I pretty much concentrate on the beer in the container. If the brewery makes great beer that is of primary importance to me. As I previously stated a pretty location is a bonus. Cheers!
Agree of course . Just wondering if you have access to a beautiful brewery near you can that change your thought on it being better? Versus buying a 4PK at the store.
I think that Warwick Farms Brewery has a beautiful location and while I enjoy drinking their beers I do not think those beers are great. Does that ‘answer’ the question? Cheers!
LOL I guess . Would you only visit (Warwick farms) and drink beer because as you say the “beautiful location” , but would not buy a 4pk. Off premise ( if they distribute) or at a local restaurant? So you enjoy drinking their beer at the brewery which in essence makes the beer better for you?
You pretty much nailed it. I enjoy drinking their beers there but I don’t buy their beers to drink at home. Cheers!
There's a brewery that's called Cobblehaus at the Falls here in the area. Beers are OK, but the environment is wonderfully relaxing and serene. Definitely fancy a visit from time to time. Pittsburgh Brew Pubs | Cobblehaus Brewing Co. | Coraopolis
Breweries that make beers that are strong within the style guidelines for the beer consistently deserve respect for me. They don't just sit on one style, they attempt various styles with craft and commitment.
Okay, I have to ask: Why didn't they draw it into a can instead of a glass? Isn't that their whole schtick?
1. Really good product. 2. Consistency. 3. Fair prices. (a hot topic) 4. Staying away from voicing social and political groups/issues. *5. Taproom and or brewery vibe (almost left this out because many breweries don't have a "fancy" taproom, but rather more of a resourceful homegrown vibe).
Firestone Walker. Even though they’re kind of in the SN frame of products (largely focused on hops now) they are good at making a wide range of quality beers and their barrel aging program and portfolio is solid. Another one I’d put up there, maybe even over FW is Great Lakes. They still brew and distribute a good portion of their original flagship beers (dortmunder, Elliot ness, Eddie fitz), none of which are hopcentric (not sure what happened to burning River) and they are all solid to world class imo. Definite shout outs to Von Trapp, Tree House, and Schilling. And fo sho a little home town love to Strangebird- still hard to believe Eric Salazar is brewing Belgian beers in 2025, basically in my backyard. Almost everything about that brewery is fantastic-fucking-tastic!
I think your "Westvleteren Effect" is definitely a valid point. We've seen it time after time over the years, scarcity boosts ratings. But I think you may be confounding what makes a brewery great with what makes a brewery the "greatest". Westvleteren 12 is an amazing beer. The brewery itself, produces excellent beers. Is Westvleteren 12 better than ANY other beer on the planet, as ratings would have one think 20 years ago? No, probably not. Doesn't mean the brewery isn't great.
Especially now-a-days, when everyone seems to be stuck brewing a few, very predictable, usually forgettable styles. I think it is true that some brewers are just better at brewing certain kinds of beers, but those that make a concerted effort to brew "outside of their box" and brew those beers well, do, as you said, deserve respect. I really can't speak for how it's happening in other areas, but when local 4 packs of pounders are going for $30 - 35 for "normal" beers from the brewery right up the street and I can get a 12 pack of normal beer or a 6 pack of special beer from a national concern with a reputation for quality for half the price, I'm not even looking at those locals and probably won't bother with them in the future. Always liked them. Especially their "normal" beers. Union Jack is the absolute tits. Saw a lot more of them when I lived in Colorado. Now that I live in PA, they are all but a distant, yet fond, memory. Feel very fortunate to have them, basically, in my backyard in Cleveland. Make the trip up probably every other month or so and it still feels as if I should go there more. Just a great city, and not just for beer. Great Lakes is just a wonderful brewery that, along with what you had to say, is very inviting and goes out of their way to appreciate their customers. Accidentally ran into their Easter Egg Hunt when we were in town for Easter and walked out with, I shit you not, armfuls of swag. To say I love and appreciate Great Lakes would be the understatement of the century. They ARE what craft beer should be. I'm jelly as FUCK. Good for you (and him), though. I would agree with your assessment, there. Spot on, mate. Spot on.
Drinking at a brewery is a once in a while treat for me. It's expensive. I'm hinged to retail for my lifestyle.
These days I think the key to greatness is being able to stand out in a world where most breweries are making a commodity. It's pretty rare for me to be truly impressed by a beer that's new to me. If you can do that and do it consistently, you're on the right path. That applies to old world and new world breweries, too. I don't really care about availability because I think that can go a couple different ways. Yes, there are the places that intentionally only make/sell tiny amounts of things for clout. On the other side of that coin, there are places that are simply doing what they do and growth isn't part of that equation.
Agreed. And I don't think that you need to do it in the Stone/WWE Attitude Era "You're not worthy" kind of way. You need to be different and, maybe unfortunately, different, in today's craft beer world, just means quietly doing everything that you do very well. No over-the-top fan fair needed. Especially if it's a beer or brewery that I haven't heard of or that I don't know a lot about. Then again, I'm WAY more impressed with subtlety these days. Impress me with nuance, not by bashing me over the head with every non-beer flavor that you can think of. I like this thought. Growth for the sake of growth should never be a thing. We learned that with a lot of the failed expansions, and eventual contractions, of the second wave of craft. That said, growing to the point where you still hold true to your initial vision while making more money is a worthy pursuit. No need to dream of buyouts or national distribution, when you can be happy and your business can be healthy with a small, but loyal following. Truth be told, though, that point is probably representative of a larger volume than a small brewpub setup can provide. Everyone has their own dream. It's nice that there's a place for all of them in the craft beer universe.
I'm not talking about the actual brewers, although that is a good point. I'm talking the people working the packaging lines and loading trucks. They are tend to be well compensated at the macro-breweries, and not just trying to live off of peanuts so they can maybe work their way up. But, that's all about what you want out of the job. I've had dealings with a few folks that worked at the AB plant in Williamsburg, VA over the years. They seem happy and well compensated. My dad bought a fishing boat off a dude that worked there and he threw in 4 cases of beer (he got two with each paycheck). Can't remember his position, I was a kid, but I remember my dad negotiating for Budweiser over the offered Busch. A friend of a friend (roommate at the time) donated a keg to our shared 30th birthday party, he converted his case allotment for the month to a 1/2 barrel. He was a forklift driver. In the aftermath of 2008, he made enough that his wife only had to work part time, they had 2 kids, and a house with enough yard to raise chickens for eggs and a huge garden where they only bought vegetables winter and early spring, with a 20 minute commute. How much money do you think the forklift driver makes at, say, Sierra Nevada?
Have not been back since March of 2016. Truly amazing how during my trip I linked up with travelers from Costa Rica who were on their way back from Belgium to pick up Cantillon which they brought to a bottle share hosted by one of HF retail workers. (he was a retired teacher) I will never have a brewery trip better than that.
