Random Beer Thoughts

[Snarf1]

i can tell you've had some bad experiences with opening a brewery.

Thankfully, no.

 

[SirDickButts]

Thankfully, no.

no as in...no bad experiences or not even attempting to opening a brewery?
i feel like you got the inside scoop of the market...and it doesn't sound like fun :-/
i only got a pinch of it...and the numbers are ridiculous. so discouraging.

 

[lb304854]

Budweiser America cashes big checks too.

I'm not talking about big breweries with national distro. I'm specifically referencing small neighborhood brewpubs with no packaging and no keg distro. Average IPAs keep the lights on and fund the brewers' passion projects.

 

[rjose]

I'm not talking about big breweries with national distro. I'm specifically referencing small neighborhood brewpubs with no packaging and no keg distro. Average IPAs keep the lights on and fund the brewers' passion projects.

Fair enough.

But I still stand by this, which was my original point.

I'm not saying every brewer should only brew classic styles, I love innovative new brews.

I am saying every brewer should be able to brew classic styles and that if your lager is good there is an extremely high probability that you have excellent control of every step of the beer making process.

 

[lb304854]

Fair enough.

But I still stand by this, which was my original point.

I just took issue with the IPA statement, otherwise I think you're right.

In Chicagoland we get an unbelievable amount of breweries through distro. I would agree that maybe more breweries should refrain from distributing their average core lineup of IPA's, ambers, and porters to markets where shelf space is tight. However, on the local scale there might not be a such thing as too many IPA's. We have all talked about the existence of a "craft beer bubble" for years now but maybe we are seeing that there is no such thing as an IPA fad.

I don't really care for IPA's, btw.

 

[PHBoiler]

So I just sent in a question to a local podcast for discussion and thought I'd throw it out here too: why is subtweeting so popular in craft beer? Most other industries either do not comment on competitors or other issues as much as craft brewers seem to or they will specify who and what they think are issues. It seems lately that every single day someone is subtweeting about someone or "throwing twitter shade" about something. If you really have such a negative opinion of someone or something, why not have the guts to stand behind it? It makes a lot of folks look like punks to me. I'm just over the whole "everyone is friends" mantra of craft beer. I love that they have communal experiences and collaborations. That's great. If some brewery or beer sucks so much that you have to speak on it publicly though, be specific. Why do you want to be friends with someone that sucks? This is a business.

 

[Kasher]

What the **** is subtweeting?

 

[PHBoiler]

What the **** is subtweeting?

You call out something without mentioning the person or thing specifically. Google also could have told you that.

 

[tennispl]

You call out something without mentioning the person or thing specifically. Google also could have told you that.

I was skeptical but I googled "what the **** is subtweeting?" and it actually did work.

 

[RedCoffee]

Are we talking about his sanitation savvy former employer?

Apparently there was recently a public discussion of ingredient prep. Cutting up limes/jalapenos hurts when you have cuts on your hands.

 

[Snarf1]

no as in...no bad experiences or not even attempting to opening a brewery?
i feel like you got the inside scoop of the market...and it doesn't sound like fun :-/
i only got a pinch of it...and the numbers are ridiculous. so discouraging.

I have worked at a couple breweries and as a reformed small business owner, I find the financial decisions others make interesting. I might give it a go once Tennessee raises the abv if I can find a wort source I'm happy with, but no plans for any sort of traditional brewery.

 

[furley]

Bell's has been open for 30 years. Year round lineup: lager, blonde, pale, ipa, porter, stout, amber.

good luck breaking in to the American beer scene with this as your lineup

beernerds would savage that instantly. facebook/instagram rage would be off the charts.

 

[rjose]

good luck breaking in to the American beer scene with this as your lineup

beernerds would savage that instantly. facebook/instagram rage would be off the charts.

Good luck brewing those styles as well as Bell's does. The question isn't "do they?", it's "can they?".

 

[masterovkhaos]

good luck breaking in to the American beer scene with this as your lineup

beernerds would savage that instantly. facebook/instagram rage would be off the charts.

Plenty of South Florida breweries seem to be pretty much doing this successfully. Often with tons of fermentation flaws too. Maybe with a ****** wit with fruit extract tossed in as well.

There might be a craft beer bubble in other places, but I'm certain we aren't even close to that here. This whole discussion varies a lot based on location I think.

 

[jivex5k1]

God damn Avery's vanilla bean stout is tasty. Sucks there was only one on the shelf =/

 

[JBP]

Location is definitely a factor.

Good luck breaking into the New England beer scene right now without this as your lineup: ipa, ipa, ipa, ipa, double ipa, session ipa.

 

[drgarage1]

Location is definitely a factor.

Good luck breaking into the New England beer scene right now without this as your lineup: ipa, ipa, ipa, ipa, double ipa, session ipa.

You can have some brett saisons, too.

 

[Der Fuchs]

i don't get the idea of the beer bubble.

in 1873 (when america had the most breweries other than now) there were 4131 breweries in the US. the US population at the time was 38,558,371. the per capita consumption was 20gal a year.

today there are 4269 breweries in the US. our population is 308,745,538 and our per capita consumption is 21.5gal year.

we still have a really long way to go before we squeeze out those extra 270 million people. i know it is more complicated than that, but the basic #s dont lend to any bubble even existing much less bursting anytime soon.

 

[nathanmiller]

There's plenty of room all over most of America for a small community brewery that does a few simple styles very well.

There's plenty of room all over most of America for a small community brewery that does a few simple styles somewhat mediocre as well.

 

[stupac2]

i don't get the idea of the beer bubble.

in 1873 (when america had the most breweries other than now) there were 4131 breweries in the US. the US population at the time was 38,558,371. the per capita consumption was 20gal a year.

today there are 4269 breweries in the US. our population is 308,745,538 and our per capita consumption is 21.5gal year.

we still have a really long way to go before we squeeze out those extra 270 million people. i know it is more complicated than that, but the basic #s dont lend to any bubble even existing much less bursting anytime soon.

It depends on how you look at it. The numbers suggest that the total volume of beer isn't going to increase substantially, but there's no evidence that this means that the number of breweries is too high. What's been happening instead is that distributed macro is losing share to local beer. And, really, that's mostly just the market finally getting de-****** from prohibition. The weird part isn't that it's happening, but that it took this goddamned long to happen.

 

[rjose]

Retail space is where the bubble is at.

 

[cry me]

Yeah. I think we have plenty of room for brewpubs and niche breweries that sell mainly out of their taprooms (lord knows ive seen ****** breweries pack their taprooms day in and day out), but the shelf wars are real and if your aim is to have a decent amount of packaged distro, you better come with quality product that is above replacement level.

That said, there are plenty of places in the US that don't have a ton of local beer, good or otherwise (though the big craft brands are aggressively expanding distro to fill that void).

 

[trickytunadicky]

Plenty of South Florida breweries seem to be pretty much doing this successfully. Often with tons of fermentation flaws too. Maybe with a ****** wit with fruit extract tossed in as well.

There might be a craft beer bubble in other places, but I'm certain we aren't even close to that here. This whole discussion varies a lot based on location I think.

What weirded me out about Florida is so many places don't use glycol jackets for temperature control in that heat.

 

[sacrelicio]

What the **** is a Marshmallow Handjeeb? Why this happen?

 

[sacrelicio]

I'm not saying every brewer should only brew classic styles, I love innovative new brews.

I am saying every brewer should be able to brew classic styles and that if your lager is good there is an extremely high probability that you have excellent control of every step of the beer making process.

I look at IPAs this way. Sure, anyone can make one, but a really good IPA means you probably know your way around a brewhouse. It's like a burger, any restaurant worth their salt should be able to make a good burger if they have it on the menu. If you can't even do that, than what can you really do.

 

[trickytunadicky]

What the **** is a Marshmallow Handjeeb? Why this happen?

Haven't you ever wanted to dunk your dick in a jar of mallow fluff or just have a lady friend rub some on ya?

 

[sacrelicio]

Haven't you ever wanted to dunk your dick in a jar of mallow fluff or just have a lady friend rub some on ya?

Well yeah

 

[Barroomhero]

It depends on how you look at it. The numbers suggest that the total volume of beer isn't going to increase substantially, but there's no evidence that this means that the number of breweries is too high. What's been happening instead is that distributed macro is losing share to local beer. And, really, that's mostly just the market finally getting de-****** from prohibition. The weird part isn't that it's happening, but that it took this goddamned long to happen.

Well said. And while the numbers have been a bit slow - craft steadily but slowly grows, macros steadily but slowly decline - I think we see those numbers ramp up a good bit in the next few years.

Retail space is where the bubble is at.

Some have probably figured I work in the industry; my posts here in no way speak for myself at work. So I don't like to comment in that vein. But I had to note this.
rjose, if you're talking about the New England market? HOLY ******* HELL that statement is true. Buying beer, even for a pretty awesome and pretty damn big beer department, is ridiculous right now. The brand profusion, the new locals, the expanded distro for cool brands, and the impending demise of many mid-range breweries on far flung shelves.

I've been in the industry a relatively short time, but an active beer geek for 15+ years. My closest accomplice at work boasts the same geekery resume, but has been in the industry for a good number of years now.

And neither of us has a ******* clue what we're doing right now, in a manner of speaking.

 

[Barroomhero]

Good luck breaking into the New England beer scene right now without this as your lineup: ipa, ipa, ipa, ipa, double ipa, session ipa.

Somewhat disagree with this. While not really new, Jacks Abby is relatively new, and they're doing damn well with a lineup that varies from that a good bit. Von Trapp certainly isn't dominating the trade forums, but they seem to be doing fine with a traditional german-style lineup. Deciduous certainly doesn't have a traditional lineup, but they're making some waves, and I'll be damned if that Auranja wasn't one of the best AWAs I've had in a while. Banded horn isn't doing juicy IPAs, and they're definitely not ipa-obsessed.

If anything... good luck breaking into the New England Beer scene right now WITH this as your lineup: IPAs. Something other than IPAs? Maybe you've got a niche that can be filled.

I dunno. I wouldn't open a brewery right now in NE doing anything.

 

[MarcatGSB1]

All good points.