When your local brewery losses its true essence

Just let nature take it's course. Enjoy the ride. Enjoy beer, friends, family and things you can control.

 

I don't like these new beers brewed by this particular brewery, but I am personally a fan of the NE ipas and pastry stouts when done properly.

 

Are they selling well with other customers?

That would be an indication that others are happy with these brand changes.

Cheers!

 

I don' think so, but thats just my IMO. I think they'e chasing their tail and changing to keep up with the new fads, but I think the growth of craft beer in general has been detrimental to them, and others since we now have so many more options so the cream is starting to rise to the top.

I'e always considered this particular unnamed brewery average at best, but they were one of the first in the market...but that'll only take you so far. I'm guessing they're surviving, barely.

 

FWIW there are a couple of small, local breweries around me that appear to be doing OK financially and their beers are poor/mediocre for my palate. My guess is that they are surviving by keeping their customers happy in a more holistic manner:

• Provide music entertainment
• Have pool tables and dart boards
• Provide a popular hangout that encourages members of the opposite sex to show up
• etc.

I am a BA so I tend to weight beer quality as being more important but other consumers have differing priorities from mine.

Cheers!

 

I agree. I think mediocre breweries can get by with a good taproom vibe with knowledgeable friendly staff, games, occasional events and a core group of brand ambassadors who are customers.

 

The good thing is, at least in Maine, most of those early to mid nineties breweries/brewpubs are still around. Gritty McDuffs comes to mind. That place is always full or at least regularly busy. The fact that they have really good food at an affordable price doesn’t hurt either.
It seems like the last 5-10 years have been flooded with a brewery on every corner. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it isn’t a good thing when the sole purpose is to cash in quick, rather than being a highly skilled home brewer who has had a plan and worked at it for years.

 

I've tried all the locals, and most of them have one or two "seasonals" that are on tap, in house only that are worth waiting for. Most of what they bottle or can are meant to appeal to the masses and I don't think they're nearly as good as what I can buy from the established craft brewers at my local store.
But.....I'll keep trying the locals....

 

Well now I know which brewery you are talking about, and "average at best" is a diplomatic, if not generous, comment. And this was always disappointing to my beer tastes given their previous emphasis on being a brewery with a german-american heritage and also focused on german-style beers.

 

Yes, I was being diplomatic! You know the one!

 

So true. I used to go to the Gilded Otter all the time. It was always the perfect follow up to a nice hike at Minnewaska State Park. It seemed like every year the beer got a little worse and the food menu stayed exactly the same. The last time that I was there I order their Hefeweizen, which was one of my go to’s there, and couldn’t even choke it down. I sent the beer back and have never been back. That was about five years ago. Every time I pass by that place now all I can ever think is “how sad”. What a waste of such a beautiful location. How that place remains to stay in business is beyond me.

 

I understand the thread, we are blessed with the consistency of the Peoples Pint, Berkshire Brewing, and the Northampton Brewery. Rock solid and consistent over the nearly 3 decades they have been at it.
I would venture that chasing trends is a trap, weighted against the notion of being stagnant.
Each of these businesses has some flexibility but have held true to their vision.
In the last 3 years several breweries have opened and we support, so future me will check back on Fort Hill ( originally all Lagers, now incorporates Hazy NE Ipa's,) Abandoned Building still holding to its line up, Brick And Feather, Honest Weight each working with very high quality as the mission.
Thanks for the great thought exercise.
Cheers all

 

Lol. Always the smart ass

 

Or maybe they are just now getting to the "true essence" of what they were trying to achieve? Then was just a step on the way to there ? Now could be just another phase, on the way to there ?

Maybe, but if it is

, then it can be worthwhile

 

I was just being honest. I couldn’t figure it out.

 

What can hurt it for me is some combination of the following:

-Killing core beers (might be necessary to get really big, but definitely can lose that local feel while still producing great beer on a large scale. Stone, I'm looking at you).
-Quality dropping because of scaling (Alpine ).
-"Regulars" not being recognized because the staff is turning over or is poorly managed. Not advocating special privileges, but if you're in weekly or more at a place, significant numbers of the staff should at least recognize you, if not know what stuff you're into.
-Fad chasing. Starting out with some good range in selection, then a year or two down the road all you ever do is make IPAs and stouts. This loses what sets it apart from the billion other breweries producing shit tons of those styles.
-Opposite of fad chasing would be to try to walk in five different directions at once. Have a brand identity, and stick to it. Don't try to do too many things at once. Have your differentiators as your foundational pillars and build a message/identity (this one I'd say Stone is exceptional at).
-Mediocre beertenders. I repeat, MEDIOCRE BEERTENDERS. These guys are on the front lines and should be your evangelists.

 

My local brewery's true essence is over priced beer and food coupled with an ambiance richly capped off with clueless bartenders. They could lose that and I might stop driving past them to hit other breweries.

 

I started to dislike my local because the owner is less than reputable. Impersonable and ignored concern and conversation. Dont agree with the individual so i dont spend money there.

 

A brewery in a place I previously lived lost me when it became clear they had become all about trying to make inroads in a major city an hour away. The final straw for me was special releases intended for establishments in the city they had no intention of making available at their original location. Trying to grow is fine. Doing so by brushing aside your roots and the people who helped you get to the point of being able to grow isn't cool at all.

 

Did they disallow outside food and drink because they started selling food on site? Because that totally makes sense.

If they do not have food available on-site, this makes no sense. I've never seen a brewery (I live in Houston - lots of breweries) do that.