Why do the underwhelming breweries sell the most?

The only Shipyard we sell in my store is Pumpkinhead. I've been told it's their largest selling beer. That does validate your point. I also agree with you about Wachusett, with the exception of their big beers.
Wachusett, Pumpkinhead and others are gateway bears. Good for them. Better them than BMC.
We are the five percent. We're buying beer from the bomber and craft six pack aisle not the displays.
I remember my first Boston Lager 25 years ago. I had never had a beer with that much flavor. I still appreciate it but it's much more tame than I used to think it was. I had some 60 minute last month for the first time in quite a while. I used to think it was hoppy. Now I think its a balanced IPA.

 

Most craft beer consumers are not into the over-the-top in your face flavors that many of us BAs enjoy.

 

I'm assuming most consumers don't really know about the depth that craft beer offers, yet don't want to get coors or bud, so they get affordable microbrews that aren't necessarily as good, but are definitely better than the macro alternatives. When I wasn't aware of the joys of microbrew depth, $10/4pks didn't even get noticed by me.

 

Generally the best stuff cannot meet demand - stores like reliable product to stock the shelves.

 

Because they produce a consistent and approachable product, that is (as a rule) demonstrably cheaper than more limited beers and orders of magnitude better than BMC stuff.

Anyway, last time I checked, a lot of people (save for the most self-important of beers nerds) can admit being perfectly happy consuming a beer that one might consider a dime a dozen.

When I am in Wisconsin, no one freaks out over New Glarus beer. I bet you would flip your shit. If you lived in Wisco, you would likely be of the mind that New Glarus's year round stuff takes up too mach space -- preventing better and more interesting beers space.

Do not lose perspective.

 

Sometimes many factors like seasonality, cult status, low price, and approachable (to most) flavors (or lack of flavors) all come together to sell a lot of beer. Example, Leine Summer Shandy. Barely a beer and tastes like an old lemon took a shit in a Bud Light, but damn is it ever popular.

 

I think it's a local situation for the OP. I've never seen much Shipyard in several states I buy beer in during the course of a year, nor do I see an unusual amount of space given over to mediocre craft beer. The stores I shop at seem to keep their stock pretty well balanced.

Maybe, CheezyBlaster, you should shop at different establishments?

 

Is there some sort of incentive involved here? Perhaps not from the brewery but from the distributor.

 

If you believe Sam Adams' research the majority of craft consumers also buy macros, so its no surprise that the most approachable craft beers are the biggest sellers.

I like to keep an open mind about beer and discover there are a few jems amongst the most approachable beers (Widmer Drifter has been doing it for me lately). And sometimes I shake my head at all the large format bottles taking up shelf space and wonder who the heck is drinking enough of them to keep them stocked when I consider most of them to be mediocre (just bold flavored). So it works both ways.

 

Because the mass of people hate to be overwhelmed.

 

But...but...Spotted Cow is so _tasty_. But then again, so is, oh I dunno, Captain Lawrence Kölsch.

 

Most of them have muted flavors that attract BMC drinkers who don't want to drink what their daddies drank. Harpoon and Shipyard and the like are approachable and affordable. Some people use them as a gateway, others are happy sticking with them forever. There are also a lot of local homers who proclaim their town/city/state's beer to be the best thing ever while those outside the area disagree. Breweries like that are just good at marketing themselves to more or less uneducated consumers.

 

When I first started exploring beer I thought shipyard and seadog was straight up craft, as crazy as you could get.

This was because the stores I bought beer at didn't offer anything besides that, like Winn Dixie and Publix. Seems like the entry crafts just get more exposure.

My one friend always gets shipyard or seadog, I think it's a combination of the availability and price, because he sure loves drinking my rasputin and yeti so I know he's not afraid of the flavor.

If I didn't need a justification for my alcoholism I'd probably be right there with him, but a little gnome in my head insists I drink for the flavor and not the alcohol, craft beer helps me believe this. It does taste way better though...not even the same league.

 

Nobody has mentioned cost yet. There's reasonably priced good craft beer but there's more mediocre stuff that's cheaper.

Also some people apparently hate to try new things. This won't make sense to the tickers among us, but its true. I got my mom hooked on Shiner hefe back when I thought that was the best thing going. She drinks plenty of it but I can't entice her to try some any other hefe now that she's found something she like.

 

Yeah, I agree. Shipyard, Harpoon, Redhook, Saranac etc are all closer to macro not only in taste but in price.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head when you say regional. Shipyard beer is all over MA. Here in SF, the only Shipyard brews I ever see are Pumpkinhead, Smashed Pumpkin, and XXXX IPA, and I don't see too much of those. On the other hand, just about every store here carries half a dozen things from Lost Coast, which, while they put out decent beer, is pretty much never something I think to purchase. It happens to be local, inexpensive, and easy to drink for most people though, so it sells like hotcakes.

 

What gets shelf space is what sells for the store. What sells for the store is what best fits the consumer preferences of the customer base. Within the craft beer segment, you'll see that consumer preference follows a distribution just like any other market. The middle of the distribution, where the bulk of sales will lie, is the beer with less assertive and more approachable flavor and price points. Look at any successful brewery and you'll likely see their "cash cow" bestseller that they have to produce a lot of to keep their doors open, is the lighter and less assertive beer. The 15% of the beer market that's taken up by craft beer isn't largely going to be the bold IPAs or imperial stouts or whatever. The bulk is going to be the blonde ales, the lighter pales, the more generally approachable beers. When you're judging the selection on the shelf in front of you, remember these things.