Are we spoiled in 2019?

It's not that those of us of certain seniority want fewer options, we just don't find the current options to be an improvement.

Is another, nearly identical and bland murkbomb an actual "improvement and innovation" over any other nearly identical Blonde/Amber/Red?

It's not often, but, hell yeah, I just want a well made Blonde/Red/Amber. I've never had the thought "I'm in mood for an ugly, generic, trendmonster".

Shrug. Strokes for folks.

 

I would say yes, to an extent. I've only been into craft beer for about 5 years, but even in that 5 years, I've seen average stores go from a few good options to rows of good beer. Nowadays in NJ, even smaller stores have Industrial Arts, Interboro, Singlecut, Grey Sail, Toppling Goliath, Pipeworks, Half Acre, etc. etc. In the past 1-2 years especially, I've seen a lot of previously hyped beers become available, too (Mexican Cake, CBS, etc.).

My deciding purchasing factor at this point is freshness/condition. Multiple great options, but which are refrigerated and fresh or properly aged? And to @beertunes already bringing up "murkbombs," I've seen a lot of lagers like Jack's Abby stuff recently.

 

Yes, totally spoiled, but quite the first world problem. I think when you had fewer options you were more appreciative of a good brew vs. now when you can walk into any store and there is an entire row of good options. It raises the bar, as certainly the price tag has raised significantly over the past decade. Thus, I find myself only wanting to buy what I consider great beers and although there are shelves of good beers, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with, I'm probably going to pass on them, unless I'm in the mood for something specific or nostalgic. I think in the coming years it will lead to a contraction of the industry as the market becomes over-saturated. Because unless your beer makes you stand out in some way from the ever growing crowd of breweries, I don't see how you can stay in business.

 

By making a product that people want to buy, repeatedly, over a long period of time?

 

Of course we’re spoiled. What I can get now as opposed to when I first joined this site as opposed to what I could get 10 years ago as opposed to what I could get 20 years ago is not even a question.

 

Crowlers of brown ale?! Now I know you’re lying.

 

Maybe. The question makes me think about some styles reaching their possible limits. How long and with what styles can you continue to improve? Is the improvement always a desired thing? Germans do not improve their classics and it's actually turned out to be the virtue and not the vice. There are also classics in the US, Pliny, BPig, Heady, Swami's, etc. Can I be spoiled by the classics? If yes, so be it - with pleasure!

 

I don't think we are spoiled at all. Supply and demand, the abundance of beer exists because of consumer demand. We have tons of styles and options because it sells and is profitable. I love the options we have and the growth of craft, and I hope it never stops.
A prime example is food, look around your area at the number of restaurants/fast food. Then think of their numbers verse how many breweries are in the same area, then it does not look so spoiled.
Cheers

 

Local brewery makes a great brown, whenever it’s on tap I get it. I am also in the bring back Tumbler 6 packs group.

 

Supply is exceeding demand in my area, lots of dusty beer on the shelves. Saw some Stone Enjoy By 1-1-19 this week. But I can always find something fresh and amazing as retailers bend over backwards to keep consumers like me happy. The DDH (whatever) I bought and loved a few weeks ago is still on the shelves, but nah, this one's FRESHER! I am ridiculously spoiled and it can't last imo.

 

I am drinking whatever is fresh most of the time, so in a sense I am spoiled that I can usually get decent fresh beer like SN Summerfest, WWS or Nugget Nectar even in the vast wasteland I live in ... where the local distributor moves Keystone Light as his $ leader

 

See the problem with too many options is that beers turn slower, which leads us back to ad nauseam ... to the FRESHNESS thread. There’s more variety, more choices, but it’s not an improvement imo, quite the opposite.

 

I both agree and disagree. I am not as staunch a believer in the FRESHNESS thing as many here are. I do understand that certain hops tend to drop off faster than others. That being said there are hops imo that retain their character for a longer period of time-maybe I am wrong - again.

More choices and people experimenting/producing new beers is to me a wonderful thing. We do not need to like them all but it sure can be fun trying them !

The downside to me is that beers that I enjoy in the past are no longer available. That I miss, especially British beers that are much less available than they once were, if at all.

 

The market is oversaturated. We are at a point where breweries are releasing new beers weekly to appease us consumers. It's either sink or swim. Yes, we're spoiled.

 

Amen. And that is indeed an issue IMO.

Is it really a good thing to have so many choices if the beer industry (Breweries -> Wholesale Distributors -> Retailers) are incapable (or unwilling?) to take the necessary steps to ensue that fresh beers are available to the consumers?

Cheers!

 

You're in Central PA, right?

 

Yes, unequivocally.

WA and OR beer drinkers have been spoiled for 10+ years and it has only steadily increased since then. We don’t have access to every high-caliber brewery in the country, but we do have access to excellent beer of every style.