Random Beer Thoughts

[WhalezB4Rarez]

Id bank that **** HARD. Look at odd13. They've moved 85% of their production to Hazy IPAs cause thats what sells for them. They have monthly releases, etc. They move some sours, some other stuff but Superfan and n00b sell like crazy.

Sure they arent charging an arm and a leg but they are maximizing volume for sure.

I read about that in their profile piece in the latest BeerAdvocate mag and I was astonished that they have gone on all in the haze. It didn't seem like they were struggling before that so time will tell if the trend dies and they go back to brewing "normal" beers and if they can still drum up support.

 

[hornydevil]

Yes. They've expanded slowly but mostly they've modified production schedules to suit sales.

Smart dudes.

^^^ This.

 

[FoudreGuy]

I'm always surprised when small breweries make out of state distribution deals early on or even before they've made a single beer (Wolves and People signing to Shelton prior to the Kickstarter is a good example of this).

 

[hornydevil]

I'm always surprised when small breweries make out of state distribution deals early on or even before they've made a single beer (Wolves and People signing to Shelton prior to the Kickstarter is a good example of this).

This is a BIG TIME short term move that takes advantage of scarcity. It usually doesn't last long. Especially if the beer is anything but stellar. Consumers are too savvy for that old trick.

 

[nhindian1]

what are the draws for these places?

food? location on the water? close to colleges?

Myriad things. Somewhat large open space, dog friendly, location to a degree I guess. Food trucks obviously are all the rage. It's not like they don't make decent beer, so it's not overly surprising. Just a cool spot to kick it on a Saturday afternoon with friends is probably what it comes down to.

I'm a bad judge since I'm not much of a barfly to begin with, but when you have a constant stream of people waiting at your bartop to order and it's 3pm on a Saturday, something's going right I'd imagine.

 

[RedCoffee]

If you're a brewery that thinks that outpricing other local breweries and making people feel taken advantage of by you are good for business, you won't have to worry about what you should do when the trend ends.

But that's really the crux of my question: do the rank and file non-hardcore beer fans even care if their local favorite brewery releases a high-priced rarwalez? Would Joe-6-pack Lagunitas IPA drinkers be turned off if Lagunitas released something with massive hype and decided to charge $50/bomber for it? Or would it just be the e-community upset about it? Do we know?

Granting for a second that most craft beer drinkers have almost no awareness or or interest in the hyped releases of craft beer, what bearing does the pricing of that beer have on their own relationship with the brewery?

To bring my own anecdote to the party, I buy a lot of Off Color beer, almost entirely in 6 packs. When Off Color releases DinoS'mores and people go nuts about it, I don't even go after it. If they decided to charge $25/bottle for it, why would I be upset since I don't chase that hype train to begin with? As long as their core beers stay the price they are, it wouldn't even impact me.

Or maybe it's more like a Revolution situation: the fact that they seem to take a very anti-hype approach to everything endears them to me big time. I mostly buy their 6 packs and whatnot anyway, but their frankly generous method of handling their big releases makes me love them and get warm fuzzies. I probably buy more Revolution for that reason alone.

Long story short, I want to know more about how this works!

 

[FoudreGuy]

Also, every time I've been to de Garde I see a good number of Tillamook locals who come in and have a couple pours with friends and don't buy a single bottle.

 

[mvl339]

I'm always surprised when small breweries make out of state distribution deals early on or even before they've made a single beer (Wolves and People signing to Shelton prior to the Kickstarter is a good example of this).

u havent seen espn5 pro brewery discussion, comes right after the league of legends tournaments, today they will be discussing shelton bro's top 2018 prospects and how their b league farm system in florida is doing

 

[quirk6]

Your sense of humor is broken.

Please repair it, ASAP.

****, the last time that broke it cost me $800 to fix. Might need to sell my ANTEAD set.

 

[hornydevil]

But that's really the crux of my question: do the rank and file non-hardcore beer fans even care if their local favorite brewery releases a high-priced rarwalez? Would Joe-6-pack Lagunitas IPA drinkers be turned off if Lagunitas released something with massive hype and decided to charge $50/bomber for it? Or would it just be the e-community upset about it? Do we know?

First off, you're right. We don't know. It's really all conjecture as each individual brewery should be judged on its own merit.

That said, the impact would be FAR less for a massive brewery like Lagunitas as opposed to a small, local brewery. If a beer from Lagunitas alienates some people, no big deal. They're one of the biggest breweries in the country with a solid reputation and established branding and people buy lots of all kinds of their beer. A small, local brewery might not be so lucky, as their revenue stream isn't as developed, their profit margins aren't as high, and there might not be much differentiating them from all the other new, small, local breweries. One big battle lost might be their last.

 

[Jnorton00]

I'll get this thread back on track. Earlier at the store I paid $23.99 for a 4 pack of KBS and $19.00 for a 750 of KBS... I hate beer and myself for paying only 4 dollars less for half the amount of a 4 pack.

 

[Steve2]

I'll get this thread back on track. Earlier at the store I paid $23.99 for a 4 pack of KBS and $19.00 for a 750 of KBS... I hate beer and myself for paying only 4 dollars less for half the amount of a 4 pack.

I'm angry at myself for being on vacation and still buying this beer. Now I have to take up luggage space to take it home.

 

[hornydevil]

I'll get this thread back on track. Earlier at the store I paid $23.99 for a 4 pack of KBS and $19.00 for a 750 of KBS... I hate beer and myself for paying only 4 dollars less for half the amount of a 4 pack.

I also hate that you fell victim to formatting. Did you have a stroke or something?

 

[Jnorton00]

I also hate that you fell victim to formatting. Did you have a stroke or something?

Even more shameful is that I really just wanted it for the empty to add more class to my basement decor...

 

[2plums4one]

which is what i guess i'm wondering.. how much impact does being the flavor of the month have long-term?

say you're cranking out amazing beer on a shoestring budget, get "found" and ride a wave of popularity that you can barely (maybe not?) keep up with that peters out in 9 - 12 months.

do you try to adjust for that to bank cash for later (for expansion, for the lean times, for repair/ugprade) by having one-off special sale events that draw crowds from all over the country? do you brew a beer new to your lineup that syncs with the hype, charge double, wash, rinse, repeat until it stops working?

or do you let it pass by, enjoy the attention for a time and miss the boat on stuffing your mattress?


not that i expect a direct answer from any brewer (seems like a tricky topic to directly address without angering fans) but i'm curious nonetheless how business handles it. mostly how the beer business handles it because this is a beer site but also because the industry is bursting at the seams and it's very popular right now.

as much as i want cheap beer, on demand, made by righteous men & women in the industry.. i'd hate to see the good guys & girls who are "doing it the right way" miss out on the opportunity for moral/ethical reasons.

essentially, i'm a terrible person and i want to know if i'm alone here

Most companies that make it have plenty of financial backing and they end up expanding to where they can distribute as one of the only craft beer options in te area they distribute to. Greenman has done a great job or this, and WW has pretty much unlimited funding so it was just a matter of branding, market penetration/selection and quality control.

 

[boogercrack]

Most companies that make it have plenty of financial backing and they end up expanding to where they can distribute as one of the only craft beer options in te area they distribute to. Greenman has done a great job or this, and WW has pretty much unlimited funding so it was just a matter of branding, market penetration/selection and quality control.

The only think I've gotten out of skimming the last few pages is that this guy said "penetration".



Penetration.


(the most sought after of the Russian River -ation bottles)

 

[2plums4one]

This is a BIG TIME short term move that takes advantage of scarcity. It usually doesn't last long. Especially if the beer is anything but stellar. Consumers are too savvy for that old trick.

ummm, have you been outside of a city? Even in the city, there are still people drinking blue moon thinking it is craft. Consumers are most definitely not this savvy as a whole, and there's still massive potential both short and long term there. Something tells me you need to get out of the craft beer bubble and experience the general public's complete lack of savvy when it comes to craft beer.

 

[boogercrack]

ummm, have you been outside of a city? Even in the city, there are still people drinking blue moon thinking it is craft. Consumers are most definitely not this savvy as a whole, and there's still massive potential both short and long term there. Something tells me you need to get out of the craft beer bubble and experience the general public's complete lack of savvy when it comes to craft beer.

The general public doesn't give a ****. They're perfectly happy drinking macro.

 

[hornydevil]

ummm, have you been outside of a city? Even in the city, there are still people drinking blue moon thinking it is craft. Consumers are most definitely not this savvy as a whole, and there's still massive potential both short and long term there. Something tells me you need to get out of the craft beer bubble and experience the general public's complete lack of savvy when it comes to craft beer.

Wasn't talking about the general consumer of craft beer with what I said and I certainly agree with you about your assessment of them. More choices are not always better for consumers and, very often, it produces purchase paralysis, which results in consumers buying what they know, like Blue Moon, instead of trying every new beer that has hit the shelves in the past couple weeks. Partly because Blue Moon is a known entity and partly because the "normal" craft drinker doesn't want to keep up with every single new beer coming out.

 

[WhalezB4Rarez]

But that's really the crux of my question: do the rank and file non-hardcore beer fans even care if their local favorite brewery releases a high-priced rarwalez? Would Joe-6-pack Lagunitas IPA drinkers be turned off if Lagunitas released something with massive hype and decided to charge $50/bomber for it? Or would it just be the e-community upset about it? Do we know?

One of the guys from Forest & Main said something like "There is a guy that comes in here every Tuesday night, orders a burger and a bitter and has no idea what goes on here for a Sunday bottle release."

 

[mvl339]

what about the brewery yoga phenomenon, how long with that bubble sustain itself, is there an untapped market of soccer moms at traditional yoga studios that is being overlooked? which famed economist will write a book on the topic appear on fresh air with terry gross to discuss. really need some expert insight on this subject

 

[hornydevil]

what about the brewery yoga phenomenon, how long with that bubble sustain itself, is there an untapped market of soccer moms at traditional yoga studies that is being overlooked? which famed economist will write a book on the topic appear on fresh air with terry gross to discuss. really need some expert insight on this subject

And maybe they can answer the haunting question, "Why are there not more down-dog pics of brewery yoga on brewery fb pages and websites?"

 

[furley]

what about the brewery yoga phenomenon

let's hope this doesn't die off. this is the only opportunity 98% of those neckbeards have to see real, live women in person. especially in that level of undress.

 

[WhalezB4Rarez]

what about the brewery yoga phenomenon, how long with that bubble sustain itself, is there an untapped market of soccer moms at traditional yoga studios that is being overlooked? which famed economist will write a book on the topic appear on fresh air with terry gross to discuss. really need some expert insight on this subject

Has anyone done the research to see if there is a correlation to the growth of the "hair-long-on-the-top-short-on-the-sides-long-beard" look to the growth of hazy IPA?

 

[2plums4one]

The general public doesn't give a ****. They're perfectly happy drinking macro.

Yes but I feel more people are looking for something different every day. I think its safe to say there's a higher % of people trying beer other than bud/bud light/miller lite today than ever before, and the macro guys along with ****** breweries are doing a great job of capturing them before they actually get to try good local beer.

 

[hornydevil]

Yes but I feel more people are looking for something different every day. I think its safe to say there's a higher % of people trying beer other than bud/bud light/miller lite today than ever before, and the macro guys along with ****** breweries are doing a great job of capturing them before they actually get to try good local beer.

I would disagree with that last bit. Seeing as the new craft beer explosion is because of small, local craft breweries that are basically neighborhood breweries, craft beer is becoming part of the culture of young people. Breweries are a destination for a good time (or yoga or food trucks), so they have started to transcend places to just have a beer.

 

[Stubs]

I read about that in their profile piece in the latest BeerAdvocate mag and I was astonished that they have gone on all in the haze. It didn't seem like they were struggling before that so time will tell if the trend dies and they go back to brewing "normal" beers and if they can still drum up support.

Difference with them is that Superfan is produced as their flagship easily available IPA. Its replacing the likes of Odell and Avery IPA in customer baskets. Its not something you line up for weekly. Its your beer now.

 

[RyanG1]

Sorry to derail the pedantic philosophizing but can we focus on more important things like BRING ON THE BEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hopefully, one of us can become famous for an embedded Untappd review.

Hey Shitlord,

Sounds crazy doesn't it? But it's true.

This sour ale, brewed exclusively at the Deschutes Bend Pub, was aged using an incredible 13 different Pinot Noir Barrels and 1 Sherry Barrel featuring blends going all the way back to 2014.

And in case you don't already know, Deschutes only brews sour ales on special occasions. But man are they good at it.

The first sour of theirs I ever tried was at the downtown Portland pub. It just happened to be National Sour Beer Day so they were offering a four sour beer sampler. Never having tried a sour from Deschutes before, I didn't know quite what to expect.

Let me tell you, I was blown away. I knew right away the brewers at Deschutes were brilliant at brewing sour beer, even though they don't do it very often.

Fast forward to today and I have in hand exactly 24 bottles of their newest sour beer. One that's never been bottled before and was only available in-person directly from the brewery.

Only 24 bottles available
Needless to say, there are not many to go around and I seriously doubt you'll find this limited release bottle anywhere else.
Here's a bit more... I think you'll agree it sounds pretty damn cool.

Planete Bruin by Deschutes Brewery is a blend of 4 different beers and was soured using Brettanomyces Bruxellensis and Brettanomyces Lambicus.

The 4 blends consist of:

3 Belgian-Style Brown Ales (all Pinot-aged) from February 2014, November 2015, and December 2015

The Stoic Belgian Ale (Sherry Aged) from May 2014.

Planete's aroma is vinous (wine-like), berries, cherries, dried fruits, oak popcorn and pepper. It displays of collage of flavors including sour, cherry, oak and dried fruit. A faint malt sweetness creates a perfect balance in this stellar new offering.

Plus it sports a wicked 10.6% ABV.

Fun times. Get your Planete Bruin bottle here while you still can:

http://www.BringOnTheBeer.com/PlaneteBruin
Cheers,

P.S. We just got a huge delivery of other really great beers this week. Too many to mention here, but I think you'll find the selection enticing.

 

[furley]

Sorry to derail the pedantic philosophizing but can we focus on more important things

by all means, don't let me interrupt the usual complaining about not being able to get hands on a one-off release of a beer no one likes by a brewery that people hate at a price no one is willing to pay

 

[FoudreGuy]

what about the brewery yoga phenomenon, how long with that bubble sustain itself, is there an untapped market of soccer moms at traditional yoga studios that is being overlooked? which famed economist will write a book on the topic appear on fresh air with terry gross to discuss. really need some expert insight on this subject

On a serious related note, in my previous career I had summers off and would take my daughter to outdoor camp type things where I'd be the only dad. The moms would often talk about which Seattle brewery they were going to that week, and they were never the ones that I'd think of going to (Fremont, Reubens, Urban Family, Stoup) with my kid.