Pale Ale VS Session

Are you talking about simply changing the name of a pale ale to session ale (no brewing technique/ingredient differences) to see if it will boost sales? There are a few noticeable differences in most session IPA's vs. pale ales. Some past forum posts on here to explain.

 

Session IPA and Pale Ale are not the same thing.

Not all Pale Ales are Session Pale Ales.

Accuracy in labeling should be your priority here. If the ABV% is under 4.5 you could get away with calling it 'session', but some of us are averse to that style, er marketing, er whatever.

 

According to the beer's info profile here on this very website, which was contributed by you yourself, your Up North Pale Ale is a 7.0% ABV IPA.

It's neither a Pale Ale, nor a session beer.

It's too early on a Monday for fuckery of this caliber.

Edit: okay okay, it is technically a Pale Ale, but if you don't specifically label it as an India Pale Ale, it will be assumed to be an American or English Pale Ale.

 

I'm a little confused--are you talking about selling your Up North Pale Ale as a session IPA or a Session Pale Ale? Because if your listing is correct, that beer clocks in at 7% abv, which probably shouldn't be marketed as "session" anything and seems to have too much alcohol content to be a standard APA.

If we're talking about a different beer (one that is presumably under 4.5% abv), then I would urge that you style it based on what it tastes like. To me, most session IPAs taste kind of like hop water. Super hoppy but light on body and most of them are fairly monotonous. On the other hand, APAs have some hop bitterness, but they are more balanced with the malt presence and usually have a bit more body.

 

Brewer to brewer. You're playing a bit too loose with the facts of beer here.
At seven %. It is an IPA, or an APA. Get me a burger at two in, please.
Under 5% is a session beer.

 

Well then its a completely different beer. If the original is a good beer why not keep it and just add a session IPA to the lineup?

 

Here, you explicitly ask whether the beer in question will sell better if it is labeled as a 'Session IPA', or a 'Pale Ale'. Honesty is important. Brew a beer you think people will like, and then call a spade a spade.

 

A balanced tap line-up is important, but Pale Ales, IPAs, and Double IPAs are very likely going to be your best sellers. Making at least 3/8 taps a beer of this variety is common practice. Not trying to tell you what to do, just my 2 cents.

 

Gotcha, that makes sense. The only problem is it wont be a true experiment as to which sells better by name since dropping the fermentables to get below 5%, a change that will most likely also result in a hop adjustment is going to create an entirely different beer from the original.

 

More a fan of "Micro-IPAs" and "Extra-Pales"

 

Generally speaking I would say a beer named a session ipa would sell more than a pale ale, but what matters most is that the damn beer is good. Two examples that come to mind are Treehouse Erueka (4% blonde ale) and Nightshift Whirpool (4.5% pale ale), which are both essentially session ales/session ipas. Both are popular and the labeling doesn't deter people because the beers are of good quality.

 

For what it's worth, just because I feel it's the elephant in the room and no one has yet mentioned it, IPAs are by FAR the best-selling craft beer style in the country. If your patrons are asking for something lighter and more sessionable, I'd steer them to a different brew while Keeping 'Up North' in the line-up. I'd also be labelling it as an IPA - I believe you'd sell more of it that way, over labeling it simply as a Pale Ale.

 

Really??? Dont try to trick your customers with false advertisement or massaging the truth! You'll only make yourself look like a fool (if you havent done so already). Label the beer as it is and let it sell itself...if you need gimmicks to sell beer, you wont be selling beer for long!!! Here are the BJCP style guidelines, if you are unfamiliar... http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

 

This thread has all the makings of having lots of 'spirited' discussions.

My personal suggestion is that you just label your beer as a Pale Ale. I have the personal opinion that honesty is the best policy and hopefully your customers will reward you accordingly. Having stated that you should know your particular customers better than anybody on this forum and should 'market' your beers to best satisfy your particular customers. The type of labeling that is most successful in Southern California may not 'translate' well to the Northern Michigan market.

Since we are discussing Northern Michigan maybe a ice hockey themed name? How about Slapshot Pale Ale!

Cheers!

 

Its no long as much ABV as we all are harping on here at times. To me seems more a form of Marketing. IMO
You can have a beer and Package it with "session ipa" or "Pale ale"
Hands down in todays market the "Session ipa" will out sell the pale ale every day.

I dont Own a Brewery or work at one bnut have beent o plenty and also been to plenty of craft beer bars. They do no sell APA's. for the must part with where im located, if a person wants an APA it tends to be Treehouse or Seirra Nevada (because the selection sucks)