Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I went on a rant on this earlier. In this case, though, Magic Hat and Pyramid were bought by Labatt. Since they haven't touched the recipe or the brewing process (and I have no reason believing they have), you could still view Magic Hat as a craft brew. However, they are no longer one of the "little guys," so I don't really have a problem with them being excluded from an American Craft Brew organization.
Actually, they were bought by a venture capital firm that bought some breweries and that also manages Labatt USA.
I can see why they are upset - they took the risk, helped build up the demand for different styles of beer and now have to contend with the heavyweights that add a lot more scale to their production and have a much larger distribution base .... it's going to pinch them
however, it's a byproduct of success. The demand is there. They just need to continue to differentiate and you are starting to see that a little bit with the "local" scene, growlers, etc. It may hurt their growth potential, but when the large producers are putting out similar styles it helps push and promote your style as well.
For example, look at what the success of Blue Moon has done for all sorts of wheat beers. I can't count the number of times I've been out with someone who asks if they have Blue Moon and the response is "no, but let me pour you a couple samples of what we do have that you may like if you like Blue Moon" and the person becomes hooked on a local craft brew they otherwise may have never tried.
Also, the only thing worse than beer snobbery is it's antithesis of the blue collar everyman .......
If someone enjoys cheap swill and is just looking for something they can power gulp for a low price - more power to them
If someone is into the build of the beer, different tasting notes and would rather spend 30 minutes slowly working their way through a glass - more power to them
Do what you enjoy and be secure enough to leave it at that
IMO, there is a time and place for almost any beer
Craft brewers have livened up the beer world and they make some delicious beers, but man, they are super annoying little babies. All I hear lately out of craft brewers is whining. I understand why the Brewers Association whining, as craft brewers pay them to whine, but it is annoying.
I think complaining in an interview is one thing, as someone is asking you to complain, but to issue a media report crying is another thing.
As a home-brewer for over 15 years, as someone who was into "good" beer before it was called craft, and before it was called microbrew; when it was simply known as "imported", I really hate the term craft beer. I know I am going to sound like a snob, but I was into drinking good beer long before the whole craft movement took hold. It makes me cringe when I see beer/food pairings, or some suburban jerk talking about the merits of.....Beer is beer (save me the technicalities), and will always be considered a working man's drink in America. Save the whole snobbery for the wine connoisseurs.
I don't think Bud is bad, and Miller is okay. Both of these beers began life in America based on their German roots, although no-one in Germany would dare to even think about using a rice adjunct. Most people who enjoy "craft" beer do so because they appreciate the taste, appreciate that someone in America is producing something different. But, the main concern is not the product that AB/Miller are producing, or their market saturation. They problem they have is that macro breweries use state-of-the-art equipment to produce a consistent product. So as far as Bud is concerned, it is all about sales. With craft beer, it is different year-to-year and even batch-by-batch. Find a local craft brewer, check out one of their current seasonal beers, then try it again next year. I guarantee you will taste two different beers. Instead of relying on modern technology, craft brewers rely on experience and technique to control the process.
There are also the consumers. People who drink Bud, for example, are product loyalists. People who drink craft beer will have their favorite, but, they also get excited over not only other craft beers of the same style, but also craft beers, and beers in general, of different styles.
In general, the craft brewer and drinker are excited about beer, and they love to talk about it. The Bud drinker is excited to drink their beer and that is about it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Bungle
I'd whine too if it dealt with my livelihood. Craft brewers are constantly kicked out of prime shelf space and big brewers use illegal tactics to push craft taps out and have bars put macro on. In Texas, the wholesaler's association or whatever they're called contributed to 2 bills that would benefit craft beer being "forgotten" in the state senate but passed in the house. They have the money to hire lawyers to argue against these bills that would help create jobs and a better business environment for craft brewers.
Not sure about Texas, but generally what a bar and/or restaurant sells is largely dependent on the[ir] distributor[s]. The local watering hole I visit only has Miller Lite, Blue Moon, and Boh (Natty Boh, National Bohemian). There is also Yuengling, which is owned by Sam Adams, which is, I believe, owned 100% by the founder, Koch. The rest of the taps are Flying Dog, Old Dominion, Dogfish Head, New Belgian, Victory, etc. Plus they have over 100 different bottled beers. And they are not the only one's in town like this, in fact, it is more common. It just seems more common on the East Coast to focus on local craft beers and craft and microbrews in general.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikebnllnb
The same reason The Black Keys are angry at Nickleback. Brewing a real beer is art but people are happy drinking swill.
Craft brewers take chances with their design knowing full-well that not everyone is going to like it, and that is okay.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
