The Problem with American Craft

A whole lot of words in this thread, but it all boils down to, if it tastes good, what's the problem?

 

I quite enjoy drinking here


surrounded by

But I guess that's just me. Cheers!

 

Dude, chances are you are a supertaster, and for better or worse any bitterness in beer, or anything, hits you hard, and is unpalatable. I have heard the degree varies, and some folks overcome it. Considering how many great, non bitter beers we have it doesn't really seem like a problem, but I could see it being annoying to you.

 

Maybe we're not far off from each other, actually. You could take a map and plot what you consider the upper or top tier breweries in the U.S., and even if I don't quibble with your picks I still think you'll find them concentrated in a dozen or so metros, with some outliers here and there. There's a lot of the U.S., a lot of smaller cities and even large cities/metros that have lagged behind the craft beer boom and I'd wager they're not going to have many, if any of your picks on the map. There are a lot of places in the country that don't have a local brewery that is something like Founders, Alchemist, Russian River, Ballast Point, etc.

Even in some of the better beer cities, I still think the points I've made and others made can apply. Many taps are allocated to these less awarded and coveted local brewers. But often they're just no good, but they have more presence on taps than they deserve because of the "buy local" demand from some vocal consumers. I don't necessarily think they hurt the bigger and more successful breweries. But given the small # of taps at most beer bars (relative to bottle shop selections especially), this influence can diminish consumer choice if someone wants to drink best available instead of local for local sake.

Look at @THANAT0PSIS quote from above, post #132

"Possible unpopular opinion incoming. Mediocre breweries like Ale Asylum, Wisconsin Brewing Company, Capital (besides their doppelbocks), etc. are still pretty popular here, largely, I think, because Madisonians like to buy things made in and around Madison... I used to work in a liquor store there, and people would come in all day buying these mediocre breweries when great stuff like FFF, Victory, Great Lakes, Central Waters, and even New Glarus just sits on the shelves next to it. Wisconsin has great distribution, but we've lost both DFH and Stone in the past due to blind local loyalty being so dominant in the marketplace here. I do think it will eventually work itself out, but I'm not sure since people buy awful shit constantly even when there are so many good options on the same shelves."

This sort of thing exists in a lot of places and this trend is something I look forward to going away.

 

one more for @drtth from @Nick_Bousquet

"...my local movie theater that also happens to specialize in beer - Alamo Drafthouse in Loudon for those wondering. When they first opened their tap seletion was great with rotating options from The Bruery, Founders, Langunitas, Stone, and just a plethora of top notch breweries. Now their tap list is about 75% local as is their "company policy", and the overall quality of that list has dropped quite steeply.... their customers walk through the door they perceive this place and similar institutions as being a beer authority and showcasing what should be prime brews, when unbeknownst to them quality is secondary to another factor. It puts local beers at an advantage that they may not deserve and can really detract from a system that rewards quality."

(and this is in a good beer city)
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/slippery-local-slopes.222120/page-2

 

The market for craft beer has expanded a lot in the last decade. Established companies are expanding to meet demand. However, building new facilities takes a lot of time and money, so there is a limit on how quickly expansion can occur. In the mean time, newer breweries step in to satisfy demand. The alternative is higher prices, which would not make it any easier to get into craft.

 

It's similar in Cincinnati. The percentage of places around here that serve craft beer which have significant portions of their tap lines locked in a dedicated "Local Beers" section, where local means Cincinnati only and not even the rest of Ohio, is ridiculous. There's not that much actual good, high quality local beer being made, but no shortage of local breweries. It's especially hilarious to see things like Espresso Oak Aged Yeti right next to Rhinegeist Panther - Panther may be a decent porter, but come on. That bar clearly has the wherewithal to get much better stuff on the line.

To top that off, local stores carry local brews at a higher price than world-class beers. The aforementioned Rhinegeist Panther? $9.99 a six pack. Right next to Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald for $8.99. "But it's local!" So shipping costs should be less, right? "Uh...it's local!" It's also in cans, while Ed Fitz is in bottles. Cans are less expensive and have less breakage, right? "...local?"

 

I appreciate your example. This is exactly the sort of thing that goes on all the time.

 

We now have a new brewery just 2 weeks ago, and 2 others opened within the last 8 months, that are a definite step down from the quality of the 9 great ones we have nearby. It will be interesting to see how they fare, and this thread has got me thinking about it. Will the locavore craze alluded to mean they will succeed despite their beers being of lower quality than their competition?

Or will they be forced to step up their games, or change their gameplans, when they cannot attract the customers who are used to better quality?

Will they try to do as three other local breweries do, and try to succeed by concentrating on attracting folks with other things?
These others succeed with mediocre beer by using,
location/view ( http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1634/ ),
being a banquet hall ( http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1423/ ),
being the only one in the only "city" in the area ( http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29419/ )

 

You know it's funny someone brought up Kolsch in this thread (ont of my fav styles) and one person's experience on it (Koln side drinking) and another (American side drinking hopped up).

It's one of my fav styles, and I am definitely more of a traditionalist it seems to it.

But the reality is people like different things. Had a discussion with a good beer writer about Kolsch, and as much as he went around town in Koln drinking a bunch of it his reaction was yeah it's great but it's all the same beer.

I grab a few American styles, and even one made locally and I think, why the hell is this hopped up to hell this tastes nothing like a Kolsch, but others love it.

Beer evolves and tastes change, and everybody's different. There is good/great beer out there if you do your homework it's really NOt... that ... hard to find it...

there is no problem as far as I can tell... and at worst...

there's always homebrew.

 

I just hope they don't push any of the 9 great ones' beer off the shelves/tap walls. That has happened where I am; Olde Mecklenburg had come to town (much to my delight) recently, only to be pushed off the shelves at both my local Whole Foods and Earth Fare by some new local -- wholly mediocre -- offerings. In this case I did talk to someone, and they told me they were getting immense pressure to carry and prominently display the new locals, but he'd see what he could do to get Olde Meck back on the shelves. A couple of weeks later, the Olde Meck was back...but in a far less prominent position and with one fewer style on offer.

 

Mind linking to that writer's work? If someone thinks Sester tastes like Gaffel tastes like Frueh tastes like Muehlen or Paeffgen from the wooden barrel, then I'm very curious (concerned?) about the state of their palate....

 

It was a conversation at a bar we had, not something he wrote he was just talking off the cuff.

 

I totally agree. I've said for years now that we've got too many brewers who don't REALLY know what they're doing - they haven't cut their teeth yet, they've just gotten into it and progressed because of the movement, and they feel like the way to make a good beer it to just load it with hops or make it bombastic!

My friend Rich Wagner (PA beer historian) taught me years ago, always try the blonde ale or pilsner first when visiting a brewpub, because that beer will tell you whether or not they can really brew.

 

I agree with beardown2489, the breweries that aren't making top-notch beers will disappear in the fall-out that's bound to happen. There are just too many offerings available for it not to be good. I've personally had a few beers from some of my local breweries that weren't good, and I just crossed them off of my list to ever try again because there are just so many other options that I don't see a reason to. ... ... Unless they make something unusual that peaks my curiosity.

 

Dear god.



And we think bomber pricing is bad... just think of the threads complaining about all the $8/9 two-packs.

Also, there is a much stronger terroir connection with wine than beer, at least in the industry as a whole. I would hazard a guess that the percentage of wineries that grow their own grapes is much higher than the percentage of breweries that grow their own grains and hops. This results in 1) location being a bigger factor in winemaking due to the need to be in a region that is friendly to grape growing, and 2) a bigger association in consumer's minds that a region and the quality of wine that comes from it are inextricably linked.

 

Examples and counter examples don't deal with the core issue and aren't a particularly valuable basis for evaluation of the claims under discussion. This is a statistical situation not an either or situation. Simple accumulation of examples that deal with the claim "American craft beer has a problem" can be produced on either side of the issue, can go on all day, and continue at the end to leve us no where.

To illustrate my point, here's a counter-example. In Philly we have a bar in Amtrak's 30th Street station which has quite good food, and 10 rotating taps, none of which is given over to mass market beers. Locals (i.e., breweries within 100 miles) do rotate through the line up (e.g., Neshaminy Creek) but in no way drive out the quality European beers (e.g., Aventinus) or the top quality US line up (e.g., Boulevard Tank 7). The customers perceive this place as being a beer authority and showcasing what are prime brews. It puts local beers on the same level with the national and international best and creates a system that can reward quality. And this is in a good beer city.

What counts here is the general trends not the exceptions to the general trends.

 

Philadelphia is an exception to the rule. Philly is a BEER TOWN!

 

Sure, but how do you quantify general trends of increased mediocrity?

 

The same way you quantify general trends of increased quality.