The Calorie Conundrum

Or Yuengling:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23980/3347

Or Narragansett:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/213/37129

Or Shipyard:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/139/17256

Or DFH:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/6125

Or Abita:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3/13769

Or Leinie's, or a host of brewpubs around the country, and probably a ton of small regional breweries I don't even know about...

 

He's saying why doesn't a craft brewer make a great tasting beer (of any of the styles listed here today) and market it as LOW CALORIE or something similar.

Key Points
1. SHOULDN'T BE SWILL!
2. SHOULD BE LOW CALORIE!
3. Doesn't matter how much you run, jog, hike or swim. It's just the MARKETING piece.

It's an interesting concept and could work. It would NOT mean the brewery still couldn't brew EVERYTHING else they already brew. We're not talking about Pliny the Younger taking up all the space at said brewery. If this idea were to work it could also help the brewery make more money and brew more beer and expose more people to craft creating more revenue which could lead to even more beer.

 

Exactly! Moderation is the key. If your going to eat 2lbs of food for dinner then have a pint+.....then you can expect certain results. People who are. Using craft, imo, are not watching calories in their beer, and therefore wouldn't be a target market for a low cal craft. Breweries would be targeting a new group, the problem is would they then lose some craft fans due to a perceived 'selling out'. True, the bmc demo is larger, but I don't feel like craft brewers care about appealing to them as much as they love to brew craft

 

I think most craft brewers care little about serving the "light" drinkers market - it is next to impossible to make a light craft brew tasteworthy. Even Sam Adams Light is lacking in flavor for me. The whole craft beer movement was based on getting away from insipid beers that include the "light" category. Most of the health-conscious craft drinkers I know either drink low-gravity session beers, or have an active lifestyle to offset the calories - they just aren't willing to sacrifice the taste & styles variety....and I support that decision. It's up to me to exercise self-control to enjoy good beer in a healthful way, not the market. For me, the answer is exercise and portion control - but it's a challenge as I get older, admittedly.

 

Gansett is everywhere, Shipyard bombed, Dogfish is draft-only and incorrectly marked as retired, and I've seen plenty of others around.

The point is people have tried precisely what you are suggesting, and for the umpteen-thousand reasons that have been pointed out to you in this thread, it doesn't work. You can't just slap a light label on a craft beer and convert a lifelong Miller Lite drinker...

 

Yes. IIRC, he had made a comment in an old commercial about never making a light beer.

 

From a marketing standpoint, it doesn't make sense for craft breweries to make a competing light beer: the craft beer industry is growing every year, and the sales of light beer diminish accordingly. Craft breweries aren't going to make money off such a product, especially when there is such a monopoly by 3 companies. Secondly, most people didn't start drinking BMC because it's "light" or "healthy", rather it's what they were told to drink, their friends drink it, or it's the only beer they know about. It's a cultural thing, and that is where the craft beer industry has made a dent and will continue to make strides.

From a health standpoint - what is the point? How many "light" beers does the average person consume at a time? That light beer turns in to a heavy calorie load anyways, and all benefits are gone.

 

Although not a craft brewer by most standards, Yuengling is marketing their light lager now based on it's darker color, as well as taste, of course. At least in the Philadelphia area I know they have TV, radio, and outdoor ads for this ad campaign.

http://www.yuengling.com/news/29/yuengling_urges_you_to_rethink_your_light_beer_/

 

You are my hero.

 

A craft brewer making a light beer to address the mass market tastes of non-beer lovers is like Porsche making a slow car with poor handling to appeal to the mass car market. What's the point? The mass market already has plenty of good choices for low calorie beer with little taste. Now if a craft brewer produces a lighter, tasty beer that satisfies craft beer lovers on a hot summer day that's great. It's called a pilsner. Why compete with mass brewers? It's not why craft breweries exist.

 

Im totally with you on this one but instead of having less beer, craft beer drinkers need to sacrifice other stuff like eating less junk food! I save as much of my guilty calories as I can to be able to drink the really heavy, high ABV, delicious, high calorie beers like Imperial Stouts, Barley Wines ect!!

 

I haven't read this whole thread, but

Eat Healthy
Exercise
Drink whatever you want

 

Ding...ding...ding!!!

 

It seems like there is really 2 points being talked about here.

1. How can craft brewers get a foothold into the lucrative business of selling "lite" beer?
2. Is "lite" beer really worth drinking for people who love craft beer?

On the first point, it seems like lite beer is more of a marketing ploy than anything of substance. Look at a beer like Bud Light Platinum or Michelob Light. They aren't really that low in calories all things considered, yet people buy them because they think they are more healthy. It's really just advertising. Would craft beer companies make more money advertising their lower calorie products as "lite"? There are several options for lower calorie craft beers, but often they are not advertised as light. It seems clear that craft brewers understand that putting "lite" on their bottles or boxes isn't helping them attract attention from their client base. If they really wanted to compete with macro light beers they would probably need to change the price tag on their beers. Anything short of that, and I believe many Miller Lite and Bud Light drinkers wouldn't consider purchasing it, and craft beer drinkers might be put off at the idea that this drink might have a "lite" taste, thus defeating the purpose of drinking craft beer in the first place.

On the 2nd point, I think many people have brought up interesting points. I know that I completely cut out drinking soda and eating sugary snacks. I drink water and snack on fruits and vegetables (or the occasional low calorie potato chip), I stopped eating white breads (for the most part) and really only eat 1 big meal a day, while I snack my way through the rest of the day. I also work at a job that requires me to be active and on my feet for 8 hours a day. So, when it comes time to indulge on beer, I'm drinking whatever I want. It's my only vice, it's my only real hobby, and my lifestyle allows me to be slightly more indulgent on it.

I can understand that people who are calorie conscious want lower calorie alternatives for their beer drinking. I personally don't understand it. If I drink a few beers with 9% abv, I'm going to be done. Someone drinking Bud Light may need six or seven beers (or more) before they are done. What is the calorie difference? It is probably pretty small. I could drink 2 or 3 beers with a higher content, get them down faster and be done faster, or spread them out more evenly though the night while getting just as intoxicated as someone drinking a six pack. I really don't see the difference.

The problem is that a lot of people drinking "lite" beers are people who are socially drinking for the purpose of getting intoxicated (whether it be a small buzz or full scale drunk). Since they want to be able to drink for an extended period of time, it is probably easier for them to drink many lower ABV beers than drinking just a few high ABV beers, but at the end of the day, if 2 people are consuming the same amount of alcohol, one drinking high ABV craft and another drinking low ABV light beer, they are going to be consuming nearly the same amount of calories.

The only people I think that should be worried about the difference in calories for light beers and craft beers are people who drink one or two beers to calm down after a long day of work. The caloric difference could be pretty substantial if they are drinking the same amount of beers with a difference in ABV.

I used to work at a convenience store. I can till you that most people who buy "lite" beers aren't buying them to be calorie conscious. They are buying them because they are easy to drink and easy to get drunk on. Think of a beer like Natural Lite. This stuff is extremely popular amongst college frats. Why? Because you can drink an 18 pack while using a beer bong or playing caps or flip cup or whatever. They don't care that it has low calories per se, they drink it because it has little taste, it's super cheap, it gets them drunk and it will last them for their entire 12 hour drinking binge. Is that really the market that craft beer is trying to enter? I don't think frats and sororities are going to be bringing Curmudgeon to their drinking parties no matter how many calories it has. 2 games of caps and half the party is going to be passed out.

What I'm saying, "lite" beer isn't just for calorie conscious consumers, and I'd venture to guess half or more regular consumers of "lite" beers aren't doing it to try and stay healthy. Marketing, price, culture, lack of flavor, the ability to consume high amounts of it, are all just as important to "lite" beer consumers as calorie counts IMO.

 

Great post, Harry. Much better than whining about Hanzo being a troll for starting a discussion that requires thought.

I think that (and this has been mentioned) the key is price. Many, many people don't buy crap beer because really like it; they buy it because it's cheap. It's cheap because of economy of scale and, by definition, no craft brewer is going to be able to compete that way.

 

Im currently drinking a Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire at 4.3%. Light, gotta be low calories, and way more complex than anything matching its ABV. yes its dark, but ill deal.

but light in terms of light craft beer, forget about it. If a craft brewery makes a beer that can compete in price point (like mentioned above), sign me up.

 

No... do what I do.... skip chesseburgers, chili dogs, philly cheese steaks, pizza etc.... on a regular basis and leave plenty of room for those empty calories called beer.......................... ps.... Im still a fat bastard....

 

I am losing weight right now by eating better and exercising every day. However, I am not going to give up beer or drink lower calorie alternatives. I just drink less beer overall during the week (which also is a benefit by saving money) but still enjoy great beer on a daily basis.