Are Shipyard and Magic Hat struggling?

I hadn't really consumed much magic hat since 2006, but the combination of their "Laughing Stock" marketing and actually visiting the tap room for the first time kinda killed any remaining nostalgia I had for the place. Some of the beer was -that- bad.

 

IF Magic Hat is struggling, I wonder if a decline in the pumpkin ale market has anything to do with it.

I don't have numbers to back this up, but I recall their Pumpkin Head being a large part of their revenue each year. I think they even extended it's availability through December each season due to demand.

At least in my area, I've noticed a decline in pumpkin ales the last couple of years.

 

I went to the taproom in 2014. It was the most bizarre brewery experience ive had. Its a dark room with these weird black walls and strange colors. The vast majority of the space was devoted to selling merch. There was a bar where you could get a certain amount of tasting pours, but that was it. It almost seemed like a pop up Halloween store in the mall or something. Very Very strange/depressing experience.

 

Ehh . . . Ringwood's a good yeast, it's just a bit temperamental. Actually, fits the bill for NEIPAs fantastically.

 

You mean Shipyards pumpkin head?

 

Crap, yeah I meant Shipyard. Good catch.

 

Mostly I think you are right Richard, but then I look at someone like Sly Fox who had contract brewed (and may still be) and I don't think they are in trouble, I think it's more about their canning line than anything else. So all contract brewing is not necessarily a bad thing, but for Magic Hat I believe it is.

 

I mean I certainly understand that most drinkers are not on BA, are not debating the merits of simcoe vs. Idaho 7 and not planning trips to Zwanze Day, but even among casual beer drinkers, who's talking about or buying Shipyard or Magic Hat in 2018?

Even people that are tangentially interested in craft are going to go with Sam or Sierra Nevada instead.

 

Maybe, but Vermonters and, especially, Mainers are pretty insular and very local-centric.

 

Aside from dogfish Head IPAs (which I’m not a fan of) - name another significant/respected/growing-in-sales Ringwood IPA/DIPA/Pale.....or a single Rwood NEIPA w a rating over 3.5.

 

No idea. Just saying that it isn't the yeast's fault if brewers can't use it correctly.

 

. Not blaming those poor little yeast microbes — blaming Pugsley for infecting the entire 90s era NE Brewpub/craft community w/ that bloody vile strain. He did it fantastically you might say....

 

Just had a #9 in a 12oz can yesterday. Beer I grew up on and one I still enjoy

 

Nailed it!

Maybe they're not the best representative of what your typical Mariners or Vermonters are like (or maybe they are), but I think you'd be hard pressed to find Magic Hat on tap in Burlington, or Shipyard on tap in Portland.

 

Saratoga Brewing was like the 4th largest brewery in NY and went under.

 

Long Trail Space juice is at 4.07 right now, and the VTIPA is at 3.97. I don't necessarily agree with those ratings but that isn't what you asked.

 

My store has no problem moving thru the 60 case drop of Pumpkinhead, I already have to reorder and its been out a month. Say what you will, but that crap always sells

 

I like VTIPA quite much, it seems to be pretty popular too. I didn't know it was a Ringwood beer.

The thing with Ringwood is that it gets crashed too early (to speed up the brewing process) which results in the dreaded D-word (diacetyl). But, if you treat it right, Ringwood should work just fine to produce clean, mild British style ales - which I know aren't exactly the most popular beers in the beergeek world right now.