More Craft Brewers = More Mediocrity?

There are 4 or 5 breweries open in Little Rock right now that I have visited and to be honest only one of them , Lost Forty, even really gives it a good go. We have two more opening up in the next couple months and I'm really hoping they bring it.

 

I will concur except that I don't think simple = mediocre. For example, SNPA is simple, it is NOT mediocre.

My point is that with SNPA around, I don't need 90%+ of the APAs that are brewed and distributed.

 

Brewpubs and nano-breweries that don't can or bottle are different animals than craft breweries that can/bottle and distribute.

There will always be room for places to gather and eat that also make their own beers. The same holds with nano-breweries that only keg and distro hyper-locally.

 

Oh I can certainly agree about SNPA. Pretty much the standard other pales should be judged against

 

Might want to walk some of that flame post back:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...eally-let-you-down.362848/page-5#post-4325484

 

Meh, didn't show up when I pasted it into the forum search box, not going to apologize. As a bonus, look back, his quote was "Seriously, go to any thread on this board about a specific beer. Then come back, and try to tell me with a straight face that the majority of what you read was intelligent and insightful." Then he goes to quote a thread on "which beer disappointed you", ignoring the comment he just made and expecting people are supposed to respond to that with 1,000 word reviews. It would be like expecting a master cicerone level analysis on WBAYDN threads.

So, he picks on that thread and ignores the 300+ reasonably insightful reviews on Sip of Sunshine.

I stand by my statements that I can't understand why he doesn't believe he deserves a quality product when he pays money for it, but does deserve professional copy on casual beer forum posts he isn't paying a dime for. If you want me to throw my hands up and declare that I've been caught being wrong for not going to the post referenced, great, you caught me. The substance of what I posted is still 100% correct.

 

In the short term yes there will be some mediocre breweries that ride the coattails of the craft beer craze in to the scene. I FIRMLY believe in the long term that the subpar breweries will fade out in the next 2-3 years and the mediocre ones shortly thereafter. A quality product will always win out, especially with the availability of national brands. If you can't offer a product that competes with the quality of a national brand, or at least a price point that is competitive, then your locals' desire to support is only going to last for so long.

 

I know, it's like these newcomers were born on third base and think they hit a Tripel!


I'll show myself out.

 

I have no problem with all of the breweries and mediocrity these days. Because it just means that some may improve and some may actually be great and then we have more great beer to acquire. With social media and BA the job is easier to both find these places we couldn't find 15-20 years ago, while also researching and staying clear of poorly rated ones. With so many breweries, its becoming a little more like restaurants and using urban spoon/yelp/trip advisor and deciding where to eat. Not even close to the number of restaurants, but its progressing that way.

 

In my experience this has been the case. I can think of at least three recently opened breweries in CT that have been pretty subpar on the whole. If they can't even manage to at least be hit or miss I'll give up on them quick. Breweres shouldn't expect people to fund them while they dial in their recipes, that's something they should do before they open. There's an upcoming brewery in CT that's been going around getting feedback for over a year now while they get ready to open. The beer market is already so saturated that people don't have to waste time or money on a brewery that doesn't have their shit together.

 

I've noticed the last year or two breweries truly beginning to expand the types of styles they're brewing. With an over saturated IPA market, this makes sense.

I understand what you mean about the peak being ~10 years ago, when there was a wide variety of styles, specifically the simpler ones, with less "innovation". But I think it's beginning to go the other way now.

The other issue is...

...that "poorly" rated doesn't necessarily translate from style to style. For IPAs the ratings are more helpful to assist a beer drinker in differentiating between mediocre and good/great. But for other styles with less appeal, the ratings may not be as helpful. If a new pilsner is on the market, it may be perfectly fine, but it also may get a mediocre rating because it's less hoppy than others.

For these styles I go by word of mouth....I speak to the beer manager whom I trust, and BA's that have similar tastes to my own.

 

That is a very good point you raised about the style ratings as deteriming which breweries to visit or not. There are 2 brew pubs in my local area that have been around for 15-20 years. Both are extremely underhyped /unknown outside of the local area. Both tend to focus on primarily the varios classic styles and do a phenominal job at most of them. Barely any visibility on BA and social media. 20 years in existence and many of their staple/year round beers might have 50 ticks or less.

 

Which is one of the very good reasons for not comparing ratings across styles. Within a style the ratings provide a useful guide/ordering which may not be perfect but which provides useful information.

 

Just re read this thread and things I notice: It is possible there are folks still living in areas that the craft brew revolution hasn't hit. By this, I mean, the sensibility we as fine beer lovers have for what beers we buy and enjoy hasn't fully taken hold in those areas. Breweries are not being rewarded with profit for creating top quality beers that BA's enjoy. Breweries are not being penalized for making beer we BA's would consider mediocre, in fact, they may be doing well.

I think the problem in those areas will either be fixed because bad breweries go out of business, or good ones do so well that every other one is forced to step up their games.

Among my locals:
Bacchus - started out with decent saisons, and average hoppy offerings. Have since stepped up their games to be considered one of the finest breweries in the state, world class sours and saisons, great hoppy stuff too.

Yard Owl -started out as a dedicated Belgian style brewery. Tried to fill the niche of no local beers like that were bottled. First ten or more batches were so-so. Equally expensive and not as good as some imports and domestic on shelf next to them. Locavores probably kept them in business. Since then they have really stepped up their game, all their beers rock now, and they just upgraded and expanded so the future for them looks even brighter.

Mill House Brewpub - Started by friends of mine, fellow homebrewers, and Jamie and Larry went around and asked all of us if we would buy their beer before signing on. Unlike earlier post suggested, everyone I know who answered did so honestly. Best beer going in was their kolsch style, and a decent American stout. Not great with hoppy styles and a bit heavy handed with strong ale styles when they started. Recently won awards for Imperial stout, American stout, and their hoppy game is amazing now. Put out a barrel aged RIS that is good as any of the big boys. Even better beer is ahead. Just opened another brewing facility.

Plan Bee - Dedicated to all New York ingredients, including much he grows himself, and yeast he harvests on property. Had some quality issues with early batches, and not always worth the high price of bottles. In a short time corrected quality issues, put out imaginative and delicious beers, got better and better, just bought a 25 acre farm and ten barrel system, Brewmation stuff just gorgeous, things will continue to get better I guarantee.

Newburgh Brewery -Beautiful location on river, started by trying to fill the growing session beer niche 4 years ago. Quickly discovered their quality wasn't up to competitors', and that session beers weren't gonna pay the bills. Since have made some really excellent beers, okay a few more clunkers too, but their quality had to increase, and it did, and they just put out a 13% BA RIS that is soooooo velvety and good, and so far from their original "mission". Things will just get better, they have to or they will fail, as just to the south Jeff O'Neil (Chief)is about to open a world class brewery to serve same market.

Blue Collar - Opened a little over a year ago, average to below average beer, hasn't gotten any better since opening, my friends and I are wondering how long before they go out of business. Around here locavore only goes so far.

Gilded Otter - Oldest brewery/brewpub in area. Quality went down steadily over the years. Had top notch Imperial Stout and Barley Wine, delicious Altbier, now all are mediocre and best styles discontinued. Survives because it is next to a beautiful river and area's most popular bike trail, stellar view of mtn.s, beautiful building and interior, and good food.

Rough Cut- Just opened in Kerhonkson. Locavores make the place busy always, haven't been, but I hear they have decent not great beer, but it also won't survive if it can't match quality with its better competition.

Sloop - Started by making 4 beers, including two that were definitely mediocre, on a 1 barrel system in their garage. Steadily stepped up their game, started concentrating on what they do best, sours and Berliner Weisse style beers, just moved into a country farm brewing location with tap room, near to where Dan Suarez (Hill Farmstead alum) is set to open. Sloops's future looks bright with even better beer on the way

North River - Decent beer that has steadily gotten better. They know they have to, or they will end up like the recently closed 2Way Brewing that was just down the road, and never got past mediocre.

None of these breweries were out of the gate making the quality they make now. Many folks in this thread sound as though they would have been advocating for these breweries to fail based on trying beer once. And it isn't so much a matter of waiting until beer is world class before opening. When there is a time to open to give yourself a chance to enter market at the right time, with right financing, you take it, or you are a fool. Enter at the wrong time, even with great beer you might fail.

 

No, we can't have THAT! (Even when you were wrong in accusing him of essentially making it up ...)

 

I'm glad all the Breweries in my area don't make amazing jaw dropping beer. With over 20+ breweries, I'm pretty sure I would be on the liver transplant list now.

 

His entire belief system that we don't deserve anything from the producers of products we purchase was so catastrophically stupid, he doesn't deserve the apology. Though, he is right, I must be a "professional stupid person". I didn't just ignore his posts by blocking him to begin with and instead pointed out his idiocy. Meh, lesson learned. Did you have any commentary on craft beer mediocrity you wanted to share?

 

You've been consistent on this theme across many threads. I have no doubt about its accuracy with respect to Arizona. But for me, here in Massachusetts, it simply isn't the case or is reversed. I've had Jack's Abby and Wormtown replace Magic Hat and Saranac on shelves and in coolers. Even with non-local beers, the better stuff is winning. More Ballast Point, more Lagunitas. Sixpoint is on shelves and two years ago you'd rarely see it. More Peak from Maine, and generally just better beer from Long Trail and Otter Creek. The mediocre stuff is being pushed aside as new, better beers are taking their place.

In every single store near me, total space allocation in coolers and shelves for craft beer has increased. More than double in some cases. BMC is losing space. Crappy imports like Becks and St. Pauli Girl are losing space, along with Moosehead and Labatts.

 

Depends where you are. NYC and CT batting average is very high.

 

Such a genuine request... how am I able to resist? ... I'll manage somehow.