Back to Basics

Basics are something that I find some local brewers can't deal with. I'm sure my area is not exclusive.

 

I look forward to the day when breweries return to brewing the excellent pale ales, standard American and British style IPAs, and the many wonderful variations on the lager. I think this will only happen after there is a much-needed "correction" in the brewing industry.

 

Someone send me some more Pilsner Urquell

 

I think a lot of us here at BA appreciate The Classic Styles more than a lot of consumers do.
I know it's heresy, but many Craft Breweries are gearing up for seltzer.
"Oh for the love of God!" Really?
Yes, really.
But, I do see some of my local breweries making a lager or two, Porters and Stouts, so that gives me hope.

 

Not only can’t they deal with it but they can’t make money off of it. The most exclusive brewery around me is in a college town where target customers must be between 25 and 30. Not to say those people aren’t interested in lagers and pilsners but they’re obviously far more interested in IPA’s, sours, and BA stouts. It’s not hard to figure that breweries are catering to their customers.

 

Ahh but the general tastes of Casper are usually on the simpler side. Except when it comes to beers with some heat from peppers. That could be said for the whole state. Weird but I am also a fan.

 

I lived in Gillette for 2 years so I can definitely understand how different parts of the country have both different types of people and different tastes in beer.

 

Just had a SN pale ale, couldn’t agree with the back to basic idea more.

 

Another ponderous thread addressing the “problem” that we have too much variety and innovation in today’s craft scene. The premise that traditional beers styles are somehow less available than at sometime (anytime) prior to today Is simply false. The # of breweries in the US doubled between 2015 and 2018 — to over 8k. There aren’t less traditional beers - simply way more of all beer styles.

 

I don't care for the Pastry Stout produced locally but I do like that it provides cash flow so the brewer can also make a Pale Ale.

 

??????

Throwing whatever random shit is laying around into a beer is now "innovation"?

 

Adding candy to a cream ale is not innovation.

 

Whether any of us like it or not, both of those things are innovation. The murky IPA is an innovation, the super thiqqq stouts are an innovation, the even thiccccquer smoothie things are an innovation. Innovation isn't inherently good, and obviously we are approaching a phase where there is arguably more emulation of recent innovation than new innovation happening.

But either way, its fair to refer to this phase of american craft beer culture as an " innovative phase ". That may have cost access to some brands in some areas, it has cost access to some styles in some areas, but I am still yet to see a convincing argument that a significant number of people have access to less traditional styles than they had at some previous point

 

Brewing traditional styles more would be great but I would suspect that breweries used to getting “ultra premium pricing” for their NEIPA would try for a reduced but still “premium priced” model for these beers.

I’d love to buy a dark mild or ordinary bitter but $6 for a pint of that or a $16 4 pack of 16 oz cans would be way too rich for my blood.

 

Yes this topic gets discussed a lot but hey whatever...I agree and I disagree with you here.

if I took a picture of there beer aisle at the store I go to I’d say it is 75-80% hazy ipa.

As far as more traditional styles available that may be true overall because your are right there are way more breweries. This doesn’t apply to your average store in my experience. I cannot find the beers that I used to buy. They are still brewed just not ordered by the store any more because of the 75-80% hazy ipa selection. Can I blame them, no hops are in demand obviously, but this is where the less traditional styles does apply and is a reality in my experience.

 

I do find this to be a problem when looking at certain breweries 15$-16$ pils four packs is too much for me personally.

I’m lucky a local place has found a nice balance of hazy income but also very well made traditional styles. They do not overprice either...their mild is 10$ a four and their lagers are 10-11$.

 

Outside of NEIPA, I wouldn't call much of that innovation. To me most everything else just boils down to adding a bunch of stuff to different styles. Thicker stouts, yeah thats just brewing high abv beer with lactose, and whatever else they want. Smoothie beers, just add fruit and probably lactose again. Adding stuff to beer literally has been going on for centuries. It might be different stuff (in some cases) and in different styles than has been "traditionally" done before but the concept is not new in anyway. Maybe I'm being to reductionist, but thats how I see it from my point of view

 

It's not that local brewers are completely unable to make classic styles, it's that they can't compete in this segment - can't compete on price, can't compete on name recognition, and can't compete on quality (or call it trust). For example, if I pick up some steaks and decide that a wheat beer is called for, do you really think that I'll opt for a famous universally adored local brewer, BA top 100, whose offering looks like a bad acid trip, costs $10.99, and I just know will have IBU north of 40? When a couple of coolers over there's Paulaner, $5.99 for 4/0.5l, 7.99 for 6/0.33?

 

I'll just say, Urban Chestnut Schnickelfritz.

Doesn't Dovetail make a Weizen? Even Metropolitan.*

There *are* small breweries making the effort.

*Looks like Metro doesn't make a traditional Hefeweizen, but I'd still stand UC's and Dovetail's up against a lot of imports -- even New Glarus, if you can make border run