Sixpoint thinks we need more Haze

It's better than another seltzer, I guess. I'd rather see them release three new beers of differing styles than three of the same.

 

You're absolutely right, of course. If it were my business, I would do the same.

 

Sixpoint was always known as trailblazing pioneers.
That's a joke, they'll take any trend and beat it to death.

 

No need to single out Sixpoint. How about Great Divide, Bell's, Southern Tier, Neshaminy Creek, AleSmith, Revolution, Stone, Sierra Nevada, Tröegs, Terrapin, Almanac, Elysian, Cigar City, Heavy Seas, Offshoot (The Bruery), Lagunitas, Level, Prairie, Modern Times, Free Will, Great Lakes, Hoppin' Frog? Everybody's making them now. Get used to it or get over it!

 

If the "options" are all hazy/New England-style IPAs then effectively there's not many different options.

American craft beer started by giving people alternatives beyond the big American Lagers which had created a sort of monolithic flavor of beer. The irony is hazy or New England style IPAs are so popular that it's created a similarly monolithic flavor of craft beer. Granted the beer options today aren't as bleak as they were in the 70's/80's/90s. However, the much touted modern explosion in craft beer has not been equally distributed, such that options for some beer styles may not be better than 10-20 years ago. That's what the "complaining" is about.

 

The following is an expression not a legal document lol - dont hold me to every detail but It's pretty much how I recall things. Also I blame any misspelling on beer!

[Begin RANT]
Having been a huge supporter of Sixpoint since what I like to call the OG glory days of the brewer, allow me to express some thoughts. Ill get to haze in a bit:
Premise:
First off I am no longer a "Sixpoint fan". Every since they "Sold" out and when Shane Welch left, things have not been the same. Truley speaking things haven't been the same since they started contract brewing with the the Lion and Mephis. Truley speaking more things havent really been the same since they adapted those Red Bull cans SORRY ment SILO cans for their vessels. Soo.... conclusion is things haven't been the same.
Shane And Contract Brewing:
But Shane straight up dissipated off of BA and left the community over night shortly after the merger without a single word after being a strong and active force on this website and always fighting the good fight for Craft Beer and engaging in tons of forums, I guess it was all marketing at the end of the day. To bad too because I fell for it pretty good for it and kinda looked up to the guy.
Flaky Brewery:
Time and time and time again contract brewing was brought up to sixpoint on this site and they always beated around the bush always avoiding those questions for the longest of time but finally began to admit it, despite representing BK hardcore throughout this time! Now,{this is before the sell out} Furthermore Sixpoint used to call out other brewers for "Partnerships" such as Brooklyn brewing as if they were really any better at the end of the day! Havent read this is years so my memory is fuzzy but here is a quote from Brooklyn brewing:
"We’re disheartened by the comments from our craft neighbor here in Brooklyn"
Article here:
https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.co...eals-taking-place-across-craft-beer-industry/
There was a period of time I believe that cans were being brewed in Memphis or the Lion but all the marketing on the website and can were Brooklyn focus, except for something along the lines of a company called Mad Scientists Co. which in fact did list their contact brewed states are part of the company.

Haze and Trillium:
So now onto the haze as if we dont already have enough of that around. Sixpoint around the time of the merger acquired the brew-master from Trillium to move this brewery into the haze era! And the results have been MEH at best for me personally. They end up being yet another shelf attempt at a hazy beer and I personally dont like the direction sixpoint is heading in. They still have some great beers for sure but they need to stay out of the haze craze because it seems to be successful on the local level more then the internal network level.

Sixpoint used to stand high and mighty calling out other breweries and priding themselves as legit when at the end of the day they have become nothing more then a Hypocrite! And that's why I'm done with Sixpoint!
[End RANT]

 

"Innovation Program"


Tells ya all ya need to know.

 

But Short term buying and long term locality are two different things.

 

I hear and read this opinion a lot but have seen no evidence of it where I live or where I have visited. Granted I live in a huge city with likely more options than other places, but today I have more beer options, greater variety of styles to drink, and an overall better quality of beer to consume than at any time in my three and half decades drinking history. Recent trips to Brooklyn and Buffalo confirm this is not an anomaly.

There are a lot of hazy IPAs available. Sure. But I can drive 15 minutes from where I live and also buy good examples of Schwartzbier, Grodziske, Dark Mild, Gruit, Berliner Weiss, Czech style Pilsner, Dortmunder, as well as pastry stouts, breakfast porters, pastry sours, etc. There is greater variety, accessibility and quality of beer today than ever before. Five years ago, the variety was less, and the quality poorer.

I say this hazy homogenization is a myth.

 

Loyalty ***

 

I stand with @Ranbot. The increased style homogeneity at most liquor stores, beer bars, and taprooms over the last half decade is stark in the Twin Cities and well beyond within the Midwest. Local producers, many of which push the same few contemporary styles and don't necessarily make particularly good product, have taken over shelf space and tap lines from proven regionally, nationally, and internationally distributed brands that make (or used to make) beer that tastes like beer. Five years ago, the variety* was more, and the quality greater, although I'll peg the peak at 2016 or 2017; that's when the NEIPA trend hit this market hard and the rapid slide began. I say this hazy homogenization is a reality. Indeed, it's a widely recognized and lamented phenomenon within the craft beer industry, including -- nay, especially -- among producers of those same few popular styles, many of whom brew them reluctantly and for purely business rather than artistic reasons. I hear about it frequently from brewers, bartenders, and liquor store employees. Perhaps some of the historically slower-to-develop American craft beer markets (such as the two that you mentioned) are still on the upswing in terms of practical style availability, although I hear mixed and unreliable opinion on that matter. I'm not going to pretend to know what's going on in Canada.

* I.e., the variety of styles, not necessarily of breweries

 

Both work.

 

From the beginning, Alpenflo has been scarce. One store here got it, once. I asked at my usual, & he said the minimum was too high. Forgot how many cases, but more than I was willing to get for myself.

 

You give him the benefit of the doubt to think he doesn't know

 

You also told me about Hop Wallop. I can find some Victory beers around here but haven't seen Hop Wallop yet. When I see it I will buy it based on your recommendation and description.

 

Interesting.

Up here, the craft oriented beer bars seem to have an increasingly varied selection. If anything, the trend seems to be toward more sours and lagers, at least from my experience.

A couple things probably make us a little different too that I’ve thought about since last night. One, changing laws and restrictions, and increased interest in craft beer have seen a big uptake in the availability of imports. The best beer bar in town now has regularly available US and European taps from leading breweries. Just 2 years ago that was not the case. It was so onerous to get anything in from elsewhere that there seems to be a little excitement around getting things in from out of Province.

For example: these are links to tap lists of two of the better beer bars in the city. Just two to three years ago I did not see this variety.

http://www.barhopbar.com/taps

https://barvolo.com/

Hazy IPAs are present, but by no means dominant. Note also the cask selection in the second link below the draft list.

The other thing that seems to have changed the landscape a little is that any brewery in the province can offer beer through an online shop for shipment by mail to anywhere in the province. This means even small rural outfits that want to focus on a specific style or group of styles still have the whole province as their market. So, as a result, there are some good smaller 2-3 year old breweries out in the middle of nowhere that make primarily, lagers, or wine/beer hybrids, or mixed fermentation beers , or Belgian styles only, or, hazy IPAs, or lagers, etc.

Canada has been behind the US in the craft beer for so long. Maybe that is a good thing right now?

 

I'll agree with this. I am lucky to live in a great spot. Great breweries and taprooms all around. Haze and pastry stouts rule here, in fact it's over-saturated with them. But at the same time some of the other breweries have stepped up their pils and lager game. With more breweries hitting, of course you are going to get more garbage produced too. The plus for my tastes is with the majority of people seeking out haze and pastry stouts, I get to enjoy the less sought after styles, without the need to pick up the day it's released to obtain a 4 pack.

 

I am a fan of Sixpoint, and have been impressed with most of Sixpoints hazy offerings - especially Dabble. I'm fine with them and other breweries putting out more year-round haze. I have no problem finding a variety of beers for my consumption - at beer stores, breweries, and pubs - so I have no problem with more breweries putting out more haze. In the last 10 years, the number of US breweries increased from around 2000 to 8000. Even though there is an (over) abundance of haze being produced, there are still tons more options for non-haze than 10 years ago due to this brewery boom. Maybe not on supermarket shelves, but surely at the beer stores and breweries.