Flagship Beers

Pils/Lager
Amber/Brown (not sweet, but distinctly crisp and dry)
Pale Ale (cover the bases-nice malt presence with firm, integrated hop kick)
Porter (like Smuttynose Robust Porter)

Each with a proprietary name, with style and characteristics noted.

 

ESB
Cream Ale or a Lager
English style IPA
Irish Red or Amber Ale

 

Wild Ale
IPA
A lager (<6%)
Stout

 

Those 9 beers translate to 4 varieties of pale ale, 2 varieties of porter, 2 varieties of Belgian blond, and Berliner Weisse.
OK, my tongue is a little in my cheek, but it's not all the way in there.

Having a flagship and having variety are not mutually exclusive though. Sierra Nevada has a flagship.
Personally, I like the idea of flagships more than I like the idea of a constant stream of newness.
Also, while I appreciate variety in one brewery, I don't put a tremendous amount of value in it. Having focus is much preferred. I don't need Allagash to brew an Oktoberfest. They can, but unless they pour lots of energy into it, why should they bother?

 

From the consumer perspective, whatever they can make that is quite outstanding to world class. Quality should be the focus rather than specific styles.

 

1. Amber/Red Ale
2. IPA or Pale Ale
3. Pilsner
4. American Brown

 

I would have to go with...

IPA/IIPA everyone does them but if you can do it right I'll be a repeat customer
Oatmeal Stout
Any Type of Bock/Dopplebock
Belgian Strong Ale

With that lineup and even a mediocre rotation of seasonal or small batch stuff I would never need to go anywhere else. Especially if they can put out a decent sour!

 

Too many breweries by me have opened up without something the non educated palate can drink. Like a nice light Lager be it amber or not.

So, IPA (because everyone wants one it seems like)
Stout (can't make a good, "Car Bomb" without one)
Pale Ale.

Probably would have to go that route for starters.

 

Honestly, all four have distinctive differences. The top choices in all four of those styles do not taste like one another. I think they are ALL underappreciated as they are heavier malt based styles I like 'em all.

 

The key will be providing a variety;

1. Russian Imperial Stout
   
2. Bourbon Barrel Stout
3. Coffee Breakfast Stout
4. Oatmeal Stout

 

Would love to frequent a brewery with those styles on tap regularly - and for the most part I do. If you make IPA, DIPA, session IPA, half assed sour & imp stout like a lot around NYC, I'm not a customer.

 

Quite so, there are distinct differences when judging beers within style guidelines, but I don't walk into a place with a BJCP book in hand and flash a style police badge at 'em. If a brewer want's to use Vienna Malt, Fuggles hops and an American Ale yeast I don't care in the least and I care even less what he chooses to call it. My only concern is how well it's made.

 

1) DIPA
2) Saison
3) RIS
4) Porter

For models, I'd love if they were along the lines of

1) Trillium - Artaic
2) Goose Island - Sofie
3) Ten Fidy
4) Slumbrew Porter Square Porter

 

Jack makes a killer CAP. I wish I lived closer to him.
edit, forgot to play along...
maibock, seriously.
APA, anyone can carpet bomb some pils malt with hops, lets see some balance and technique
dry irish stout
Ipa, because hop bombs are still tasty.

 

Whatever 4 styles the head brewer truly loves and has studied and brewed extensively -- as close to the point of mastery as possible.

 

I am gonna play devil's advocate here, but a brewer may have mastered a style in their eyes, but not in the eyes of others.

 

Did not say they had truly mastered it. If a brewer truly claims they have, then I may be tempted to try regardless, because even the claim is so rare these days. To quote Shawn Hill, ''well, just fucking make a good porter first.''

 

Generally speaking, an American brewer could probably swap the tag of "amber" with the tag of "ESB" on a brew and get away with it... and that isn't a commentary on the lack of expertise of the brewer or consumer, but more about the realities of solid distinctions... or if either of these is even a style at all. Or maybe I'm just being crazy.

 

Regarding flagship beers, I mean I'd love for some crazy ones but being realistic and within the parameters of a flagship beer this is what I'd like to see style wise.

1) Saison
2) Porter/Stout
3) IPA/APA
4) Lightly Soured beer like a Gose or Berliner Weisse

 

I DO care what it's called, at least for the first round. If it's called an American brown ale I won't order it; if it's called an ESB I will.