Does Minnesota drink beer the right way?

Are you drinking the right beers? Does that question make you uncomfortable? City Pages seeks the answers.

(Re: market saturation, underexperienced professional brewers, underdeveloped palates, "beer that tastes like cupcakes and juice," special releases, untraditional brewing, consumer preferences, FOMO, brewer v. consumer tastes, etc.)

 

I think Mark Stutrud is making several separate points:

1. The market is saturated, and he advises against starting a new brewery as a general rule.
2. Many new breweries are helmed by people without much experience, don't engage in adequate quality control, and put out low-quality product.
3. "Stunt" beers that taste "like cupcakes and juice" are "stupid" and for people whose "palates aren't developed." [I'm quoting the article, not necessarily Stutrud.]

All three points, while Stutrud may genuinely believe them, are self-serving to Stutrud as Summit's owner. Even though I do believe demand for craft beer is plateauing, I personally don't think the market is even close to saturated in terms of number of breweries, in large part because large regional breweries like Summit still have so much market share off of which new small breweries can siphon. For obvious reasons, I wouldn't expect Stutrud to be eager to make that point.

While I agree that there are many bad, young, small breweries, I know that some of today's inconsistent small breweries are some of tomorrow's great breweries. I've personally witnessed multiple breweries led by brewers with no previous professional experience struggle in their early batches but quickly or at least eventually rise to putting out consistently high-quality product. Some have said that trajectory applies to 1980s Summit, although that was before my time. I don't want stringent demands for quality to turn into barriers to entry in an already overregulated industry with high fixed costs. Summit can afford serious, advanced (not just "quick and dirty") quality control, with highly compensated, full-time professional staff. Its much smaller competitors cannot. Stutrud is eager to tout his brewery's advantage in that capacity.

The third point, the one that @sudo is downplaying, is the one with which I agree wholeheartedly. Such "stunt" beers are silly, even if the occasional truly enjoyable example emerges. Whether or not people want to admit it, the primary (though not sole) purpose of those beers is to appeal to hype-prone, callow drinkers brimming with enthusiasm for their new hobby. That long has been the standard take of experienced industry professionals, but it has taken awhile for consumers to catch on to the fact that many of the most buzzed about beers are better described as "gimmicky" (or "stupid") than "cutting-edge."

That said, I certainly understand the business case for chasing the greenhorn market. Excellent breweries like Fair State and Shakopee Brewhall, helmed by brewers with far too sophisticated of palates to obsess over those beers themselves, are happy to help a fool part with his money (don't take that too literally and get offended; I'm just playing on the old saying). Niko Tonks and Ben Sallyard have been refreshingly honest in interviews about their true opinions on some of the beers they make. Summit may well be similarly inclined to exploit the same market, but Stutrud realizes that it's highly unlikely that a respected but old craft brewery like Summit can successfully pivot into the hip brewery that all the scenesters will queue up at (and, notably, Minnesota law does Summit no favors in this regard by prohibiting it from selling growlers and bottles at the brewery due to its large size).

 

Following trends shouldn't be confused with "innovation." There are very few truly innovative breweries in this state, and those few tend to be decidedly untrendy (e.g., Olvalde).

I do think Summit rested on its laurels and coasted on a lack of local competition for many years. Surly's entry into the market should've been a wakeup call, and eventually it was, but only after a several year delay. Summit didn't start expanding past its core lineup until about a decade ago (Horizon Red and the beginning of the Unchained series in 2009). As many people long expected it would, it belatedly proved itself a capable brewery once it finally did. But I don't think, no matter how well it might nail trendy styles, Summit ever will have the cool factor to capture the attention of the scenesters, for the same reason that your grandpa will never be a hip hop star no matter how well he raps.

I suspect that many of the breweries that have gone all in on the sugary trinity (NEIPAs, pastry stouts, and heavily fruited kettle sours) will find themselves in precarious positions when the cultural winds inevitably shift. Summit will not suffer that problem. Nor will breweries like Fair State and Shakopee Brewhall that indulge to some degree in the fads but retain a varied and versatile lineup outside of them.

 

It's a great brewery, pushing my top ten in the state. It's overdue for some accolades here. I mentioned it because its head brewer, Ben Salyards, is quoted in the article. If you listen to him on some of the local beer podcasts (Minnesota Beercast, On Tap with Corey and Ira, A One Pint Stand, The Beer Show), you'll find that Salyard is remarkably well-informed, thoughtful, and articulate about beer, and his brewing in practice lives up to his extensive knowledge. Shakopee Brewhall excels in a wide range of beers, from craft staples to trendy fare to obscure and forgotten styles. I'll liken it to a suburban Fair State, minus the emphasis on sours.