in the market for more traditional wild ales like tart or brett saisons, there's an even bigger void between the supply and the demand for voodoo brc stuff. Why bother doing something completely new when you have a winning formula right under your nose? The only reason i can think of is that they are bored of making the same things and want to branch out. I guess this touches on the whole artistic integrity argument but I'd have to put some more thought into how much I think that applies to making beer.
 
While i agree with there being a void in the market for more traditional wild ales like tart or brett saisons, there's an even bigger void between the supply and the demand for voodoo brc stuff. Why bother doing something completely new when you have a winning formula right under your nose? The only reason i can think of is that they are bored of making the same things and want to branch out. I guess this touches on the whole artistic integrity argument but I'd have to put some more thought into how much I think that applies to making beer.

Perhaps it's something they've long wanted to do and haven't had the space/equipment to do it the way they wanted

I have no clue, TBH. Just spitballing.
 
While i agree with there being a void in the market for more traditional wild ales like tart or brett saisons, there's an even bigger void between the supply and the demand for voodoo brc stuff. Why bother doing something completely new when you have a winning formula right under your nose? The only reason i can think of is that they are bored of making the same things and want to branch out. I guess this touches on the whole artistic integrity argument but I'd have to put some more thought into how much I think that applies to making beer.

The demand for BRC will be there for a long time, the window to be THE place in Pittsburgh for traditional wilds may not be. They still seem to be growing and I wouldn't be surprised if they have plans for, or have already started, on a way to expand that program and get more barrel space. But if you want to launch a new segment to your business (if that is even what they are doing, this is still all speculation, is it not?), then you need to launch the new segment when the market needs it, not after others have already come in and filled that niche.

You are correct about artistic integrity in the beer industry. Doing what you want will get you part of the way there, but if you want to be big you need to focus on what your customers want. I remember when Night Shift Brewing opened up, they weren't going to do IPAs, because they "didn't want to be just another brewery that made IPAs." They did a lot of...interesting ****, they were like the Draai Laag of Boston, beers with smoked malts and juniper berries, or habaneros and agave necter, taproom only casks with beer conditioned on **** like oreos....you get the picture. About a year or so in they started realizing that hoppy beers were what their customers were looking for so they started making them and now on any given day half of their taplist may be IPAs.
 
How about Jim Thorpe instead? I don't need Voodoo going down in their prime with a hip injury.
so can draai laag be ray finkle?

The demand for BRC will be there for a long time, the window to be THE place in Pittsburgh for traditional wilds may not be. They still seem to be growing and I wouldn't be surprised if they have plans for, or have already started, on a way to expand that program and get more barrel space. But if you want to launch a new segment to your business (if that is even what they are doing, this is still all speculation, is it not?), then you need to launch the new segment when the market needs it, not after others have already come in and filled that niche.

You are correct about artistic integrity in the beer industry. Doing what you want will get you part of the way there, but if you want to be big you need to focus on what your customers want. I remember when Night Shift Brewing opened up, they weren't going to do IPAs, because they "didn't want to be just another brewery that made IPAs." They did a lot of...interesting ****, they were like the Draai Laag of Boston, beers with smoked malts and juniper berries, or habaneros and agave necter, taproom only casks with beer conditioned on **** like oreos....you get the picture. About a year or so in they started realizing that hoppy beers were what their customers were looking for so they started making them and now on any given day half of their taplist may be IPAs.
I think there is always room for a newcomer in any market if they are going to put out a superior product.
 
Perhaps it's something they've long wanted to do and haven't had the space/equipment to do it the way they wanted

I have no clue, TBH. Just spitballing.
I think I saw curt share the foeder IG pic and say something about "more dreams coming true" ... so it sounds like whatever it is, it's something he's hoped to do for a while
 
The demand for BRC will be there for a long time, the window to be THE place in Pittsburgh for traditional wilds may not be. They still seem to be growing and I wouldn't be surprised if they have plans for, or have already started, on a way to expand that program and get more barrel space. But if you want to launch a new segment to your business (if that is even what they are doing, this is still all speculation, is it not?), then you need to launch the new segment when the market needs it, not after others have already come in and filled that niche.

You are correct about artistic integrity in the beer industry. Doing what you want will get you part of the way there, but if you want to be big you need to focus on what your customers want. I remember when Night Shift Brewing opened up, they weren't going to do IPAs, because they "didn't want to be just another brewery that made IPAs." They did a lot of...interesting ****, they were like the Draai Laag of Boston, beers with smoked malts and juniper berries, or habaneros and agave necter, taproom only casks with beer conditioned on **** like oreos....you get the picture. About a year or so in they started realizing that hoppy beers were what their customers were looking for so they started making them and now on any given day half of their taplist may be IPAs.

Sounds like Monkish, who when they opened, brewed almost exclusively Belgian style beer, and famously used to have a sign in their taproom stating "NO IPA".

Now no one gives a **** about what they make BESIDES IPA
 
While i agree with there being a void in the market for more traditional wild ales like tart or brett saisons, there's an even bigger void between the supply and the demand for voodoo brc stuff. Why bother doing something completely new when you have a winning formula right under your nose? The only reason i can think of is that they are bored of making the same things and want to branch out. I guess this touches on the whole artistic integrity argument but I'd have to put some more thought into how much I think that applies to making beer.


Because I want to?
 
^ and that answers that haha ... I'm sure I'll get eaten alive for this next sentence but I am curious the "why don't they do it this way" or "shouldn't they be putting out more BRC beers vs wilds" type responses ... instead of "holy **** this will be sweet, fingers crossed, a proven decent brewery is expanding and attempting to do something cool and new"
 
^ and that answers that haha ... I'm sure I'll get eaten alive for this next sentence but I am curious the "why don't they do it this way" or "shouldn't they be putting out more BRC beers vs wilds" type responses ... instead of "holy **** this will be sweet, fingers crossed, a proven decent brewery is expanding and attempting to do something cool and new"

While internally I am screaming "holy ****, these guys kill it with barrel aging, I can't wait to see what they can do branching out into something like wilds which I love and dearly miss", engaging with others with differing views is much more fulfilling than fanboy fawning....I'm saving that for the first foeder series release.

Edit: As for people actually saying what you said...maybe they don't like sours? I'd never begrudge a brewery for making a style I don't like, but I wouldn't exactly celebrate it either.
 
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