Ballast Point beer name changes

Did you regularly buy Ballast Point Pale Ale? It has never been like many excellent American Pale Ales. Labelled as a Kolsch, BP Pale Ale should sell better. Are they tweaking the recipe?

 

This "Pale Ale" has always been a "Kolsch." All they simply are doing is putting kolsch now on the can. The beer is still the same.

 

Big companies have big marketing departments. That big department has to at least appear to be doing something, so...

 

It appears that they think the word "California" has some kind of marketing value?

 

It always was (in the fine print) labeled a Kolsch style. The name change brings that up front and centered.

 

Satisfies (?) the BAs who loudly shout that Kolsch can only be brewed in the Koln area of Germany.

 

I had forgotten that, but it wasn't my type of "Kolsch". I still wonder if the recipe will be changed at all?

 

Actually I'd like see them improve the recipe since I've had Kolsch and Kolsch-style beers I liked better.

 

I believe they want to market BP globally as that "sunny beach California dreamin' " brewery. I see where they're coming from. Now at every tap they have strong holded (holding corona prices hostage), your average consumer will see these "California" themed beers. It truly fits in the theme that Corona tries to play with their commercials and whole marketing campaign.

Can one even include a state name in a trademarked name of a beer?

 

Absolutely. Not only that, but a city as well. Great Divide Denver Pale Ale, for example.

 

Don't understand the name changes unless they feel that they will boost sales. I thought the original names were just fine........

 

I rarely buy Ballast Point, but when I do, it's usually one of these two... and I'm in "deep" but perhaps not a majority.

 

Good point I never tried their pale ale it seemed just another pale ale. Now that I know it's a Kolsch I'll pick some up.

 

Due to the brewery and packaging, it's easy to go into this beer expecting an "American pale ale," but when tried "blind" it reveals itself to be better than that. It's not a bad kolsch-esque beer. I've had other American kolsches that were more pale ale-ish than this one. I know you like Schlafly's, and personally, I like Schlafly's better.

I think it might have been more dominantly labeled a kolsch two packaging iterations ago... but I can't remember exactly. As has been stated, this switch is really a switch between the title and the subtitle/fine print... since it still says "pale ale."

Pale ale was a bad fit. A real kolsch isn't an ale, and consumers looking for a typical "American pale ale" would be let down.

 

I don't think they are changing all their beer names-just more of a retro reboot-would you get rid of 'sculpin'???IDTS....

 

Not sure why they ever called a Kolsch a Pale Ale anyway...

 

It's weird. As an APA I had no interest in it, but as a Kolsch, I want to pick it up and try it.

 

Looking at images of old bottles is telling me that I remembered that wrong.

 

The renaming of Calico seems silly.. But in all honesty, "Pale Ale" was not doing their Kolsch any favors. I'm not sure why they ever called it Pale Ale considering there's plenty of California breweries that clearly established what a "Pale Ale" was, so it's not like BP could have ever said that 'Pale Ale" means something different in Cali

 

Pale ale should definitely change it's name. Thought it was APA and man it was just a lager like kolsch.