Bicycles / Cycling and Beer

Two crowds of cyclists that I think make it attractive to beer people (and makes them work well together):

1. "Hipsters" (whatever that means) are often both into the bike scene (fixies and all that) and into beer. So it's natural to reach out to that group and try to draw them to your beer.

2. The roadie crowd (of which I am a member): generally the roadie crowd is a dream niche for businesses to target - well-above average income, plenty of it disposable, with freedom to bike on a Saturday morning and then grab a pint with their riding buddies before heading home. Upper middle class males with disposable income and time to use it? Get them into your brewery!

I will say that I do think breweries try to target other groups, like runners (a few breweries/bars around here have run clubs where you run together, then get free/discounted beer after).

I think people who cycle just also happen to be people who like beer. I don't know what it exactly is, but almost every cyclist I know likes good beer. I think a lot of people who go into brewing also have a background in cycling and a love of it. For example, think of Oscar Blues...the owner started his own mountain bike company and this is from a release on their website:

Cycling has always been a huge part of Oskar Blues’ culture and was a huge reason that soul-founder Dale Katechis chose Western North Carolina as the home for a second brewery. “Western North Carolina rings true with the same eclectic mountain energy that inspired Oskar Blues to put Dale’s Pale Ale in a can,” Katechis says.

 

I always thought the connection was that both cycling and craft brewing have an anti-establishment streak. In the former, a lot of enthusiasts, aside from their actual love of cycling, are making a statement about the role of the automobile (which is most certainly the establishment in the U.S., at least). In the latter, they're making a statement about mass-produced, low quality beer that the establishment drinks much of. Not too surprised to see the two sides collaborate, particularly in areas with high concentrations of young folks (i.e., Portland -- "Where young people go to retire!")

(Running, by the way, is not particularly rebellious/anti-establishment. It's jogging. It's 1970s. It's Bill Clinton going for runs along the Potomac, flanked by the Secret Service. It's therefore a less natural bedfellow for craft beer.)

 

You need to get a hold of one of these:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26620/

Upland where I live sponsors a cycling team: http://uplandbeer.com/about/upland-cycling-team/

 

Funny how the 2 go hand in hand for some reason. I love mountain biking and drinking lots of beer.

 

@Sixpoint RAD is a Cycliquid:

http://sixpoint.com/blog/cycliquids/rad/

 

Main reason: As far as I am aware, there are no laws about drinking and cycling.

 

Actually not true, you can get a DUI/DWI for riding a bike while intoxicated. The more you know.

*Laws vary from state to state, consult a local attorney.*

 

I ride to work regularly year round as much as I can. It is how I get around and always have ever since I started riding to school in grade 5.

I absolutely crave a beer after I get home from a ride.

DC is a great cycling commuter city, but there is a war nearly going down here between riders amd motorists. It is very dangerous at times with many feeling entitled. It didnt help that an editorial declaring war was written either.

But getting around that way and too the pub and home is great. I can occasionaly run into other riders in the bar as well, while we might be wearing our jerseies and lids talking about our day. Every town has a different culture itself for cycling there is a mix of fixie no break bo lid wearing groups, serious classic urban competitive people who use their commute as a race track, and then me as a big old slugger happy to go around.

A real nice beer after a ride is a great reward.

 

Very WRONG. It varies as someone mentioned, although the penalties are sometimes not as severe.

Never bike while drunk..

And if you also ride a motorcycle as I do, dont ever drink and ride period (cause we know that never happens..right? )

 

Actually, they often are as severe, simply because there aren't separate car DUI laws and bike DUI laws. The reason you can get a DUI while on a bike is because many (most?) states define a bicycle as a "vehicle" and, as such, they fall under the purview of the DUI statutes, so the penalties would be the same (at least from a technical standpoint...realistically, I think you are correct in that the DA may exercise more discretion when giving a plea deal for a bike DUI vs. a car DUI).

 

I didn't think I was correct but now at least I am sure I wasn't.

 

I didn't think I was correct but now at least I am sure I wasn't.

 

I agree with the regional thing, Colorado being a great example (just because I live here so I know it to be true). Mountain bikers are another great example of a target group that is easy to get to, likes doing stuff (being outdoors, being around other mountain bikers, getting together after a ride to talk shop), and is out and about anyway to ride - why not throw a beer in the mix?

 

Roadie here. Also train and race a lot, and also a massive fan of beer like you OP.

I agree - doesn't always seem like a natural marriage, but I'm not complaining!

Sam from Other Half Brewing (a brewery that recently opened in Brooklyn, that's cranking out some awesome beer), used to race for Rapha Continental I believe. But yeah I agree - generally speaking most people in the beer world wouldn't be mistaken for a pro cyclist at first glance.

Agreed with others regarding the urban / track bike ties in larger cities. But that's a newer phenomenon.

To me, rightly or wrongly, I've always associated the brewery / cycling partnership with the more casual cyclist. Not the guy who races every weekend and puts in 1,000+ miles a month. More the casual rider, who perhaps does the odd grand fondo, or organizes the occasional long ride or trip with his mates. I feel like those are the guys that tend to buy the brewery shirts, and in turn could be involved with beer/brewing themselves.

 

What on earth is a "fixie"?

 

Is your focus on where the brewery is located? Do the PNW, CA & CO breweries have more cycling themed beers? It makes sense that the breweries in these areas would feature cycling, but many of them have national or widespread distribution out of their areas so it may not be to target a demographic in their area, it may just be an interest of the brewer or owner of the brewery. After all, Coors does have the mountains.

 

fixed gear bike. no gears and no freewheel (and also if you're a purist, no brake, as the pedalling rate [along with some well-executed skids] directly controls speed due to lack of freewheel)

 

Nice...... thanks!