RIP Summerfest

This is a real shame and something that saddens me but I do hold out hope that this is temporary on a point I'll get to in my next part.

Even as someone who drinks their fair share of NEIPA/hazy IPAs, I don't feel I fit in with the subculture at all. I increasingly avoid any brewer who hasn't already proven their skills with the style to me or isn't doing something different (newer hop varietals, combination, etc.) so I 100% understand the hazy fatigue. I do feel that a shift closer to a balance between the two is developing. People who were never interested in the hazy/NEIPA style from breweries who hyper-focused on hazies are being more receptive to IPAs that are not in that style (which breweries are picking up on), as well as people burned out by those, are increasingly looking toward modern WCIPA or non-hazy IPAs. The shift is ever-present but not always relevant, it seems.


I think the breweries best positioned to provide these "disappearing" styles are local. They can better afford (in resources, fermenter space, etc.) throwing out some styles that the "average craft beer drinker" is less inclined to imbibe because there is a good market of people outside of them that will drink it. With a company like Sierra, you're not thinking in terms of your hyperlocal market or distribution footprint, you're thinking on a large regional or national scope. It's all all about scale and what drinkers want within that.

 

In my area this is a chicken/egg argument because when you did see it the beer was pretty old and there wasn't much of it to choose from and then you didn't see it at all so you can't buy what isn't there which leads to hey I guess this beer isn't selling. SN Porter/Stout had terrible marketing too and they rarely included it in the mixed packs which I think would have brought some more attention to it. Stouts/Porters are moving well in my area (Yards George Washington Porter has been flying off of the shelves here and not just because it is a local, the people who want something different are reaching for it) and I would argue now more than ever is a time to market anything that is not an IPA/hazy, as many of us are totally tired of the style (and I am tired of both WCIPA and hazies and anything in between).

I have this same issue. I had two in a row recently and I couldn't handle not only another one but another beer in general...it's a good one and done style IMO.

 

Agreed - you took the chicken and egg analogy before I could get to it.

I can't buy what a distributor won't stock or a brewery won't package. Porter and Stout were (seemingly) let to wither on the vine, at which point the tired 'it's not selling so we're cutting back production/distro' verbiage gets trotted out and off down the death spiral they go. This isn't unique to SN, but it still is very disappointing. Deschutes still manages to market Black Butte here in CA, so some vestige of a market for porter IS there; Deschutes though are increasingly the only (regional) option I see available. If Anchor is making a push of Porter with their new branding, I have yet to see it.

I made the point in a different SN thread a while back that their continued limited production of those 2 specific beers was akin to advertising to us SN lifers. Just knowing that SN still produced those - even if they were increasingly hard to get - solidified the point that 2021 SN still acknowledged it's 1980 roots. These 2 passing makes me very concerned we'll see changes to Celebration, and curtailing of other 'heritage' beers like Bigfoot.

 

I hate to break it to you, but they are likely changing Celebration in that they will likely phase out the bottle conditioning as they transition to the "tank conditioned" canned product.

 

@jasonmason
I should add that I see this as a bigger change for Sierra Nevada than the loss of Summerfest as a seasonal, but it appears (with the differences in level of talk on BA regarding the two subjects) that I am in an ultra-tiny minority with this sentiment. I've bit my tongue for most of this thread.

 

Chris, have you read stuff from Sierra Nevada Brewing about this change of brewing? If so, do you have any links (or references)?

Cheers!

 

Because you don't like Summerfest, you understand SN's reasoning for discontinuation, or you just don't care?

 

It was discussed by @SierraTerence earlier in this thread.

Here's. A link to one of his comments
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/rip-summerfest.652715/page-5#post-7142605

 

Ah man. I guess I had missed that buried back earlier in the thread. I was really hoping that Celebration would somehow be spared the can onslaught. Oh well.

My Bigfoot concern-o-meter just went up another notch.

 

Another reason to get off your butt and into a pub with the draught Celebration which is on another level. (Of course it could just be the holiday mood adding a little something extra).

 

Unperturbed. I can wait and see. I am concerned about the advance of vintage Bigfoot with cans. Maybe better? Maybe not.

 

Years ago SN had to pull one of the beers from the seasonal mixed hoppy can pack at the last minute and substituted it with a canned Celebration. I enjoyed the beer but it was noticeably different from the bottled version...but who knows if one could still say the same with how they will brew it in '21.

 

Can you provide any specifics as regards the differences?

Cheers!

 

When it comes to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in cans they do choose to can condition that brand:



I suppose can conditioning could potentially be an option for Celebration if there is sufficient space/logistics to support this process. If they can devote resources to bottle condition Celebration why not do so for canned Celebration?

Cheers!

 

Here's one post to an earlier question from you:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...purchases-are-cans.640173/page-3#post-6916623

 

Chris,

I was curious if you had the latest (June 2021) information.

In a past thread @SierraTerence posted (with emphasis in bold by me):

"Lastly, we haven't made the final decision, but my guess is we go away from BC."

I was wondering if you had 'access' to the "final decision".

Cheers!

Jack

 

I remember the canned version being a little "softer" on the mouth feel and slightly less balanced.

 

With all the BF talk above, Maybe this can be my everyday drinker replacement for Summerfest??? lol...

 

But back to Summerfest.... Sierra Nevada's loss....is North Coast's gain...

 

Yeah, let us know how that works out for you.