Night Shift Brewing

I would think the majority of DTC based businesses are operated at fairly small to moderate scale, high margin, and artisanal (wanted to say "truly craft" but I think there's too much connotation in the word craft). Tree House at the least breaks the mold of small scale. Hill Farmstead meets that criteria I believe. I think HF continues to make beers that have a uniqueness to them. I'm not entirely sure you can say the same with regards to Tree House, not that they don't have the ability to make something truly unique but at the scale they are operating I think its hard to spend the time that HF can.

Now that being said TH could follow the lead of Allagash. They would need to figure out what beer(s) they can sell at scale and reasonable cost through distribution like Allagash does with White and a few other beers in their portfolio. Its hard to replicate what Allagash has done, mass produce a beer with wide appeal but also that is highly respected for its quality and approach to the style. Founders has All Day IPA but I don't think anyone looks at that beer as unique or as a great example of the style. TH has Julius but they would have to start having that on tap everywhere and distribute it at like $2-3 per can maybe? Alternatively they'd need to find something else to be that flagship beer and somehow make it incredible and have mass appeal.

I guess at the end of the day the reality is all these breweries need to find some way to be unique. I don't think there's a problem with quality personally, I don't think the problem is that there are too many mediocre beers right now. I just think there are too many breweries doing the same thing and many just don't stand out. Those breweries may not necessarily close but they do need to create a reason to go to their brewery and buy their beers as markets shift, consumer desires shift, and potentially the economy shifts. I think too many breweries right now look at their current sales as an indicator of the quality of their business plan. Companies like TiVo once did that as well. Current success is not a great indicator of what will happen in the future.

 

I think you're giving the consumer way too much credit.

Heck, we still can't define "IPA" on Beeradvocate.

You mean Czech Pale Lagers

 

That's fair. I suppose my issue is that we will get an IPA, for instance, and on the can or on the taplist, we get a nice description: "Floral, citrus aromas with a medium body with a bitter malt backbone" or the lengthy you-know-who descriptions. With lager descriptions, it tends towards, "Refreshing and light lager." That's all. Sweet, that tells me zero about the beer.

 

Marketing bro.

Although if more people followed what Notch does with their descriptions of their lagers, I think lagers would sell better.

I LOVE their descriptions.

 

Same, and I think they're getting better as well

Agree, and I think that's coming

 

They do a great job of not only sharing tasting notes but also the processes that go into making their beers, both in the descriptions and through social media. It's one thing to say you triple decocted a pale lager, it's another to take us on the occasional journey.

 

Hey all - just to clarify about out Allston spot. When we kicked off the season it was cans only because our draft trailer hadn't been built. Now both locations have draft beer in addition to cider, cans, wine, etc. We sell our beer and others that we work with. Allston spot is lower key and more spacious while the Esplanade is usually packed. Both fun spots for a pint.

 

Stopped into the Lovejoy Wharf spot last night before a birthday dinner. Very impressive. The brown ale with coffee was the absolute standout. It was a really wonderful beer. Very coffee-forward with a a great body (sounds like my barista gf from my 20’s!)

 

Awesome to hear! That brown ale uses our own sourced and roasted single origin coffee. Both are pretty tasty. We are pretty proud of the beers being produced at LJW - nerdy styles, to crushable lagers, and beer hype type beers. All flowing at the R&D brewhouse over there.

Cheers!