Lord Hobo Brewing is expanding

I honestly didn't really like what Nightshift was putting out at first. The first time I truly enjoyed one of their beers was when Whirlpool hit in grey 12 oz. cans (the artwork has truly improved too huh?). I remember thinking, "Oh wow, this does taste like peaches." I also remember it being sort of hit or miss, there was definitely pictures on here of the beer varying in turbidity, and seemingly that went hand-in-hand with the quality.

As far as the local support, I imagine a great deal of that had to do with their candid posts here on Beeradvocate. They've been incredibly honest from everything to their beer to their pricing. And admitting Morph was an ever changing beer that they encouraged feedback on was refreshing. They responded directly to one of my posts that one of their new beers needed work, and I appreciated it. So much so that I still tried a sample out of curiosity when I visited that weekend.

Being open, honest, and humble about your brewery can go a long way. Moreover, running a stellar tap room that is a fun, relaxing atmosphere filled with positive and courteous staff members also goes a long way. If I was starting a brewery, this is the template I would emulate.

 

I agree completely. I was certainly not enamored with NS at the start. There were too many mediocre to poor beers at too high of a price for my taste. It has taken me a while and I am now fully won over to them (prices becoming more reasonable as well). I think their current standard lineup is excellent. It took time but they used that time to come up with an outstanding lineup. And the special batch beers have gotten so much better as well. Add into the fact that the taproom has become one of my favorite places to go and the brewery is really one of my favorites. If there is a model of a brewery to follow, then I think NS has it down.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head. Trillium is my favorite beer to drink in the state, but Nightshift is my favorite brewery to support. They're really a fantastic group of people. I'm with you on the 12oz whirlpools...I had some of those and I think the very first batch of Morph. Was so happy I could find this in Boston proper without too much trouble.

 

I had the opportunity to sample (4 oz. sample) their Idaho 7 (I bought a four pack, but I hadn't had a full draft/can yet) directly before heading to the bar to have some Trillium Artaic (I had Mettle the week prior as well).

I'd be hard pressed to say one was better than the other to be honest. But, it's tough to compare a 4 oz. sample to a 12 oz. (or so) pour. After having a few cans, I would say the Idaho 7 showed some bitterness I didn't pick up on the sample (and the bitterness is increasing with time in my opinion), while the Artaic was fruit juice all the way. The Idaho is a pineapple bomb, but with some bitterness thrown in (not bad, but did slightly detract from the beer...and I mean SLIGHTLY).

Needless to say, if I have to nit pick back and forth and it's that close from memory, Nighshift is in good company.

And Trillium has NOTHING like Whirlpool, which is the beer Nighshift's success begins and ends with in my opinion.

 

"In some markets, like New York City and New Hampshire, they even had to halt distribution because they couldn't keep up with demand."

Uh.... Lord Hobo has never available in NH. They were planning to come, maybe that's on hold?

 

He replied to a FB post that asked the same question.

"Daniel Lanigan: I guess I was misquoted. I said we had to hold off on entering those markets until we had more beer."

 

I think you're missing the crux of LH's business model. They don't want to be NS or Trillium or HF. They want to be Two Roads. Entirely different business models.

Just because none of those other successful breweries did it the way LH is doing it, doesn't make it the wrong way to do it. Even more than that, they are succeeding more or less because those other breweries have different business models. Everyone in the gaps between the distribution of HF, Trillium, Alchemist, etc. are still drinking IPAs. I probably wouldn't be friends with the guy, but DL has vision, he saw something the larger beer market lacked, and he's filling that void.

We all agree the beer could get better, and I'd wager it will as they get more access to contracted hops and more experience (notice the article quoted said Galaxy, and Hobo Life, their best received beer to date, is made with Citra).

Additionally, when the beer gets better, and when the pilot system gets online at the brewery, and it becomes a better experience, locals will get behind the brewery. I guarantee it.

 

His vision was... to flood the market with beer that's not that good?

 

Valid point... but the article referenced used Night Shift and Newburyport Brewing as the basis of comparison. I was just going with one of those two example breweries the article was using and my point of view on the validity of that comparison.

As for locals getting behind the brewery... I think maybe DL should have started with the pilot brewing system, with better beer and a better experience so that locals would have gotten behind the brewery at day one. I don't know, maybe brew 20BBL in a 20BBL FV first to see if people like it before you go all in on 80BBL.
You don't jump to step 5 in a business plan that creates a crappy product and experience that alienates your consumers and then go back to step 1 to get them all back again...

 

Your MA market? Maybe it's relatively not that good in comparison. But what about upstate New York, Southern Vermont, CT, etc.? You think there are shelves full of better year-round available DIPAs in 4-pack cans? You'd be surprised. In some of these markets the best year-round DIPAs are Resin, Ruination 2.0, Lagunitas Sucks. Some or all of those are better beers, but they're not "local", they have worse marketing, and they're not in the tallboy cans, and we all know how irrational people are about cans. That's why Road 2 Ruin and Boomsauce are filling that niche.

Fair enough, I take more umbrage with the author then.

 

Is it LIT?

Actually curious to see what they can do with this and if it can take some of their offerings to another level.

 

There is $$$$ in mediocre beer!!

 

Just as a single one-month-late data point, went to a party hosted in Brighton recently with a bunch of her family from Southern Vermont over. Two guys I would have guessed were drinking BMC had independently brought and were sharing Hobo Life.

 

Probably not.

 

Much higher margins on beer sold directly as well

 

Enjoyed hobolife actually. Found the dryhopping well managed. tasty.