Toot said:
Second advice. There's nothing wrong with serving BMC. In fact, I would serve at least 40 different bottled beers. They would cost a bit more than my own, but if someone wants a BMC, I'd give them one... but they'd still be drinking it out of a glass so nobody would know the difference anyway. Why alienate people? Certainly educate them, talk about the bad aspects of macroswill, talk up your own beer, offer free samples even... but at the end of the day, wouldn't you rather be seen as the place where you can get any beer on the planet, rather than the place that sells 5 beers you can't get anywhere else?
Personally, I think I'd rather be the place where you can get any beer on the planet. Be the Temple of Beer.
The first idea for the competition was great IMO. This one I'm not so sure on. The problem with serving BMC is that 9 of 10 beers you sell will be BMC and there won't be much profit on it. Whereas you can brew your own for pretty cheap when doing it in such large bulk quantities and actually make a decent coin when someone buys one of your in-house brews. I see your point in that it may discourage people from coming, but I think if you are taking a run at the brewpub/micro business you need to go at it 100%; and exclude the macroswillers...
In my experience the brewpub/micro that serves only its own beers does better than the brewpubs around here that serve 3-4 of their own, as well as other bottles.
Example: Appalachian brewing in Harrisburg, PA (and Camp Hill; oh and Gettysburg) only serves its house beers. 7-8 of them, $4 or so a pint. Imagine the profit on those pints if you are making it for cents per pint. They Must make a pretty nice penny because its expanded from one location to three and all three locations are pretty classy, jazzy joints (albeit I did have very poor service for the first time the other evening). Anyway, great atmosphere, great food, great beers, great profit...
On the other hand there is a brewpub in Carlisle, PA called Market Cross (or is it Cross and Market?) that serves 3-4 or so of its house beers and about 60 other bottles including marcoswill. Well, let's just say the Market Cross is not the classiest, jazziest place to eat, it's not expanded to three locations, and 9 times out of 10 I hear someone order they order some BMC product. It's not to say I don't like this establishment because I love it, but I'm also in the minority when I drink or eat there. I like the house brews, I love the 20-30 belgians and import bottles, and I love the 30+ microbottles they carry. I often check the dates on the micros/belgians I buy there and its amazing how many are very near and/or 1-2 months past their "drink by" date because not many people drink some of the choics. It's also rare I hear someone order the house beers which are only on tap... Generally, they just don't seem to be doing as good of a business as the places selling only their own and no macroswill or competition micros. One thing is for sure IMO. If you are going to brew your own and attempt to sell it, don't serve up another micro that brews better beer (or is perceived to brew better beer)...
Anything is possible and I'm sure with hard work and dedication you could serve your own as well as a "temple of other beers", but I think its better to go at it all or nothing. Even if you have to explain to people that your house pilsener is a very light drinking lager "SIMILAR TO" fill in macro here, I think its better than serving both.
If you are going to serve other beers then just open a pub and sell a large variety of beers. There is a place around here whose claim to fame is serving 30 or so taps and 150+ bottles (Brewhouse Grille). However, they are not even thinking about wasting $50,000+ on brewery system to brew their own beer. There is no need. They are a "temple of beer". Great place, making a good profit on the micro movement/import beer drinking movement, but why waste the money to try to brew your own in this case? They serve anything you can dream of for the most part...
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